Stationed today in the Rostov region, the 22nd Guards Special Purpose Brigade was formed as part of the Central Asian Military District in the Kazakh city of Kapchagai. A new military district was also created in 1976 by dividing into Turkestan and, in fact, Central Asia. The 15th GRU Special Forces Brigade was transferred to the jurisdiction of the TurkVO; it was necessary to create a new special forces unit. Over the 14 years that have passed since the formation of the Special Forces troops, such formations have proven themselves so well that the need to have at least one special forces brigade as part of the military district was undeniable. The wide range and degree of complexity of the tasks performed by the GRU special forces made the corresponding units the necessary army elite. Voentorg "Voenpro" reminds you that in our store a whole section is dedicated to the GRU Special Forces troops, for example, you can see the famous bat.

The formation of brigade number 22 of the GRU Special Forces was completed by July 24, 1976 - today is celebrated as “Brigade Day”. The location of the 22nd special forces brigade was chosen to be a military town that had previously housed an anti-aircraft missile unit; the arrangement of the unit was entrusted to the shoulders of the first brigade commander I.K. Frost. To form the unit, a special forces detachment was allocated from the 15th Special Forces Brigade of the GRU General Staff and specialists in special radio communications; V.A. was responsible for preparing the replenishment. Warriors, whose contribution to the creation of 22 OBRSpN is difficult to overestimate. The well-known article by retired Colonel Boris Kerimbaev, “The Kapchagai Battalion,” describes the training of soldiers of the 22nd separate GRU special forces brigade at the initial stage. Among other things, he writes that in January 1980, the infrastructure of the unit was not sufficiently developed - the soldiers of the 22nd special forces brigade lived in tents, but even this was perceived as a plus: the only way to keep warm was incessant exercise. Parachute jumping was carried out in the unit from the very beginning, moreover, despite the fact that there was only one parachute company in the 22 OBRSpN, absolutely everyone underwent training - the symbolism of the Airborne Forces is no coincidence. The special forces brigade in Kapchagai quickly began to be perceived as one of the best in the district and the country.

Military intelligence units have always been the elite of the Russian armed forces. The formation of Soviet military intelligence after the October Revolution is primarily due to N.M. Potapov, it was under his leadership that after the October Revolution the system began to be restored and developed, which subsequently turned into the structure of the Intelligence Department, and then the GRU of the General Staff. Military intelligence is an integral part of the armed forces system, the importance of which is difficult to overestimate. Of course, our military store has created a special section where you can purchase a variety of goods with military intelligence symbols. The most valuable in the “Military Intelligence” section are, perhaps, the military intelligence flags. First of all, I would like to highlight the official one. This banner is native to all military intelligence officers, the 22nd separate special forces brigade, which is discussed in this article, is no exception. Former or current military intelligence officers or those simply interested can buy this military intelligence flag in the Voentorg Voenpro online store today; all you need to do is go through a simple ordering procedure and wait for delivery.

The overthrow of the Amin regime in the Republic of Afghanistan in December 1979 was organized not only by local rebels, but primarily by special forces of the KGB of the USSR with the participation of 22 OBRSpN. The GRU army special forces detachment from Kapchagai was formed on a national basis and played a decisive role in the success of the operation - this became the impetus for the creation of 173 special forces in the Trans-Kyrgyz Military District (later part of the 22nd Guards Special Forces Brigade) and 177 special forces (as part of 22 ObrSpN) in the Central Asian military district in order to perform special tasks in the territories of Asian countries. At the initial stage of the war in Afghanistan, only the 177th “Muslim” detachment of the 22nd GRU special forces brigade took part in the fighting. The fighters of the “Kapchagay battalion” arrived in the DRA in October 1981 in complete secrecy, and by November 2 they found themselves at their place of deployment in the village of Meymene. Since 1982, 177 special forces of the GRU have been redeployed to the Panjer Gorge, from where shortly before this a large detachment of Ahmed Shah Masud was driven out; the latter swore on the Koran to recapture this territory within a month. For the Soviet command, holding on here was a matter of principle - only one special forces battalion (!!), 177 special forces, was allocated to solve the problem. Let us clarify that Massoud’s forces were driven out of the gorge by a 10,000-strong group of Soviet troops from the gorge with heavy fighting and huge losses - the “mad detachment” was sent to certain death. The Kapchagay battalion even exceeded its assigned task; the Panjera Gorge was under the flag of the 22nd OBRSpN for eight months instead of one. This cost several lives; the gorge was abandoned after the conclusion of another truce with Ahmed Shah Masud. The 177th OOSpN became the first unit to receive the battle flag on the territory of the DRA - this happened in 1983, at the same time the 177th detachment of the 22nd OBrSpN was awarded the Order for military merit. Later, the 177 Special Forces was renamed the Ghazni battalion and was one of the last to leave Afghanistan.

Military intelligence and special forces units of the GRU in Afghanistan have somewhat “non-core” tasks of protecting strategically important objects or storming enemy fortifications. Needless to say, soon Soviet military intelligence officers got used to the new mode of operation and terrified the enemy in absolutely any role. Truly, “Caution, intelligence” - this is exactly the warning you can see on the group of products of our military trade from the “military intelligence” section. In order to buy, or just this one, just follow the link and place an order in the standard way.

By 1985, the situation in Afghanistan had changed - it was decided to use military intelligence special forces on a larger scale. In April 1985, the headquarters of the 22 OBRSpN, headed by a commander, and three special forces detachments (173 ooSpN, 186 ooSpN, 370 ooSpN) were relocated to the territory of the DRA. Already in October, 411 ooSpN were formed, which also became part of 22 OBrSpN. In the photo below you can see soldiers of the 22nd separate special forces brigade (186 ooSpN) with the first captured Stingers. 173 ooSpN was stationed in Kandahar, and was now flying over the city of Farahrud. As already mentioned, initially the 173rd special forces unit was not part of the 22nd special forces brigade; this officially happened only after the withdrawal of troops from Southern Afghanistan, which the 173th special forces unit was the last to leave.

