The special forces of the Airborne Forces are the elite of the Russian armed forces. Get into the 45th 45th Special Purpose Guards Brigade
The 45th Separate Special Purpose Guards Brigade, stationed in Kubinka near Moscow, passed its first test in a new status (previously it was a regiment) and demonstrated the high level of training of each fighter and their command skills for completing the assigned task. The journalists who prepared a rather interesting report from the scene, timed to coincide with the Special Forces Day, which is traditionally celebrated on October 24, were allowed to check.
On the obstacle course
"Scout's Path" reproduces the obstacles that a paratrooper may encounter when performing a real task
Is the group ready?
The scouts are completing preparations for the test.
Forward and upward
The machine gunner on the wall is the hardest.
Crossing
Short dashes
All movements between positions are carried out by running.
In the forest
A group of scouts on the BTR-82. Soon they will go into the forest to organize an "ambush" for the militants.
Before the task
The scout is armed with an AK-74M assault rifle with a GP-25 grenade launcher.
Terrorists neutralized
Some of the fighters portrayed a conditional enemy.
Finding a target
In the foreground is a fighter with a VSS sniper rifle.
Car of the terrorists
"Ural" was "undermined" by an explosive package and conditionally fired upon.
And again "terrorist"
Intelligence Eyes
The calculation is preparing for the launch of the Tachyon UAV.
Assembly of the device
The UAV and the control system occupy two inconspicuous suitcases.
Ready to launch!
To launch, you need to pull the catapult cable.
controlled flight
Rugged laptops with special software provide flight control and reconnaissance results.
Waypoint route
The UAV can fly both under external control and independently - along predetermined route points.
Parachute belay device
Provides parachute opening after a specified period of time or at a specified height.
Parachute packing
Parachute training remains the main one in the Airborne Forces.
Main weapon
The scouts are armed with AK-74M assault rifles.
Everyone packs their own parachute
Styling time - 45 minutes
Preparation of standard No. 4
Standard No. 4 - putting on equipment to prepare for a jump with shooting in the air.
Training apparatus
Training on the simulator is an obligatory part of the general course before a real jump.
Ready for the training jump!
When adjusting equipment, the paratroopers are divided into pairs, controlling the correctness of the preparation of a comrade.
Let's jump
Jumping on old tires should prepare your joints and leg muscles for landing.
Ready for the training jump
The roller hanger is intended for hooking onto the rail of the training complex.
Rise to the simulator
Ready? Let's go!
Landing
The 45th Separate Special Purpose Brigade is the youngest military unit in the Airborne Forces (VDV) of Russia, its formation began in February 1994.
The regiment was formed on the basis of two separate special-purpose battalions, each of which, before being included in the regiment, had its own history of formation and development.
The 901st separate airborne assault battalion was formed on the territory of the Transcaucasian Military District and was immediately transferred to Czechoslovakia to the Central Group of Forces, where from November 20, 1979 it was stationed in n. the village of Riechki.
In March 1989, in connection with the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Eastern Europe, the battalion was redeployed to the city of Aluksne, Latvian SSR, and became part of the Baltic Military District. In May 1991, the battalion was transferred to the Transcaucasian Military District and relocated to the city of Sukhumi, Abkhaz ASSR.
In August 1992, the battalion was reassigned to the Command of the Airborne Forces and renamed the 901st separate airborne battalion. Later, as a separate battalion, he became part of the 7th Guards Airborne Division, but the city of Sukhumi remained the point of permanent deployment.
In 1993, during the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict, the battalion performed the tasks of guarding and defending important military and state facilities on the territory of Abkhazia from looting and destruction. During this period, eight servicemen of the battalion died, having fulfilled their military duty to the end, and about 20 were injured. For the performance of combat missions, 13 servicemen of the battalion were awarded the Order "For Personal Courage", 21 people - the medal "For Courage" and 1 person - the medal "For Military Merit".
In October 1993, the battalion was redeployed from the city of Sukhumi to the Moscow region, where in February of the following year it was reorganized into the 901st separate special-purpose battalion. With the beginning of the formation of the 45th Ops of the Special Forces, the battalion was included in its composition.
The 218th separate special-purpose battalion was formed on July 25, 1992. By order of the commander of the Airborne Forces, in order of historical continuity, the day of the formation of 45 op Special Forces is considered to be the day the creation of this battalion.
The battalion took part in the implementation of peacekeeping missions in the zones of interethnic conflicts in Transnistria in June-July 1992, in North Ossetia - in September-November 1992, in Abkhazia - in December 1992. Many servicemen of the battalion were awarded for courage and heroism state awards.
The active use of battalions in solving special tasks in various conflicts showed the need for their unification into a regiment. By July 1994, the 45th op of the Special Forces was fully formed, equipped with personnel, equipment, and began combat training.
On December 2, 1994, the personnel of the regiment left for the North Caucasus to participate in the liquidation of illegal armed formations on the territory of the Chechen Republic.
By decree of the President of the Russian Federation of July 21, 1995, the commander of the special-purpose reconnaissance group, Senior Lieutenant Ermakov V.K. On July 30, 1995, a monument in honor of the dead scouts was opened on the territory of the regiment in a solemn ceremony.
On May 9, 1995, the regiment was awarded a diploma of the President of the Russian Federation for services to the Russian Federation. He participated in the military parade dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War.
From February to May 1997, the combined detachment of the regiment took part in a peacekeeping mission in the zone of separation of the Georgian and Abkhaz armed forces in the city of Gudauta.
