45th Separate Special Purpose Regiment of the Airborne Forces

Special forces units are such separate units of the troops that are designed to perform special tasks and operations. They can be either part of the fleet, ground and air forces, or part of the police and internal organs. They use special tactics and means to carry out operations.

One of the types of special forces is the special forces of the Airborne Forces. This is a special forces unit that is part of the airborne troops. The special forces of the Airborne Forces were formed in Russia in 1994. On the basis of two special-purpose battalions - the 901st OBSpN and the 218th OBSpN, a single 45th special forces regiment of the Airborne Forces was formed. By July 1994 it was fully staffed. Already in December, the 45th regiment of the special forces of the Airborne Forces was sent to war in Chechnya to destroy armed gangs.

Separate units of the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces took part in the hostilities until February 1995, and from March to June of the same year, a free detachment of the regiment continued to operate in Chechnya. The 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces is considered one of the most legendary in the military history of Russia - many of its soldiers and officers were awarded medals and orders, including the titles of Heroes of the Russian Federation.

Armament of the special forces of the Airborne Forces

The special forces of the Airborne Forces are equipped with better equipment, equipment, weapons than the rest of the troops, and this requires a lot of funding. The special forces of the Airborne Forces use weapons that are rarely available to ordinary troops. For example, the SVD rifle is often used, which is very powerful and reliable. There is a known case when a good shooter shot down a jet attack aircraft from an SVD rifle, hitting the pilot.

Very often the so-called "Vintorez" is used - a silent sniper rifle. With its help, a well-trained sniper can hit a target at great distances. The Vintorez rifle is so powerful that it can penetrate a steel helmet at a distance of up to 400 meters. The first use of "Vintorez" falls on the First Chechen War. "Vintorez" is available only to special forces, ordinary troops do not have access to this weapon.

Many countries use the Steyr AUG universal rifle to equip special forces. This weapon is designed for combat in urban environments and for performing lightning-fast combat missions. The rifle magazine is made of translucent material, which allows you to even visually control the number of remaining cartridges in the magazine.

The Steyr rifle is automatic - it is also possible to install a grenade launcher, which makes it truly universal and indispensable for performing tasks by special units. It was not for nothing that at the end of the 19th century, Austria-Hungary adopted the very first sniper rifle of this company, the Steyr Mannlicher, into service with the troops. This already at that time indicated that the weapon was distinguished by reliability and efficiency. Since then, the rating of Steyr's weapons has not decreased. The Steyr rifles entered service with the special forces of the Airborne Forces quite recently, but they have already managed to earn the respect of the fighters for their fighting qualities.

One of the types of weapons that the soldiers of the special forces of the Airborne Forces are supplied with is AS "Val". This machine is a silent weapon, which is why it is used by a special forces detachment in sabotage operations. AS "Val" has the ability to attach night and sniper sights to it, which allows you to identify targets at a distance of up to 300 meters. AS "Val" is usually transported in a special case, its assembly takes from 30 to 60 seconds, depending on how prepared the shooter is.

Many countries buy into service Russian export, so-called "hundredth" versions of the Kalashnikov assault rifle. This list also includes the AK-103 assault rifle. This weapon is much more effective than the usual "Kalash", and therefore is used by the armies of many countries. Moreover, AK-103 is also used by some special forces units.

Another interesting version of the modernization of the Kalashnikov assault rifle is the AK-74M. AK-74M has the ability to mount an optical and night sight, a stock that can be folded to the side. It is possible to use an attached grenade launcher, which is very important and convenient for special units. That is why the AK-74M is used by many special types of troops.

Also, the AKS-74 model, a shortened Kalashnikov assault rifle, stands out from the modifications. Moreover, the mobility and compactness of the machine does not make it worse in terms of characteristics in comparison with versions with a long barrel. AKS-74 is complete in every sense, and is capable of hitting a target at a distance of more than 400 meters.

But of all the versions of the Kalashnikov weapon, the machine gun remains the most powerful, of course. Moreover, there are so many variations of the Kalashnikov Machine Gun that it is used from arming vehicles to infantrymen. The Kalashnikov machine gun was developed back in the 60s of the last century, but its popularity and the popularity of modified versions have not faded to this day. Many countries use the Kalashnikov machine gun, including for arming special units.

If the conventional troops are armed with the well-known Kalashnikov assault rifle, then the special forces use the PKM - a modernized Kalashnikov machine gun. The power of the PKM is much more than a conventional machine gun and therefore the machine gun is used in special forces for assault operations.

Another popular weapon among all the weapons of the special forces of the Airborne Forces is the "Pecheneg" machine gun. The Pecheneg machine gun was developed on the basis of the PKM and is suitable both for destroying enemy manpower and for destroying firing and transport positions, air targets. Widely used in many countries, Russia is actively exporting the "Pecheneg" machine gun.

In addition to the Kalashnikov assault rifle, a very outwardly similar weapon, the AN-94 Abakan, is widely used. This machine was created according to the classical scheme, with a clip in front, like the Kalash. AN-94 Abakan is distinguished by its special accuracy and accuracy of shots. For example, from a distance of one hundred meters, a good shooter can hit two shots at the same point on the target. This makes the AN-94 Abakan suitable for combat special operations, where the lives of many people depend on the accuracy of the shot.

In addition to all rifles, machine guns and machine guns used by special troops and airborne troops, RPG-26 grenades are widely used. These grenades were developed back in the 80s of the last century and since that time have been in constant service with the army. This once again confirms the effectiveness of RPG-26 grenades both against manpower and against equipment and various fortifications and positions. RPG-26 grenades generally play a big role in the conduct of any hostilities, which is why they are used so widely in any wars.

Features of special forces units

The special forces of the Airborne Forces have a special status due to their specific activities. Each task of special forces requires special weapons, equipment, equipment. Consequently, the financing of special forces units is much greater than the financing of the rest of the troops. The preparatory level of soldiers has a reinforced training base and special training centers. The strongest centers are preparing special forces for the Airborne Forces.

Usually, in the special forces of the Airborne Forces they serve under a contract. The contract is explained by the high cost of training and preparatory tests. The contract in the Airborne Forces is, as a rule, not less than three years. The special forces of the Airborne Forces have a very high level of moral, physical, ideological and psychological training, which is due to the need for future special forces soldiers to work in special conditions.

The special forces of the Airborne Forces require special weapons and equipment, as mentioned earlier. This is due to the specific working conditions of the units. Therefore, the equipment and weapons of the troops are of a very narrow profile. Reconnaissance companies, battalions and other special forces perform tasks autonomously and in extreme conditions. This type of unit is also engaged in reconnaissance. Usually, special forces are thrown behind enemy lines, where the most important strategic points and centers are located.

The special forces of the Airborne Forces (Russian landing) travel very long distances on foot and wear all the equipment and equipment, which requires special training under the contract in the Airborne Forces. In our military store, a wide range of symbols of paratroopers is presented, which can be purchased at the best prices. Photo of a fighter of the 45th OPSPN:

A Brief History of the Special Forces of the Airborne Forces

There was no official special forces of the USSR Airborne Forces. Similar units in Russia originate from the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces in 1994. After the withdrawal of these troops from Chechnya in 1995, a monument was opened in Sokolniki in honor of those killed during military operations. In May of the same year, the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces was awarded a diploma of the President of the Russian Federation, and the regiment took part in the parade on Poklonnaya Hill in honor of the victory over the Nazis 50 years ago.

From winter to spring of 1997, a detachment of the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces took part in peacekeeping operations in Gudauta, the zone of separation of the forces of Abkhazia and Georgia. In the summer of the same year, 45 Guards. The OPSPN were awarded the Battle Banner and the Order of Kutuzov, 3rd class. From the autumn of 1999 to the spring of 2006, a detachment of the regiment participated in operations against terrorists in the North Caucasus. In the summer of 2001, a memorial was opened in Kubinka in honor of the fallen soldiers of the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces. Every year within the regiment there are Days of Remembrance for the fallen soldiers. The glory of the Airborne Forces comes precisely from such heroes, in whose honor the monument was erected.

In February 2008, it was renamed the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces of the Order of Alexander Nevsky. In the summer of the same year, separate units participated in operations to persuade Georgia to peace. Officer Anatoly Lebed was awarded the Order of St. George IV degree. In the spring of 2010, a group of soldiers of the regiment carried out tasks for the security of Russian citizens on the territory of Kyrgyzstan. In 2012, the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces participated in joint exercises with the Green Berets in America, at Fort Carson.

Creativity associated with the special forces of the Airborne Forces

Many films have been made about the heroic deeds and operations of the special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces and many songs have been written. Many materials are presented in the information tape "Voenpro". Read about it in our many articles. Watch movies and listen to music - Voenpro has it all. The special forces of the Airborne Forces in Chechnya went through a lot, and greatly influenced the course of the war. Therefore, war veterans deserve eternal memory and respect. Many documentaries tell about how it was in Chechnya for the soldiers. They talk about the horrors they have seen and what they have gone through.

A huge number of songs are still composed about veterans of the Chechen war and about those who died on it. Fighting comrades sing songs in honor and memory of their fallen friends, in honor of those with whom they were in conditions of life and death. Also on the Internet there are many amateur filming, both military operations and other special operations. The special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces are very popular among young people and many want to serve in it too.

The media have made a certain cult of the special forces of the airborne forces, which is why it is so popular today. Young people are simply “blowing their heads” from the thought that they can freely use weapons and kill people. Computer games and television are filled with murder and violence, and people turn into beasts, ready to tear the enemy to pieces.

So, many films related to the actions of the special forces of the Airborne Forces in Chechnya can be found here. A video of the special forces of the Airborne Forces can be found, for example, such a landing video:

An interesting clip was shot about the special forces of the Airborne Forces "Leshy" - Vyacheslav Korneev. This clip can be viewed at the following link:

45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces - soldiers of the future

Oddly enough, in Chechnya, the special forces are well remembered and know about him. Only the information that the special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces would soon approach forced the militants to leave their positions and leave their place of residence. When there was the first Chechen war, the leadership of the Chechen fighters promised a huge bonus to anyone who could bring at least one soldier of the 45th regiment into captivity. But no one received such an award, because during those hostilities not a single commando of the Russian Airborne Forces got to the Chechens, either dead or alive.

The 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces is, one might say, the youngest part of the Russian army. The regiment was created from two battalions in order to be ready to wage the Cold War. The units were supposed to conduct active reconnaissance, sabotage operations, mainly behind enemy lines. They also had to prepare a place for the landing of landing troops. Considering that the special forces of the Airborne Forces were created after the Cold War, they are still able to solve such problems and prevent such situations.

Ever since the time when Soviet troops entered Afghanistan, the Russian Armed Forces have been constantly involved in resolving various conflicts. Therefore, when the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces was formed, there was already enough experience to make the soldiers universal and truly prepared for war. In addition, many foreign developments and technologies were introduced, which affected the quality of the created special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces only in a positive way. Therefore, the main goal and purpose of the soldiers of the special forces of the Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation is to resolve any military conflicts and problems of a local nature.

Consequently, the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces is a unique combat unit in Russia, which has all the necessary weapons, equipment, and devices to solve its tasks. In addition to the battalions directly in the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces, it also has a detachment of aircraft that do not need pilots, a special-purpose detachment for solving super-important tasks, and a detachment for performing psychological operations.