The area of ​​responsibility of the 22nd GRU special forces brigade became the southern part of Afghanistan, an area characterized by the greatest activity and training of mujahideen detachments. The headquarters of the 22nd OBRSpN was engaged in organizing reconnaissance, sabotage and other special operations, coordinating work with helicopter units. In 1987, the 295th separate helicopter squadron was transferred to the 22nd Special Forces Brigade, which also increased the efficiency of the 22nd GRU Special Forces Brigade. During the period of hostilities, the brigade bore the title of 2nd Omsbr (separate motorized rifle brigade) - the actions of special forces units in Afghanistan are still largely classified today. The successful operations of the 22nd GRU Special Operations Brigade to destroy caravans with weapons and fortified areas of the Mujahideen, to capture advisers from the USA, France, and Germany are known; it has already been mentioned that the first captured Stingers were the merit of the special forces of the 22nd brigade. The capture of the Stinger MANPADS with documentation and a supply contract by the 22 OBRSpN is a separate story; this operation became proof of the participation of US forces in the war. In 1987, the 22nd GRU special forces brigade was awarded the pennant of the Minister of Defense “For Courage and Valor”; it is still kept on the territory of military unit 11659 and is used in holiday parades.

It is quite difficult to count how many awards the GRU special forces units received during the Afghan war, not only those who fought under, but also soldiers of friendly units. It is generally impossible to calculate the number of awards deserved but not received - in our country it has always been difficult with recognition, especially by contemporaries. One thing is obvious, special forces soldiers - yesterday, present or future - can be proud of having been or will be in the ranks of special forces. Our military engineer helps us not to forget about our military exploits and to be proud of our colleagues or simply compatriots, not only in wartime, but also in everyday life. Among the products in the “GRU special forces” section there are several types of T-shirts with the words Spetsnaz and corresponding symbols. Black or white and GRU special forces are available in all sizes. Anyone can do it, just follow the link and follow the instructions.

During the Afghan War, 3,196 soldiers of the 22nd Guards OBRSpN were awarded orders and medals, four were awarded the title “Hero of the Soviet Union.” Private Valery Arsenov received the Hero's Star posthumously - the grenade launcher of 173 ooSpN was seriously wounded during one of the combat missions, but continued to fire, and at a critical moment he covered the commander with his body and died on the spot.

On October 31, 1987, a legendary battle took place near the village of Duri, as a result of which three more servicemen of the 22nd special forces brigade were awarded the title of Hero of the USSR (two - posthumously). A reconnaissance group under the command of Oleg Onischuk, numbering 20 people with the call sign “Caspian”, moved to the site of the ambush on the Mujahideen caravan on October 28 and reached the place by the morning of the 30th. A convoy of three Mercedes full of weapons and ammunition was discovered and destroyed on the same day, but the group received orders to stay until the morning and wait for helicopters that would pick up the trophies and the soldiers of the 22 OBRSpN reconnaissance company. During the night, the militants concentrated several groups totaling about 200 people in the area of ​​the ambush of Oleg Onishchuk’s group. Our main forces were supposed to arrive at 6 a.m., a few minutes before the appointed time, a group under the command of Lieutenant Onischuk moved towards the vehicles, leaving 11 people at the ambush site. The inspection group under the command of Oleg Onishchuk (5 people) moved towards the car; by 6 am there were no “turntables” in the sky, but “spirits” began to appear from everywhere. The scouts of the 22nd separate special forces brigade were fifty meters from the vehicles, when heavy fire from the bandits pinned them to the ground, it was decided to retreat to the cover group. The retreat of his comrades remained to be covered by the future hero of the Soviet Union, machine gunner Yuri Islamov (pictured below).

At that moment, the retreating four were attacked from the other flank; private 22 OBRSpN Igor Moskalenko opened fire from a machine gun and was soon killed by an enemy sniper. Meanwhile, Yuri Islamov ran out of ammunition, which, according to the testimony of his colleagues, caused a joyful cry from the attacking Mujahideen, who could not overcome the resistance of one person. However, the machine gunner still had grenades that flew towards the militants. When the soldier of the 22nd special forces brigade fell silent, opponents moved towards him with the goal of finishing off the Soviet special forces soldier who had so annoyed them, but Yuri Islamov was still alive, and he had one grenade left, with which he blew himself up and several approaching militants. The covering group of four people was also destroyed, senior lieutenant Oleg Onischuk, having shot all his ammunition, stood up to his full height, with a grenade and a knife in his hand, moved towards the advancing Mujahideen and took the last stand.

In order to destroy the remaining fighters of the 22nd OBRSpN, who were at the height, the bandits changed into the uniform of Soviet special forces, but the remaining fighters managed to repel another 12 attacks by the Mujahideen, killing two more soldiers of the 22nd special forces brigade. Reinforcements led by captain Yaroslav Goroshko arrived at 6:50. Here is what the commander of the 186 ooSpN company of the 22nd separate GRU special forces brigade himself writes about this: “My group and I were running around the takeoff at 5:30, hoping to find the launching helicopters. Then they rushed to wake up the pilots. It turns out that the command was not given to them. While they found Egorov, while they contacted Air Force headquarters and received permission to take off, while the helicopters were warming up, the time for departure had long passed. The combat MIs took off only at 6-40. And the evacuation MIs - 8 at 7-20. When my group landed, we rushed to look for Onischuk’s guys. They lay on the mountainside, a chain stretching from the Mercedes to the top. Oleg Onischuk lay tortured, stabbed with bayonets, clutching a knife in his hand. They violated him by stuffing his mouth with a piece of his own bloody body. These bastards did the same thing to privates Misha Khrolenko and Oleg Ivanov.”

The group under the command of Captain Yaroslav Goroshko, also awarded the Hero Star, destroyed 18 militants, putting the rest to flight - by that time 8 soldiers of the 22nd separate GRU special forces brigade remained alive.

Even today you can hear different opinions about the death of Oleg Onishchuk’s group - they talk about a tragic coincidence of circumstances, the negligence of the authorities, and the excessive self-confidence of the scouts on the spot. One thing is indisputable: 12 scouts of the 22 OBRSpN died a brave death on the autumn morning of October 31, 1978. Here are the names of the heroes: Tair Jafarov, Oleg Ivanov, Yuri Islamov, Igor Moskalenko, Yashar Muradov, Marat Muradyan, Erkin Salahiev, Roman Sidorenko, Alexander Furman, Mikhail Khrolenko, Oleg Onischuk. Thanks in part to these people, the flag today is a banner that no one is ashamed to emulate.

