Staff number 317 pdp 103 airborne division. Flag of the Airborne Forces "103 Guards
For the entire time of service in Afghanistan (almost a year and a half) since December 1979. I have heard so many stories about how our paratroopers killed the civilian population just like that, that they simply cannot be counted, and I have never heard that our soldiers saved one of the Afghans - among the soldiers, such an act would be regarded as aiding the enemies.
Even during the December coup in Kabul, which lasted all night on December 27, 1979, some paratroopers shot at unarmed people who were seen on the streets - then, without a shadow of regret, they cheerfully recalled this as funny cases.
Two months after the introduction of troops - February 29, 1980. - in the province of Kunar, the first military operation. The main striking force was the paratroopers of our regiment - 300 soldiers who parachuted from helicopters on a high mountain plateau and went down to restore order. As I was told by the participants of that operation, order was put in the following way: food stocks were destroyed in the villages, all livestock was killed; usually, before entering the house, they threw a grenade there, then they shot with a fan in all directions - only after that they looked who was there; all men and even teenagers were immediately shot on the spot. The operation lasted almost two weeks, no one counted how many people were killed then.
What our paratroopers did for the first two years in remote areas of Afghanistan was complete arbitrariness. Since the summer of 1980 the 3rd battalion of our regiment was sent to the province of Kandahar to patrol the territory. Fearing no one, they calmly traveled along the roads and the desert of Kandahar and could, without any clarification, kill any person they met on their way.
He was killed just like that, with a machine gun burst, without leaving the BMDshek armor. Kandahar, summer 1981. Photo taken from things
that dead Afghan.
Here is the most common story that an eyewitness told me. Summer 1981 province of Kandahar. Photo - a dead Afghan and his donkey lie on the ground. The Afghan went his own way and led the donkey. Of the weapons, the Afghan had only a stick, with which he drove the donkey. A column of our paratroopers was driving along this road. He was killed just like that, with a machine gun burst, without leaving the BMDshek armor.
The column stopped. One paratrooper came up and cut off the ears of the dead Afghan - in memory of his military exploits. Then a mine was planted under the Afghan's corpse to kill anyone else who found this body. Only this time the idea did not work - when the column started off, someone could not resist and finally fired a burst at the corpse from a machine gun - a mine exploded and tore the Afghan's body to pieces.
The caravans they met were searched, and if they found weapons (and the Afghans almost always had old rifles and guns), then they killed all the people who were in the caravan, and even animals. And when the travelers did not have any weapons, then, sometimes, they used the right practiced trick - during the search, they quietly pulled out a cartridge from their pocket, and, pretending that this cartridge was found in the pocket or in the things of an Afghan, they presented it to the Afghan as evidence his guilt.
These photos are taken from the dead Afghans. They were killed because
that their caravan met with a column of our paratroopers.
Kandahar summer 1981
Now it was possible to mock: after listening to a person warmly justifying himself, convincing that the cartridge was not his, they began to beat him, then watched him beg on his knees for mercy, but he was again beaten and then shot. Then they killed the rest of the people who were in the caravan.
In addition to patrolling the territory, the paratroopers often ambushed enemies on the roads and paths. These "caravan hunters" never found out anything - not even the presence of weapons among travelers - they simply suddenly fired from cover at everyone who passed in that place, sparing no one, even women and children.
I remember one paratrooper, a participant in hostilities, admired:
I would never have thought that this is possible! We kill everyone in a row - and for this they only praise us and hang awards!
Here is the documentary evidence. Wall newspaper with information about the military operations of the 3rd battalion, carried out in the summer of 1981. in Kandahar province.
It can be seen here that the number of Afghans killed is three times the number of captured weapons: 2 machine guns, 2 grenade launchers and 43 rifles were seized, and 137 people were killed.
The mystery of the Kabul rebellion
Two months after the introduction of troops into Afghanistan, on February 22-23, 1980, Kabul was shaken by a major anti-government rebellion. Everyone who was then in Kabul remembered those days well: the streets were filled with crowds of protesters, they shouted, rioted, there was shooting all over the city. This rebellion was not prepared by any opposition forces or foreign intelligence services, it began completely unexpectedly for everyone: both for the Soviet military stationed in Kabul and for the Afghan leadership. Here is how Colonel General Viktor Merimsky recalls those events in his memoirs:
"... All the central streets of the city were filled with excited people. The number of demonstrators reached 400 thousand people ... There was confusion in the Afghan government. Marshal S. L. Sokolov, General of the Army S. F. Akhromeev and I left our residence for the Afghan Ministry of Defense, where we met with the Minister of Defense of Afghanistan M. Rafi. He could not answer our question about what is happening in the capital ... "
The reason that served as an impetus for such a stormy protest of the townspeople has not been clarified. Only after 28 years did I manage to find out the whole background of those events. As it turned out, the rebellion was provoked by the reckless trick of our paratrooper officers.
senior lieutenantAlexander Vovk First Commandant of Kabul
Major Yuri Nozdryakov (right).
Afghanistan, Kabul, 1980
It all started with the fact that on February 22, 1980, in Kabul, in broad daylight, Senior Lieutenant Alexander Vovk, a senior instructor in the Komsomol of the political department of the 103rd Airborne Division, was killed.
The story of Vovk's death was told to me by the first commandant of Kabul, Major Yuriy Nozdryakov. This happened near the "Green Market", where Vovk arrived in an UAZ vehicle together with the air defense chief of the 103rd Airborne Division, Colonel Yuri Dvugroshev. They did not fulfill any task, but, most likely, they simply wanted to buy something in the market. They were in the car when suddenly one shot was fired - the bullet hit Vovk. Dvugroshev and the soldier-driver did not even understand where they were shooting from, and quickly left this place. However, Vovk's wound turned out to be fatal, and he died almost immediately.
Deputy commander of the 357th regimentMajor Vitaly Zababurin (in the middle).
Afghanistan, Kabul, 1980
And then something happened that shook the whole city. Upon learning of the death of their comrade, a group of officers and ensigns of the 357th Airborne Regiment, led by the regiment's deputy commander, Major Vitaly Zababurin, got into armored personnel carriers and went to the scene to dismantle local residents. But, having arrived at the scene, they did not bother to search for the culprit, but in a hot head decided to simply punish everyone who was there. Moving along the street, they began to smash and crush everything in their path: they threw grenades at houses, fired from machine guns and machine guns on armored personnel carriers. Dozens of innocent people fell under the hot hand of officers.
The massacre ended, but the news of the bloody pogrom quickly spread throughout the city. The streets of Kabul began to flood thousands of indignant citizens, riots began. At that time, I was on the territory of the government residence, behind the high stone wall of the Palace of the Peoples. I will never forget that wild howl of the crowd, inspiring fear, from which the blood ran cold. The feeling was the worst...
The rebellion was crushed within two days. Hundreds of Kabul residents were killed. However, the real instigators of those riots, who massacred innocent people, remained in the shadows.
Three thousand civilians in one punitive operation
At the end of December 1980 two sergeants from the 3rd battalion of our regiment came to our guardhouse (it was in the Palace of the Peoples, in Kabul). By that time, the 3rd battalion had been standing near Kandahar for half a year and was constantly participating in combat operations. Everyone who was then in the guardroom, including myself, listened attentively to their stories about how they fought. It was from them that I first learned about this major military operation, and heard this figure - about 3,000 Afghans killed in one day.
In addition, this information was confirmed by Viktor Marochkin, who served as a driver in the 70th brigade stationed near Kandahar (this is where the 3rd battalion of our 317th airborne regiment was included). He said that the entire 70th brigade took part in that combat operation in full force. The operation went as follows.
In the second half of December 1980, the settlement of Sutian (40 km southwest of Kandahar) was surrounded by a semicircle. So they stood around three days. By this time, artillery and Grad multiple rocket launchers had been brought up.
December 20 the operation began: a blow from the "Grad" and artillery was struck at the settlement. After the first volleys, everything plunged into a continuous cloud of dust. shelling locality continued almost continuously. Residents, in order to escape from the explosions of shells, ran from their houses into the field. But there they began to shoot from machine guns, BMD guns, four "Shilka" (self-propelled units with four combined heavy machine guns) fired non-stop, almost all the soldiers fired from their machine guns, killing everyone: including women and children.
After shelling, the brigade entered Sutian and killed the rest of the inhabitants there. When the military operation ended, the whole earth around was strewn with the corpses of people. Counted about 3000 (three thousand) corpses.
Kandahar, summer 1981
How many of their boys, born in Belogorsk, Amur region, visited Afghanistan? Nobody thought...
It's like in the Afghan song - "And how many of them - ask the desert"! I became aware of several names and among them Edik Anuchin.
Anuchin Eduard Dmitrievich
senior warrant officer of the reconnaissance company 103 airborne division 317 pdp
Born on 11/23/1959 in Belogorsk, Amur Region. Graduated secondary school in Bolgrad.
10/23/1978 was drafted into the Armed Forces of the USSR. He served in the Kerkinsky border detachment of the KGB of the USSR from 1978 to 1980.
He graduated from the school of ensigns of the Airborne Forces in the city of Rukla in Lithuania.
From October 1983, he performed international duty in the DRA - he was a foreman reconnaissance company 103 vdd 317 pdp.
He took part in 17 military operations and 28 ambushes (although who counted them?).