The main task of the psychological detachment of the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces is the demoralization and disorientation of the enemy troops - that is, the destruction of his faith in victory, in the meaning of resistance. Moreover, the detachment can set up "for" the civilian population of a neutral nature, which has not yet decided which side to defend. And this is especially important in our information age. Therefore, the psychological detachment of the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces, among other things, also has a compact television station, which makes it possible to broadcast programs within a radius of ten kilometers. That is, the impact on the civilian population is thus increasing.

The capabilities of the special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces are enormous. The core of the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces are special units. These units did not appear, of course, without reason - under the feet of the battalions consolidated into one regiment, there was already accumulated experience. Battalion fighters fought during the Transnistrian conflict, and already regimental fighters participated in operations during the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict. Basically, during the Georgian-Abkhaz war, the special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces ensured the safety of civilians and refugees.

But not only in the war, the fighters showed themselves. For several years, during international competitions of special forces that take place in Bulgaria, the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces takes first place, bypassing the Green Berets and British special forces.

But the goal to achieve the status of a universal soldier of the special forces of the Airborne Forces is not so close. If earlier ordinary conscripts entered the school, now there are few of them. Consequently, there is no one to choose soldiers from. Previously, almost all applicants had sports categories in several categories, but now there are only a few such recruits.

Basically, they enter the service under a contract in the Airborne Forces, and from these recruits it is practically impossible to choose anyone sensible. Few have only a higher or specialized education, while the majority have a regular completed secondary education. And that is joy - if finished. But even from such applicants they make a real special forces of Russia. First of all, the applicant passes many tests in psychology and physical fitness to determine his readiness and ability to serve in these troops.

After personal characteristics are determined, they say which military specialty you are going to. For example, people of a very calm and balanced nature, like no one else, are suitable for working as a sniper or a sapper of the special forces of the Airborne Forces. The rest of the recruits, who have not been assigned anywhere, are transferred to support units, or to other military units.

After this type of selection, there is a quarantine, an oath, then, of course, they move on to the exercises. To say that it is very difficult to serve in the special forces of the Airborne Forces, for example, in military unit 33842, is the same as keeping silent. Constant training is replaced by forced marches and night shooting, facade climbing is replaced by tactical exercises or the training of sappers. And so constantly in a circle.

Naturally, not all potential soldiers of the special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces can withstand such loads and rates. Therefore, after about six months, of those newcomers who entered, only forty percent of the strength remains. Moreover, the number decreases for various reasons. Someone gets health problems from such loads, someone can not stand it physically, someone is expelled by commanders because of poor progress. Those places that remain from the departed special forces of the Airborne Forces are filled at the expense of the best paratroopers. As a result, after the first year of the exercises, real fighters of the Airborne Forces elite, who are fluent in weapons and various devices, turn out from nobody.

But it should be noted that, despite the complexity of the exercise and the workload, there are no fewer people who want to serve in the special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces. All this because the service is very interesting and useful for guys. There is no hazing here, and service in 45 OPSPN is an excellent start for work and service in other structures of the internal organs of the state. After the end of the service, you will be happy to be taken to any type of security, security and protection, secret units. The 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces is an excellent military and career prospect for a young man who is able to endure difficult service and workloads.

The result of your studies can be, at your request, participation in hostilities. Although the experience that has been accumulated by previous generations is little used according to custom in our country, the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces solves many issues on its own. The soldiers have manuals that are printed by some officers of the regiment, which leads to the correspondence of what is written with reality. In our time, when the main operations in Chechnya have ended, the role of the special forces of the Airborne Forces, which can be very useful in carrying out reconnaissance, search and all sorts of raid missions, is significantly increasing. Therefore, the complete withdrawal of the special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces from Chechnya is not yet planned in the near future.

At present, the special forces of the Airborne Forces in Chechnya operate as a free detachment near the village of Khatuni. The importance of this place is very great for the state, and therefore the special forces have huge tasks and responsibilities on their shoulders. The consolidated detachment also includes units of the FSB, special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and others. Everyone has their own tasks within the framework of a common goal. Especially important is the fire training of fighters in this operation, so the exercises train the fighters as needed. The loads are huge, because of this, the fighters lose five or even eight kilograms in a couple of months, even taking into account the fact that the food here is enhanced.

Moreover, the special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB sometimes have to perform tasks that are not in their competence. Therefore, they work together with the special forces of the Airborne Forces in Chechnya, which has a specialization in precisely this type of combat operations. All these parts of the detachment are friends with each other and actively help and support each other in difficult situations in order to achieve a common goal. No one pays attention to the subordination of departments in this situation.

Some of the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces is stationed in Sokolniki. There they are in the barracks of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. And this part is very actively fighting to be part of the Preobrazhensky Regiment according to all official papers. And there are several reasons for this.

Historically, the Preobrazhensky Regiment is the first regular armament regiment in Russia. And the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces can be said to be the first regiment of the new Russian army, the regiment of the future. And the attitude towards the fighters is completely new, compared to the old views. Now every soldier of the special forces of the Airborne Forces is a value in which a lot of finance and other resources have been invested. Previously, the fighters were cannon fodder without special specific training, which no one appreciated and did not consider in the war.

Now the fighters are highly professional and qualified. Now the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces is a place where experienced and skilled personnel of special forces are trained. Many of those who went through this school serve in the internal organs, Alpha, Omega, and many other promising places. But it is worth noting that after many years of service in the regiment, most officers do not want to be transferred to other places for a service that is more promising. This is because for many years the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces has become for them really a family and home, which you cannot and do not want to leave.

In the regiment itself, special psychological and moral principles have developed that make its officers friendly and fraternal. This can be seen from the fact that those officers who retired and settled down regularly sponsor those fighting in Chechnya. It is interesting to note that veterans of the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces help not only with material resources.

It was such that when it was necessary to replace fighters in the Caucasus in 1999, a suitable replacement was not found. Then the reserve officers decided to come to the aid of the regiment. They abandoned their profitable official and career positions, and formed their own detachment of veterans, who went to the Caucasus. Their very first business was to occupy an important height and ensure there was a four-hour reflection of enemy attacks. At this time, the regiment was able to prepare new special forces soldiers of the Russian Airborne Forces to send them to the Caucasus.

For all the years of existence of the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces, its officers do not stop fighting. All conflicts that happened in Chechnya, Bosnia, Dagestan, Kosovo were resolved with the help of special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces. During this period, there were awards by the minister, and the awarding of five soldiers of the regiment with Heroes of Russia. And, oddly enough, various accusations were also present in the history of the regiment. But be that as it may, the special forces of the Airborne Forces are still the real elite of the Russian army.

His warriors have shown themselves excellently during the times of all conflicts and wars. A bunch of enemy weapons depots, drug depots were found, many lives of civilians were saved, many troubles were prevented. As a result, the officers deserved their proud existence with a strong and enduring body, and the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces is, indeed, the regiment of the future.

News related to the special forces of the Airborne Forces

There is news that the special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces have recently adopted a foreign Steyr Mannlicher rifle. Their total number, which the soldiers received, amounted to more than thirty units. Alexander Kucherenko, representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense for airborne troops, spoke about this news. He says these are the first foreign-made Mannlicher rifles to have been supplied to the regiment. In general, the purchase of Austrian weapons began in 2010.

Moreover, they say that the supply of Austrian sniper rifles will not end there, and the regiment will be provided with them regularly. The fighters have already completed all the necessary training courses on the use of this weapon in the centers of the Ministry of Defense and are ready to use it. What exactly the model of the Mannlicher rifle was adopted is not specified. Prior to this, the special forces of the Airborne Forces used the SVD sniper rifle.

They also say that the replenishment also touched on equipment. Significantly increased the number of aircraft that do not need a pilot. Again, it is not said which devices were received. The special forces of the Airborne Forces also received about two dozen reconnaissance radar stations, more than three dozen other reconnaissance devices and several ground surveillance stations.

More about new

It was recently reported that a special forces detachment of the Airborne Forces destroyed a monument to the fallen soldiers of the SS detachment in Lithuania. The state is trying by all possible methods to prove that no such order was officially issued from the headquarters. What is the matter, they are still trying to figure it out.

According to the first information, it turns out that the commander of the special forces detachment of the Airborne Forces took all the blame. It seems that he, having drunk, gave the order to his detachment, which at that moment was on exercises in the Pskov region, to cross the border with Lithuania and destroy the SS monument there. The state confirms this version, motivating it by the fact that there was no communication with the headquarters during the exercises, and therefore he could not give such an order for objective reasons. The commander of the special forces of the Airborne Forces himself is under guard, and cannot comment on this.

The fact is that no one would have known, probably, that it was the special forces of the Airborne Forces who destroyed the monument, but the surveillance cameras filmed the crime. But the detachment worked so quietly that not a single civilian and not a single policeman saw the action itself. In addition, microphones were installed on the cameras.

And the Lithuanian government heard everything that the Russian special forces of the Airborne Forces said about those who allowed the installation of the SS monument. In general, at first the Lithuanian government was at a loss, because not every day a special forces detachment of the Russian Airborne Forces destroys a monument in the center of a Lithuanian city. It could not even believe it, if not for the video. The Russian government did not comment at first, but was forced to do so under the influence of photo evidence provided to it. Now all the details of the circumstances are being clarified.

One day of teaching

The detachment of the special forces of the Airborne Forces moved very secretly and quietly through the dense forest. From all sides, the muzzle of a weapon protruded from the detachment, ready to fire at any necessary moment. The soldiers walked, covering each other, constantly observing and analyzing the situation around. It was necessary to constantly listen and sniff everything around.

It was already the third day of training, and the scouts of the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces were actively preparing for the previous competitions. The main part of the detachment are soldiers under contract in the Airborne Forces and young conscripts. The instructor said that in order to fully prepare a full-fledged soldier of the special forces of the Airborne Forces, at least three years are needed. It turns out that there was no sense from the conscripts, and they do not reinforce the group with anything. Although, the commander of the detachment said that the conscripts showed themselves very well in recent days and they are not a burden.

In addition to the commanders of the detachment, the group also included snipers, demolition workers and signalmen. Of course, everyone has their own kind of activity, task and specialization, but in the case of a missing link, each of the fighters is able to replace the other in a full-fledged way. The special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces are, indeed, universal soldiers capable of performing a variety of tasks.

The armament of the detachment was the most diverse. Some fighters had SVD sniper rifles in their hands, others received Vintorez with their weapons. Some of the soldiers were armed with Kalashnikov machine guns. Of course, all fighters are trained in an excellent way to use edged weapons, so everyone must have a blade. In addition, all have pistols, and in some cases - with a silencer.

On this day of the exercises, the tasks were the most diverse and diverse. First, the special forces of the Airborne Forces had to carefully move through the forest, well disguised and preparing for a possible attack. After that, it was supposed to imitate the injury of one of the fighters and provide him with first aid. After that, it was necessary to capture the car, taking the enemy prisoner from it, and at the end it was required to overcome the water barrier.

The members of the detachment had the most diverse clothing and equipment, but mostly of high quality. In general, the soldiers of the special forces of the Airborne Forces wore what was not a pity and what was cheaper and better. This was due primarily to the fact that the soldiers dressed completely at their own expense. But, since the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces are universal soldiers, they are used to working in a wide variety of and specific conditions.