On July 26, 1997, following the glorious traditions of the Armed Forces, the regiment was awarded the Combat banner and certificate of the 5th Guards Airborne Rifle Order of Kutuzov of Mukachevo, 3rd degree, which was disbanded on June 27, 1945.
From September 12, 1999, the combined reconnaissance detachment of the regiment took part in the counter-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus.
In August 2008, units of the 45th Ops of the Special Forces 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.
On July 20, 2009, in accordance with the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of December 18, 2006 No. 1422, the regiment was awarded the St. George banner.
In April 2010, the battalion tactical group of the regiment carried out a combat mission to ensure the safety of Russian citizens on the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic.
By Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of February 9, 2011 No. 170, the regiment was the first in modern history to be awarded the Order of Kutuzov. The award was presented on April 4, 2011 at the location of the regiment in Kubinka. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev personally attached the badge and ribbon of the order to the St. George's banner of the regiment.
In May-June 2012, the reconnaissance platoon of the regiment participated in joint exercises with the "green berets" of the US armed forces at the American military base of the 10th Special Operations Forces Group, located in Fort Carson.
The paratroopers of the regiment honorably continue the glorious combat traditions of scouts of all generations, proudly carry the high guard rank, because it is not for nothing that their motto is: "The strongest wins."
During the existence of the regiment, five servicemen were awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation for their courage and heroism.
Among the units of the domestic special forces of the Airborne Forces, the 45th Separate Guards Order of Kutuzov Order of Alexander Nevsky Special Forces Regiment, or military unit No. 28337, occupies a special place. Firstly, the part belongs to the elite special forces troops, almost completely transferred to a contract basis. Secondly, among the recruits who want to join the ranks of military unit 28337, there is simply huge competition. And, thirdly, the 45th Special Purpose Regiment is the youngest of the Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation.
Official sleeve insignia of the regimentStory
The military unit, formed on the basis of two separate battalions in February 1994, is currently deployed in the city of Kubinka, Moscow Region (former academic town). In 2007, the unit was reorganized into the line 218th Special Forces Battalion, but in 2008 it was again given the name of the 45th Separate Guards Regiment.
Despite the fact that military unit 28337 was formed 10 years ago, its soldiers and officers took part in the fighting in Chechnya and South Ossetia (August 2008).
Stand "Combat route of the 45th separate reconnaissance regiment of the Airborne Forces" Youth competitions are regularly held on the basis of the military unit. The special forces group, formed on the basis of the regiment, has also been participating in international competitions between special forces units since 1995. The military unit regularly holds parachute jumping and hand-to-hand combat demonstrations at events in Moscow and the region.
Memorial complex in memory of the soldiers of the regiment who died in the performance of combat missions Awards
1996 - 3rd place in the overall standings of the competitions of the program "Partnership for Peace" (Bulgaria);
1997 - champion of the competitions of the program "Partnership for Peace" (Bulgaria);
2005 - challenge battle flag, title "Guards", Order of Alexander Nevsky (from the disbanded 119th Guards Airborne Regiment);
February 2011 - Order of Kutuzov "For the successful completion of combat missions of the command and the courage and heroism shown by the personnel of the regiment."
Presentation of the Order of Kutuzov to the 45th OGPSN eyewitness impressions
At present, there are practically no conscripts in military unit 28337, it is being transferred to a contract basis. The contract is concluded for a period of three years, the criteria for selecting fighters are moral, physical and psychological preparation, as well as the ability to respond in difficult situations and the desire to serve in special conditions.
Regiment fighters training on the obstacle course In order to conclude a contract for military service in the 45th Guards Regiment, the candidate is required to:
- Be between the ages of 18 and 40 and Russian citizenship;
- Have a certificate of form A-1 for health reasons;
- Submit a report or statement of desire to serve in the special forces of the Airborne Forces indicating the unit;
- Come to the unit itself and have an interview with the regiment commander and the head of the personnel department;
- Pass physical fitness tests (standards for pull-ups, cross-country, etc.);
- Pass psychological tests for service compatibility in special units of the Airborne Forces.
Passing an obstacle course Such requirements do not stop almost anyone - military unit 28337, judging by the reviews, even attracts girls. True, few people want to go to “hot spots” and pass physical training standards, but there are plenty of people who want to work in a first-aid post, a psychologist or a radio operator in a unit.
Those rare representatives of the fair sex who serve in the ranks of the 45th Separate Guards Regiment undergo the same training as men and live in similar conditions. However, many contract soldiers with families are provided with housing in the garrison.
Parachute jumping and helicopter landing simulators The paratroopers do not have part of the barracks, its function is performed by the soldiers' hostel. It consists of several blocks (two adjacent rooms for 4-6 people each). There are showers, bathrooms, a gym, a rest room and classes for military training in the soldier's hostel.
Eyewitnesses say that military unit 28337 currently has two battalions. One of them is engaged in providing the regiment, and the second - in the training of fighters.
Those who served in the military unit also note that telephone conversations with relatives are allowed here in the evening.
Training room in part For the period of training, mobile phones are with the company commander.
Shoes are issued along with the uniform, but you can buy it yourself. Jump boots of the model of the armies of foreign countries are allowed.
As for classes, the special forces paratroopers of military unit 28337 master not only practical skills, but also the theoretical course of military affairs. However, more attention is paid to the physical training of soldiers, for example, forced marches over long distances, when the soldiers wear equipment and equipment.
The specific working conditions of the unit require knowledge of certain military equipment and weapons. Therefore, both domestic models of machine guns and a collection of captured weapons from the Armored Museum in Kubinka are carefully studied by soldiers. Scouts are also trained in the military unit, so exercises are regularly conducted in the field.