The GRU special forces as a whole, not just the guys under, played the most significant role in the Afghan War, starting with the legendary operation to storm the palace and eliminate Amin. During the war, it was the special forces units of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff who were entrusted with carrying out the most important and complex, sometimes practically impossible tasks. GRU special forces units began to form only in the 50s of the twentieth century, in the shortest possible time becoming the elite, the most combat-ready part of the regular army. And today the GRU Special Forces are the pride of the Russian armed forces; GRU special forces brigades have been at the forefront of any military conflict for more than 60 years. The section of the Voentorg online store “Voenpro” is entirely dedicated to Special Forces troops. Here you can find special forces flags, souvenirs and clothing with the symbols of the Russian army special forces. We remind you that GRU Special Forces Day is celebrated on October 24 of each year; in the corresponding section of our military store you will find a lot of souvenirs and serious gifts for friends or relatives related to special forces. If you yourself once served or are currently serving in a special forces brigade or simply have a relationship with the department, then you will certainly find a lot of interesting things among the goods, for example, right now you can buy this “Special Forces” sweatshirt with a hood.

The turn of the 80-90s of the last century was marked for the 22nd separate GRU special forces brigade by participation in endless interethnic conflicts on the territory of the USSR and abroad. In 1989, formations of the 22nd OBRSpN were sent to Angola, where the tasks of the Soviet special forces included instructing allies, guarding Soviet facilities and intelligence activities. In Baku in 1988-1989, the 173 Special Forces Special Forces were responsible for the security of areas with an Armenian population, in addition, special forces soldiers carried out tasks to disarm gangs in the region. Then there was a conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh - 173 and 411 special forces were responsible for the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border; of the most famous operations of the fighters of the 22 special forces, we can recall here the destruction of a hail battery on the territory of Armenia, which shelled populated areas of Azerbaijan. Despite the fact that the special forces of the 22 OBRSpN acted on the side of the Azerbaijan Popular Front, immediately after the collapse of the USSR, attacks began on the military camp in which the forces of the 22 separate GRU special forces brigade were stationed. Soldiers and officers of the GRU army special forces were forced to once again demonstrate total superiority over the separatists.

“Total superiority” is perhaps the most accurate definition to characterize the actions of the Soviet and Russian GRU special forces in a wide variety of wars. The products of our military store will help you identify your belonging to your native branch of the military. In the section there is also a place for unique mugs with special forces symbols - such a souvenir will not only be a pleasant gift, but also a thing used every day. you can right now, just go to the appropriate page.

Among the operations of the Rostov special forces during the “First Chechen War”, the most famous is the participation of a detachment under the command of the hero of Russia, Major V. Nedobezhkin from the 173rd special forces unit in the operation to encircle S. Raduev’s gang in the village of Pervomaiskoye. A large group of militants (about 200 people) broke through the encirclement and moved towards the combined detachment of 173 special forces - the attack was repulsed, 45 special forces killed 85 mercenaries, more than during the entire period of the assault on the village with all forces. Thus, the fighters of the 22nd Guards ObrSpN once again confirmed the status of one of the most combat-ready units of the Russian army. Based on the results of that battle, the stars of Heroes of Russia were given to: Major Vladimir Nedobezhkin, Captain Valery Skorokhodov, Senior Lieutenant Stanislav Kharin, Lieutenant Albert Zaripov and Captain Sergei Kosachev (posthumously). Albert Zaripov, today a famous writer and human rights activist, wrote the book “Mayday” about those events. Hero of Russia Sergei Kosachev, a medical officer of the 22nd separate special forces brigade, was killed by militants while carrying a wounded soldier from the battlefield. Soldiers of the 22nd ObrSpN GRU General Staff, as part of the 173rd special forces detachment, were on the territory of Chechnya until 1996, where they carried out many special operations to destroy the leaders of gangs, encircle and destroy large enemy groups.

The special forces of military intelligence have once again demonstrated “total superiority,” but we remind you that among the products of the Voentorg online store “Voenpro” in the “Military Intelligence” section today there are not only a lot of different thematic souvenirs, but also casual clothing for people with attitude towards service in the GRU units of the General Staff. You can, or with symbols

The second Chechen campaign for the 22nd GRU special forces brigade from Rostov also started long before the start of the war. This time, the first unit located in the area of ​​tension in 1998 was the 411th special forces detachment that left Kaspiysk; three months later, 173 special forces units replaced their comrades on the border of Dagestan and Chechnya - and so they changed. Since the beginning of hostilities, a combined detachment of the 22 OBRSpN, the basis of which was made up of military personnel of the 411 Special Special Forces, operated here. Soldiers of the 22nd Guards Separate Special Forces Brigade remained on the territory of Chechnya even after the end of hostilities. The command has repeatedly recognized the combined detachment of the 22nd Special Forces Brigade as the most effective unit of the group of troops in the North Caucasus. During the Second Chechen War, two soldiers of the 22nd Guards ObrSpN were awarded the title “Hero of Russia”. In August 1999, a reconnaissance detachment of the 22nd special forces brigade carried out an operation to free an Interior Ministry officer from captivity, when it already seemed that the task had been completed, the special forces were overtaken by a detachment of militants and surrounded. Soldiers of the 22nd OBRSpN took refuge in an abandoned building and successfully repelled several enemy attacks, but they were running low on ammunition. All that remained was to fight our way out of the encirclement. Sergeant Dmitry Nikishin was the first to leave the shelter and covered the retreat of his colleagues with machine gun fire. During the retreat, the detachment commander was seriously wounded, Sergeant Nikishin carried him to the shelter, but by that time the Rostov special forces officer had died from his wounds. For his heroism, courage and combat training (several militants were destroyed by the fire of the sergeant of the 22nd ObrSpN), Dmitry Nikishin was awarded the title of Hero of Russia.

The commander of the reconnaissance group of the combined detachment of the 22nd separate brigade of the Special Forces of the GRU, Vyacheslav Matvienko, was awarded the title of Hero of Russia posthumously. While carrying out a reconnaissance operation to identify the positions of bandits, a military intelligence special forces group under the command of Vyacheslav Matvienko found itself on the verge of encirclement. The fighters of the 22nd ObrSpN GRU once again confirmed their highest class, throwing back superior enemy forces and retreating to a safe distance. The success of the Rostov special forces group in battle was largely due to the clear and thoughtful instructions of the commander. There were wounded on the battlefield, whom Vyacheslav Matvienko personally carried to a safe zone. The fourth sortie became fatal - a sniper’s bullet ended the life of a senior lieutenant of the 22nd special forces brigade.

We remember and honor the names of all the heroes of all wars, we try to highlight the most memorable milestones as much as possible - all this is important to know in order, firstly, not to repeat the mistakes of the past, and secondly, to know who is worth emulating. The products of our military trade are also a way to express gratitude to the people thanks to whom our state is still sovereign and indivisible. Among the thematic and foreign intelligence banners we offer, there are a variety of banners: these are personalized flags of units, such as, and standard flags of military branches, and those made outside of any standards, but this does not lose value. The latter includes, which you can see below - it depicts a GRU special forces soldier in the process of performing a combat mission, who is covered by “turntables”. In order to buy any of the flags dedicated to intelligence officers and special forces, visit the corresponding section.