The shoes got a lot of attention. It was, oddly enough, non-standard, but, apparently, comfortable, high-quality and expensive. It also aroused interest in what soldiers of the special forces of the Airborne Forces use - socks or footcloths. It turned out that there is no special law, you can wear both the first and the other. The only difference is that it is more convenient for someone to use. Shoes are very important for the special forces of the Airborne Forces, because they have to bear the weight on themselves, sometimes reaching forty or fifty kilograms, but in this case they told me that the weight was about twenty to thirty kilograms.

After the detachment left the forest, the fighters crossed the road and successfully played a clash with an unexpected enemy, as a result of which one of the fighters of the special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces was seriously injured. The wound was in the lower limb, and another bullet hit the eye. Everything was complicated by the fact that there was active bleeding that needed to be stopped.

The wounded soldier of the special forces of the Airborne Forces was pulled with a tourniquet on his leg, and his head was bandaged heavily with a bandage. After that, it was required to inject the drug into a vein. The injection was done for real, only instead of cardiac stimulants, ordinary harmless glucose was injected.

Before capturing the enemy, the special forces detachment of the Airborne Forces split up on different sides of the road. At the time when the truck drove up to the right distance, packages of paint flew into the windshield.

Under present conditions, bullets would have flown, but since there were exercises, paint packages flew. After that, the detachment performed a successful capture of a prisoner. This took about thirty seconds. The 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces, as always, worked promptly and professionally. It aroused interest in what they do with the prisoner, because the same one can be silent, as we often see in films. But I was informed that such situations, when the prisoner is silent, almost never happen in history.

If the prisoner refuses to speak, such psychological and physical methods are applied to him by the special forces of the Airborne Forces that his will breaks down and he gives out everything that is needed. After interrogation, the fate of the captured person can be decided in two ways. The first is that he will be left alive if the command of the special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces still needs him. Then his will is limited, but he remains alive. If there is no longer any need for a prisoner, he can be destroyed.

When the time came for the execution of the last task, that is, for the crossing of the river, the soldiers were visibly delighted. The special forces of the Airborne Forces took off everything except their hats and T-shirts. In combat conditions, black flippers are used for swimming, but in exercises they are yellow, so that if they are lost, they can be found. After the complete collection of things and their packaging in special waterproof bags, the special forces of the Airborne Forces tied weapons to them. Next, a cable from plastic bottles is tied.

Two swimmers swim across to the other side, and the rest prepare for swimming and defend themselves. When two members of the Russian Airborne Special Forces have crossed over, the next two swim, using a rope made of bottles to facilitate movement. And so the swimming continues. After all the soldiers of the detachment moved to the other side, everyone was very tired and hungry. The commander said that the detachment had four or five hours to rest, and after that they could move on. If, of course, it is required.

It is fully called like this: 45th Separate Guards Orders of Mikhail Kutuzov and Alexander Nevsky Special Purpose Reconnaissance Regiment of the Russian Airborne Forces. For those who are close to military subjects, there is no need to explain anything here. Let us explain to the general reader:

• The 45th regiment is the youngest unit in our airborne troops.
• The 45th regiment was the only one in Russia that received the title of Guards in peacetime (after the end of the Great Patriotic War).
• The regiment simultaneously trains special forces, paratroopers and scouts - there is no other such unit in the country.
• The regiment is stationed in the city of Kubinka, Moscow Region.
• The motto of the regiment: "The strongest wins." The talisman is a wolf.

Today - and this is a reason for pride - in the elite unit serves 101 Belgorod. And in 2005, only one of our fellow countrymen left for the regiment - Alexey Krasovsky. And then he could not have gone: flat feet of the III degree, parents - invalids of the II group ... But he wanted to serve, and at the same time he decided for himself: either in the 45th, or nowhere. Alexey was helped by sports achievements (CCM in football, winner of numerous karate competitions) and the fact that he was the best draftee in the city in terms of physical and educational indicators. The reputation of his uncle, who used to serve in an elite regiment and now works in the Alpha special unit, also played a role.

Krasovsky did not let down either a relative or a small homeland - he was demobilized with the rank of senior sergeant, and was awarded the Margelov medal. He does not lose contact with the regiment - he always comes to the unit on Airborne Forces Day, and in autumn and spring he meets in Belgorod the commander of a special forces company, senior lieutenant Sergei Ishtuganov.

“He visits all the military registration and enlistment offices, studies in detail the personal files of conscripts, selects the most deserving ones, and forms a team out of them,” says Aleksey. - A few days the guys pass the standards. Moreover, physical training is, although the most important, but not a decisive indicator. Not just strength is needed - brains are also needed, the reed woodpecker will not go there. Therefore, candidates are tested on basic knowledge of the Russian language, mathematics, physics, geography and other basic subjects.”

Many want to break into the elite of the armed forces, the competition in the 45th regiment is more abrupt than when entering universities. Last summer, 300 Belgorod guys wanted to leave with Sergei Ishtuganov, but only 60 passed the selection. The commanders are satisfied with our conscripts - they send letters of thanks to the governor and to DOSAAF. Belgorod residents even deserve a curious carte blanche: those who, after a successful service, express a desire to become an officer, can go to the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School out of competition - on the recommendation of the regiment's command.

Knowledgeable people explain the achievements of Belgorod residents by high-quality pre-conscription training. Most of the military-patriotic clubs (VPK) in the field of airborne orientation, and the guys go to the army already with a solid store of knowledge and skills.

“Many cadets of our clubs have 5-6 parachute jumps behind them,” explains Deputy Chairman of the regional branch of DOSAAF Viktor Pogrebnyak. - And in the 45th regiment, as far as I know, according to the service program, you need to make 12 jumps. There, of course, they do not jump from the An-2, but from more serious aircraft, but when there is such experience, it is much easier to perform complex tasks.

Last January, Viktor Alekseevich visited Kubinka to take the oath. Together with the leaders of two military-industrial complex - "Rusichi" and "Fatherland" - he congratulated and admonished the recruits. He says that the conditions for life and service in the regiment are excellent: comfortable beds, wardrobes with individual keys, showers, tea rooms ... In general, not a stereotypical army at all.

Do you want one like this? Get ready. For you, we got the minimum requirements of the 45th regiment. Do not want or have already left the military age? Just try what it's like to hit forty-five.

Hello! Today we will touch on such a topic as military service under contract in the Airborne Forces of Russia. Namely, we will consider such issues as vacancies under a contract in the Airborne Forces in 2017, the monetary allowance of those who serve under a contract in the airborne troops, as well as the conditions for serving under a contract in the Airborne Forces for military personnel and their families. A separate place in our article will be occupied by reviews of contract servicemen in the Airborne Forces.

Contract service in the Airborne Forces regiments, divisions, military units, brigades

Contract service in the Airborne Forces is a job for real men!

At the moment, the structural strength of the Airborne Forces includes four full-fledged divisions, as well as separate regiments, airborne and airborne assault brigades.

For those who nevertheless decided to link their lives, or at least part of it, with service in the Airborne Forces, I highly recommend studying the composition of the Airborne Forces and the locations of units and subunits of the Russian Airborne Forces.

So, according to official information from the website of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation mil.ru, the Airborne Forces consists of:

• 76th Guards Air Assault Division, Pskov location:

1. military unit 32515 104th Guards Air Assault Regiment
2. military unit 74268 234th Guards Air Assault Regiment
3. military unit 45377 1140 artillery regiment and others

• military unit 65451 98th Guards Airborne Division, located in Ivanovo:

1. military unit 62295 217 Guards Airborne Regiment
2. military unit 71211 331st Guards Airborne Regiment (located in Kostroma)
3. military unit 62297 1065th Red Banner Guards Artillery Regiment (located in Kostroma)
4. military unit 65391 215th separate guards reconnaissance company and others

• 7th Guards Air Assault (Mountain) Division, location - Novorossiysk:

1. military unit 42091 108 air assault regiment
2. military unit 54801 247 air assault regiment (location Stavropol)
3. military unit 40515 1141 artillery regiment (location of Anapa) and others

• 106th Guards Airborne Division - Tula:

1. military unit 41450 137 parachute regiment
2. military unit 33842 51 parachute regiment
3. military unit 93723 1182 artillery regiment (location Naro-Fominsk) and others

Regiments and brigades of the Airborne Forces:

• military unit 32364 11th separate guards airborne brigade, stationed in the city of Ulan-Ude
• military unit 28337 45th Separate Guards Special Purpose Brigade - Moscow
• 56th Separate Guards Air Assault Brigade. Place of deployment - the city of Kamyshin
• military unit 73612 31st Separate Guards Air Assault Brigade. Located in Ulyanovsk
• military unit 71289 83rd Separate Guards Airborne Brigade. Location - Ussuriysk
• military unit 54164 38th Separate Guards Communications Regiment of the Airborne Forces. Located in the Moscow region, in the village of Medvezhye Ozera

Cuban contract service in the special forces of the Airborne Forces in the 45th special forces brigade

Let's start with the brigade, in which, apparently, every second candidate seeks to get a job to serve under the contract. Namely, in the 45th brigade (regiment) of the Airborne Forces. In order not to repeat myself, I will immediately give a link to the material, where we have already told everything about this military unit in an article for contract service in Moscow and the Moscow Region

Contract service in the Tula Airborne Forces

For many, the contract in the Airborne Forces has become a good springboard and a good lesson in life.

The next most popular is the 106th Guards Airborne Division, which is located in the hero city of Tula. Full name 106th Guards Airborne Tula Red Banner Order of Kutuzov Division.

The division has the following units:

• parachute regiments
• communications department,
• material support unit (MTO),
• medical team,
• engineering division

Accordingly, there are quite a lot of military posts for contract service in the 106th Airborne Division.

Contract servicemen serving on a contract basis in the Airborne Forces in the city of Tula, during their service, live in separate living quarters (cubes) for 4-6 soldiers. Those who do not want to live on the territory of the unit, as well as family soldiers, have the right to rent housing in the city itself. In this case, they are paid monetary compensation for the sublease of housing.

Also, each serviceman can use the accumulative mortgage system to solve their housing problems.

Since the unit is located in the city itself, there are no problems for the employment of members of the families of military personnel here.

Contract service Airborne Forces Ryazan

Those who wish to serve in the Airborne Forces in Ryazan should contact the 137th Airborne Regiment of military unit 41450 Regiment address: Ryazan - 7 Oktyabrsky Gorodok

The conditions for entering the contract in the Airborne Regiment are the same as for other candidates for the contract.

In 137 RAPs, in addition to regular units, for example, RAPs, there are:

Military unit 41450 has a club, a library, a museum of military glory, a stadium and a sports hall.

A garrison military hospital operates on the territory of the Ryazan garrison.

There are also no problems for the employment of family members of contract servicemen. The military unit is located within the city limits. Accordingly, all social guarantees to servicemen from the side of the state are carried out in full.

The next place for future contractors to serve is the oldest formation of the Airborne Forces, namely the 76th Guards Airborne Assault Division, located in the city of military glory Pskov.