Celebrations on the occasion of the anniversary of the regiment Thanks to cinema and television, most Russians know about the existence of special forces units that are subordinate to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (Special Forces GRU). However, these special units are by no means the only ones in the Russian armed forces, it's just that their "colleagues" are less known and not so "promoted". At the same time, with their professionalism and combat experience, they are hardly inferior to the glorified GRU special forces. First of all, we are talking about special forces of the Airborne Troops of the Russian Federation or special forces of the Airborne Forces.
Special units of the Airborne Forces appeared quite a long time ago, even during the Great Patriotic War. In February 1994, a special forces regiment of the Airborne Forces was formed on the basis of two separate special-purpose battalions. Closer to our time, this unit took an active part in both campaigns in the North Caucasus, and was later involved in the war with Georgia in 2008. His place of permanent deployment is Kubinka near Moscow. At the end of 2014, the airborne regiment was deployed into a brigade.
Despite the fact that the tasks that the GRU special forces and the airborne special forces perform are largely similar, there are still differences between these units. However, before talking about the special forces of the Airborne Forces, a few words should be said about the history of the special forces in general.
Special forces history
Parts for special operations were created in the USSR almost immediately after the Bolsheviks came to power. The units were engaged in reconnaissance and subversive work in unfriendly territory. In neighboring countries, pro-Soviet partisan detachments were created, the work of which was supervised by military intelligence from Moscow. In 1921, a special department was created in the Red Army, which was engaged in the collection of intelligence information for the leadership of the Red Army.
Having gone through several reorganizations, the intelligence department of the Red Army in 1940 was finally transferred to the subordination of the General Staff. The GRU special forces were created in 1950.
Special units of the Airborne Forces appeared in the 30s, immediately after the appearance of this type of troops in the USSR. The first part of the Airborne Forces was formed in 1930 near Voronezh. Almost immediately, there was an obvious need to create their own airborne intelligence.
The fact is that the Airborne Forces are designed to perform specific functions - operations behind enemy lines, destroying especially important enemy targets, disrupting its communications, seizing bridgeheads and other operations of a predominantly offensive nature.
For a successful landing operation, preliminary reconnaissance of the landing site is necessary. Otherwise, the operation is threatened with failure - this happened more than once during the Great Patriotic War, when poorly prepared landing operations cost the lives of thousands of paratroopers.
In 1994, on the basis of two separate special forces battalions of the Airborne Forces, 901st and 218th, the 45th separate regiment of special forces of the Airborne Forces was formed. A few words should be said about the units that became part of the regiment.
The 218th battalion was formed in 1992, and before joining the special forces regiment of the Airborne Forces, he managed to take part in several peacekeeping missions: in Abkhazia, Ossetia and Transnistria.
The history of the 901st battalion is much longer and richer. It was formed in 1979 in the Transcaucasian Military District as a separate air assault battalion, then was transferred to Europe, to the site of the proposed theater of operations. In the late 80s, the Baltic States became the location of the unit. In 1992, the 901st battalion was renamed into a separate airborne assault battalion and transferred to the command of the Airborne Forces headquarters.
In 1993, during the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict, the 901st battalion was on the territory of Abkhazia, after which it was transferred to the Moscow region. In 1994, the unit became a separate special forces battalion and became part of the 45th Special Forces Regiment.
The servicemen of the regiment took part in both Chechen campaigns, in the operation to force Georgia to peace in 2008. In 2005, the 45th Special Forces Regiment received the honorary title "Guards", the unit was awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky. In 2009, he was awarded the St. George banner.
In 2014, on the basis of the 45th separate regiment, a special forces brigade of the Airborne Forces was formed.
More than 40 military personnel from the unit were killed in various conflicts. Many soldiers and officers of the regiment were awarded orders and medals.
Why do we need special forces of the Airborne Forces
The functions of the special forces of the Airborne Forces are very similar to those performed by their counterparts from the units of the Main Intelligence Directorate. However, there are still differences. And they are associated with specific tasks that the Airborne Forces must solve.
Of course, the special forces of the Airborne Forces can conduct sabotage and reconnaissance operations behind enemy lines, but first of all, they must prepare the possibility of landing for the main units of the Airborne Forces. The concept of "prepare" in this case is interpreted very broadly. First of all, we are talking about reconnaissance of the landing area: the leadership must have maximum information about where the paratroopers will land and what awaits them there.
In addition, scouts, if necessary, prepare a platform for landing. This may be the capture of an enemy airfield or a small foothold. If necessary, sabotage is carried out in the area, infrastructure facilities are destroyed, communications are disrupted, chaos and panic are created. The special forces of the Airborne Forces can also carry out operations to capture and short-term hold important objects behind enemy lines. Most often, such work is carried out during offensive operations.
It should be noted one more difference between the special forces of the GRU and the Airborne Forces. The units of the Main Intelligence Directorate can operate anywhere in the world (it's not for nothing that they have a globe on their emblem). The special forces of the Airborne Forces usually operate closer, within the range of the airborne transport aircraft, usually no further than two thousand kilometers.
The special forces of the Airborne Forces are rightfully considered the elite of the Russian army. Therefore, the requirements for the training and equipment of fighters are very strict. Not everyone is able to pass the selection and become a fighter of this unit. A special forces fighter of the Airborne Forces must be distinguished by stress resistance, endurance, and be proficient in all types of weapons. The special forces have to operate deep behind enemy lines, without any support "from the mainland", carrying tens of kilograms of weapons, ammunition and equipment.