In April 2001, the military intelligence special forces unit, which had already become legendary, received the well-deserved name “Gvardeiskaya”. We remind you that the 22nd Guards Separate Special Forces Brigade is the first and only unit in the domestic armed forces to receive this rank after World War II. The main impetus for this decision was the results of the First and Second Chechen campaigns - the 22nd OBRSpN was recognized by the command as the absolutely best military unit of this period.

Today, units of the 22nd Guards ObrSpN are deployed in the vicinity of the city of Aksai, Rostov region (Stepnoy village) and the village of Bataysk (108 and 173 oSpN). 108 ooSpN is the youngest unit of the Russian military intelligence special forces, but already in 2004 it was recognized as the best in terms of training. The basis of the combined detachment of the 22nd special forces brigade in South Ossetia in 2008 was also 108 special forces. Also directly subordinate to the GRU special forces brigade in Aksai is 56 special forces.

It is not for nothing that the military personnel of the 22nd Guards Separate GRU Special Forces Brigade are considered the best personnel of the domestic armed forces; service in the Rostov Special Forces involves endless training, marching, shooting and parachute jumping. In addition, although this military intelligence special forces unit is not considered a mountain unit, training in high altitude conditions is also carried out. It’s pointless to write in detail about how fighters fighting under are trained - and a lot of things are simply classified; it’s enough to know how these guys perform in real combat.

Today, the 22nd Guards ObrSpN is primarily supplied with modern equipment and machinery, for example, the Rostov special forces are armed with the Tiger combat vehicle from the Gorky Automobile Plant. Or this drone “Pear”, used by fighters of the 22nd ObrSpN GRU since 2009.

At the end of the story about the 22 OBRSpN and its flag, I would like to present this video, where you can see the everyday life and holidays of the 22 GRU special forces brigade. On the Internet you can also find a lot of thematic videos showing demonstration performances, exercises and training of fighters of the 22nd ObrSpN - an impressive spectacle. The song playing in the background in the video below is the official anthem of the unit; even in the matter of self-identification, the 22nd Special Forces Brigade is ahead of its competitors. We remind you that you can purchase another symbol of the brigade today at our military store - the ordering procedure is standard.

Well, our military trader reminds you that July 24 - day 22 of the OBRSpN is just around the corner, and if you or someone close to you serves or served in the Rostov special forces, then special forces will certainly be the best gift on this day. However, souvenirs with symbols, for example, a cover for a military ID, will also undoubtedly be a pleasant surprise. Well, since we’re talking about gifts, we suggest you pay attention to this one, which recently expanded the range of the Voentpro military store.

March 8th, 2017 , 10:37 pm

A werewolf soldier from the 22nd special forces brigade of the GRU of Russia, Maxim Apanasov, has been identified, combining a contract in the Russian army with service in the “special forces of the GRU DPR.”

During its activity, the international intelligence community InformNapalm has repeatedly recorded units and individual military personnel from the special forces brigades of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in eastern Ukraine. The 22nd BrSpN (military unit 11659, stationed in Stepnoy, Rostov region) also appeared several times in our publications, including a trio of servicemen from this unit who left memorable photographs of the Luhansk People’s Friendship Park and the local zoo, as well as contract soldier Sergei Medvedev, who boasted two medals for Donbass and a vacation in Nicaragua.

It's time to name the next werewolf - the so-called action movie. special forces of the GRU "DPR", a member of the "Union of Donbass Volunteers", and in fact - an active contract soldier of the 22nd special forces brigade of the GRU of the Russian army.

While studying the social page of one of the Russian servicemen, a certain Maxim Palestin was discovered among his friends. During an in-depth analysis of the latter’s social profile, we managed to collect some rather interesting information about him.

Apanasov Maxim Vitalievich

Date of birth: 09/20/1989.

Registered at the address: Rostov region, Bataysk, st. Mayakovsky, 22.
Tel.: +79044444873, +79081777663. Email: [email protected]. Passport series 6012, number 022479, issued 07/30/2011.

Since the second half of 2016, the content of Apanasov’s photo album has changed noticeably - photographs appear in it indicating that he belongs to the Russian army, including: a photograph in a uniform with a sleeve chevron of the Russian army, a chest patch with his surname and a buttonhole of the Airborne Forces/SpN, again - a photograph the flag of the 22nd BrSpN, which we wrote about above, and a photograph taken in the barracks of the native military unit, in the uniform of the Russian Armed Forces, with the sleeve chevron of the 22nd special forces brigade and an award bar.

Among the latest photographs of M. Apanasov is a photograph uploaded in February 2017 and, apparently, inspired by nostalgia for Donbass: on board the “August” armored personnel carrier with a comment from the person involved « November 2014, fashchevka, under Debaltseva« .

Note: We should pay tribute to the Ukrainian volunteers who added Maxim Apanasov to the database back in 2015. The first entry about him appeared on the website of the Myrotvorets center on June 4, 2015. In it, our person involved is listed as a Russian mercenary, an illegal armed group militant. This is understandable - by that time Apanasov strictly adhered to the legend: he pretended to be a militant, gave interviews in this capacity, and even posted a recording from “Peacemaker” on his page.

In addition to photographs from social networks, “Peacemaker” presented (see Apanasov-anketa) an interesting selection of documents with M. Apanasov’s personal data: an account card of a member of the Interregional public organization “Union of Donbass Volunteers” and a questionnaire.

• Information on the composition and armament of the 22nd OBRSpN

  22nd separate guards special purpose brigade, military unit 11659 (Bataysk and Stepnoy village, Rostov region). Organizational structure: brigade management, 1st Special Forces detachment (1, 2 and 3rd Special Forces companies), 2nd Special Forces detachment (4, 5 and 6th Special Forces companies), 3rd Special Forces detachment (7, 8 and 9th Special Forces Company), 4th Special Forces Detachment (10, 11 and 12th Special Forces Companies), 5th Special Forces Training Detachment (Krasnaya Polyana village, Krasnodar Territory), 6th Special Radio Communications Detachment (two companies), school of junior specialists (1st and 2nd training companies, Bataysk), special weapons company (including a UAV platoon), material support company, technical support company, security and escort company. Armament: 25 units. BTR-80/82, 11 units. BMP-2, 12 units. GAZ-233014 STS “Tiger”, 20 units. KamAZ-63968 “Typhoon”.