During the conduct of hostilities in the region of the Logar Gorge, when one of the company platoon commanders was wounded, he took command of the platoon.
Died tragically on October 22, 1985. For courage and bravery awarded the order Red Banner (posthumously). Buried in the city of Bolgrad, Odessa region.
This could be the point. Born, educated, died...
But the comments under the Afghan photographs of his friends indicate that Edward was the most combative, one of the best ensign of the 40th army. Not the best in their reconnaissance company, and not even in their 103rd Guards Air Force. Airborne Division but in the whole army. And that means something! Such appreciated he was given by his comrades in the service, who were with him side by side during the conduct of military operations.
Therefore, I wanted to write about it in more detail. But the more I understood this topic, the more I understood that it was necessary to write not only about him alone. Frankly, there was a moment when I wanted to quit this idea, but my friends convinced me that I needed to write!
Edik's childhood up to 10 years passed in Belogorsk, where at that time 60% of the population were military - units of the 98th Guards Airborne Svir Red Banner Order of Kutuzov Division were located in the city. Many boys in the city dreamed of becoming military men. They and even the girls jumped with a parachute.
Edward's father, Dmitry Stepanovich Anuchin, served as an ensign in the 299th infantry regiment, which in September 1969 was relocated to Bolgrad. In Bolgrad, he served as a senior warrant officer in a separate squadron of the 98th airborne division - a flight mechanic on the AN-2.
Anuchin's mother Evdokia Alekseevna was an employee Soviet army and worked in a parachute repair shop. Dmitry Stepanovich - Honored Master of Parachuting. He has over 3000 jumps. Naturally, the father was an example for the son. It was in this atmosphere that the character of Edward was formed. Some consider him even a bully and a lover to fight. Even then, Edik stood out among his peers with his character, he didn’t give a descent to anyone, it seemed that he was not afraid of anything and no one except his father. And when it happened to do something, he called his older comrade with him, hoping that the punishment would be less, but his father was not bowed ... And Edik was grateful to his father for such an upbringing!
In Bolgrad (where his parents moved with the division), Eduard graduated from high school and a driving school in Izmail, went to work at the Etalon plant, from there he was drafted into the border troops in the city of Kerki on the border of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. The Kerkinsky frontier detachment in the 80s turned into a legend.
passing military service in Kerki, participated in sorties to the adjacent side to destroy bands of Mujahideen. On one of the sorties, he was in the same helicopter with the head of intelligence of the KSAPO troops, Major General A. Artykbaev, during the operation he showed courage and Artykbaev presented him with the medal "For Courage".
After demobilization, he entered the higher command Red Banner School named after Kirov in the city of Ordzhonikidze (now Vladikavkaz). He was a deputy platoon commander, participated in the suppression of the rebellion (the Ossetian revolution of 1981). But he failed to graduate from the school, because of the injury he was discharged.
Here is how eyewitness Oleg Borisenko describes these events.
"... Cadets of the fourth-year special platoon stamped their boots along the corridor. Edik Anuchin, deputy commander of the platoon, left the classroom. Then he returned and took two cadets with him.
They brought ten or eleven soldier's helmets, and a R-105 radio station.
-Everything, damn it, - Anuchin explained - While the "slurps" were being clicked, all the helmets were taken apart by other platoons. You are the battalion commander's radio operator! - Edik told me and put the walkie-talkie in his hands, adding:
- You don't have a helmet. If you cover yourself with a cap.
- From whom? I asked.
- From no one, but from what! From stones, idiot! There, the rhinoceroses are already dismantling the monument to Sergo Ordzhonikidze! And it is marble, you will get it on the head, then you will show figs to sparrows all your life.
- And the rest? Not enough helmets for a platoon? - I did not let up. As a Komsomol organizer of the battalion, I had a little right to argue with junior commanders.
Anuchin climbed onto a stool at the commander's table.
- Attention platoon! Do like me! - with these words, he turned the fields at the cap with their ears down.
We all have become like captured Germans who are being led through Moscow...
Is under construction on a parade ground! - the command was distributed.
We went out to line up, and in front of our noses were first-year students, under the arms of fourth-year cadets, with broken faces and heads. They also had protective equipment, for three companies of helmets forty - no more.
- One senior cadet or sergeant, with a bandage on his head, shouted:
Where are you going with your bare hands??? Break the stools and disassemble the legs.
I realized that there were no rubber sticks in the school. Immediately asking himself a question and breaking the platoon stool, he thought:
- And how can I hit a living person on the head with a ribbed wooden leg? It will hurt him! But so far only fourth-year cadets have been in pain. I consoled myself with the fact that a wooden leg is still better than a bullet. After all, the twelfth company was given live ammunition, and they were sitting in the barracks waiting for the “Fas” command ... "
And off we go ... fists, sticks, pieces of granite, paving stones, bird cherry, explosion packages ... The cadets got good combat experience.
After the injury, Eduard was discharged, but he did not give up, but threw away all the medical documents and went to enroll in the school of ensigns of the Airborne Forces in the city of Rukla in Lithuania, precisely in the school of paratroopers, because otherwise he simply did not see himself. A personal example of his father, lessons learned in the service, participation in hostilities in the DRA, all this led him to the path of the military.
November 1983 he was already in Afghanistan.
From the memoirs of Misha Khodjaev (Nasrullo).
“On the first day of his arrival in the company, I was on duty in the company and the company was alerted, since he had not yet been enlisted, I gave him my weapon. And he, from the first minutes of his stay in Afghanistan, found himself in a combat zone! We were brought together by the fact that he served in my native places in Turkmenistan. I was a translator. Translated from Afghan into Russian. He translated what the prisoners and civilians in the company, regiment and division were talking about. Once he was sent to deep civilian intelligence, listened to what the Afghans were talking about and collected information. I went to war with Edward many times. And how many times he was in the war and in ambushes, no one can say, I can’t even count my own. And 1984 and 1985 were the most active years in the conduct of hostilities.
From the memoirs of Andrey Polishchuk
..." Anuchin Edik came to the company when I was there. And he fit into the life of the company with me. Well done, he fit in! Being accepted by the fighters and being their own for them was expensive. Not everyone fit in. "They had their own criteria for evaluating people: fighters and officers. I don't idealize, but these male "toys" were to my liking. But it didn't suit everyone. Edik, I suppose, was also in a high. Those who didn't fit in - fell out, a man left on his own, or he was "removed".
There were about forty people with officers in the company. Reported only to the chief of intelligence and the chief of staff of the regiment. When they went to war, they gave help to an artillery fire spotter, a signalman, a mortar crew, a chemist, a sapper, and a medical instructor. In total, under fifty people were recruited.
From the memoirs of Nikolai Frolov
...- "As soon as our feet set foot on the soil of Afghanistan, representatives from the 317th regiment came to our regiment, they approached us and asked: "Who wants to go into intelligence?"
Of course, we were the fastest. They needed to recruit two gunners and gunners. The location of the company, where we immediately arrived, was empty, because the company was at war.
When the company returned, our acquaintance began - we saw completely brown guys, lean like gazelles. Of course, we were immediately "plowed" to disassemble the ammunition and take it to the armory. Then there was a cleaning in the company, dinner, and only after that the foreman lined us up. He was a little tipsy, he tells us, “If one of you can repeat what I will now perform on the horizontal bar, then he will be freed from the “young spirit” i.e. will not fly on various orders from old-timers. In short, he begins to spin the sun on the horizontal bar without safety belts. Our jaws dropped and we realized that we could not get away from running around. It was the first acquaintance with the foreman.
Then I personally got to know him better. For the first year, I rode on the armor as a gunner operator on an armored personnel carrier, and Zhenya Svetlitsky was a mechanic, and after successful firing, the foreman chose our crew to ride on various combat missions.
Eduard told us to call him Zhora. And only in the presence of officers did they address him as it should be according to the charter - Comrade Senior Ensign. I have never met such people in my life, he was really brave! And he even performed combat missions with a bit of fanaticism, and of course he instilled this in all of us. We, watching how he signed with a felt-tip pen on anti-personnel mines, tried to imitate him in this and in general wanted to be like the foreman in everything.
In the absence of an officer, Zhora acted as a platoon commander. There was great confidence in him, and we considered it an honor to go to the mountains under his command. In the division, not all warrant officers went to war, but our Zhora always did. Because this man was born to fight. In general, I was amazed at his fearless soul. Therefore, we say about him that he is the most combative of all ensigns!
Once, when I was on the armor, we got into a good ambush on the Gardez road. I used up all the ammunition, and the guys manually helped me equip the belts so that I could fire. At this time, the foreman was on top of the car and fired from a machine gun. Through the scope, we saw how turbans and bloody pieces of meat flew. It was just HELL and we all came out of this hell. The barrels of machine guns have become orange. Upon arrival at the regiment, I realized that I was specifically deaf and burned my cheek on a machine gun when I was loading the tape. You should have seen Zhora at such moments - he turned into a tough comrade.
I remember how we landed on Panjshir, and as always, they were already waiting for us there! The shelling was so dense that it was impossible to raise your head. The foreman gives the command: “The capture group is forward, behind it is the cover group, run!” We take the mountain literally in one breath. And when you run, next to the fountains from the rebound. Thanks to the foreman, we survived and took the mountain!