The fighters of the unit are equipped with the best types of weapons, ammunition, equipment of Russian and foreign production. They do not spare money for special forces. It should be noted that any special forces (Russian or American) are a very expensive "pleasure". The Vintorez sniper rifle, Kalashnikov assault rifles of the 100th series, domestic-made large-caliber rifles - this is far from a complete list of small arms used by scouts.
Valery K., sergeant of the 45th separate reconnaissance regiment of the special forces of the Airborne Forces, grenade launcher of the 4th reconnaissance group of the 1st reconnaissance company of the 901st separate battalion of the Special Forces.
By the time I was drafted into the army (June 1994), I already had a sports category in rock climbing and prizes at youth competitions in the city of Apatity, Murmansk Region - I lived there until the mid-90s. That’s why they took me to the 45th regiment, I didn’t fit in height, they took guys with a height of 180 cm, but in those years there was a wild shortage of people, besides, I already had several parachute jumps, we jumped in the winter of 1989 year at the airfield "Murmashi". In general, a kid came with jumps and climbing ranks - almost a ready saboteur. The military commissar said to me: "You are not tall enough, but with your sports training we can send you to the special forces. Understand, it will be very difficult for you ... Are you ready?" And in the parachute club where we trained, the instructors were Afghans, healthy, cheerful men in vests, some with military awards. Of course, I also wanted to be like them! I say: "Of course, I can handle it!" And from the very beginning, I was determined to go to the combat company, and not to support. So I ended up in the 45th regiment.
901 SEPARATE SPECIAL PURPOSE BATTALION
The 45th regiment at that time consisted of two battalions - 218 separate battalions (commander - Major Andrei Anatolyevich Nepryakhin, future Hero of Russia) and 901 separate battalions (commander - Major Nikolai Sergeyevich Nikulnikov), three-company composition of 4 reconnaissance groups in each company. The regiment also included auxiliary units - a communications company (signallers were scattered among reconnaissance groups), a special weapons company, an armored personnel carrier driver and gunners, and ACS crews. In the reconnaissance company, the number was 52-54 people, so a consolidated detachment of about 150 people operated in Grozny: 2 company (commander - Captain Andrey Vladimirovich Zelenkovsky) 218 Special Forces, 1st (commander - Senior Lieutenant Vyacheslav Nikolayevich Nikolakhin) and 3rd ( commander - captain Cherdantsev) of company 901 obSpN.
I can characterize all my direct commanders as very professional, cruel and very funny people (such a complex combination). I am immensely grateful to them, and to this day, a quarter after the battles in Grozny, I remember them. But this is never forgotten...
“Healthy, bald, with their appearance and habits they looked more like bandits than officers of the Red Army. It was not for nothing that at that time citizens in black Mercedes were constantly grazing at the checkpoint with offers to earn extra money - to fill up someone in Moscow ... " 1
I now understand that, by and large, all our officers were real Soviet officers, in the best sense of the word. One of my acquaintances served ten years later in 2005 in the intelligence service of the GRU, and he told how their company commander made exactions from the personnel. So, in principle, this could not have happened to us, the consciousness of people in that early post-Soviet period did not allow it.
Hazing was also very cruel. The officers approached this phenomenon in different ways: someone tried not to pay attention, someone, like the political officer of the Bannikov company, fought as best he could (in the evening he climbed into the window of his office on the ground floor, and when, after lights out, they began to press the young, he jumped out of office with a rubber stick and dispersed the old-timers), one of the officers, on the contrary, tried to put this phenomenon to his service. Our commander of the 4th group, Captain Vladimir Vladimirovich Glukhovsky, was engaged in serious education, and he turned our group into a really well-coordinated team.
"Army friends ... All this is a myth, fiction, do not believe anyone who says that only in the army you can find real friends. Who can be called a friend here? in prison? The crazy Tatar Zimadeev, who is also a karateka? He knows how to jump somersaults over the fence and at the same time shoot from a machine gun. He has one argument for all domestic disputes - a kick in the head. A Kazakh named Batyr, who speaks Russian with difficulty? Or my countrywoman from Peter Kokorin, who spent all his childhood in a special boarding school and did not know the multiplication table at the age of twenty? They could not be my friends. " 1
“In the part where they didn’t take guys less than a meter eighty and where there was a cult of physical strength, they began to hate me immediately, simply because of my short stature.
With the advent of night, after lights out, the idea came to the old-timers that it was I who should clean their boots and hem their collars. Of course, because it seemed to them that it was much easier to morally break a person who was chest-high and thirty kilograms lighter.
All attempts to "negotiate" ended with a simple beating.
I didn’t say anything afterwards, I just approached and hit back once, knowing that in a few seconds I would be viewing the interior of the barracks from some unusual angle, lying with my head turned between the bedside table and the bed.
But I had to make this blow from time to time.
They were a little discouraged by the fact that I packed the parachute faster than anyone else in the company, accurately navigated the map, could translate phrases in English from the training manual for interrogating prisoners of war, pulled myself up most of all on the crossbar and never died on forced marches.
Who issued a grenade launcher to this petty nerd? Completely crazy? - officers from another battalion reacted to me. After all, in addition to the machine gun, I also had to carry a grenade launcher with ammunition.
Everything is fine! Are your grenade launchers dying on the march? - Lieutenant Pastukh protected me with the lock of our reconnaissance group.
Well, they die, the fighters constantly carry them in their arms ...
And ours does not die! He's the only "undying" one of us! - The shepherd alone believed in me, maybe because he was just as short and thoughtful.