The material for publication was prepared on the basis of our own OSINT investigation.

22nd Guards Separate Special Purpose Brigade of the GRU. (22nd Guards ObrSpN GRU GSH MO) For the courage and heroism shown by the military personnel of the 22nd ObrSpN on the territory of the Republic of Afghanistan, more than three thousand people were awarded state awards, of which four were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and nine Hero of Russia. In the fall of 1985, a decision was made to form another detachment within the 22 Special Special Forces. For this it was planned to use the resources of the 40th Army. In accordance with this decision, at the end of 1985, 411 Special Forces were formed on the basis of the 5th Motorized Rifle Division stationed in Shindand. Its location was the city of Farakhrud. Captain A.G. Fomin, who had previously been the chief of staff of the 186th special forces unit, was appointed to the position of detachment commander. The late eighties and early nineties were marked by massive social unrest, as well as armed uprisings by militants of various separatist groups. On November 23, 1988, the 173rd detachment was recruited to carry out tasks to maintain constitutional order in Baku. Located in the Kirov district of the city - a place of compact residence of Armenians, the detachment had a special burden of preventing acts of violence and robberies directed against Armenians. 1989 was especially difficult. In the period from April to June 1990 and from May to July 1991, again the 173rd separate special forces detachment took part in resolving the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. Groups of the detachment, operating on the territory of Armenia in the area of ​​the settlement. Nayamberyan and Shavar Shavan destroyed 19 hail-breaking guns that were shelling populated areas of Azerbaijan. After the collapse of the USSR in 1992, the brigade was transferred to the North Caucasus Military District. Azerbaijani nationalists prevented the withdrawal of the formation in its entirety. They wanted weapons and military equipment to remain in Azerbaijan. But the person responsible for the withdrawal of the brigade to Russia from the GRU was Colonel Gerasimov, who had recently commanded it in Afghanistan. He responded to the ultimatum demands of the nationalists with his own ultimatum, saying that if the cars were not removed from the road, he would order to open fire to kill. There was no need to repeat the ultimatum, and the brigade entered Russia without hindrance. But even here the brigade units did not have to sit idle. Groups of the 173rd detachment performed special tasks in 1994 in the Republic of North Ossetia during the Ossetian-Ingush conflict. It had barely ended when events began in Chechnya. An operational group consisting of 173 special forces, reinforced by support units, left for Chechnya at the end of 1994 and left only in October 1996. The brigade's special forces took part in the events in Budennovsk, being in helicopters in readiness to destroy the militants released by Chernomyrdin, inflicted the main defeat on the breaking through troops of Salman Raduev near Pervomaisky, and carried out ambushes on the field commanders of the militants. During the first Chechen campaign, the brigade's actions were led by Colonels S.V. Breslavsky and A.M. Popovich, both of whom commanded special forces units in Afghanistan. In 1997, the brigade was headed by Lieutenant Colonel Pyotr Semenovich Lipiev. A short respite - and again the 411th and 173rd detachments at the beginning of 1998 began conducting reconnaissance on the territory of Dagestan in the area of ​​​​the border with self-proclaimed Ichkeria. With the outbreak of hostilities in 1999 (in Dagestan), and then in Chechnya, the special forces of the 22nd brigade were constantly at the forefront of the attack. In April 2001, for the massive heroism and courage, perseverance and courage shown by personnel in combat operations to protect state interests in armed conflict, the 22nd separate special-purpose brigade was given the honorary name "Guards". Last August, military personnel of the formation were involved in an operation to stabilize relations between Georgia and South Ossetia. Currently, the brigade is performing service and combat missions in Chechnya and Dagestan. The command has repeatedly recognized the units as the best in terms of efficiency and effectiveness of combat work in the North Caucasus

During OSINT reconnaissance, aimed at identifying and identifying Russian occupation forces located on the territory of Ukraine, indisputable evidence was obtained confirming the presence in the Lugansk region of Ukraine of military personnel from the 22nd Special Purpose Brigade (military unit 11659, location Stepnoy , Rostov region) Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.

As a result of studying the social network profiles of military personnel of the 22nd Special Forces Brigade (photos linked to terrain/objects, contacts, comments, statuses, etc.), photographs were identified that were uploaded in May 2015, taken in Lugansk in recognizable places against the backdrop of local attractions: the monument to the World War I tank “Mark-5”, in the “Friendship of Peoples” park and in the Zoo.

All these photos were posted on the social network profile page of one of the servicemen of the 22nd Special Forces Brigade, Iskander Garipov, located in the so-called "Ukrainian business trip"

Among the photo selection of Garipov’s album, a group photo should be highlighted, in which three servicemen appear dressed in non-standard uniforms, one of them has a “Novorossiya” chevron.

Having studied Garipov’s “profile”, it was possible to establish the identities of the other two, who also turned out to be Russian contract soldiers from the same 22nd Special Forces Brigade. So:

1. Iskander Garipov (in the archive: profile and photo album) - the fact that he is a serviceman of the Russian Armed Forces, in particular the 22nd Special Forces Brigade, directly and indirectly confirms a number of evidence. Using his profile, you can track his entire service record - from military service in the Northern Fleet to subsequent contract service:

– Garipov served for about 2 years in the 346th special forces brigade (military unit 31681, Kabardino-Balkaria, Prokhladny) of the GRU: he underwent parachute training in Mozdok, North Ossetia, and special training at the Center for the Training of Intelligence Units at the Daryal mountain training ground. in North Ossetia, a special course on the basis of the 16th Special Forces Brigade (military unit 54607, Tambov).

– Since 2015 Garipov already appears in the status of a serviceman of the 22nd GRU special forces brigade, which is stationed in the Rostov region, which is confirmed by a number of photographic evidence from 2015, including a photograph with the chevron of the 22nd Special Forces Brigade (one of the variants of the chevron of this Special Forces brigade), as well as photographs from the Southern Military District skiing championship.

Note: According to information from open sources, including the website of the RF Ministry of Defense, in February 2015, the Southern Military District Championship in ski racing was held in Volgograd, among the participants and winners are the teams of the 58th and 49th combined arms armies, the 4th Air Force Command and Air defense, as well as a special forces unit from Rostov-on-Don.

2. Alexander Ryazantsev – the second special forces soldier, who appears in a collective photograph from Lugansk on the page of the aforementioned Garipov and has the same photograph in his photo album, is also a serviceman of the 22nd Brigade of the Special Forces.