As part of the 76 Guards. DShD has the following divisions:

• three air assault regiments
• Guards Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment
• separate reconnaissance battalion
• separate communications battalion
• repair and restoration battalion and others

The conditions of service and life of military personnel under the contract are the same as in other military units of the Airborne Forces

Contract service Airborne Forces Ulyanovsk

For those who have chosen to serve in the Airborne Forces and also live or are ready to move to the city of Ulyanovsk, they are lucky, because the 31st Separate Guards Airborne Assault Brigade (31 ODSHBr) is located here, military unit 73612 address Ulyanovsk, 3rd Engineering travel

The 31 Airborne Brigade includes:

• paratrooper and air assault battalions
• artillery battalion
• engineering sapper company

Since 2005, all units of the brigade have been staffed exclusively by military personnel under the contract.

Back in 2016, the then commander of the Airborne Forces, Vladimir Shamanov, announced that during 2017, the 97th Airborne Assault Regiment would be recreated in Dzhankoy, Crimea. But so far there is no information about this.

Monetary allowance of military personnel under contract in the Airborne Forces

In addition to the basic payments that are due to each serviceman of the Russian Army, the Airborne Forces are entitled to additional payments to paratroopers, namely, in accordance with the order of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation No. that the serviceman has fulfilled the norm of parachute jumps established by the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation for the past year.

For military personnel, for each complicated parachute jump, the amount of the allowance increases by 1 percent.

It is worth noting that in the 45th brigade (regiment) of the Airborne Forces, military personnel receive an additional 50% of the salary for military service in a special forces unit.

Airborne contract service reviews

Our Airborne Troops are rapidly developing. More and more new models of modern military equipment are being put into service. And this means that professional military personnel will also be constantly required in the Airborne Forces.

Regarding the reviews, I would like to say that it depends on the military unit where the service will take place, and sometimes on the military itself. What can you say about this? How is your Airborne contract?

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45th Guards Special Forces Brigade of the Airborne Forces

A report by a correspondent who was lucky enough to get into the location of a unit of the 45th Airborne Special Forces Brigade.

There are no random people in the special forces, they come here only of their own free will. At the same time, not everyone who has expressed a desire to become a special forces soldier is accepted into the special forces unit.

“The selection of future special forces from among the conscripts begins with the study of their personal files,” says lieutenant colonel Vladimir Fridlender, deputy commander of the brigade for work with personnel of the guard. - The officers of the brigade for this purpose specially go to the military registration and enlistment offices. If possible, already there, on the ground, with those young men who have expressed a desire to serve in the special forces, conversations are held, their moral and business qualities are studied, and the level of physical fitness is checked.

Before being called up to other units, recruits do not pass physical training standards. However, the 45th Special Forces Brigade of the Airborne Forces is a special unit, with much higher requirements for strength, speed, agility and endurance of a fighter.

As you know, conscripts in military registration and enlistment offices undergo psychological tests. However, upon arrival from the military registration and enlistment office to the 45th brigade, each recruit is tested again. It is extremely important to identify in advance the guys who are not up to the heaviest loads that fall to the lot of a fighter of a special forces unit. After all, they will be able to master another military specialty in the Airborne Forces or another form or branch of the Armed Forces. Rigid selection is in the interests of both conscripts, and the 45th brigade, and the army as a whole.

Productive selection for special forces is facilitated by the active interaction of the brigade command with the military-patriotic clubs of the country, especially with the main military-patriotic organization - DOSAAF of Russia. For example, in the Belgorod region, young men are successfully trained to serve in the Airborne Forces; Belgorod graduates of the DOSAAF school last year staffed a whole company of the 45th brigade.

Those wishing to enter the 45th Airborne Brigade under a contract, if before that they served in other airborne or airborne assault units, they know the requirements of the special forces "entrance control" from the very beginning, since the officers of the brigade, leaving for other units and formations of the winged guard, about they are told in detail. It is more difficult for those who come from units of other branches of the armed forces and types of the Armed Forces or from a “civilian”.

Upon arrival at the brigade, the contract candidate passes physical training, then psychological testing is immediately carried out with him. The main task when accepting physical training tests is to objectively reveal the possibilities and potential of the candidate. After exercises for speed (running 100 m), strength (pulling up on the bar) and endurance (running 3 km), three fights are held in sparring for three minutes. This is where strong-willed qualities are revealed: this is when a candidate, having missed a blow, falls, but then gets up and continues to fight to the end.

“There are quite a lot of cases when we have to report to the military enlistment office that the recommended candidate is not suitable for us,” Lieutenant Colonel Fridlender says with regret. - The military registration and enlistment offices should be more strict in the selection of candidates for our brigade.

Careful selection of personnel, a healthy moral situation in the brigade units and, of course, care from the state contribute to the fact that about 90 percent of contractors enter into repeated contracts.

Of the benefits - an increased salary, taking into account various allowances (for the implementation of the skydiving program, for the successful completion of physical training standards, etc.), the possibility of distance learning at Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov and other leading universities in Moscow, the right to a mortgage after the conclusion of the second contract. On average, an ordinary under a contract, having served for three years, receives 35-40 thousand rubles a month.

To serve in the special forces from year to year as a private or contract sergeant or an officer without a love for military craft is almost unrealistic. In addition, having fully experienced the hardships and hardships in training sessions, when you have to hide in an ambush for several days, and when performing combat missions, special forces groups become monolithic teams from which you don’t want to leave. Does the average young compatriot have many friends and acquaintances with whom you can go on reconnaissance? In the age of gadgets and the dominance of correspondence communication by phone, Skype or social networks, young people have forgotten how to communicate live, not just to be friends. Getting into trouble, they may think about the value of friends who can rush to the rescue, especially if there are no such friends. And in the special forces group, everyone is ready to pull a wounded comrade out of hell or even lay down their lives for their friends.

And in general, the brigade is one family, where they never leave their own. And after being wounded, many are looking for a position, in every possible way helping to find a worthy and feasible job again. So it was, for example, with the cavalier of two Orders of Courage, ensign Vadim Selyukin, who lost his legs while performing a combat mission. Now he is the captain of the Russian Paralympic sledge hockey team.

Practice convinces: even the advanced technology of the 21st century will not completely replace ground-based deep reconnaissance, it will not detract from the capabilities and role of a reconnaissance fighter

In the special forces they jokingly say: “Arrived at the place - everything is just beginning”.

Ejection behind enemy lines by parachute is just one of the options for delivering scouts to the place of the mission. Of course, this method is not easy and requires concentration from the soldier when studying a set of actions called airborne training.

The brigade makes parachute jumps D-10, "Crossbow-1" and "Crossbow-2", and the last two systems have a planning dome-"wing" Landing by parachute in the special forces of the Airborne Forces is taught on any surface: field, forest, roof of a building , a pond ... Jumps are made during the day, at night and in difficult weather conditions. Therefore, airborne training in the 45th brigade is one of the main subjects of training. Combat training begins with her as an ordinary paratrooper, as well as a commando of the Airborne Forces.

- Airborne training includes the study of materiel - a parachute and safety devices, packing a parachute and classes at an airborne complex, where elements of a jump, actions in the air, preparation for landing and the landing itself are practiced, - explains the deputy commander of the airborne training brigade Guard Lieutenant Colonel Oleg Rekun.

Recruits, as well as those who decided to link their fate with the special forces of the Airborne Forces, signed a contract, but had never jumped with a parachute before, they are preparing for the first jump for two weeks.

The laying of the D-10 parachutes takes place in 6 stages, the paratroopers lay the parachute together, the dynamics of the laying is controlled by the commanders of the units and the officer of the Air Force. At each stage, triple control is mandatory, almost like in the preparation of an astronaut. There is no room for error, because in the air a person will be alone and there will be no one to tell him anything there.

Of the two parachute systems used by the brigade, the D-10 is easier to stow and operate in the air. The technique of preparing for jumping with this parachute has long been worked out.

“A serviceman, leaving the aircraft, has a neutral canopy, that is, a parachute that does not move horizontally or (during the wind) almost does not move,” Lieutenant Colonel Rekun explains to the Guards. – Accordingly, the paratrooper's drop point differs little from the landing point: it is a vertical. By and large, nothing depends on the parachutist: where he was thrown, there he will land.

"Crossbow" has a different quality. From a kilometer of height, you can go 4–5 km to the side, using only the performance characteristics of a parachute, in complete calm. With a strong wind, a paratrooper from a kilometer height will be able to move away from the drop point by 6–7 km.

D-10 is designed for mass landing. And any special forces soldier first masters self-control in the air on this parachute.

In the future, according to the instructions of the commander of the Airborne Forces, Hero of Russia, Colonel-General Vladimir Shamanov, after 25 jumps on the D-10, the serviceman is allowed to operate the Crossbow. At the same time, at least seven jumps must be long.

“Preparation for jumping with Arbalet-2 lasts about 20 days,” says Oleg Dmitrievich. - Special Forces soldiers study materiel in a new way, learn to pack a parachute and master airborne operations on the airborne complex.

Owning "Crossbow" in the 45th brigade as much as it should be. There are virtuosos among them. From a height of about 4000 m, they flew, planning, for 17 kilometers. Currently, pilot operation of oxygen equipment is being carried out, which in the future, when put into service, will allow landing from a height of more than 4 km. Accordingly, the planning distance will also increase.

“In addition to the Arbalet-1, the brigade also has the Arbalet-2 parachute system, which is easier to operate,” Lieutenant Colonel Rekun continues the story of the guard. - A stabilizing system is rigidly mounted on it, which works automatically, which guarantees a parachutist who has left an airplane or helicopter, in case of emergency, rotation only in a horizontal plane. Random falling with vertical rotation is thus excluded.

But on Arbalet-1, instead of a stabilizing system, the so-called “soft jellyfish” is used, which the parachutist puts into action himself, after which the opening of the main parachute begins. And for jumping on the "Crossbow-1" a soldier needs to be prepared even longer, taking into account the fact that the paratrooper is thrown out with weapons, equipment and cargo containers.

Military tests of the Arbalet-2 parachute system took place on the basis of the 45th brigade. In the equipment of each specialty that is in the Airborne Forces, taking into account the characteristics of its weapons and equipment, they made at least 10 jumps. That is, the special forces dressed either as signalmen, or as sappers, or as grenade launchers, etc. There were fewer people in the selected group than there were specialties. As a result, each during the tests performed about 180 jumps. Well, the unconditional record holders are members of the non-standard sports parachute team of the formation. It consists of four Honored Masters of Sports, one of them has already made more than 11 thousand jumps.

The combat training program requires each member of the special forces brigade to complete at least 10 jumps per year. "Crossbowmen" jump with their parachutes, the rest - from the D-10. The tasks involved are very different.

In the 45th brigade, the unit commanders insistently remind the fighters: "Where shooting begins, reconnaissance ends there". Especially deep. It is the collection of intelligence that is the main task of special forces groups. Quietly, observing the rules of camouflage, detecting an object without noise and shots, transmitting its coordinates and leaving in the same silent way - this is the spetsnaz handwriting.

However, today it is possible to detect the desired object of the enemy with the help of unmanned aerial vehicles or from satellites. Can the advanced technology of the 21st century replace ground-based deep reconnaissance?