I was stubborn and patient, and after a year, even those who hated me started to respect me." 1
Hazing is a complex mutual phenomenon, in which not only old-timers are to blame, and not all forms are bad. And those who haven't seen it will never understand. In the future, reconnaissance groups tried to form the guys of the same call, but this did not always help.
“Being a soldier of the smallest stature, and even serving in the fourth reconnaissance group, means always and everywhere being the last in line.
To the bathhouse, to the dining room, to get uniforms.
And now, I was standing in the central aisle in front of the supply room, looking with concern as a pile of tattered pea jackets was melting.
A year ago, our unit left Abkhazia, and the thrifty company commander took out a whole truck from there, as it seemed then, unnecessary junk. These jackets have come a long way and if they could speak they could tell a lot.
What are these, bullet holes? - A colleague of my call, standing in front of the window to the light, looked at the mysterious holes in the newly received pea jacket.
What is this, blood? .. - he turned to us, showing strange brown spots on the fabric.
I won't wear it!!
Take it! Don't wander! - severely threw one of the "old men" - at night it will become cold in the forest, put it on, and you will be glad!
The first three-day reconnaissance exit awaited us, and since we were called up in June, we were not supposed to wear a winter uniform.
In the army, everything is on schedule.
The transition to winter uniforms is scheduled for October 15, which means that until that moment everyone wears summer camouflage, and it doesn’t matter that it’s already the end of September and frost in the mornings.
And you're out of luck! - the company commander said cheerfully, pointing to the empty shelves of the rack, he personally gave out these pea coats.
Maybe ... maybe, at least what kind of shot was left?
There are no more peacoats! Take a raincoat from the OZK, everything will be warmer for the night - he handed me a rubber bundle.
It was a very cold three days.
Going to bed, I covered myself with this cloak with my head, and from breathing it was covered from the inside with perspiration, which turned into frost by morning.
On the third day of continuous trembling, I heard, I practically felt a strange click in my head, as if some kind of toggle switch had been switched.
And with that click, I suddenly stopped shivering and became warm.
I will acquire the ability to freeze again only seven years after my discharge from the army. 2
"EVERYONE WAS READY IN THREE DAYS BEFORE DEPARTURE"
I remember very well how the dispatch took place in Kubinka, to the battalion's PPD. In the twentieth of November 1994, on Saturday, we were in the garrison cinema on the territory of the tank unit. During the film show, a messenger ran up and shouted into the hall: "First company, go out!"
We ran out and went to the location of the company. There were already fees. They announced that a combined reconnaissance group was moving to Chechnya. The first reconnaissance group was assembled from us, they laid out equipment in the central aisle for inspection. The mood before the departure was combative, they turned to the company commander with a request to include us in the combat formation. To which he replied: "Don't worry, we'll all fly there soon." (One couple, however, dristanul. And the most rocked and bullish. In one night they turned from centers into chmoshniki. But then no one condemned them. But they remained outcasts until the end of the service.) Then a new composition of the forward detachment was formed, in which included our group. Before departure, everyone was ready in three days, and slept on rolled mattresses. The bed linen was handed over, and we were lying with weapons on some shell nets. Before sending, they wrote letters to their parents that we were going to jump in Pskov. Maybe in Moscow (the 218th battalion was stationed in Sokolniki.) There were parents at the checkpoint, but we didn’t have anyone. On the 27th of November there was a departure. Upon arrival in Mozdok, we spent the night at the location of the military unit. This night was very memorable, because the VV-shnikovs in the barracks had a TV on the wall, and the singer Freddie Mercury was spinning there. Then we moved to the checkpoint at the airfield, and soon everyone else arrived, and we moved to the boathouses near the take-off. On the very first night, my grandfathers poked me a little with a knife in order to withdraw cash, but that's bad luck - I had no cash! Looking ahead, I’ll say right away that during the hostilities in Grozny hazing disappeared completely, in those conditions hazing was impossible.
Upon arrival in Mozdok, they immediately took up guard duty to protect the personal train of Defense Minister P. Grachev, as well as his helicopter and the plane on which he flew to Moscow. So they changed constantly: on guard - from guard, to classes, to shooting. In Grozny, we operated with three companies, the other two were replacements, and one company was in reserve. Reserve companies guarded Grachev's train.
"Winter. Mozdok. A dank wind with sleet. We have been on it for the third day already. There is nowhere for us to hide from it, because we are at the airfield.
My friend and I are on guard duty. There is no one to replace us, since our company is chasing the Chechen reconnaissance group through the forests.
The day before yesterday we guarded the aircraft of the Minister of Defense, yesterday we guarded the helicopter of the Minister of Defense, today we guard the mobile headquarters of the Minister of Defense.
We wait for the inspector to leave, take off our helmets and sit in them, like in pots. Back to back. So warmer. Falling asleep, I think that a Chechen reconnaissance group will find us and cut our throats. "And then everything will end ...", - I think, even with some relief, and fall into a dream. The snow covers us with a wet blanket." 1
Of course, in addition to guarding the facilities, the personnel of some reconnaissance groups carried out reconnaissance missions for approaches to Grozny.
Once, my 4th reconnaissance group was on a mission to search for a Chechen reconnaissance group that had been spotted. True, they could not be found.