Once, our company, together with the reconnaissance company of the division, advanced to an ambush. We walked all night through the mountains for about 50 kilometers. In the morning we reached the place of deployment, already exhausted climbed the last hill and we were ordered to build observation posts. Then there was a dream with guards posted, and finally, spirits appeared. There were seven of them, walking at a distance from each other, stretched out about twenty meters. They let them get closer and a very tough firefight began, they immediately put three on the path, two more a little lower in the gorge. Two ran up the mountain and lay down in the drain, and the seventh (we realized this later) climbed the opposite mountain and pounded at us in the role of a sniper. Two in the drain were also destroyed. And they forgot about the seventh. We had one fighter mortally wounded, and a platoon bullet entered the neck - passed next to the carotid artery and exited next to the vertebra - a guy was born in a shirt! Everyone was tired, company commander Dmitry Gorbunov gave the command to rest, climbed up the hill and settled down. In the morning we saw that seventh one, only he had already gone far. And according to intelligence in this gorge there were three warehouses with ammunition and things - sleeping bags, mountain equipment, in general, everything necessary for mountain warfare. We combed the entire gorge, but found nothing. And along the path they passed several times with a large stone lying next to it, which was cut like a knife and on this cut there were dashes - inscriptions. From the outside, it seemed to us, as we usually write "Vasya was here." But it is Zhora Anuchin who says, “Let's stop at this cobblestone and compare it with the map and the terrain. And he was absolutely right. It really was a map - according to this cheat sheet, we all found warehouses. This is how, thanks to the ingenuity of the foreman, weapons, ammunition and equipment were eliminated.
In the photo, the reconnaissance company 317 pdp 103 airborne division with the Commander of the USSR Airborne Forces D.S. Sukhorokuvy in the center, Commander A.V. Kinzersky to the right. Company commander Lieutenant A.N. Kolpachenko - on the right (now Lieutenant General). Kabul, summer 1985, parade ground near the wall of the presidential palace. After the solemn march on the occasion of the arrival of the commander. He flew to the division and was in the company, having heard about the events in Kunar, this is in Jalalabad. Then the reconnaissance and a separate divisional reconnaissance reconnaissance, together with other guys, fought on diamond mines with a “black stork” - that was the name of the gang of spirits, in which there were nigers and various mercenaries along with frostbitten “narics” and fans of Islam. There, by our efforts, more than five hundred of these "freaks" were destroyed. Of course, the guys on breadcrumbs helped from the air. On our side, there were also losses - three killed and fifteen wounded. Severe wounds mainly fell on the limbs, tk. fired cartridges with explosive bullets. The turntables did not fly for a long time, and the children's limbs died due to the applied tourniquets and heat. After all, there is a tropical area with palm trees and monitor lizards running a meter long, plus mosquitoes, scorpions, phalanxes, snakes. To everything else, you need to add diseases - from jaundice to tropical fever and typhus.
New 1985 met in the war, in the mountains. Zhora brought a real tree, where he got it, only God knows! But obviously he ordered somewhere in advance, because he was prudent! They dressed up with improvised means - instead of toys there were cartridges, grenades, rocket launchers, they made rain out of a bandage.
Zhora with a guitar and the guys at an impromptu New Year's table.
Zhora was a skilled warrior! And he also knew how to relax. And mind you, officers and soldiers will not sit down just like that for cans of stew. Well, of course, we had everything to take our minds off the war, otherwise we could go crazy. It was different ... There was also such that they went to the hospital at night, but you could easily get captured. Then there was a bloody "price tag" - for each killed soldier of the Afghan army - seven thousand, a party activist - up to 15 thousand, an officer - 30 thousand, for a destroyed tank - 100 thousand afghani. An increased coefficient was set for "shuravi".
As we called him with us - flew with us! But he refused, so he says: “I’m going to one more war and that’s it!” When I received a letter from the "kid" about the death of the foreman, I cried bitterly.
Edward was then 25-26 years old, but for soldiers of 18-20 years old he was a great authority! He was different from everyone, not only in age and severe appearance(by nature, Edik was physically very strong, and the only one of the guys who twisted the "sun" on the crossbar without safety belts), but also with his combat experience, skills, ability to lead and treat all his neighbors like a father.
He was an exemplary commander of the soldiers of his company, was responsible for the correct performance of their service, for military discipline, internal order, safety of weapons and other property. He obeyed the company commander and, in the absence of an officer, performed his duties perfectly. No wonder his comrades in the service consider him the best ensign of all times and peoples! He saved the lives of many soldiers.
And let one of the childhood friends believe that the foreman is not his path! But can someone decide for him what is his and what is not his?! He proved the opposite with his attitude towards his subordinates! He was a leader from birth and possessed charisma, a special magnetism in dealing with people of different classes! He was a techie with an excellent memory and a strong sense of purpose. All these qualities allowed him to be a good specialist in his business and human caring foreman!
From the memoirs of Ramil Faizov
... He was a good man and an excellent commander. Once my mother wrote a letter to him, I didn’t write for a long time when I was young. So he made me write a letter, he sealed it and sent it ... I even felt ashamed!
From the memoirs of Ignat Popov
... Zhora always made decisions that were not ordinary, bold, and convincing.
I remember in September 1985, he was ambushed with five fighters, machine-gun fire was fired from the cave and there were two firing points on top. A tree grew near the cave. Edik called the fighter and explained to him the combat mission - to run to this tree, that if he cannot do this, then everyone here will die. All hope for him! The guys lay down and began to conduct distracting fire, and by this time the fighter ran to the tree and completed the task assigned to him - fired a shot from the "Bumblebee" right into the cave. After that, the rest of the guys ran up and took seven people out of the cave! Five of them brought seven people to the field base. The spirits were furious and could not understand how this happened. At the base for the prisoners they took a place and put a sentry.
Zhora in the villages, after combing, wrote notes to the hospitable hosts that the head of intelligence of the Airborne Forces Zhora or Zhorzh had been here and checked. Thus, he convinced the farmer that if ours came, you would show the note, and they would no longer check you. There was some special courage in this!
Who did not serve in Afghanistan, he may not understand, and who served, he will not condemn!
From the memoirs of Igor Moiseev
... Zhora and I traveled around Kabul quite a bit. Once in the Komsomolsk region, I decided to change an old non-burning lighter in a dukan for a new one. The dukan noticed this and became indignant. Then Zhora hit him, broke the window glass and put a mink hat on his head, and told me to choose any lighter.
In battle, he was like a top, a completely different person, in good sense words without a tower warrior, he worried about everyone, strived for the best and foresaw the worst, and at the base he became a calm, balanced and caring foreman! The most courageous and courageous foreman, he loved and respected the personnel of the reconnaissance company very much. He deserves so much more!
...Sin, of course, but also laughter! You can't erase from your memory! Somehow Georges comes to me - his face is serious, he is thinking of something. He addresses: "Comrade senior lieutenant! Winter flannelette blue "kaliks" for officers have arrived at the storage warehouse, may I get it?" I - to him: "Georges, no one wears them here, what for do we need them?" He: "Let me get it anyway! I'll give it to the Afghan guard, they're freezing!" "Okay, you've got a bubble!" In the evening, the happy Georges poured 100 grams for the officers at dinner, but oh well! The next morning ... all the officers of the Afghan guards ran out to exercise in ... blue officer's underpants!!! Proudly parading around the Palace! It turns out that Georges sold our underpants to the Afghans as ... "shuravi" tracksuits! That was the foreman! The whole regiment laughed! So how do you punish him for that? Although, of course, they were punished.
From the memoirs of Igor Korostelev
....... I knew him. I greeted him. I was a soldier, and he was a senior warrant officer. These are different categories, he was much higher than me in rank. But he spoke like a simple person to a person. According to the charter, it is supposed to give honor to the senior in rank. I acted as it should be according to the charter. But one day he said: "You don't need to salute - just say hello and that's it. We are all people!" He helped with cigarettes when they ran out, although I did not serve in his reconnaissance company. There was another case (I don’t think it’s necessary to write about it), but it means a lot to me. I remember it for the rest of my life! And I will never forget Eduard Anuchin - the foreman of our reconnaissance company. He went on vacation with the Union. I remember I bought a fox fur coat for my wife! He showed this fur coat and asked whether it was a beautiful fur coat or not. from the motherland? What could I ask? I am a simple soldier, and he is a foreman .... and I randomly said that I want to drink beer. I didn't drink beer for a year and a half. You have no idea... The first three days when he returned from vacation in Kabul, he met with his friends, and then he left his room and said: "Soldier come in! I went in and he takes out a bottle of beer!!! Gives me and says: "I promised!!! It was a shock!!! We drank it down the throat with the whole platoon! Our Soviet beer! That's the kind of person he was...
How painful it was to learn of his death! He said, "I'm going to the last war of my life." When they came from the fighting, I went up to the sappers and asked: “How did it go”? I heard in response that Zhora was killed .... everyone was simply crushed by this event ... It was a man with capital letter. Respected ordinary soldiers. He helped them as much as he could.
It was terrible to see the pain of his friend, who came from vacation, he left before Edward for the Union. Edward passed through him gifts for his wife. The ensign said that he spent a month at home with his wife, and then went to Edward's house to give gifts to his wife. I went to them, and there was a coffin with Edward ...
From the memoirs of Dmitry Gorbunov
... Ensign Anuchin was a foreman of a reconnaissance company, I was a company commander. We fought a lot and well with him! He was a real fighter and comrade. He was respected throughout the regiment, the soldiers loved him. When this tragedy happened, I was already a battalion commander, and my former reconnaissance company acted separately. However, I did my own research.