As a result of studying Ryazantsev’s profile, which turned out to be much more modest than the page of the previous special forces soldier Garipov, it was still possible to reconstruct a number of events and track record: service and training (presumably sergeant courses) at the Ryazan Airborne Forces School, service in the 346th Special Forces Brigade - completion special training at the aforementioned Daryal Special Training Centers and mountaineering training at the Tertskol Mountain Training Center in Kabardino-Balkaria, participation in the ski championship of the Southern Military District in February 2015.

From the book “22nd Guards Separate Special Forces Brigade. The history of the 22nd separate special forces brigade in the memories of soldiers, officers and generals.” Moscow, 2011.

Dmitry Podushkov arrived in the Kandahar detachment in 1987, when the intensity of hostilities began to decline. At this time, the detachment was commanded by Major V. Goratenkov. Many veterans associate the period of the highest losses and decline in performance with his command. Dmitry was one of those who, through his actions, returned the detachment to the forefront. Below we provide chronicle of the activities of the 173rd special forces unit from September 1987 to August 1988, prepared by the author based on his diary entries.

173rd separate special forces detachment of the GRU General Staff

Chronicle: September 1987 – August 1988

I graduated from the Faculty of Special Intelligence of the Ryazan Airborne School in September 1985 (13th company). By my own choice and assignment I ended up in the 2nd ObrSN (Pskov) - I didn’t want any “exotic”, I wanted to serve in indigenous Russia. The chief of staff of the brigade at that time was V.V., who had just been replaced from Afghanistan. Kvachkov. All the officers of the unit treated him with great respect - a true professional and a wonderful person.

In December 1985, he completed training for Afghanistan at the “Shot” course at the Chirchik OBRSN (Chirchik, Uzbek SSR). Just 2 months after graduating from college, former classmates met in Chirchik. Seryozha Lezhnev served in the Chirchik brigade and with us he left for Afghanistan as a replacement in the 173rd detachment. (died on May 2, 1987) From different districts came: Volodya Semgaikin, Igor Vesnin, Lyosha Panin (all later served in the 173rd), Vlad Veliyev, Seryozha Cherny (died on November 29, 1986, AN-12, on which he was flying, was shot down by a MANPADS after taking off from Kabul, 30 people were killed, including Seryozha).

After returning to Pskov, I was immediately assigned to Afghanistan as a replacement. Therefore, I took all my vacations in January-February. But he got “beyond the river” only in September 1987 - for two years he defended the honor of the brigade in reconnaissance group competitions: Leningrad Military District (1986 - 1st place), GRU Special Forces Championship (Pechory, 1987 - 3rd place; 1st place " automatic" was received by a group from the GSVG, although it failed many stages). Preparing for the competition gave me the opportunity to engage in very intensive combat training both years. In September 1987, at the Leningrad Military District headquarters directly opposite the Winter Palace in Leningrad, he received travel documents to Afghanistan. In Tashkent, at the district headquarters they made it more specific - I am replacing Slava Shishakin in the 173rd detachment in Kandahar.

Crossed the border on September 17. In Kabul, during transit, I met Valera Grigoriev from the 2nd company of the 173rd detachment. He was returning from vacation. Told a fresh joke:

Where do you serve?
- In Kandahar...
-How, are you still alive?

I arrived in Kandahar late in the evening of September 19 on an AN-26. The plane's ramp opened - towards - Slava Shishakin with a can of imported CC soda - the first impression and first taste of Kandahar.

I ended up serving in the 1st company. 313 RGSpN (3rd battalion, 1st company, 3rd group) - very symbolically - graduated from the 13th company at the school. Call sign - "Jack". Commander - Sasha Zaikov, with whom they served together in Pskov, deputy company commander - Misha Dyadyushkin (Kiev VOKU), deputy company commander for political affairs Andrey Panferov, translator Tolya Rulev.

Once again I found myself surrounded by my classmates. In the first company, Vitya Portasov and Sasha Toskin served as group commanders (all graduated from the 14th company a year later). In the second - Igor Morozov, Valera Grigoriev (14th company) in the third - commander - Anvar Khamzin (studied in the 13th company, but he is 2 years older), Igor Vesnin, Sasha Tur, left for the Union after Gen Agid was wounded.

The very next morning, combat training began - the company went with armor to the shooting range (far, it was even closer, immediately behind the security posts to the east) in the area of ​​​​the city of Barigund along the road to the southeast towards the city of Quetta (10 km from the PPD) - being drawn into the war has begun.

In the evenings, until he left, he tortured Slava Shishakin in detail using maps, and intensively communicated with classmates about the conditions of combat operations in the area of ​​​​responsibility.

I checked the group's skills in tactics and fire training - everything was modest. Previously, they shot only from standard positions at a simple target situation at 100 m. Later, training and preparation for ambushes began to be carried out according to the full program: shooting on the move, from “armor”, at 10-15 targets, interaction in “troikas”, everyone shot Of all the types of weapons that were in the group and from the BMP-2 weapons, so that there was complete interchangeability, during helicopter flights they learned to shoot from the air at ground targets, etc.

The general conclusion is that graduates of the 13th company of the RVVDKU of our faculty during this period formed the basis of the 173rd detachment. They were constantly looking for a fight, thinking more about war, how to find and destroy the enemy; Kyivians - how to get your clothes on for the holidays. (No slander, that’s how it happened). In general, it was memorable and surprising: if you want, fight, if you don’t want, you can find “respectful” excuses. The residents of Ryazan in 1985 did not look for excuses for the release.

General characteristics of the battalion's combat operations during this period. The area of ​​responsibility, in relation to what predecessors said, was greatly reduced. We did not go or fly beyond the Argandab River and the reservoir. (In my memory, I only flew once with Sasha Zaikov along the Northern Road). There was also an extensive “treaty zone” in the southeast. All armed “spirits” there are “friends”. During the flights they sat down next to the cars - “dost!” (if I remember correctly) - friends. There have already been more helicopter overflights and armored exits. There were no raids on fortified areas at all. There were many negotiations with the “spirits” and many “truces” were concluded.

For the war, the northeast remained free to the line of the village of Shakhkarez - the city of Buriband - the fortified region of Apushella, east to the city of Kalat along the Kandahar - Kalat road, to the Lora River; in the south and southwest there is the Registan Desert. The village zone along the Kalat road was severely destroyed, the years of war were felt.