On December 30, Captain Glukhovsky gave the order to prepare for a flight to the mountainous regions, which was supposed to take place tomorrow, December 31. In addition to the ammunition load, we were given forty different charges of explosives for each kilogram, it was assumed that we would have to deal with undermining some bridges, the details were not specified. On the 31st, we were ready to take off, and at approximately 14:15 a consolidated detachment of about 30 people boarded two Mi-8s. But an hour later, the takeoff was canceled, nevertheless, the order was given to be at the airfield. At 17-18 hours the team came to load again, and this time we took off. We were in the air for almost an hour. We were covered by three Mi-24s. In the mountains, at the moment of landing, the pilot found a Chechen armored personnel carrier standing in the bushes, and our helicopter, having sharply soared, left the landing point. The militants, apparently, were afraid of the Mi-24 and did not open fire. For a long time it was a mystery to me where they wanted to send us for the first time, and after 20 years from some source, I found out that it was planned to land on the central stadium of Grozny, just where the reserve of Dudayev's forces was located. We were very lucky that the flight was cancelled.
“We were left with about 20 people from the special operations department. Guys from the 45th intelligence regiment were supposed to act with us. They raised us again in alarm, brought us to Mozdok to the airfield to be delivered by helicopters to the center of Grozny, to the stadium. that we will take Dudayev's palace in much the same way as we took Amin's palace in December 1979.<...>We never flew to the center of Grozny. As they say, as above, so below. A terrible inconsistency in the actions of different branches of the armed forces was revealed. It turned out that the helicopters could not take off, because one helicopter pilot had not yet had lunch, the other had not yet refueled, and the third was on duty at all. As a result, already on January 1, at 00:10, we were given the order: "By cars!" - the city was to be entered by land.<...>By the evening of that day, having already entered the city with a tank column, we learned from our scouts that by the time of that failed landing, the stadium planned as a springboard for it was full of well-armed and at the same time obeying no one people: it was on December 31 that the weapons available in the warehouses were distributed there without restrictions to everyone who wanted to defend "free Ichkeria". So our three helicopters, most likely, would have been burned over this stadium." 3
The leadership developed a "brilliant plan": when we begin to send troops into the city from the north, the militants will be "scared" and run to the south, and there, on the main routes, they will be expected by pre-set ambushes. It was these ambushes that we had to organize, and this explains the issuance of 40 kilograms of explosives for each.
We are near the boathouses after the failed landing in the mountains, celebrating the new year. Somewhere out there in the dark in the ranks - I am.
Returning to Mozdok on the evening of the 31st, we immediately took over the protection of the Grachev train. I met the New Year guarding this train. There were posts of VV officers across the field, and when the chimes struck, they opened fire with tracers in our direction, apparently believing that there could be no one in the field. My friend and I fell behind a thick poplar tree, branches cut down by bullets fell on us, he took out a can of beer stolen from an "officer's" gift, and lying behind a poplar tree, we drank it in honor of the upcoming New Year.
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By the way, here is a very good video taken by an officer from the 901st battalion. Here are all our officers, almost all the guys from our group. I will comment on this video, summing up the "peaceful" part of the service - from the checkpoint in Kubinka to the location in boathouses at the Mozdok airfield. There were a lot of videos on the web on the shelf, but these videos disappear from time to time, perhaps the owners delete accounts.
Loading before departure on the central parade ground of the battalion.
01:00. Battalion commander Nikulnikov and the commander of the 3rd company Cherdantsev stands with his back.
01:46. Senior Lieutenant Konoplyannikov, commander of the first reconnaissance group. January 5, 1995, in the hospital, he will receive a bullet in the head, he will be saved by "Sphere": the bullet will pierce steel, Kevlar, lining, all layers, and breaking through the skin, will stick into the skull, but all the consequences are a hefty lump.
01:53. A high officer is Major Cherushev, in my opinion he will later become a battalion commander after Nikulnikov.
14:21. Boxes with gifts from Menatep bank. Black round hats we called "menatepovki". Ironically, just before the storming of Grozny, they sent us gifts from "Menatep" - such cardboard boxes, they were brought on the 30th. The boxes were "officer's" and "soldier's". They all had writing utensils: notebooks, pens, and sweaters and hats like that. The "officer's" boxes still contained a bottle of champagne and a can of imported beer. The one who made these sets was very well versed in what a soldier needed. Many years later, to be honest, I am stunned, knowing the arrogance of the current oligarchs: to send a gift to a soldier and also to consult with a knowledgeable specialist what exactly the soldier needs. It had to come down ... The fact is that a fucking soldier's helmet fits only on the top of the fur army earflaps, and the whole point of the helmet disappears, but here they sent hats - the consultant clearly understood the situation.
So we ran in these hats. In general, it turned out that all uniforms and equipment are very poorly suited for active combat operations. Upon arrival at the PPD in Kubinka, these hats were taken by order to the warehouse.
A few years later, in the St. Petersburg metro, I saw a man in such a hat. I stood and looked at him for a long time, trying to understand whether he was in Grozny...
15:41. On the right in the frame is Lieutenant Andrei Gridnev, the future Hero of Russia. I remember how Gridnev just came to the unit from the school as a young lieutenant, he was only 21 or 22 years old, he was assigned to our company as Konoplyannikov's deputy, he was immediately very motivated to serve. Gridnev from the first days was seriously engaged in the preparation and education of the guys from the group, they regularly ran with him, ran additional crosses, and every evening he came and forced them to pour ice water on them (actually, we didn’t have hot water in the company then). They called it "Karbyshev's bath". He gave the impression of a very tough person. But I remember when his wife arrived at the unit, when he was already settled in the officer's dormitory, and we helped him bring in furniture and things, he secretly took a box with jars of raspberry jam from his wife, and in the darkness around the corner of the dormitory slipped it to us, saying : "Here, guys, eat jam!" I remember being very touched. After Konoplyannikov was wounded on January 5, Gridnev would take command of the reconnaissance group and lead it successfully. The guys from the group recalled that he was very groovy in battle, they laughed, saying: "The battle is fought by Lieutenant Gridnev and ten of his squires," because he constantly ran from one fighter to another, firing from a grenade launcher, then from a machine gun, then he would take away the rifle from the sniper, the guys were neighing that if they started to give him shells, he would throw shells even without a gun at the positions of the militants. And when I found out that he was given the star of the Hero, I was not surprised at all.