The bottom line: the reconnaissance company, after completing the task at night, returned in the column of the main forces on the armor. Ahead, sappers discovered a mined section of the road and were clearing mines. The column is up. Eduard rode in the cockpit of his Ural, which contained the company's supplies. Hungry. Sent the driver to the back to find and bring him a bite to eat canned "Tourist's Breakfast". The fighter was not there for a long time, he went himself. He opened the canned food, and began to eat with a knife, standing in the doorway of the kung ("Ural" with a kung sheathed from the inside with boards).
Behind the Ural, a BMP-2 stood 5 meters away, in which a young colleague, taking advantage of a stop, decided to study the materiel of a 30 mm rapid-fire aircraft gun, which was installed on the BMP-2, asked the sergeant - gunner-operator about this. He gave him his place, de-energized all the electrical circuits and began to show him. But a young and inexperienced colleague ACCIDENTALLY pressed his foot on a mechanical trigger, the presence of which he did not even suspect! There was a burst of 3 OFZ (high-explosive fragmentation charge) shells! Right into Edik's chest and stomach!!! He was torn into two pieces and died instantly.
The driver also died - Valiakhmetov Kaizafar Rashitovich, who was standing behind the foreman. Zafar was a great guy, very modest and not talkative, but he took excellent care of the car, it was always in good order and clean. And the car went into a colander.
Here such not heroic death has left at the foreman. How many times he was in battle, he was not even wounded even once, and now, three days before his departure and a month before his birthday, he died so ridiculously!
He was posthumously awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
But the memory of the dead is sacredly kept by their comrades in arms, their families and relatives.And this memory will live on as long as we remember it. And we have no right to forget about it!
Link to photo album -
FIRST BLOOD.
SIGNAL "STORM-333",
OPERATION "BAIKAL-79"
December 25, 1979 has come, a sad historical date - from
right point in history Afghan war. On this day, according to di-
directive of the Minister of Defense, Soviet units and formations of the 40th Army
began to cross the state border of the USSR and the DRA. Motorized rifle-
military divisions entered Afghanistan in two streams. Through Termez
(a city in the south of Uzbekistan, a port on the Amu Darya) The 108th MSD was moving towards
Pakistani border (Puli-Khumri and Kunduz), and the 5th MSD through Kushka
(Turkmenistan, the southernmost point of the USSR) in the direction of Herat, Shin-
dand. those. to the Iranian border.
The first commander of the 40th Army, Colonel General, recalls
Yu.V. Tukharinov: “The general plan was to ensure that two mar-
shrutami: Termez - Hairatan - Puli - Khumri - Kabul - Ghazni and Kushka
- Herat - Shindand - Kandahar enter the territory of the DRA and thus
encircle the most vital centers of the republic with a ring.
Parts were supposed to be placed in them by garrisons and thereby
create conditions for ensuring the life of Afghanistan.
However, just before the start of commissioning, the plan underwent some
changes. I received an order to send the first
division not to Kabul, but to Kunduz. Entering the second division - from Kushkin-
direction - was carried out somewhat later. grouping
Airborne Forces (103rd Airborne Forces in full force, as well as the third battalion and other
units of the 345th regiment) by landing should have been de-
Sanitize at the airfields of Kabul and Bagram.
Recall that on the eve of the general introduction Soviet troops December 25
in Bagram, on the "Soviet" territory, there were already the first (former Osh) and second
swarm battalions of the 345th Airborne Regiment. Here, from December 14, stayed and
management of the unit, headed by the commander of the regiment of the guard, lieutenant colonel
com N.I. Serdyukov. This contingent of paratroopers was to
provide with; m the main forces of the Airborne Forces grouping - parts of the 103rd Airborne Forces and
units of the 345th GPDP, which until December 25 remained in
Union. On the night of December 24-25, 1979 in Bagram, the landing gear
the artillery battalion, as well as platoons and subunits, landed
provision of the 345th regiment. From December 25, the 345th regiment (without the third ba-
talion, which landed at the Kabul airfield) begins
providing reception; ma personnel and military equipment of regiments and sub-
divisions of the 103rd Vitebsk Guards Airborne Division
zii.
The landing in Bagram of paratroopers of the 357th regiment and separate sub-
divisions of the Vitebsk Airborne Division was an impressive
picture in terms of scale and organization. Here's how to-
the officer of the 357th regiment, Vladimir Shulga, remembered this moment: “In Bagh-
frame landed at night. Quickly, accurately, without delay. Five
IL-76 came in for landing at an interval of three minutes, between aircraft;
there, they immediately unloaded the equipment and immediately left to take off; t. In five-
ten minutes later the next group landed. Sun; it was calculated
thought out, well thought out. Landing, takeoff; t, landing again. The rumble of turbines, pro-
heavy r; in motors, the clang of iron. The technique began to warm up yet; in
plane; tah. In winter, the mercury column in Afghanistan fell at night
down to minus forty. Despite the fact that IL-76 was heated in order to avoid
reap unforeseen hesitation, the engines warmed up ahead of time.
Not only soldiers, but also officers of the 103rd Vitebsk division,
having entered Bagram, they did not know that this large air base was already
their colleagues, paratroopers from the 345th Ferghana Regiment, are living. Lead;m
an excerpt from their memoirs of the guard colonel Yuri Ivanovich Dvu-
Groshev, who at the end of December 1979 commanded a group
103rd Airborne Division, which landed in Bagram (before the entry of troops into the DRA, Yu.I.
Dvugroshev was the deputy commander of the Vitebsk division
Airborne Forces for Air Defense. Enjoyed the location
V.F. Margelov. At the beginning of the Afghan war, he was the first military commander
commandant of Kabul, was in the DRA for 27 months): “When unloading
the last plane; she was coming to an end, appeared on the field
vehicles moving towards us with headlights on. Knowing that
nearby is the tank unit of the Afghan army, several people
received a command to prepare with a grenade; you. They were stopped by a group of
grip. To everyone's surprise, a paratrooper from
battalion - Major O.G. Empty of the 345th parachute regiment,
who brought drinking water in a GAZ-66 car. Landing ba-
the talion of the 345th parachute regiment was sent to Afghanistan
camp at the request of the Afghan government under the guise of technical
aviation services at the Bagram airfield, where the council-
sky plane; you and helicopter; you. Of course, we were not aware of this
known (highlighted by us - D.S.). The unloading of the group was completed
on quickly, without incident and fire impact. Got a question:
where and how to stay? On the car that we stopped, I add
rallied to battalion command. Upon returning to the battalion, I
took command of the entire group. In not; included the 357th RAP,
engineer battalion, anti-aircraft division, repair battalion, medical
Qing battalion, reconnaissance company, auto company. The situation remained
quite clear. I made a decision - to take all-round defense
on the outskirts of the airfield…”
By morning, the Vitebsk paratroopers coped with the task.
The positions were prepared, despite the fact that the guards came
I had a hard time poking around in the rocky ground in the dark. With the dawn before
soldiers of the 103rd Airborne Division opened an outlandish panorama of the mountains
noah country. Near the position of the grouping there was a route along which
a swarm of mixed-tonnage cars passed by. Many cars remain
poured in, and soon here, at the positions of the paratroopers, a
a large concentration of ordinary Afghans. According to the testimony of our
Vidtsev, the Afghan citizens were friendly towards the Shuravi,
and many even greeted our warriors with raised hands.
However, one circumstance clouded the mood of the paratroopers.
Not far from our position on the hill was an anti-aircraft battery.
nyh calculations; Comrade of the Afghan army. The barrels of Afghan anti-aircraft guns are menacing
looked at the Soviet landing. It was noticeable that the Afghan soldiers
dates are set unfriendly, their calculation; you were in full combat
readiness, their anti-aircraft guns could at any moment start a crushing
fire on our positions. However, this did not happen. Shooting at
Bagram airbase will begin in a day, at the same time, alas, the first
victims.
So, at the end of the day on December 25, 1979, there were two
airborne groupings: the 345th regiment under the command of the guards of the lieutenant regiments
nick N.I. Serdyukov, as well as the 357th regiment of the 103rd airborne division with separate
units of the same Vitebsk division, which he commanded
Guard Lieutenant Colonel Yu.A. Dvugroshev. Chief paratrooper, general
N.N. Guskov, commander of the Task Force of the Airborne Forces in Afghanistan,
was already in Kabul, where he was already a day later with little pre-
it was necessary to lead the operation to capture the paratroopers of the main
official military and other facilities.
Thus, in Bagram at the same moment there was no one-man
nickname to which these two groups of the Airborne Forces were subordinate.
Meanwhile, as history will show, in a day (December 27,
birthday of V.F. Margelov according to the old style) Fergana and vi-
Tebsk paratroopers will have to jointly storm the military and
technical facilities at this powerful Afghan air base.
Obviously, on December 26, Deputy Commander of the Airborne Forces combat
preparation, Lieutenant General V. Kostyl; in gave the order to enter
345th regiment as part of the grouping of the 103rd Airborne Forces, which was led by Yu.I.