– Absolutely unlikely. Firstly, a special-purpose group will still direct strike weapons at a number of strategic facilities, ”said Lieutenant Colonel Vladimir Seliverstov, deputy commander of the 45th brigade, Hero of Russia Guards. - Secondly, after air operations and artillery preparation, a ground operation will still begin, where special forces will be involved in the first place, which will have sabotage and ambush operations. Special forces always work targeted...

- In recent years, the list of tasks assigned to the special forces has increased significantly, - continues Vladimir Vyacheslavovich. “Some I never thought before that they would become ours.

The expansion of the range of tasks affects the content of combat training, it is changing. However, the main basis of the special forces has been and remains unchanged. This, according to the deep conviction of the Guard Lieutenant Colonel Seliverstov, is discipline. Fire, physical, tactical-special, engineering training in relation to discipline is a superstructure. With insufficient, for example, tactical and special training, special forces are bad. In the absence of discipline, there is no special forces at all.

“Discipline,” says the deputy brigade commander, “is accuracy, punctuality in everything: in time, place and actions.

In the 45th Separate Guards Brigade, discipline is not a cane - it is conscious. Including because every commando knows that violators are not kept in this part. As the commander of the brigade Hero of Russia Guards Colonel Vadim Pankov later explained

A serviceman who has to be punished for misconduct should not and will not serve in the 45th Special Purpose Brigade.

Another quality that a special forces officer must possess is initiative, a willingness to make decisions.

The principles of teaching are known: from theory to practice, from simple to complex. Practical classes are held on different terrain day and night. A spetsnaz soldier spends at least half of his working time in the field.

Of the new weapons in the brigade - BTR-82A, drones and something else. Everything is in perfect working order.

“What was in the 45th regiment ten years ago and what has appeared now is heaven and earth,” Lieutenant Colonel Seliverstov, who served in the 45th “economy” for 15 years, ascertains the guards.

When in the early 2000s the unit solved problems in the Caucasus, the officers invested personal funds in the equipment of the fighters, Vladimir Vyacheslavovich recalls. Now the personnel are fully provided with clothing and equipment.

“The equipment is very decent,” notes the deputy brigade commander. - Of course, there is no limit to perfection, but even now a fighter, for example, has a choice of uniforms, taking into account weather conditions, which allows him to complete the task and maintain his health. The same can be said about nutrition. In clothing and food provision, shifts are noticeable to anyone.

• In August 2008, the personnel of the brigade participated in the operation to force Georgia to peace.
• At that time, the story of the capture of off-road vehicles that the Americans supplied to the Georgian army received a great response. So, these trophies are on the account of the special forces of the Airborne Forces.
• In April 2010, the battalion tactical group of the brigade ensured the safe evacuation of our fellow citizens, including members of the families of military personnel and civilian personnel, due to unrest on the territory of Kyrgyzstan.
• In the spring of 2014, the personnel of the brigade, as part of a separate reconnaissance detachment, took part in the operation to return Crimea to Russia.
• The names of 14 Heroes of Russia are inscribed in the annals of the 45th brigade. Four of them continue to serve in this glorious unit. Five servicemen of the 45th brigade were awarded three Orders of Courage.

45th Separate Guards Special Purpose Regiment of the Airborne Forces
The 45th Separate Guards Order of Kutuzov and Alexander Nevsky Special Purpose Regiment of the Airborne Forces (45th Guards OPSN Airborne Forces) was formed in February 1994 on the basis of the 218th ODSHB and the 901st ODSHB.
The 901st ODSHB was formed on the basis of the order of the Chief of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces in the territory of the Transcaucasian Military District by the end of the 70s.
Then this battalion was moved to Czechoslovakia, where it was included in the structure of the Central Group of Forces. On November 20, 1979, the Oremov Laz garrison in Slovenia became the new location of 901 ODSHB in Slovenia (some sources indicate the garrison in Riechka as the location).

The battalion was equipped with approximately 30 BMD-1 combat assault vehicles. In March 1989, the number of TsGV troops began to decrease, and this process affected 901 ODSHB. At the turn of March and April, the entire battalion was moved to the Latvian Aluksne, where it was enrolled in the PribVO.

1979 - formed on the territory of the Transcaucasian Military District as the 901st separate airborne assault battalion
1979 - transferred to the Central Group of Forces in Czechoslovakia
1989 - transferred to the Baltic Military District (Aluksne)
May 1991 - transferred to the Transcaucasian Military District (Sukhumi)
August 1992 - transferred to the headquarters of the Airborne Forces and renamed the 901st separate airborne battalion
1992 - transferred as a separate battalion to the 7th Guards Airborne Division
1993 - during the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict, he performed tasks for the protection and defense of military and state facilities on the territory of Abkhazia
October 1993 - transferred to the Moscow region
February 1994 - reorganized into the 901st separate special-purpose battalion
February 1994 - transferred to the newly formed 45th Separate Special Purpose Regiment (VDV)
In 1972, the 778th separate special-purpose radio company of 85 people was formed as part of the Airborne Forces. The main task of this unit was to drive the landing aviation to the drop point, for which the groups of this company had to land ahead of time behind enemy lines and deploy the drive equipment there. In 1975, the company was reorganized into the 778th OR REP, and in February 1980 - into the 899th separate special-purpose company with 117 people. In 1988, the 899th Special Forces Special Forces was reorganized into the 899th Special Forces Company (with a staff of 105 people) as part of the 196th Airborne Forces Ops. Later, the company was deployed to the 218th separate air assault battalion.

July 25, 1992 - formed in the Moscow Military District. The points of permanent deployment were in the Moscow region.
June-July 1992 - took part as a peacekeeping force in Transnistria
September-October 1992 - took part as a peacekeeping force in North Ossetia
December 1992 - took part as a peacekeeping force in Abkhazia
February 1994 - transferred to the newly formed 45th separate special-purpose regiment of the Airborne Forces
By July 1994, the regiment was fully formed and completed. By order of the Commander of the Airborne Forces, in order of historical continuity, the day of the formation of the 45th regiment is indicated to be the day of the formation of the 218th battalion - July 25, 1992.
On December 2, 1994, the regiment was transferred to Chechnya to participate in the liquidation of illegal armed groups. The units of the regiment took part in the fighting until February 12, 1995, when the regiment was transferred back to its permanent deployment in the Moscow region. From March 15 to June 13, 1995, a combined detachment of the regiment operated in Chechnya.

On July 30, 1995, an obelisk was opened on the territory of the regiment's deployment in Sokolniki in honor of the soldiers of the regiment who died during the hostilities.
On May 9, 1995, for services to the Russian Federation, the regiment was awarded a diploma of the President of the Russian Federation, and the military personnel of the regiment as part of the combined battalion of the Airborne Forces took part in the parade on Poklonnaya Hill dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Victory over Nazi Germany.
From February to May 1997, the combined detachment of the regiment was in Gudauta as part of a peacekeeping mission in the zone of separation of the Georgian and Abkhaz armed forces.
On July 26, 1997, the regiment was awarded the Combat banner and certificate of the 5th Guards Airborne Rifle Order of Mukachevo Order of Kutuzov III degree regiment, disbanded on June 27, 1945.

On May 1, 1998, the regiment was renamed the 45th Separate Reconnaissance Regiment of the Airborne Forces. The 901st separate special-purpose battalion was disbanded in the spring of 1998; in 2001, a special-purpose linear battalion was created on its basis as part of the regiment (called “901st” out of old habit).

From September 1999 to March 2006, the combined reconnaissance detachment of the regiment took part in the counter-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus.

On February 2, 2001, the regiment was awarded the pennant of the Minister of Defense "for courage, military prowess and high combat skills."

On August 8, 2001, on the territory of the regiment in Kubinka, in the presence of the commander of the Airborne Forces, Colonel-General Georgy Shpak, a new memorial complex was opened in memory of the soldiers of the regiment who died in combat missions. Every year, on January 8, the regiment celebrates the Day of Remembrance for the fallen soldiers.
In April-July 2005, it was decided to transfer to the 45th regiment the Battle Banner, the title of "Guards" and the Order of Alexander Nevsky, which belonged to the 119th Guards Airborne Regiment, which was disbanded in the same year. The solemn ceremony of the transfer of distinctions took place on August 2, 2005.

In 2007, the 218th separate special-purpose battalion was reorganized into a linear one, having lost its numbering and the status of a separate military unit. Since that time, the regiment consists of two line battalions.

The name of the 45th separate regiment of the special purpose of the Airborne Forces was returned to the regiment.

In August 2008, units of the regiment took part in the operation to force Georgia to peace. The officer of the regiment, Hero of Russia Anatoly Lebed was awarded the Order of St. George IV degree.

A year ago, when I heard the song “To the Scout of the Special Forces of the Airborne Forces” in the tent of the 45th Separate Guards Regiment of the Special Forces of the Airborne Forces, at first I thought that it was performed by a professional musician, it sounded so good.

In response to a question about the author of the hit, the fighters showed me a photo of a tall, strong man in a field uniform and a blue beret: “This is our scout, he served in a special detachment! Slava Korneev is his name, Leshy is his call sign. He is a holder of the Order of Courage, a medal of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 2nd class, and two medals of Courage. Not mummers, not fake, the real one. And he sings about a thing that he really knows.

Veteran of intelligence, singer-songwriter Vyacheslav Korneev tells about himself, about his service, life and songs.

I was born on February 25, 1976 in the polar city of Kovdor, in the Murmansk region. School years flew by unnoticed, and in the spring of 1994 I was drafted into the army. Despite my passionate desire to serve in the airborne troops, they brought me to artillery training in Pargolovo, near St. Petersburg. They learned to be the crew commander of the MT-12 anti-tank gun, were awarded the rank of junior sergeant and assigned to the 134th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 45th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the peacekeeping forces, which was based in the village of Kamenka, Vyborgsky District. The commander of our regiment was Guards Colonel Mikhail Yurievich Malofeev. On January 17, 2000, he will die in Grozny with the rank of major general and will be posthumously awarded the high title of Hero of Russia.

One night, on duty at the soldier's canteen, I introduced myself to a passing general and asked to be sent to the Caucasus. Was it recklessness? Don't know. Only in response did I hear: “Which division? Hand over the outfit, run-march to the location! And it spun! Getting, equipment, food. Building personnel. The commander reads out the lists of those who are leaving, but my last name does not sound on this list! Why? Seeing my intransigence, the commander disabled the tear-filled guy, and I took his place. So I became the deputy commander of a platoon leaving for the war.

First Impressions

The next day, as part of the battalion, they flew to Mozdok, unloaded on the take-off. Cold, mud, crowds of armed people scurry back and forth. Seeing musician Yuri Shevchuk among the soldiers, he made his way to him and asked for an autograph. He did not refuse and signed on the top deck of my guitar. We even sang a couple of verses from "Last Autumn" with him.

Having moved to the field next to the take-off, we spent the night. And in the morning, look - our battalion is gone! And we, 22 fighters in body armor and helmets, with weapons and equipment, were left alone, without officers. Wanted by no one, wanted by no one!

After three days without hot food and water, having managed to chew dry rations and burn all gas masks, overcoats and felt boots, they got hold of cartridges and grenades. We just got into some kind of ammo-receiving formation and received half a cap of ammo! They didn’t ask us for our last names, they didn’t force us to sign anywhere. And we dragged two boxes of grenades at night from an unguarded caponier stuffed to the brim with this stuff.