15:53. The company commander Nikolakhin and on the left in a winter hat and camouflage uniform are the commanders and the commander of the consolidated group of snipers (including fighters armed with SVD and VSS) Konstantin Mikhailovich Golubev, who will die on January 8, 1995. They were friends, and Nikolakhin was very worried about his death.
16:11. Our political officer Bannikov is waving his hand.
16:15. A big mustachioed man is the main demolition officer of the battalion, I don’t remember his name. When classes on subversive training were held, he said: "Explosives can be made from last year's leaves, whoever remains on a contract, I'll tell you how." Behind him is a healthy guy - our machine gunner Yura Sannikov, from Siberia, a very kind guy, one of two in the company with a higher education.
The camera moves to the right, and we again see Gridnev and Lieutenant Gonta, a tough man, on the second trip he will be the commander of a combined reconnaissance group, in which I will be, we will destroy the ambush at height 970 in the Serzhen-Yurt area under his leadership. Then I have a good relationship with him. In Grozny, he was the commander of the second reconnaissance group. At the very edge of the frame on the right - Dima T., a sergeant from our reconnaissance group, after the storming of Grozny was transferred to the RMO. Now in Europe as a chef in one of the hotels.
17:20. Formation of officers of our 1st company. The highest in the ranks - Glukhovsky! Vladimir Glukhovsky, at the age of 27 at that time, was already a very experienced officer, who commanded a reconnaissance group in Pridnestrovie in a separate 818th special forces company, reporting directly to the commander of the 14th army, Lebed, who performed complex combat missions, and after the withdrawal from Pridnestrovie disbanded. Glukhovsky was sent to our regiment, and it so happened that he, the captain, the former commander of the group, who was already wounded, fell under the command of senior lieutenant Nikolahin, junior in rank. Glukhovsky was a man of character, very energetic and treated war as a sport. I never saw him frightened or tired, although he sometimes slept less than ours.
Behind Glukhovsky, his last deputy in the ranks. Vadim Pastukh. On his second trip in the summer of 1995, Pastukh will be the commander of the drone support group. And the commander of this unit will be Sergei Makarov, the second in the ranks. In the event that a drone was shot down by militants, Pastukh's group was supposed to ensure its search and return.
"THE CITY WAS DESTROYED, MANY HOUSES BURNED"
I don’t remember exactly, but it seems that on January 1, 1995, on the Urals, we advanced to Grozny with two companies: the 2nd 218th battalion and our 1st 901st battalion. The second company under the leadership of Major Nepryakhin was the first to enter. The third company of our battalion entered Grozny one or two days later than us.
I always thought that they entered the city on the first of January late in the evening. On the eve there was a turmoil: departures, arrivals, train security ... Perhaps one day (December 31, 1994) flew out of my memory.
Before leaving for Grozny, near the sheds, we tied boxes of sand around the Urals, and it was during the day, I remember exactly. The thaw began, and, by the way, they brought helmets - "spheres" by car, which the officers immediately snapped up, but they brought few helmets, so not even all the officers had enough. Apparently, this happened on the afternoon of January 1, and we moved out, respectively, on the second, because on December 31 we were closely busy with these attempts to fly somewhere, and the Urals were not tied with boxes that day. But I was always sure that the entrance to the city took place on the first of January.
On the video - the metal farms of the cannery, there were infantry machine gunners on all the platforms, who began to fire bursts at any sound.
Then, if the 218th battalion reached canning at about the time indicated on the timer in the video frames of Lyubimov's film, then, it turns out, our company pulled itself up by night after them. Nepryakhin on the video says that they came in with a fight. And then we, the first company of the 901st battalion, moved separately (our column was not large, only a few cars). Grozny is only about 100 kilometers from Mozdok.
We moved in a column behind the second company of the 218th battalion, already in the dark. The city was destroyed, there was no electric light, but many houses were on fire. At one point, a mortar mine exploded in front of our Ural. The driver stopped, and immediately a second mine lay behind the car. I saw how Glukhovsky, who was sitting at the edge of the body, ran to the cab and began to pound on it with his fist, shouting: "Forward!". The driver pulled away, and where we were standing, the third mine exploded. One of the mines lay in a private house, which was in the direction of travel on the left side. We entered the cannery on January 1 late at night. The company was located in a two-story building on the second floor. My comrade and I were immediately placed on guard duty, guarding the Urals. The mortar shelling continued and several mines exploded nearby.
The plant already had infantry, the remains of some units. In the dark, we met a surviving ensign from the Maikop brigade, who told us about the death of their convoy, about how the Chechens shot the crews of vehicles leaving the burning equipment. The cannery was generally a safe place, despite occasional shelling. All the tales about compote from this plant - however, we drank compote all the time, no one broke these cans (obviously, this refers to a scene from the feature film by A.G. Nevzorov "Purgatory", 1997: "Why are you destroying banks, are you?")
Over time, the plant became a kind of springboard, where suitable parts were pulled up.