Dvugroshev. Now that the landing units in Bagram were supposed to
represent one grouping with one e; temporary commander,
Naturally, the question arose about the organization of interaction. Before
of all, it was necessary to work out the system of the negotiation table and
code signals. According to the memoirs of Yu.I. Dvugrosheva, re-
the speaking table consisted of six consecutive signals:
1. - "Storm-333" - started hostilities;
2. - "Zaryo-555" - went to the object;
3. - "Hurricane" - completed the task;
4. - "Calm-888" - I complete the task;
5. - "Storm-777" - I'm fighting.
6. - "Silence-999" - no resistance
So, in just a day, the soldiers of the united group of the Airborne Forces
it was necessary to capture a complex of objects and buildings that were located
were administered by the Afghan military administration. In case of resistance
resistance of the Afghan side (primarily anti-aircraft gunners), the Soviet de-
Santa was inevitably doomed to irretrievable losses. Therefore, co-
command of the Airborne Forces group and decided to try the tactics of a peaceful
exhortations. However, the difficulty was that the removal of the President
Afghanistan H. Amin from power yet; did not happen (this event happens
reads every other day, December 27), and among the Afghan military in Bagram
were his loyal followers, especially among the officers. Re-
negotiation process with the Afghan side, it was decided to entrust the council
military advisers who, being by agreement; nnosti in Afghanistan
Ghanaian units in Bagram were known to personnel,
especially to Afghan officers. Military advisers worked hard
in general, effective. They urged the Afghans not to cooperate
resistance to Soviet troops in the event of a change of power (Amin) and
progress towards the leadership of the country by progressive forces. Exhortations to continue
pressed for a whole day, and at 16-00 hours on December 27, the command of the group
feasts in the ZKP reported that almost all Afghan military units
They gave assurances not to oppose the Shuravi. Exception-
he was calculated; you are an anti-aircraft battery, the gun barrels of which
still were deployed in the direction of the Soviet troops.
Meanwhile, transfer parts of the Airborne Forces, Vitebsk Air Division
hu is already over by now. As you know, the last liner
with a Soviet landing on board landed on Afghan soil at 14
hours 30 minutes December 27. Now the entire general grouping of the Airborne Forces (103rd
VDD and 345th GO RAP) was assembled and was waiting for an order to act.
The time "H" was about to come, the fate of the unexpected war was to
wives was to come true.
The head of the guard group, Lieutenant Colonel Yu.I. Dvugroshev
calls to the ZKP the command staff of all units and divisions of the Airborne Forces
in Bagram, who, to one degree or another, were to participate in
storming military facilities at the Bagram air base. According to the order,
capture groups with the onset of darkness should have secretly approached
ti to the designated objects and wait for the signal "Storm-333", after
obtaining which to seize the facility and disarm the Afghan military
employees.
The paratroopers of the 345th regiment were obviously given the most
responsible and dangerous task. They had to take positions
anti-aircraft division, under the gun of which was the airfield. How
already noted, the barrels of anti-aircraft installations were deployed on
positions of the paratroopers. The Ferghana paratroopers also had to capture
to build military barracks and a number of other facilities. According to the
the minds of the now living veterans of the 345th regiment, participating
in those events, among these objects were the headquarters of the garrison of the Afghan
units in Bagram, bomb depot, four;
m;tny easel installations (KPVT).
The Afghan anti-aircraft division could be a tough nut to crack.
During the assault on this object, paratroopers armed with small arms
with tomatic weapons, could, of course, have suffered heavy losses.
Therefore, it was decided to strengthen the capture groups from the 345th regiment with two
antiaircraft batteries. This anti-aircraft division (guard commander
lieutenant colonel V.P. Savitsky) was ordered to open fire on the roof
sham buildings, in case the Afghan side prefers;
leniya.
And now the hour "H" has come. It happened at 7:30 pm. At this very time in
Operation "Baikal-79" began in Kabul, in which the 103rd
airborne division, as well as two units of the 345th regiment, namely the 9th
Company and reconnaissance. Paratroopers together with special forces
The KGB was to seize the most important military, government facilities
projects, remove Kh. Amin from power, paralyze forces, true evil
dey. Amin's place was to be taken by Babrak Karmal, who was
creature of the Soviet leadership. At this point, the future president
Afghanistan was in Bagram under the protection of our paratroopers and
special forces. Being in fear, Karmal ("Kolka Beavers", as his
called our soldiers in Bagram) meekly awaited his fate.
In Bagram, the operation to seize objects began at the same
cop, as in Kabul.
So, how did events take place at this huge air base?
coming from Kabul 60 km to the north? The reader will obviously agree
that it would be better to give the floor to direct witnesses and
participants in the events of December 27, 1979 in Bagram, who in the historical
In the literature, they are conventionally referred to as Operation Storm-333. AT
we have at our disposal the most valuable historical source - memoirs
Guard Lieutenant Colonel Yu.I. Dvugroshev, who, as already noted
it turned out that at that moment he commanded a united group of the Airborne Forces in
Bagram. So I put down my pen for a while and give the floor
Yuri Ivanovich: “At 19:30. the ZAS phone rang.
I was immediately invited to the apparatus. Called from Operational Group
Airborne. E; led by Deputy Commander Lieutenant General
N.N. Guskov, who led the transfer of the 103rd Airborne Division and the 345th Civil Defense
RAP, and also directly controlled all available forces in
Afghanistan during the overthrow of the Amin regime. was
task force in Kabul. The expected
signal "Storm-333", which was immediately reported to the troops.
While waiting for a report from the units on the receipt of the signal and its implementation
froze ... Communication with all parts and groups ceased to exist
wail at the same time. The main thing in a combat situation is the loss of connection
zi. A “frost” passed through my body from the thought that control was lost.
nie. Why, why and what is the reason, I did not know. Gave the command urgently
check all kinds of communication. Time passed slowly. In a few
minutes of general silence, the connection worked fine. Why was the connection
interrupted, remains a mystery to me to this day.
The airfield immediately came to life. The shooting merged into a single chatter and
hum. It became almost light from the tracer bursts. It was not clear
why there was such an organized shooting. After all, the assurances
The foreign advisers were persuasive. The first to open fire was a single
with heavy shots, the T-54 tank, located closest to the ZKP. Re-
before me appeared a strong physique major Yegorov, deputy
commander of the anti-aircraft division for weapons, with a grenade; volume and
asked permission to suppress it. Fortunately, the tank fell silent and
never fired another shot. The first report was received
from the aircraft parking capture group; Comrade MIG-21 and the barracks, where he placed
Xia l;tno-technical composition. Lightning Throw Capture Group
took over the parking lot. L;tchiki, having received an order to take off; t, hurried to the sa-
they say, there, but it was too late. Having met the paratroopers, they are without a shot
lov retreated to the barracks, took up defensive positions, ready to hang up. Command-
the director of the anti-aircraft battery, senior lieutenant V.A. Getalov before the assault
the barracks fired several bursts of anti-aircraft guns (ZU-23)
local shells on the roof of the building. Instantly appeared white
flag. The battery broke into the barracks without firing, disarmed 84 people.
lovek l;tno-technical composition. The battery commander decided
all of them should be placed in a boiler room under heavy guard. Operation
passed without casualties on both sides.
When capturing the barracks, where the personnel of the Afghan
anti-aircraft artillery division, there was a complication. When
the capture group broke into the barracks, then the nerves of the division commander
could not stand it, and their promise not to resist did not
restrained. As soon as the first paratrooper passed him, he grabbed a pis-
aircraft and shot him in the back. Good still; that sun; cost only
wound.
A hot battle flared up in the hangars for aircraft; comrade and for command
(dispatching) point. They did not want a peaceful outcome and continued to
resistance calculation; you DShK. Anti-aircraft battery of large caliber, which
paradise kept the paratroopers and the ZKP at gunpoint, although she was ready,
did not even have time to load the guns.
Forty minutes later the battle began to subside. I started getting reports
that all objects are blocked, the control tower and the air
the core is ready to receive; mu aircraft; comrade. to the medical battalion, which
was deployed to receive; ma and assist the wounded, received
three persons. There were no dead from our side in Bagram (emphasis added)
but by us - D.S.). Large-caliber machine guns; you and single machine gunners
ki continued to fire.
At the ZKP, the ZAS phone rang sharply (secret automatic
sky connection). I was immediately invited to the apparatus. As soon as I took the pipes
ku, I heard a female voice that warned me about what was happening to me
the Minister of Defense will speak. Naturally, I was surprised; By-
heard calm voice. The first thing I heard was the question: “How
situation?" I reported that the task was completed, no one was killed. In reply
“Thank you” sounded, and the machine fell silent.
The phone rang sharply again. This time the deputy called.
commander of the Airborne Forces for combat training, Lieutenant General V. Kos-
rear; in which he transmitted the order: “In Bagram, one 345th RAP remains.
357th RAP, all special units and ZKP in thirty minutes to depart for the city
genus Kabul. Upon arrival at the place receive tasks. I tried to explain
tell him that I can’t leave in thirty minutes, because I’m going;
arrow. He asked permission to enter in an hour. In response, I heard a sharp
scolding and threatening to go to trial. With this request, I had to
go to the head of the operation, Lieutenant General N.N. Guskov.