I remember that at the time of my arrival there had been no results in the battalion for a long time and this unnerved the battalion leadership. And not long before their arrival, the group of the 1st company in the desert found themselves under the “spiritual” distribution during the day. There were wounded.

The first combat exit was September 26-29. The group commander, M. Dyadyushkin, and I, as a second officer, organized ambushes for three nights around Mount Bukegar north-west of the Shinarai fortified area. The “spirits” probably identified the group - shepherds and flocks of sheep surrounded them on all sides. As a result, 11 “shepherds” were detained, tied up and basked in the scorching sun before the helicopter arrived. Two were taken into the battalion as “prisoners”.

Deputy battalion commander V. Udovichenko (nicknames: “Beard”, “Boa constrictor”) flies in to pick us up on helicopters. There were about forty minutes left before darkness. Let's fly. Below is a village-farm: two houses, two barns, an aryk flowing from a kariz, a melon tree, several trees... “We’ll take a closer look,” said Udovichenko, “last time we found “trunks” here.” (We need results!)

We sat down behind the nearest hillock, helicopters provided air cover. We run in a chain and approach the village. No residents are visible. My nerves give out and the soldiers start shooting. Grenades are flying into barns, houses, and karizs. - Empty, no people. (Very deep kariz from the mountain - they probably took refuge there). The thatched roof of the house caught fire, we begin to retreat. And then a child’s cry is heard. A child, no more than 2-3 years old, is sitting on the ground and crying. The helicopters couldn't wait. Darkness fell on the mountains...

Somewhere at the same time. The battalion commander flew a flyby with a reconnaissance group. The helicopter was fired upon. Two rifle bullets pierced the glass and hit the door above the battalion commander's head. The marks remained.

Released October 1-4. Sasha Toskin is the commander, I am the second officer. Sharqi-Baggai mountain area. We don’t sit down near the caravan route either on the first or second night. I ask Sasha: “What’s the matter?” He: “Why do we need “perfume”? What the hell is this war for!” Shortly before my arrival, he and his group came under fire, was wounded in the finger, and his mood for the war dropped.

October 23-25. Sasha Zaikov commander. We will land in the evening in one of the northern gorges of Mount Baggar. For the day we climb the Sra Mountains, south of the town of Buriband. From above, in full view, the intermountain along Kalatka - all night long there is intense traffic through the valley. We are looking forward to it. We go another night, drink water from some dirty sheep puddles (we don’t have the patience to pull warm water through the “Spring” filter), spend the day in the Mulla-Alaizainika mazar south of Apushella, and in the morning on the radio station from the battalion: “Urgent evacuation, in the greenery “A group of the 3rd company is being beaten near Kandahar. We arrived at the traffic police, Sasha Zaikov ran to the battalion commander - let our armor go! (BMP-2 only in the 1st company). The whole company has gathered, we are waiting to leave. But the command to leave never came. The “armor” of the 2nd company went to evacuate the group on the BTR-80, which had just arrived from the Union, and which did not even have a ammunition compartment for machine guns! (I won’t go into detail, all this is described in detail). 9 dead. One of the reasons for what happened, again, was to give results!

One of the Su-25s that supported the group in the green area was hit by a Stinger - a huge piece of the fuselage was torn out from under the tail. They showed a photograph and there was an article in Krasnaya Zvezda. But he sat down safely.

A great tragedy for the battalion. Officers and soldiers cannot talk about anything else for several days...

A few days later, Sasha Zaikov, about eighty kilometers from the PPD, not far from the guardhouse with the group (they were supposed to fly together, but no matter how much I resisted, the party organizer sent me to “stand up for the partuchet” in the brigade in Lashkarghi) scored “Simurg” and about ten “spirits” ", respectively 10 trunks. We go with Sasha to Anvar Khamzin in the hospital (wounded on October 25). Sasha: “Anvar, I took revenge on them for you!”

28 of October. Another tragedy for our 22nd brigade. In Shakhjoy, in the 186th detachment, Oleg Onishchuk’s group was almost completely destroyed. (They wrote about this a lot and in detail, I won’t repeat it). Both he and Slava Goroshko, who flew to rescue him, had already stayed with me a couple of times in our company when they flew to Kandahar on business - both of them were very friendly with Sasha Zaikov. Oleg made a very good impression - a competent, thoughtful, intelligent officer. Slava Goroshko was his complete opposite and fully corresponded with his shocking behavior and manner of speaking to the nickname “Rimbaud”. He showed very convincingly how he would cut off the heads of the “spirits.” Soon after this, he also flew to Kandahar, told everything in detail, and showed photographs of the deceased group. Oleg's head was blown off by a bullet...

Of course, there was the most detailed study of both episodes. The command began to think about how to further strengthen the firepower of the groups. Firstly, the size of the groups was strictly established - 20 people - to the eyeballs, as much as fits into two Mi-8s. (Before this it was more or less arbitrary - up to 20 people). Secondly, they decided to include an 82-mm mortar in the group’s armament. (And there was already an AGS-17 and a 12.7-mm Utes heavy machine gun). Everyone, of course, howled. Canceled - the group simply would not be able to move...

They also introduced communication only through encryption pads. Of the group commanders, only I could use it normally - I had experience participating in exercises and competitions in the Union. (The ensign-cipher officer was from the Pskov brigade, they served together, and he said: “Dima, what they write is impossible to understand! Only everything is fine with you.”) Therefore, after a while, this requirement was also canceled. The Severok HF radio station was adopted for communication with the detachment; the communication range is 200-300 km. (Once, through it, I heard negotiations between oil workers in the Union, they were talking about some kind of pipes. At first I thought that someone was simply encrypted. But the signalmen in the detachment said that everything is possible - mountains, rocks contribute to ultra-long-distance communication). It was also established that as soon as the group begins to attack the caravan, immediately call the Su-25. And in case of any danger, immediately call planes. This was strictly observed. Planes arrived, command groups indicated with tracers the direction of a possible approach of enemy forces or the nearest village, the range and the planes “demonstrated force.”

November 5-6. We stood in an ambush with “armor” (on a BMP-2) right in the empty village of Garkalai (40 km northeast of the PPD. The residents, as they told me earlier, were slaughtered by “spirits” due to the fact that a detachment group killed near the village caravan. There are about 20 mounds-graves here on the edge of the village). At night, two motorcycles and a Simurg are traveling from the green zone towards Pakistan. We drove past 20 meters away. It was very convenient to hit. But I did not give the command to open fire. As they taught - if in the direction of Pakistan, most likely the check of the route should be skipped. However, there was no more movement all night. It's a pity. But you won’t always guess...