One day we met a colonel who stopped us with a menacing voice: “Who are these? What herd? I introduced myself and explained. The colonel ordered us to follow him and led us to the bathhouse. After washing, he sent us to the dining room. Clean and well-fed, we boarded the bus and went with the colonel, as it turned out later, to the city of Prokhladny, to the 135th motorized rifle brigade.

In the brigade, we were fed, changed, re-equipped, and a day later we were sent in a column to Chechnya. We didn't drive long, often avoiding public roads and leaving a few broken cars along the way. Here are the artillery positions… Howitzers and self-propelled guns are deafeningly hitting where our column is crawling, drowning in mud.

Jumping off the Ural to the ground, I slipped. Taking a stable position, I realized that I was standing on a corpse, rolled out in a road rut. Helping the others out of the car, he warned them to be careful. A mutilated corpse - that's what we saw in Chechnya in the first place.
The task assigned to our division led us to the central market of Grozny. The trucks crowded tightly into the courtyard adjoining the market building, and while we unloaded dry rations, knapsacks and sleeping bags from them, they gloomily waited for their sad fate.

Some man running past, hung with “Flies”, grenades, knives and pistols, nervously adjusting the sawn-off shotgun dangling on his hip, attacked me: “You ... on ... why did you drive the equipment on ... here, your mother on ...? She will be burned all over."

Our only armored personnel carrier, it turns out, was burned on the way. Having finished unloading and leaving Mikola Pitersky to guard the dry rations, I went to reconnoitre the market building. The personnel were dying of thirst, and I discovered deposits of cans of compote! Mines, occasionally penetrating the roof, no longer frightened, but my heart was restless.

And then it began! One of the first mines flew into the dry rations, burying Mikola Pitersky in them! Dug up. Alive! Our Urals, meanwhile, were already on fire! Too bad the guitar burned out in the cockpit. Someone's cry: "They knocked out a tank!" We run to watch. Carefully look out the windows. There he is! Very near! Lit. And suddenly a deafening shot! The shell hits the five-story building. They say that paratroopers stormed it at that time. Then - as in a dream. Explosion! We are thrown on broken glass! When the dust settled, we saw that the tank was gone. Everlasting memory…

After sitting in the market building for a day, we finally received the task of capturing a high-rise building along Karl Liebknecht Street, adjacent to a small market square.

Our new platoon leader described the task to us in a very lucid way: “Run fast without tripping over corpses. Stop is death! Let's run into the house - we'll figure it out!

Let's run. The first of the three nine-story buildings was already occupied by paratroopers, and we got the second one without a fight. No tenants, no militants, empty.

My platoon was instructed to gain a foothold on the sixth floor and prevent the enemy from entering the house through the roof of the neighboring five-story building.
The apartment, whose windows overlooked the roof of this five-story building, was impressive, it was a very rich apartment.

We emptied the refrigerator and laid an impromptu table in the hallway, but did not have time to pick up open cans of condensed milk for the recent New Year and housewarming, as something serious got into the house. The building shook and a fire started. The fire spread so quickly that we barely jumped out of the apartments into the entrance, when they burned to the ground, and while the apartments were burning, we sat on the flights of stairs, choking in smoke, because there was death on the street. There were "spirits" in the third nine-story building.

Sausage

The next day, the commander set the task: “In connection with the destruction of the entire food supply of the battalion by the enemy, it is necessary to break through to the market with the help of four volunteers and a miraculously surviving infantry fighting vehicle of unknown origin. Find and then take out the maximum amount of food there!

I was the main volunteer. I decided to involve my squad commanders in this task. Good guys. Reliable. They went down, found in the ruins of the BMP house and even its driver. There was no one else in the crew, and the guy had no idea where his unit was located. After listening to the task, the mechanic nodded: “We will do it, but ... the car does not turn left. Tractions are broken! Let's waltz! Well, turn left, spinning 270 degrees to the right!

Loaded into the landing and rushed. First turn to the left… spinning… scary. Forward! The second turn is spinning. There is no light in the car, we don’t know how to open hatches from the inside, if anything, horror! And now, through the roar and clang of trucks, bullets pounded on the armor! And suddenly a blow! Crashed! "Everybody is alive? We've arrived! - the mechanic shouted. As it turned out, he rode all the way in the “stowed” position! Under bullets! Well gives! And he told me: “What? The triplexes are broken, not a damn thing is visible! Hero man!

We ran through the market. Empty, our troops have gone somewhere, and what to expect is unknown. The products were found quickly. Sausage! There were many. Having stuffed the mouths of Krakow and throwing machine guns behind their backs, they quickly loaded the airborne compartments of the BMP and their own duffel bags and pockets with sausage. Childish greed played a cruel joke on me. Realizing that there was not enough food for the battalion, I decided to leave my guys at the market and, climbing into the turret of the car, personally deliver the cargo and return for the second batch. "Go!" I yelled at the mechanic as soon as I reached the hatch. And he went. Surely so, with afterburner! And he did not know, did not know that behind his back I, in a bulletproof vest stuffed with sausage and with a plump duffel bag, was trying to get into the tower. By the time we got to the treasured house, I didn’t have a single whole store left! And I threw empty ones on the armor.
Having made three raids in a row, we completed the task. Thank you bro mechanic!

Storm

On Friday, January 13, my platoon received an order to occupy one of the houses on Rue Rosa Luxembourg. He stood at the end of the presidential palace, and attempts to capture it have not yet been successful. The paratroopers who held out to the last were squeezed in his basement, and the "spirits" were in charge in the house.
They ran to our house through a wasteland between five-story buildings, came under fire. There was nowhere to hide, except behind the burnt BMP. The whole platoon was packed for her, it's scary to go further. But it is necessary, otherwise they will put everyone from the flank. They rushed to a brick booth, such a thermal center with pipes and valves, took cover behind the wall.

We sat behind the booth for more than an hour, waiting for the Shilka. She was supposed to cover us by shooting at the windows of the palace. And we had to run right under the barrage of her fire! Before our eyes, three fighters from another unit jumped out from somewhere and rushed headlong to our house! To our porch! One of them fell a meter from the door, shot by a sniper, and two jumped inside. One threw a rope from the entrance door to the wounded man, but he could not cling to it, the bullets hit him one after another. The second fighter fired with the fighters inside the house.

Suddenly, twenty meters away from us, with a characteristic whistle, a mine arrives and explodes! One of our shrapnel hit the leg. Well, I think, bandaging the wounded, it began! He suggested to the commander to place a platoon inside the house: “Probably, the “spirits” are correcting the fire of their mortar at this moment!” The platoon commander voiced the proposal to the battalion commander. The answer is bright: “No, wait, now there will be a team! Better check this house for a sniper. I got it, sir!"

Well, they broke up into three groups, three people each, ran around the house from the opposite side and jumped into the windows. Purely. When they returned, they heard two strong explosions in a row on the second floor. Approximately where we had just left our platoon. Throw down! And there ... Blood, smoke, groans! Squad leader Dan Zolotykh and his troika finished the inspection of his entrance before us, got out, and he was covered - he was lying in blood! The commander, Stas Golda, is wounded. Later, doctors counted eighteen shrapnel wounds on his body, and the Motherland awarded him the Order of Courage.

Where is the signalman, is the station alive? Our P-159 on Mikola Pitersky's chest took on several fragments, but it worked properly! "Freza," I shout. - "Freza-12", I have "200" and "300", I specify the number, and the commander is wounded! Please help me evacuate!" And the battalion commander calmly replies that the command was given for the assault and that I gather the healthy ones and complete the task. And he promises to evacuate the wounded, without even asking how many there are. The platoon is consolidated, who was assigned and from where - it is not known, addresses were not exchanged with everyone, we do not know the names of many. This is how they fought for their country.

Indeed, to the left of us, the Shilka went on direct fire and roared with fire. I had no choice but to send "Freza" to hell and start helping the bleeding guys. I still managed to get them evacuated. And we completed the task. Blood and sweat. So I became a platoon leader. Platoon of nine. Minus thirteen!

Then everything went easy. Ready, Freza-12? Ready, I answer! "Forward!" - a cry from the radio. And what is it like to storm a house with nine men, without cover with smoke, without understanding where are your own and where are strangers? Now all this is remembered, like a bad dream or stills from a movie. Covered in blood, black with dirt and soot, behind his back seven machine guns left over from the evacuated guys, in the hands of the PKM, from forty meters, shredding the house, to which my guys are running! Tactics? What the hell is a tactic? We ran to the fifth floor, throwing grenades at the doors on the move and sometimes shooting. entrenched. Counted. All.

Later, when it was necessary to pull the main forces on ourselves, we cleared all the apartments in our entrance from top to bottom. Walking down the street at that time was in bad taste, so the main forces pulled up to us through the wall, in which we punched a hole with a grenade launcher, some mother and a sledgehammer from nowhere!

It was in this house, having “borrowed” his SVD from a friend of Sashka Lyutin, on the butt of which there were already three cuts with a bayonet-knife, I became a sniper. Equipped a wonderful, tactically competent position. I settled down in the bath, on a stool. For emphasis - a pre-empty refrigerator. From there, through a small hole in the wall pierced by a shell, they shot through an impressive section of the area in front of the house, namely, an extension to the presidential palace and part of the palace itself.

Once, marines ran into our house: two officers and a sailor. The sailor, as it turned out, was a real one, from a warship! Maybe that's why he almost shot me when I changed position. But the Marines impressed me differently. Hunting for live! One, standing in the window opening, began to fan the palace with tracers, and the second, in the back of the room, having prepared an RPG-18 for battle, was waiting. As an artilleryman, I understood that the guys were walking on a razor's edge, but they were stubbornly lucky. The bite on the live bait was excellent, and soon I joined this "fishing artel", and the sailor made sure that none of the fighters went out to my bullet, moving around the apartment.

Combat Commonwealth

There was a day when the company commander set me the task of taking three volunteers and with them to find and evacuate from the rubble of the street the bodies of two dead - Sergei Les and Dima Strukov from the third platoon. They died a few days ago. Attempts to find them have already been made by the foreman of the company, ensign Purtov. Then the “spirits” squeezed him and the fighters behind a pilaster (this is such a ledge from a house the size of two bricks) and began to methodically destroy the shelter, firing incredibly dense fire at it from the house, which we then occupied with a platoon. Together with my countryman Pomor, we pulled them out, covering the retreat with our fire. I will never forget how ensign Purtov, making a dash, stumbles, falls, and in the place where he had just been, an automatic burst bites into a brick ...

In general, the task is clear. I am a machine gun on my shoulder, a helmet on my head. I suggest one fighter go, the second, the third, and they - some with a stomach, some with a sudden headache, some from the post. They do not want to take risks, even crack. But when the search for volunteers reached the guys from Dagestan, they, without further ado: helmet on a hat and went, commander! But they did not know the dead, for whom we had to go! And with this composition, I, two Dagestanis and a Kazakh went on a search.

We quickly found Sergei's body, carried it to the same booth, and then - stop. The fire is so dense that it becomes clear that in the light of day we will not pass. Even zadymy this damn area. Tried. They managed to return to the house only in the morning, leaving Sergei in place, but placing the body so that it could be seen from our windows. They were able to pick up and transfer the body to the rear not earlier than a few days later, when the militants left the palace without a fight.