After listening to me carefully, he allowed the entire group to leave.
in one hour. I called all the unit commanders to the command post and
started setting tasks. As soon as he turned on the flashlight and illuminated
took a map, opened fire. Luckily no one was hurt. Everyone had to
urgently move and take cover behind the combat vehicles. Check out
from Bagram, the convoy was fired several times by single machine gunners
ki but sun; there were no casualties. Having made the march, all the troops arrived at
city of Kabul to the airfield. We were met by representatives of the operational
groups…”
Recall that the main forces were concentrated in Bagram
345th regiment, namely: the first (former "Osh" PDB of the 111th PDP) and
second battalion, artillery battalion and command of the regiment led by
Guard Colonel N.I. Serdyukov. The third battalion under the command
by the command of the guard captain A.M. Aliyev on the night of December 25, 1979
was landed by landing method at the Kabul airfield.
Kabul the capital seemed
The landing force is ready.
BMD roared, and everyone took
For an automatic. The order to the fighters was read.
The main forces of the 103rd Vitebsk division also began to arrive here.
airborne forces (350th RAP and 317th RAP), which on the evening of December 27 was
already in Kabul and participated in the Baikal-79 operation,
capturing 17 major government facilities, including
and the Taj Beck presidential palace, which housed Hafizullah
Amine. The third battalion of the 345th regiment, as well as the first and second PDb
in Bagram, it was necessary to capture objects at the Kabul airfield
immediately after receiving the signal "Storm-333". This historical sign
the cash was received at the airport at 2030 hours already at t;
me days. Captain Aliyev's paratroopers tasked with capturing the indicated
objects at the Kabul airfield were completed quite quickly. AT 21
hour the airfield was at the mercy of the winged guards.
The reconnaissance of the 345th regiment was destined to participate on December 27 in
operation "Baikal-79". The plan for this operation was the result of a collective
active work of the Ministry of Defense and the KGB of the USSR. Among its
Botchikov was also a representative of the Airborne Forces, Guards Colonel A.V. Kukushkin,
Chief airborne intelligence. (After graduating from military school in
1943 fought on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. There were two
wait wounded. Participated in the Berlin operation. From 1948 to 1951
studied at the Military Academy. Frunze, then served in the Far
East in the 37th Guards Airborne Corps. In 1968
participated in the operation to send troops to Czechoslovakia. Under V.F.
Margelov was the head of intelligence of the Airborne Forces. In December 1979 - Jan-
ware 1980s - Chief of Staff of the Operational Group of the Airborne Forces in Afghanistan
nystan. Participated in the planning and organization of the commissioning of parts
Airborne Forces in the DRA. He served in the Armed Forces for 43 years, 34 of them in the Airborne Forces).
According to the plan of operation "Baikal-79" by the combined forces of the Soviet
grouping (about 10 thousand people), consisting of the Airborne Forces (103rd Airborne Forces,
units of the 345th GO RAP), special groups of the KGB ("Thunder"), KUOS ("Ze-
nit"), a company of border guards and special forces of the GRU General Staff ("Muslim" ba-
talion), it was necessary to capture 17 most important objects of state
nogo and military significance. Among these objects were radio and television
center. The capture of these buildings was entrusted to the scouts of the 345th regiment.
It is no coincidence that this task was entrusted to a reconnaissance company, which
commanded by senior lieutenant A.V. Popov. This elite sub-
division of the Fergana regiment was necessary at any cost to capture
radio and television center; after all, Babrak Karmal, who by the end of the day 27
December was destined to become the new president of the DRA, it was
drink with an appeal to the citizens of Afghanistan.
More; December 21, 1979 Alexander Popov's reconnaissance for four
r;x BMD is relocated to Kabul. The company was reinforced by a branch
anti-aircraft gunners (ZU-23), and the capture group included several fighters from
special forces "Zenith" under the command of Major Anatoly
Ryabinin.
Before the start of the operation to capture these objects, there was no time left.
how many days. During this time, it was necessary to make reconnaissance. Not-
it was necessary to calculate the options for the exit of the capture group to the object
there, to study the defense system and the location of fire weapons and armor
non-technicians. The leaders of the group coped with this task, the plan was
the grip of the radio and television center was drawn up on the eve of the hour "H". essence
the plan was as follows. The external territory of objects
wounded a tank company (eleven tanks and several BMP-1s). Fighters
reconnaissance companies were supposed to suddenly break into the territory, cut off
fire crews from combat vehicles, thus not giving the Afghan
tankers to return fire. The focus was on surprise
for the paratroopers had only four "beemdashki". After liquidation
the outer belt of protection by paratroopers of reconnaissance officers -
Zenit soldiers break into the building of the radio and television center and, having suppressed
resistance of the internal guards, seize objects and take them
under defense. The difficulty was that during the assault on the internal
it was necessary at all costs not to damage them
radio and television equipment and electrical communications; after all, almost
immediately after the overthrow of Amin and the capture of the most important objects in Kabul
on the radio with an appeal to the population of Afghanistan was supposed to
drink the new leader of Afghanistan and the PDPA Babrak Karmal. Plan
received approval from the leadership of the Task Force of the Airborne Forces in Kabul.
Colonel A.V. Kukushkin put the reconnaissance company of the 345th regiment, respectively
challenging task.
The start of the general operation in Kabul "Baikal-79" was scheduled for
19 hours 30 minutes. 15-20 minutes before the hour "H" reconnaissance
she began to covertly advance towards the objects, preparing for the assault. Exactly in
the scheduled time, the operation started. As planned, once
paratroopers from two directions (from the side of the US Embassy
and a communication center) broke into the external territory of the radio and television center
quite suddenly, they acted boldly and boldly, in Margelov's way.
From anti-tank grenades; Comrade guards almost immediately knocked out three
tank and one infantry fighting vehicle. This destroyed Afghan armored vehicle
should burn until early morning, shaking the atmosphere with explosions
shells exploding in the ammunition rack. Sun; happened so unexpectedly
Afghans, that their will and fighting spirit were paralyzed, on the resistance
these people were incapable of doing so. Ready to fire three infantry fighting vehicles, seven
tanks (apart from the wrecked ones) did not open fire on the paratroopers. De-
lo was done. Zenit officers quickly rushed into
building and stormed it. Some Afghan citizens
technical staff of the radio and television center, as is clear from some
sources, thanks Soviet soldiers for liberation from the yoke
Amin." One fact should be noted. Objects stormed by reconnaissance
company and Zenit, were not far from the American embassy
stva. During this skirmish, which began suddenly,
the air was so shaking from explosions and shots that the embassy workers
the United States were subjected to panic horror when they saw queues from the
piercing bullets; diplomatic workers began to hide under the
ly and beds, someone from fear managed to hide in the basement
research institutes. Soon on the radio, the newly elected president of the DRA, Babrak Karmal
delivered an address to the Afghan people.
During this almost fleeting battle (just over half an hour)
The Veteran side did not suffer irretrievable losses. From reconnaissance
four fighters received censure, one of them was heavy; loe (in the legs). In a group
Zenit soldiers were not wounded. Among the Afghans, seven warriors were
killed. The entire contingent of guarding the facility (a little over 100 people) was
n; n.
The operation was thus successfully carried out. Command-
reconnaissance director Senior Lieutenant Alexander Popov and his deputies
Tel Loktev were awarded the Order of the Red Star. Combat
hail was awarded to several fighters of this unit. Through
day after the end of the general operation "Baikal-79" reconnaissance was
returned to the Bagram air base, where almost the entire 345th was stationed
regiment GO PDP.
As already noted, general plan operation "Baikal-79" was
the mastery by storm of the 17 most significant states is envisaged
military and military installations in Kabul. The main idea of this operation is
tion was to physically remove Amin from the helm
power and prevent the faithful of this damned president from
forces to maintain the regime. Therefore, according to the plan of operation "Baikal-
79", provided for a separate and most important operation for
the capture of the Taj Beck presidential palace and the physical liquidation of Ami-
on the. This operation, codenamed "Agate", was supposed to
be carried out by the KGB and the GRU MO, namely: two groups
officer special forces - "Thunder" and "Zenith", as well as the so-called. "Muslim-
skim" battalion ("musbat"). All of these divisions were
subordinated to the guard colonel G.I. Boyarinov (the only official
Tser, who already had combat experience in conducting special operations). Advice-
It was decided by the military leadership in Kabul to strengthen the "musbat"
elite airborne unit from the 345th regiment. The choice fell on
9th company of senior lieutenant Valery Vostrotin. Recall that this
the company was on the soil of Afghanistan the first of the Fer-
Ghanaian regiment (December 1, 1979). On the morning of December 26, by order
regiment commander N.I. Serdyukov 9th company V.A. Vostrotin, as well as a platoon of vocational schools
under the command of the guard captain Azhislamov and lieutenant A.
Sevostyanov were sent to Kabul, to the Dar-ul-Aman building. Ro-
they were ordered to reinforce the "Muslim" battalion. About the upcoming
The paratroopers did not know about the next assault. In the premises of this facility,
The “Muslim” battalion (520 people) was located right there, which
officially had to protect the person of Amin. For paratroopers
location took two rooms on the second floor of this building.
Here, the guards were dressed in the uniform of soldiers of the Afghan army, as
and a Musbat soldier. Some paratroopers with a large stature
it turned out to be problematic to change into a foreign form. V.A. Vostrotin
recalls: “The personnel of the company settled down in one room.
The officers are in another. We were given an Afghan uniform and ordered to
dress up a soldier. The form was mostly small, and I have the most
the little soldier was 1 meter 78 cm tall. But that's okay - change your clothes.
Together with us, the KGB officers were also dressed.”