"[The plant] was a series of barrack-type rooms, but built very thoroughly. Some of them housed the headquarters of the units, others - the units withdrawn from the battle, and their armored vehicles. Some of the warehouses were still filled with canned juices and compotes. To them a human stream constantly stretched, carrying away canned jars. 4
After entering the canning factory, Glukhovsky ordered to find wooden pallets, and from these pallets to build a sleeping floor in the two-story building where we settled down. It must be said that Glukhovsky took the organization of life very seriously and always forced the most comfortable conditions possible to create for sleep and rest. He immediately sent one of our fighters to make lamps from shell casings. It turned out that this ancient tried and tested way of lighting has no alternative. Later, when the building is hit by a mortar, we will move to the basement, and there, too, our commander will force us to equip sleeping places, build a stove from a barrel and make a dozen lamps from shells. This habit of equipping locations as comfortably as possible will remain with us until the end of the service.
On the same day, a captured artillery spotter will be brought in. Then there was a version about a "captain dressed in uniform", I don't know if these people are different or not. But the spotter is not a myth, and I saw it myself.
Officer 22 obrSpN Vyacheslav Dmitriev:“For some time we were pestered by mortar shelling, from which there was no escape. This continued until the spotter was caught. cannery. They checked him, the unit number in the documents did not match with any number of the military units that entered Grozny, and the artillery compass and the Japanese radio station dispelled all doubts. During interrogation, it turned out that he was a Ukrainian mercenary. His further fate is unknown. Some said, that he was sent to Mozdok to the filtration point of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, others that they shot him right there, behind the barracks. Under those conditions, both could be true." 4
The captive spotter will flaunt: "Welcome to hell!" There were rumors that the infantrymen took him on the roof of either a five-story building, or a nine-story building nearby, he had a walkie-talkie with him, but this is also unlikely, rather he "rummaged around" near the plant, and apparently lost his scent from impunity. He was a Chechen with a big nose, unshaven, spoke with an accent, was dressed in black trousers and a long black leather jacket with pockets. I now think that this was a mercenary, but most likely one of the locals, such as a surveyor or a retired military man, you cannot teach a simple shepherd to use a compass so quickly. I will see him the next day. The spotter was kept in the basement of the house where we lived at first. There, near the porch, the next morning I saw him and did not recognize him, his face was very badly broken, he cried and said: "Do not kill me, I am a soldier like you!" A tall thin general was talking to him frowningly.
It became psychologically difficult already on January 2: constant lack of sleep, knee-deep mud, shelling from mortars, snipers. Even to smoke - it was necessary to hide.
On January 2, if I am not mistaken, the first reconnaissance group was ordered to advance to the Petropavlovsk Highway area (but this is not accurate information). The fact is that troops were planned to approach along the highway, and the militants set up ambushes there, and it was necessary to carry out counter-ambush measures.
Major Sergey Ivanovich Shavrin, FSK Special Operations Department:"The task of the commander (commander of the 8th Guards AK, Lieutenant General L.Ya. Rokhlin) entrusted us with a difficult task: to ensure the safety of the column routes along which military equipment and troops advanced. This is Lermontovskaya street (Lermontov street, adjacent to the Petropavlovsk highway). There, on the one hand, there are houses, the private sector, and on the other, modern buildings. The militants in groups of 5-6 people made their way into the houses and fired at the columns. And the street is completely crammed with military vehicles, tankers, vehicles with ammunition. In general, every shot is a hit and a lot of damage, losses. From our joint team with commando paratroopers, we formed four groups and cleared the bandits from the quarter. They set up ambushes, and when militants were found, they went into battle. The bandits are afraid of an open battle, they avoid it. They have one tactic: bite-run away, bite-run away... They soon realized that there were ambushes, there were special forces, it was not safe there. And the bandit raids stopped. Several blocks along the road were free." 3
On one of the night exits, machine gunner Sergei Dmitruk, from the first reconnaissance group, died, number 3 or 4, I don’t remember exactly. The first loss in our company.
The aforementioned cleansing of the private sector, I don’t know exactly where, maybe somewhere in the area of the Petropavlovsk highway. The voice of the commander of the first reconnaissance group of our company Konoplyannikov: "Seki to the right, Mustafa!" Mustafa is the nickname of a sniper from the VSS Radik Alkhamov from Bashkiria. Radik was very kind and very slow, but he transformed in the ring at hand-to-hand combat competitions. Small in stature, he was very wiry, with relief muscles, like Bruce Lee, Radik was the hand-to-hand champion in the battalion, they put up huge guys against him and he won everyone! When we jokingly asked: "Radik, why are you so slow?", He, drawing out his words, answered: "Sniper must be slow!"
I remember that in the morning I went on some assignment to the plant, and saw how a car was trying to break through the bridge over the Sunzha at full speed - a white "six" with four men in it. I don’t know if they were militants, but this maneuver was tragic for them: it turned out that our tank in a caponier stood opposite the bridge behind a concrete fence and with the first shot at the “six” tore off the engine hood, the driver and passenger in the front seat died, and two passengers jumped out of the back seat and rushed back across the bridge. Immediately, heavy fire was opened on the fleeing from all the metal farms of the plant, and I saw how the bullets began to tear their clothes. I sat with my neck stretched out and looked out over the fence, which infuriated Glukhovsky wildly: "Do you want a bullet in the head ?!" - He hit me with the butt on the helmet.
And the next moment, a mine flew into the territory of the plant and cut off one of our Ural drivers with a shrapnel, he fell as if he had been cut down. The guys immediately grabbed him and carried him to the doctors. Only upon arrival in Kubinka did we learn that he had survived.
SOURCES
1. God comes by himself.-M., Typography "News", 2012.-112 p., ill. Page 107.
2. Valery K. "I can't be an atheist", story. Published in the author's edition.