Somehow, in the midst of fighting in our area, the battalion commander needed to go to the rear, and he took me with him to guard. The rear units were then in the park named after Lenin. I, left to myself for a while, wandered around the park, wondering how they live here, in tents? What if it's a mine? And suddenly something seemed strange to me. Everywhere, wherever I passed, everyone froze, abandoned the harvesting of firewood, cleaning, and silently looked at me. And there was some reverence in those views, respect interspersed with compassion. "Look, look, with the advanced guy!" - I heard and, as if waking up, looked around. Then invitations for heating in the tents rained down, questions, congratulations on being alive! "What's the matter?" I ask. “How do you know I’m from the front lines?” "Did you see yourself in the mirror?" one asks. "Of course not! Where are the mirrors in the city? Everything is burned and destroyed!” - I laugh. “Here, look! People like you are only brought to us dead!” - Embarrassed, the fighter handed me a mirror. Well, I took a look. I looked and got scared. A monster in a dirty, torn black cap with a black, sooty face, burnt stubble and eyebrows, and red watery eyes was looking at me from the mirror.

A little later, when the fighting for the city moved to other quarters, we decided to visit the less damaged entrances of our house. Find something like mattresses. My platoon was transported to burned-out apartments, and for the last week I slept on two boxes of VOGs, without a sleeping bag, of course. Having collected junk, on the way back to our "temple" we saw an interesting picture: Dudayev's palace was famously stormed by guys in white camouflage robes and in hitherto unseen unloading. Special Forces, not otherwise, I thought evilly, a couple of days ago you would have come here!

A decade and a half later, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the 901 Special Operations Special Forces with fellow soldiers, we were watching the Chechen chronicle, when suddenly ... The end of our house and the hole pierced by a shell through which I once fired my first shot from the SVD flashed in the frame. So those guys in camouflage turned out to be my current friends! It's a small world!

Then our war began to decline. For a month we were in the village of Andreevskaya Dolina at the Central Bank of Ukraine, then in Shali. In May, when the war went to the mountainous regions, our battalion, which had lost more than half of its personnel, was taken to Khankala for rest and resupply.

At a shooting range in a quarry, I met fellow countryman Dima Koksharov. We got talking. He served in the 45th Airborne Regiment. And the stern guys who descended on ropes down into the quarry and performed tactical exercises that were incomprehensible to me at that time with “screw cutters” unprecedented in the infantry turned out to be his colleagues. Cool scouts, I thought, where can I go before them!

New life

In September the war ended for us. The battalion departed in a column to the point of permanent deployment in Prokhladny. I rode on the armor of the closing infantry fighting vehicle, and all the way behind us a broom tied to the armor was dragged, never to return here. Sign!

Retired to the reserve. He came to his parents in the Smolensk region. And there is darkness! A depressing impression of a dying village. Unemployment, alcoholism, drug addiction. The youth engaged in stupid self-liquidation.

The only right decision was to return to the army, and seriously and for a long time. The commander of the 45th OPSPN, Colonel Viktor Kolygin, to whom I came for an attitude in 1996, told me: “We don’t take a contract from a citizen, sign up for the Tula division, and from there we will transfer.”

In the 173rd separate reconnaissance company in Tula, I heard something similar: "Let's go to the regimental reconnaissance company first, and then we'll see." So, as a reconnaissance officer of the reconnaissance company of the 51st Airborne Regiment, I began my combat path in the Airborne Forces.

For a year of service, I managed to go on a three-month business trip to Abkhazia. For several years in Gudauta, the paratroopers carried out a peacekeeping mission, and I made a small contribution to the restoration of peace on the southeastern coast of the Black Sea.

After Abkhazia, Major Sergei Konchakovsky, Assistant Chief of Intelligence of the division, paid close attention to me. He asked provocative questions, followed my answers and actions. Soon Konchakovsky suggested that I go to Sokolniki and talk with the commander of the special detachment of the 45th regiment, where I left, having secured the necessary recommendations.

Special Squad

Service in a new place captivated and absorbed with his head. I liked everything: people, equipment, weapons, equipment, approach to conducting training sessions.
When I arrived in Tula for the weekend with a whole backpack of spetsnaz bells and whistles and in a fashionable padding polyester, I told the officers about everything I had seen and learned during my month of service in special intelligence, most of them fired up to transfer there. Which they soon did.

the appearance of my call sign - Leshy - is very funny. The commander of the reconnaissance group, Captain Stanislav Konoplyannikov, having built us, young scouts, ordered us to come up with call signs. I came up with "Leshy", but did not voice it, afraid to get into an awkward situation, suspecting that such a call sign already exists in the regiment. And when the commander, bypassing the formation and writing down invented call signs, stopped in front of me, I told him: “I didn’t think of it, Comrade Captain.” To which he replied: “Well, then you will be Leshim!” Since then, since 1998, I have been Leshy.

In September 1999, they flew to Dagestan, in the heat of a flaring war. They performed various tasks of reconnaissance, search and destruction of militant bases. In October, working in the interests of the 61st Separate Kirkenes Red Banner Marine Brigade of the Northern Fleet, they were the first to reach the Terek.

On October 14, having completed the task of conducting optical reconnaissance of the settlement of S., our group advanced to the evacuation area. Went with great care. It always seemed that something was wrong on the left of the course, as if someone was looking at us.

And here is the armor! It became calmer. Suddenly the radio station comes to life. An order follows, which radically changed our plans, and many fates. We had to inspect the forester's house, which was nearby, but in the opposite direction.

Two of our armored personnel carriers (group commander Pavel Klyuev rode in the first eldest, V. on the second) went along a narrow road along the Terek. The bank of the river is low, the places are overgrown, wild, beautiful. To the right of the road there are four-meter reeds, to the left - a turn and thick green grass on a one and a half meter artificial shaft.

At the entrance to the right turn, in front of a huge puddle, the car slowed down, and something made me turn back. It seemed that with my peripheral vision I caught something similar to a grenade launcher target. Three seconds passed before I realized - this is really a grenade launcher! Bearded, disguised with branches, he prepared to shoot from his knee, and it seemed that he was aiming straight at my forehead from some fifteen meters! I did not want to allow this in any way, therefore, with a cry: “There he is, ...!”, I turned the SVD in his direction. My next cry: “Attention! Left”, drowned in the roar of the shot and the explosion that killed the armored personnel carrier. How we ended up behind the armor, I don’t remember, apparently, persistent tactical training had an effect. Overpressure in the engine compartment vomited and raised the power hatches. I think this saved the lives of many of our group, because at least a dozen militants were shooting point-blank at our lifeless car from a roadside rampart, while their grenade launcher was preparing for the second shot. Having landed around the store, the machine gunners lay down to reload, and the grenade launcher again planted a "flea" in the stern of our car. And again lead downpour! And so three times in a row. And all three times the grenade launcher hollowed into the stern.

Hiding under the nose of the "box" with a rifle useless at a distance of 10-15 meters, I had no idea what was happening with the group. Are the boys alive? Near Novosel. And the rest? Abrek crawled up to us from the side of the road and gestured upwards to the armor, and there was Klyuev. He lay, collapsed on the bleeding Igor Salnikov - Gosha. Believing that we would save them, Abrek and I carefully pulled them off the armor. Gosha's head was pierced, but the signs of life gave us hope. I tried to find signs of life in the group commander, but, alas. "How is Pasha?" - asked Abrek, bandaging Gosha. "No more Pasha!" I answered, dropping the useless bandage. Gosha died a few days later, already in the hospital. On the day when Pasha was buried.

The "spirits" themselves suggested how to deal with their attack, starting to throw grenades at us. Abrek stayed with Gosha and Pasha, and I returned to Novosel under the nose of an armored personnel carrier, when suddenly an F-1 flies out from behind the shaft and falls on the road five to seven meters away from us! They were endless seconds, like in slow motion. I shout: "New settler, grenade!" "What grenade?" he rolls his eyes. "In my opinion, efka!" - and I fall between Pasha and Gosha, covering my head with my hands. I stretch my tightly clenched legs to the center of the explosion and wait - where will the fragment fly to me? Explosion. It's gone! And a confident dash back to where the damn grenade had just exploded.

We fall, take out all our grenades from the unloading and calmly, methodically, with the shooting of the checks, confidently transfer them to the other side of the shaft! How do you like that, fighters?

Helped! Novosel guessed to get into the armored personnel carrier and, using a mechanical descent, empty the PKT box. There was a turning point in the combat situation, the shooting subsided for a while, the groans of the wounded and the crackling of branches began to be heard. Vetok! So, the militants were preparing to evacuate. Then a second armored personnel carrier rolled up, for some reason it lagged behind, and its appearance forced the militants to accelerate their retreat, covering it with active fire. So dense that two of our machine gunners, who climbed onto the rampart, had to leave their positions and slide down to the road. Then again, as in slow motion of a movie action movie: V. rises to the shaft in full growth, raises his AKMS with a drum for 75 rounds, branches beveled by enemy bullets fall nearby, and he, as if spellbound, shoots at greenery until the drum jams. Bark and pieces of foliage fly into his face, but he shoots without bending down!

V. is a man of unparalleled courage, will and uncompromisingness. A real Russian officer. I am glad that his numerous exploits were noticed, and by the Decree of the President of Russia he was awarded the title of Hero of Russia. After few years.

The fight is quiet. "Who?" V. briefly asked. “Pasha, Gosha,” Novosel and I answered. They also brought Vitya Nikolsky, a bullet pierced his thigh right through. We approached the guys lying on the ground. I squeezed the wrist of the group commander in my hand, hoping to feel the pulse, and suddenly: there is! I shout: “Comrade Major! There is a pulse." V. touched Pasha's neck and silently shook his head. It turns out that from excitement I squeezed my hand too hard and felt my pulse.

An infantry fighting vehicle with scouts from the Stavropol regiment flew up to the battlefield. Dismounting, they took up defensive positions around us, moving their heads in disbelief in search of the enemy. Tired, probably, the whole day we were evacuated, evacuated, all the same. Then our second armored personnel carrier turned around and began to back out in order to take a wrecked colleague onto a trailer and drag him to the regiment's location. The wheel of an armored personnel carrier drove into a puddle on the side of the road. There is a mine. A knock, a powerful explosion, and a multi-ton machine jumped up. Everyone was thrown by the blast wave in different directions!

For a moment, silence, I am lying in the middle of the road, looking in surprise at the black rubber snow - this wheel of an armored personnel carrier, split by a mine explosion into rubbish, slowly and sadly waltzed small black snowflakes to the ground, settling on the faces of living and dead scouts. Thank you, I think, brother-driver of the first armor, you listened to our advice not to run into puddles. If we had run into this mine first, no one would have survived.

As soon as hearing returned, through the ringing in my ears I heard a painful moan. Minenkov from Stavropol was lying on the rampart. The leg was torn off, but he himself is conscious, he even tries to apply a tourniquet. "How is your leg?" - asks. "It's all right, you'll be walking!" - I answer, and I imperceptibly move the torn off leg, which lies next to his head, down. The blood was stopped, the man was saved.

I will add that by decree of the Acting President of Russia dated January 17, 2000, Mikhail Minenkov was awarded the title of Hero of Russia.