So, the assault group under the leadership of Colonel
G.I. Boyarinov had to perform an almost impossible task -
small forces to capture the presidential palace of Amin, which in
In those conditions, it was an impregnable object for the Shuravi. This
the palace was built yet; in the 30s. 20th century by German architects
was located on a 20-meter hill on the outskirts of Kabul and was surrounded;
strong walls. The palace had a strong defense system, approaches
mines were mined to him, from the side of Kabul the only
vein serpentine road. According to the plan of operation "Agat", the
a new role in the capture of the Taj Beck was assigned to the special groups "Thunder" (24
people, head Major M. Romanov) and Zenit (30 people, head
tel major Ya. Sem;nov), who, breaking into the palace building,
should have eliminated Amin. "Muslim" battalion (154
oo SpN) blocks the 1st and 3rd tank battalions of the Afghans, guarding
guarding the presidential palace, enabling the main assault
group to break through to the Taj Beck and capture the object.
It is December 27, 1979 - the moment of the start of the general operation
"Baikal-79". On this historic day, assault units
grouping tasks were set several times. It is known that commanders
units were assembled three times to set tasks: the first
broadcasting - at 14.00, the second - at 15.00 and the third - at 18.15. On the last
(third) meeting, the start time of the operation was scheduled for
19.00.
The commander of the 9th company of the 345th GO RAP received from Major General
Yu.I. Drozdov combat mission to block and neutralize the 2nd
Afghan motorized rifle battalion. Vostrotintsy should have
go to the line indicated by him (battalion parade ground) and fire; m from all
weapons (including with guns and bullets; comrade of their BMD) to suppress resistance
the movement of the 2nd battalion, blocking it.
At the beginning of the eighth hour in the evening, the 9th company on "beemdash" arrived
was built in a common column, taking a place behind the Musbat armored personnel carriers. AT
half past seven, the column moved to the designated lines. When
a string of BMD approached the Taj Beck Palace, the paratroopers opened
fire on the windows of the second and third floors of the facility. This action was
provided for the task. However, the fire on the palace fighters
The 9th company could only be led with automatic weapons, since before
a rampart passed through the palace, which did not allow firing at the Taj
Beck from smoothbore guns with BMD. In just a few minutes 9-
I company went to the location of the 2nd Afghan battalion. Paratroopers
started to complete the task.
Here is how Valery Aleksandrovich himself describes this military action
Vostrotin: “Having advanced to the parade ground of the 2nd battalion, we turned around
into the chain and opened fire from all barrels at the barracks. By us opened
fire from the rear. We left the battalion headquarters in the rear. From it they led
fire on us. We have losses. Private Kalmagambetov died.
Private Baryshnikov was wounded. I ordered my deputy to
suppress fire from the battalion headquarters. 1st Platoon deployed to the side
headquarters and opened fire on him. After a while the fire from there
subsided, and the Afghans who were there, led by the battalion commander
surrendered to us. The battalion commander offered to go to the ba-
talon and agree on a ceasefire and the surrender of the battalion. I'm with-
said. Reported to Kholbaev. That one is swearing at me. Promised to give
me before the tribunal. I ordered my deputy to return the command
ra battalion. He managed to catch up with him and bring him back. By morning, resistance
the laziness subsided. Those who did not run away, we captured and drove into
pit next to the battalion headquarters. One platoon moved to
horn from Darm-ul-Aman.
After some time, paratroopers came out to meet them - 3 BMD
and a platoon from the artillery division (3 D-30 guns) from the 350th regiment of the 103rd division.
I went out to meet them and introduced myself. They were commanded by a senior
lieutenant Soldatenko, with whom we studied together in Ryazan
school. He started to check if I'm really who I am
I give out: I began to ask questions who was the company commander at the school and
etc. When he recognized me, he drove closer. We talk a little with him
Riley. Neither he nor I disclosed their tasks. After talking to me, he
turned his group around and they drove back. Over time
Kholbaev got in touch and warned that tanks were coming towards us.”
It should be recognized, perhaps, that daring and effective actions
actions of paratroopers of the 9th company at the turn of the 2nd Afghan battalion were
whether else; due to the powerful fire support of the famous "Shi-
lok", ZSU-23 (23-mm quadruple anti-aircraft gun on a common self-
running base). Several "Shilok" during the assault led a frantic
shooting at the Taj Beck, as well as at the BMP of the 3rd Afghan motorized rifle
companies. Possessing a very high rate of fire (2 thousand shots)
catch per minute from one barrel), "Shilki" turned out to be a formidable weapon,
bringing fear and awe to the Afghan fighters. Two other such
thread self-propelled installations with their hurricane fire; m faithfully support
lived the 9th company, neutralizing the 2nd Afghan battalion.
With the suppression of the resistance of the 2nd Afghan battalion, participation
The 9th company of Vostrotin in the special operation "Agat" did not end. Nearly
immediately the paratroopers had to participate in more; one combat action.
Commander - "Musbat" Major H.T. Kholbaev handed over to Vostrotin
walkie-talkies that columns of Afghan tanks are moving towards the Taj Beck. How later do you
it was clear that this tank battalion was the only unit
Kabul garrison, who decided to come to the aid of Amin. Vale-
riy Alexandrovich Vostrotin recalls: “We put forward; d
ATGMs and began to wait. After a while, 3 columns appeared
tanks. By the number of tanks, we determined what was moving towards us
tank battalion. As they approached, we shot several
to tanks from ATGMs, one T-55 tank and one BRDM tried to go into
towards the General Staff Palace, but we caught up with them and stopped them. There is
and the battalion commander. Meanwhile, the crews of the remaining tanks
kov also surrendered. We put them all with the rest of the prisoners in a cauldron.
van. When the situation calmed down a little, I went to the Taj Beck and
reported on the completion of the task. Drozdov thanked me and said,
that will represent me to the Hero Soviet Union. After doc-
Lada I returned to the company. After a while, trucks arrived.
tires into which we loaded the prisoners. Our dead and wounded
we loaded into our machines, which were supposed to accompany
prisoners in position. I went with them."
Special operation "Agat" to remove Hafizullah Amin from power
was successfully completed in less than one hour. During the assault
of the Taj Beck Palace by the officers of "Thunder", "Zenith" and "Muslim"
battalion President Amin was killed; Two people were also killed in the shootout.
his minor son. The President's young daughter,
fired from a pistol during the assault, was wounded in the legs; e; and other
Some of Amin's relatives were imprisoned in the political prison of Pulichar-
hee). By nine o'clock in the evening, the general operation "Baikal-79" was in
overall completed. As planned, the most important state
objects in Kabul and Bagram were in the hands of the Soviet troops and special
naz. At 8:45 pm, the newly-minted president of the DRA, Babrak Kar-
Mal made an appeal to the people of Afghanistan (or rather, according to
Diocommunications reproduced Karmal's address, recorded
in advance on a tape recorder; nku).
For the success of Operation Baikal-79, carried out on December 27
1979 in Kabul and Bagram, paratroopers of the 345th GO RAP and 103rd Airborne Division
paid with irretrievable losses. The first blood was shed,
were the first dead. According to the list of soldiers of the 345th Airborne Regiment,
who died on Afghan soil from 1979 to 1989, on the day when
the signal "Storm-333" sounded, 8 guardsmen said goodbye to their lives -
paratroopers; in the indicated list of 412 names, these first died
Our warriors are numbered: 71, 89, 137, 143, 266, 280, 305, 396.
Here are their names:
1. guard corporal, art. ATGM operator Golovnya Oleg Pavlo-
HIV - December 27, 1979;
2. guard Lance Sergeant, squad leader of the Twins
Alexey Sergeevich - December 27, 1979, Bagram air base;
3. guard corporal, grenade shooter; tchik Kalmagombetov
Amangeldy Shamshitovich - December 27, 1979, President-
the Taj Beck Palace;
4. Guards Private Kashkin Valery Yurievich - December 27
1979;
5. private guard, shooter Ochkin Vladimir Ivanovich - 27 de-
December 1979, Bagram Air Base;
6. private guard, driver Vladimir Povoroznyuk
Vasilyevich - December 27, 1979;
7. private guard, anti-aircraft gunner Savoskin Vladimir Va-
silevich - December 27, 1979;
8. private guard, Art. radio operator Shelestov Mikhail
Vasilyevich - December 27, 1979
Blessed memory to them!
Flag of the Airborne Forces 103 Guards. VDD. On this page you will learn the history of the Vitebsk paratroopers, as well as the fact that the famous division is now called the 103rd mobile brigade.
Characteristics
- 103 Guards. VDD
- 103 Guards. VDD
- Vitebsk
- military unit 07197
Flag of the Airborne Forces 103 Guards. VDD
Absolutely all formations of the Airborne Forces deserve great respect for their fortitude and ability to carry out tasks in the most difficult terrain and fierce enemy resistance. But among all the legendary units and divisions, there are those that can be talked about for a very long time and that paratroopers can be especially proud of belonging to. Without a doubt, 103 Guards. VDD from this number.
103rd Vitebsk division as part of the USSR Airborne Forces
In June 1946, in place 103 guards division an airborne division is formed. The initial composition of the compound included: 39 Guards. pdp, 317 guards. pdp and 322 guards. pdp, as well as 15 guards. artillery regiment, supply and support units.
In the mid-50s, the 114th Airborne Division was disbanded, from which 350 Guards. airborne regiment and 357 guards. PDP are transferred to the Vitebsk division of the Airborne Forces. These regiments replace the disbanded 39th and 322nd Airborne Regiments.
The "Prague Spring" of 1968 was a test for the paratroopers. Fulfilling the task of the Soviet government and command Airborne troops, the soldiers of the 103rd division proved to be very worthy, not disgracing the colors of the Airborne Forces.
Afghanistan
The operation "Baikal-79", which became the first combat mission of the Soviet troops in Afghanistan, largely fell on the shoulders of the 103rd Guards Division of the Airborne Forces. The operational plans of the division included 17 key objects that needed to be captured and held. The most famous for a wide range of those interested in the war in the DRA is the assault on the palace of Amin - the famous fortress of Taj Beck. Vadim Alekseevich Kirpichenko led the assault, and the Vitebsk paratroopers played the main role.
Perhaps, in all the Armed Forces of the USSR there was no other such division that participated in so many official and unofficial command operations. Every minute, units of the Vitebsk division: 350 infantry regiments, 357 infantry regiments, 317 infantry regiments were ready to leave their place of permanent deployment and head to any point in this mountainous and desert country. One could be sure of one thing - where our troops are, there is victory.
Almost 10 years spent in Afghanistan gave the country many heroes. About 11 thousand paratroopers of the division were awarded combat medals and orders, 7 fighters and commanders were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. Among the last paratroopers of the division left Afghanistan. Having deployed the Battle Banners, on February 5, 1989, he crossed the Soviet border of the 317th Guards. parachute regiment, February 7 - 357 Airborne Regiment and February 12 - 350 PDP. Until February 14, the airfield in Kabul was guarded by a consolidated formation based on the battalion 357 pdp.
103 separate mobile brigade - successor to the division
Since May 20, 1992, the 103rd Airborne Division (commander - Kalabukhov Grigory Andreevich) has been part of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus. The command of the Belarusian Armed Forces made a decision to rebuild the structure of the army on a brigade basis. As a result, the Directorate of the Mobile Forces of the Republic of Belarus was created on the basis of the Division's Directorate (at the moment it has been transformed into the Directorate of the Special Operations Forces). The 317th infantry regiment was reorganized into the 317th mobile brigade, and the 350th airborne regiment into the 350th mobile brigade. 357 PDP, it was decided to transform into 357 battalion (separate training). The artillery regiment and other units were withdrawn from the division back in 1990-1991.
In 2002, the 317th mobile brigade received the Battle Banner of the 103rd Guards. VDD and gets the name 103 separate mobile brigade. To date, the 103rd Guards Separate Mobile Brigade is a well-trained unit that continues the traditions of its predecessor. The 103rd Vitebsk brigade is still ready to go into battle at any moment if the enemy crosses the borders of the Republic of Belarus.
According to the latest information, presumably in 2014-2015, the 103rd mobile brigade will leave Vitebsk, redeploying to another garrison on the territory of Belarus.
For my years through 103 airborne division and its successor was passed by many thousands of brave paratroopers, who showed what real warriors should be like.
Russia
Belarus
103rd Guards Airborne Division(abbr. 103 Guards. vdd) - airborne unit, which was part of the Airborne Forces of the USSR and Russia and, for a short time, was part of the Armed Forces of Belarus. The division was formed in 1946 as a result of the reorganization of the 103rd Guards. rifle division. In 1993, the division was reorganized into a brigade.
History of formation
In accordance with the decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR of June 3, 1946, the 103rd Guards rifle division was reorganized into the 103rd Guards Red Banner Order of Kutuzov 2nd degree airborne as part of: Division Directorate, 317th Guards Order of Alexander Nevsky Parachute Regiment, 322nd Guards Order of Kutuzov 2nd Class Parachute Regiment, 39th Guards Red Banner Order of Suvorov 2nd Class Parachute Regiment, 15th Guards Artillery Regiment, units and support units. On August 5, 1946, the personnel began combat training according to the plan of the Airborne Forces. Soon the division was redeployed to the city of Polotsk.
Combat connection path
Major military exercises and plans for the use of the connection in the event of the outbreak of the Third World War
In 1970, the division participated in the "Brotherhood in Arms" exercises that were held in the GDR; in 1972 she took part in the exercises "Shield-72"; in 1975, the guardsmen of the division were the first in the Airborne Forces of the USSR to make parachute jumps from high-speed aircraft An-22 and Il-76; the division also took part in the exercises "Spring-75" and "Vanguard-76". In February 1978, the Berezina combined arms exercise took place on the territory of Belarus, in which the 103rd Guards Airborne Division also took part. For the first time, paratroopers in full force with equipment and weapons landed from Il-76 aircraft. The actions of the paratroopers during the exercises were highly appreciated by the highest Soviet military command.
Compound
The division was formed as follows:
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103rd Guards. vdd in afghanistan at Wikimedia Commons |
In accordance with the directive of the General Staff of January 21, 1955 No. org / 2/462396, in order to improve the organization of the Airborne Forces, two regiments remained in the 103rd Guards Airborne Division by April 25, 1955, it was then that the 322nd Guards Airborne Division was disbanded. pdp. In connection with the transfer of the guards airborne divisions to a new organization and an increase in their numbers, the following were formed as part of the 103rd guards airborne division: the 133rd separate anti-tank artillery division (numbering 165 people), one of the divisions 1185- 1st Artillery Regiment of the 11th Guards Airborne Division. Deployment point the city of Vitebsk; The 50th separate aeronautical detachment (numbering 73 people), aeronautical units of the regiments of the 103rd Guards Airborne Division were used. The point of deployment is the city of Vitebsk. .
Directive General Staff dated March 4, 1955, in order to streamline the numbering of military units, from April 30, 1955, the number was changed - the 572nd separate self-propelled artillery division of the 103rd guards airborne division to the 62nd separate self-propelled artillery division. On the basis of the order of the Minister of Defense of the USSR dated December 29, 1958 No. 0228, seven separate military transport aviation squadrons of An-2 aircraft of the military transport aviation of the Air Force (100 people each) were transferred to the Airborne Forces. By the directive of the Commander of the Airborne Forces of January 6, 1959, separate military transport aviation squadrons were transferred to the airborne divisions, to the 103rd Guards airborne division the 210th separate military transport aviation squadron was transferred.
Ceremony of awarding officers on the parade ground | On top of one of the Afghan mountains | The column goes along the mountainous Afghan road |
List of commanders
Rank | Name | years |
---|---|---|
guard colonel | Stepanov, Sergei Prokhorovich | 1944–1945 |
Major General of the Guard | Bochkov, Fyodor Fyodorovich | 1945–1948 |
Major General of the Guard | Denisenko, Mikhail Ivanovich | 1948–1949 |
guard colonel | Kozlov, Viktor Georgievich | 1949–1952 |
Major General of the Guard | Popov, Illarion Grigorievich | 1952–1956 |
Major General of the Guard | Aglitsky, Mikhail Pavlovich | 1956–1959 |
guard colonel | Shkrudnev, Dmitry Grigorievich | 1959–1961 |
guard colonel | Kobzar, Ivan Vasilievich | 1961–1964 |
Major General of the Guard | Kashnikov, Mikhail I. | 1964–1968 |
guard colonel | Yatsenko, Alexander I. | 1968–1974 |
Major General of the Guard | Makarov, Nikolai Arsenievich | 1974–1976 |
Major General of the Guard | Ryabchenko, Ivan Fyodorovich | 1976–1981 |
Major General of the Guard | Slyusar, Albert Evdokimovich | 1981–1984 |
Major General of the Guard | Yarygin, Yurantin Vasilievich | 1984–1985 |
Major General of the Guard | Grachev, Pavel Sergeevich | 1985–1988 |
Major General of the Guard | Bocharov, Evgeny Mikhailovich | 1988–1991 |
guard colonel | Kalabukhov, Grigory Andreevich | 1991–1992 |
After the collapse of the USSR
The personnel of the 103rd Guards Separate mobile brigade during a show
On May 20, 1992, by directive of the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Belarus No. 5/0251, the 103rd Guards Airborne Order of Lenin, Red Banner, Order of Kutuzov Division was included in the armed forces The Republic of Belarus. In 1993, on the basis of the management of the 103rd Guards. Airborne Forces Department of the Mobile Forces of the Republic of Belarus was created. On the basis of the 317th Guards. pdp - 317th separate mobile brigade. Based on the 350th Guards. pdp - 350th separate mobile brigade. On the basis of the 357th Guards. pdp - 357th separate training mobile battalion. The 1179th artillery regiment of the division was disbanded. At the end of 2002, the 317th Separate Mobile Brigade of the Armed Forces of Belarus was given the battle flag of the 103rd Guards. vdd. From that moment on, it bears the name 103rd separate mobile brigade(belor. 103rd Guards Special Mobile Brigade).
Notable military personnel
- Kirpichenko, Vadim Alekseevich - lieutenant general, first deputy head of the First Main Directorate of the KGB (intelligence). As part of the 103rd Guards. sd as a foreman participated in the battles near Lake Balaton in 1945.
see also
- Mobile forces of the Republic of Belarus
Notes
Literature
Links
Russian Airborne Troops | ||
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Compound |
Brigades withdrawn from the Airborne Forces: 11th Separate Airborne 27th Guards Separate Motorized Rifle |