Having removed the machine guns from the broken armored personnel carriers and shot the on-board radio stations, we decided to blow up the vehicles. We didn’t have the opportunity to pull them out that day, and we shouldn’t leave them to the militants. I was preparing our car to be blown up, and tears flowed from my eyes. From that moment began my other, adult life. Life in the special forces of the Airborne Forces.

The group that carried out the inspection of the clash area and the evacuation of the armor found several more mines and land mines planted on the road. Apparently, the militants were preparing a powerful ambush, and we were not their target at all. It is very likely that that battle prevented a great tragedy, since a column of one of the parachute regiments was expected to pass along this road.

Well, we, a handful of intelligence officers who remained relatively unharmed, shell-shocked and tired, with stern, gloomy faces, appeared before the formidable eye of Major General Popov, who personally met at the side of the helicopter that delivered us to the CBU. His welcoming speech shocked the guys: “So, fighters, of course, I understand everything, the war is on, but the uniform must be observed! Where are your caps, fellow scouts?”

A few days later we gathered in our tent to commemorate our fallen friends. We were just informed that Gosha had died in the hospital. When the third toast was raised in memory of the dead brothers, the deputy commander of the 218th special forces battalion, Major Pyotr Yatsenko, picked up a guitar and put a sheet of text in front of him, sang his new song about our group. As he sang, it felt like we were reliving that short but brutal fight again. Many furtively, turning away, wiped a stingy male tear.

Petr Karlovich was sitting right in front of me, and when the song ended and everyone came to their senses, I asked him for a piece of paper with the text to copy it into my notebook. I never had a chance to return Yatsenko's paper. On the next task, which we took on in two groups, Petr Karlovich, commanding a special-purpose reconnaissance group, died a heroic death in battle with superior enemy forces. By decree of the President of Russia dated March 24, 2000, Petr Yatsenko was awarded the title of Hero of Russia (posthumously).

The leaflet with the song is now stored in the Museum of Military Glory of the OOSN 45 OPSpN Airborne Forces.

"Spetsnaz chuyka"

There were many interesting tasks. In November we go out to ambush. Two groups. Our guide. Two nights. Charged, checked the connection, jumped. Team: "Patrol, forward!" We moved. With the first step, fear fades into the background, giving way to attention and caution, cold calculation and lightning-fast reaction. But the fear does not disappear completely. Who said that the scout is not afraid of anything? Lies! How scary too! But a real scout knows how to manage his fear, directing it in the right direction so that fear becomes caution. Let's go. As before, all five senses are clenched into a fist and work to the limit. But for some reason, it was on this task that another, sixth sense was added to them - the so-called "special forces chuyka." This is when you go to a task and know in advance that something will happen, and sometimes you even understand at what moment. So it is this time.

Stumbling at every step, I walk and try to remain calm. Who walked at night on a mowed corn field, he will understand me. It is only six hundred meters to the edge of the forest covering the ridge through which we have to cross, but what meters were those?! We walked them for four hours! The feeling that someone is watching us did not leave me for a minute! And then I heard two blows with a metal object on a gas pipe that ran parallel to our route on the left, below. Stop! Attention!" I report on the strikes to the commander. He didn't hear any knocking. "Forward!" We didn’t have time to move, as again: “bammm-bammm” ...

Hurry to save the forest! Having dissolved in brilliant green, they got in touch, took a breath, and again: “Head patrol - forward!” The commander stubbornly did not want to go along the night road, preferring rough terrain, namely, dense thickets of thorny acacia, through which two reconnaissance groups with artillery gunners and radio operators attached from the Marine Corps and dressed in shaggy Leshy suits made their way with a deafening crash! But time was running out, and I still managed to convince the commander to go along the road!

Quickly, without unnecessary noise and adventures, they went to the right edge and dispersed to their areas to organize ambushes. The main object of our attention was the primer about forty meters from the edge. It was on it that Mole installed the MON-50 mine. But for some reason, on this day, the "spirits" categorically did not want to use the roads and tactically competently went along the edge, almost stepping on the trunk of my VSS! Communicating enthusiastically, one pair of militants with machine guns at the ready passed over me, with an interval of fifty meters - the second. I managed to notice in the bag of one of them something round, resembling an anti-tank mine.

Where is the team to work out the enemy? When the "spirits" walked over me, I covered the radio station with my hand and felt that something was being said into it, but what? Having given the bandits a couple more minutes of life, we let them through to the ambush of another group. Of course, having warned the brothers that guests were hurrying to them.

What if it's just a gang banger? What to do? Reflections were interrupted by fierce shooting in the area of ​​the second ambush! Work has gone! Left engine hum! A handsome cherry Grand Cherokee drove into the sector of destruction of our mine! In the sight, I clearly saw a healthy bearded uncle. Clutching the machine gun in his hand, he concentratedly looked ahead. Explosion! The jeep was covered with a cloud of dust mixed with smoke, from which the car never left. The veil lifted, and my gaze fixed on the target. Well, I think you arrived, Mr. Basayev, I shoot at the doors, I hear the sound of crumbling glass.

Looking to the right, to find out how our people were, I saw that the group had begun to withdraw. How? What for? After all, in the car ... One could only guess what and who could be found during the inspection of the jeep. But a retreat is a retreat. I give a command to the observers on the left and retreat to the last. Preliminary collection point - 200 meters to the rear. In front of me is Lekha the radio operator. The star is his call sign. Zvezda is running, adjusting her backpack with a radio station on one shoulder. Unexpectedly, well, very unexpectedly for us, RMB started working on the left side of the group! I got ready for battle, the Star to the right broke through the thorns, got stuck. The bushes have already begun to crumble under a hail of bullets! Drop that damn backpack, friend! Threw. Gone. God bless!

Somehow gathered at the collection point. We count. All? There is no one - Sentry. We call on the station - clicks in response. Clearly, it works only at the reception, the village food. Oriented. I was sent to meet him! I meet. I look - running, but not alone! Behind some villain with a machine gun was attached, and does not lag behind! Well, I think they decided to capture our Olezhka alive? We will not allow this! I take the villain at gunpoint, let me get closer, take out the idle. Stop! Yes, this is ours, Ryazan! Hey commander! Now it's all in the right place.

"Star, let's get in touch!" the commander growls. “Yes, what a Star I am now, we no longer have a station,” the radio operator replies dejectedly. We recall the radio operator of the Marine artillery gunner. Immediately before the task, I reinforced 300 grams of PVV-5 explosive with a ZTP-50 fuse on his Historik radio station and instructed: “In the event of a threat of the station falling into the hands of the enemy, transfer the igniter cap to the firing position and pull out the ring, understand?” He got it, yeah! With the very first shot, the boy thought that all the Basmachi from the surrounding villages rushed to the attack in order to take over his radio station, and bravely blew it up as he retreated! Affairs!

Having entered the evacuation area, somehow the radio stations designed to work within the group called for armor, and to increase the communication range, the radio operator had to climb a tall tree! And laughter and sin. The evacuation was beautiful. With dashes and indispensable smoke. And the commander of the second group, as it turned out, was a very lazy person! Or very smart. He did not go to the evacuation area on foot, but flew into it in a comfortable Mi-8 helicopter! It's more convenient, he explained, supervising the unloading of trophies and their former owners from the board. By the way, that round one in a bag, resembling an anti-tank mine, turned out to be quite tasty lavash.

But the task didn't end there. The intelligence chief of the group, who arrived on a turntable, ordered the group to fly out with him and show the jeep destroyed in the battle. There is. Flying over the ambush site, we find that the cars and the trail are cold! We clearly see the angle of attack of our mine plowed by the explosion and that's it! It turns out that the "spirits" dragged the car into the forest and carefully disguised it with branches. But we found! During the inspection of the jeep, I worked in tandem with Anatoly Lebed, a legendary scout, the future Hero of Russia, who absurdly died in 2012 in an accident. The commanders were satisfied with the results of the inspection: documents, radio stations, weapons and equipment. Listening to the broadcast helped us uncover ninety-two correspondents working in our reconnaissance area, and the identity of a field commander who was killed in battle. About this ambush in 1999, a short news item was written by the magazine “Brother”: “November. As a result of search and ambush actions, the closest associate of Salman Raduev with a call sign was destroyed by the 45th separate regiment of the special forces of the Airborne Forces ... "

The joy of victory and the pain of defeat

I remember the death of the signalman of the detachment of senior warrant officer Alexei Ryabkov.

We went to work near Kharachoy, in the Vedeno district, in two groups. One on turntables was thrown far into the mountains, the second on the BMD rolled towards the paratroopers who had completed their task, providing them with an exit from the operation area.

Ryabkov was in the group on the armor. The road serpentine stretched along the mountain slopes. There was no more than five minutes left before the checkpoint when they stumbled upon an ambush of militants. The explosion behind the head car of the column thundered suddenly, followed by bursts of automatic and machine-gun bursts. A bullet hit Alexei in the neck. He managed to release the entire magazine from the machine before he fell, whispering that he was wounded.

The fight was short. BMD guns deployed in the direction of the attackers fired a volley. Soldiers' machine guns chirped. "Spirits" hurried to retire.
In the Vedeno region, our special detachment gave good results in 2002 and 2005. We blew up several residential bases and destroyed militants of different hierarchies. Previous experience, knowledge of the geography of the trails and the psychology of the enemy's behavior helped.

Once my non-standard appearance was successfully used by security officers. I, shaved bald, but with a solid beard, looked like a Chechen, and the employees of group "A" of the Central Security Service of the FSB of Russia, dressing me in civilian clothes appropriate for the place and hanging a pendant with the image of a mosque around my neck, let me out into the street to monitor the house in a private sector. The information given by me was used by the Chekists for its intended purpose - the leader of the local bandit underground was neutralized.

Creation

In 2005, immediately after returning from a business trip, I received injuries incompatible with the service in the special forces, and in 2007, having completed the course of treatment, I retired from the reserve. And now, not being able to make parachute jumps, go on missions as part of a reconnaissance group, all that remains for me is to write, sing, talk about special forces to the younger generation and cooperate with military-patriotic clubs.

He wrote his first poems in Chechnya back in 2004. Somehow, in the summer of 2005, my good friend, singer-songwriter Vitaly Leonov, was carried by a fair wind to us in Khatuni with a concert. The joy of the meeting knew no bounds! For his residence, of course, the tent of our reconnaissance group was chosen. Leafing through my notebook, Vitaly shared his thoughts that good songs could come out of my poems. In the vicinity of the New Khatuni airport, Vitalya gave several concerts for the fighters and even sang for the reconnaissance groups departing on the night of the task. He had plenty of impressions from the trip, and soon after returning from the Caucasus, Vitaly came up with a wonderful song about intelligence with the same name. I, having heard my poems that became a song, thought: “Why not?” - and decided to try his hand at creativity.

I sincerely consider 10 years of service in the special forces of the Airborne Forces to be the best years of my life. The video for the song about the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces was filmed by my friend Igor Chernyshev, a former intelligence officer of the Special Forces Special Forces. Many years ago, when it was time for Igor to leave the service, it was from him that I adopted the good old Vintorez. Now Igor is not only a wonderful cameraman and director, but also a talented theater and film actor.

I am very glad that my songs instilled in the hearts of the listeners the love for the army and the desire to serve the Fatherland in the special forces of the Airborne Forces and other units and divisions of the Armed Forces. Remember, friends, it's not you who give years of your life to the army! This army gives you years that make you real men!