November 22-24. We sat down on the caravan route in Mandekhi near the Tarnak River and the Kandahar - Kalat road, 35 km from Kandahar. On the second night, as soon as it got dark, two “Simurghs” set off from the village of Majikalai. There are two hundred meters between them. I have no doubt now - we will hit. When the first one caught up with the group, they opened fire. The second remained behind Tarnak. The first was stopped quickly, and the spirits from the second entered into a firefight. An automatic bullet hit the parapet about ten centimeters in front of me. Sobering. Do not relax. The result is two burned Simurghs, one corpse, two burnt trunks.

December 4th. The “armor” of the 1st company on the BMP-2 gave a great result. Commander - M. Dyadyushkin. For a couple of days, the “armor” roared around Mount Buriband, scaring the “spirits”. We stopped for the night about three kilometers to the west. In the morning a caravan of eight cars set off - they couldn’t believe their eyes. They chased the cars in infantry fighting vehicles and fired from cannons. Result: 2 Simurg were captured, 2 were burned, 60 guns, 2 mortars were driven to the PPD. That same evening, Igor Vesnin calculated the situation from the stories, flew over and in a gorge not far from the ambush site captured another “Simurg” with weapons and ammunition: 15 guns, 1 DShK, 2 mortars, RS.

January. A general's rank flew in from Kabul to inspect the 70th Motorized Rifle Brigade. My group on the BMP-2 is an escort. We are driving through Kandahar and the greenery to the west - the general is looking at the arrangement of brigade checkpoints along the road. We pass through Kandahar together with a prefabricated return convoy of fuel tankers (empty). In a column on top of the “armor”, recruits are being transported to the Lashkar Gah garrison. They are without weapons, in crumpled overcoats, helpless as chickens. A strong impression of Kandahar and the “green stuff”. The city has a lot of ruins, even more dust. The road along the green road - for 15 km - is covered with Soviet equipment: fuel tankers, armored personnel carriers, tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, etc. - Hundreds! They were moved off the road to the side of the road and formed a protective parapet. But often “spirits” also use it for ambushes. (And near our battalion, during the war years, a huge cemetery of damaged equipment also grew up - also hundreds of vehicles). In the end, due to high losses of equipment and people, the road west of Kandahar was “moved.” In some places very extensive cemeteries are visible. Very extensive. Ninth year of the war. Immediately after leaving the city in the area of ​​​​the village of Sinjarai, she goes north and walks through a clay desert, flat as a table. It is difficult to understand how soldiers survive at checkpoints. It’s not just about the “spirits” - the living conditions are not just harsh - hellish. Of course, the minimum living conditions are dugout holes and no electricity, which means no air conditioning. Changed every 2 weeks. Okay in the winter, but how do they live in the summer? (We are spoiled in our plywood modules - 2 air conditioners per officer's quarters).

We spend the night at a large, stronghold checkpoint north of the “greenery”. It is more seriously equipped. The distance to the greenery is 3-4 km in a straight line. At night, a machine gun and a tank periodically shoot - they keep vigil. You wake up from the shots, turn over on your other side and fall asleep until the next episode.

In the morning I climb into the tank and look at the “front line” through the strong optics of the sight. I communicate with local fighters - the war goes on almost every night. The “spirits” approach the checkpoint within 400 meters (the checkpoint is surrounded on all sides by barbed wire and minefields) – they shoot and retreat. After this, the checkpoint comes alive with return fire for half an hour. After driving around the checkpoints with the general, we wait for the next Soviet column (Afghan “barbukhaiks” are also attached to it) and together with it we pass Kandahar in the opposite direction.

I don't remember the exact dates. We have been sitting in ambush for 3 days right in the village of Garkalai. Dead houses in which the spirit of the people who lived here has not yet disappeared. One of hundreds, of thousands - a small human nest at the foot of a big mountain, at the foot of a big war... Houses are closely attached to the walls of the village, and the walls are to the houses. And so the whole village. It's cramped, you can walk right through it in a minute using internal passages. The tallest building is a mosque. Feeling like a toy. A town of gnomes from distant childhood. Idyll and death in war are nearby. A kariz stretches from the mountain, turning into an aryk - water. Crabs crawl in a small pond. I walk along the kariz about 50 meters deep - absolute darkness, like in a grave. Small fish poke at your feet.

Every night the group takes up battle formations in human housing that is beginning to decay. I rise to the platform of the mosque - the entire plain is at my feet. Both anxious and calm. Night. Silhouettes of mountains along the perimeter of the plain, signal lights of caravan guides, distant cries of shepherds combing the area in search of reconnaissance groups, dotted lines of tracers and the echo of explosions over the “greenery” - “spirits” sort things out among themselves, wandering lights of distant headlights - Afghan night. And the starry sky, and the murmur of a nearby irrigation ditch, and the silhouettes of trees, and the cry of a bird... And thoughts about home, and about life, and about death... The decrepit green light of the night binoculars screen, the chomping of a soldier’s condensed milk in the dark, the bursting snoring of another, the matte shine of the weapon, the warmth of the sleeping bag and the cold of the cooling earth... The whole night was like a long movie. The night tosses and turns and wheezes, and groans, and cries, and shoots... All sounds will die away in the morning. During the day the earth will rest from the night vigil. Well, for now it’s night over the plain...

A person very soon gets used to this lifestyle. Senses become sharper, a person again becomes a part of nature.

Not every ambush ends in a storm of fire, not every one ends in death, but always with nerves overstrained to the point of ringing, and instead of praise - the grumbling of the senior commander, and a bathhouse, and a flood of water, and two letters from the Union, and a dream (a dream not interrupted by sydnocarb ( psychostimulant), with one eye slightly open) on white sheets, under air conditioning...

In the morning a farmer wandered into the village. I had to be taken prisoner. The deputy battalion commander came to photograph the group. But we are not going to the PPD, but to the Maranjangar mountains - the eastern border of the “greenery”. We take a farmer with us, and on the way to the field there is another one. During the war years, people acquired sheep obedience. Only in the first minutes do the peasants try to find out something, but after receiving a couple of kicks from the soldiers, they become quiet. The cars, stretched out in a chain, are approaching the mountains. A few days ago, while trying to capture the weapons warehouse of the “spirits,” an Mi-24 was shot down. Armored personnel carriers surround the crash site. Gray. The whole sky is covered with clouds - a version of the Afghan winter... Nearby are the remains of a village, 2-3 houses, and a group of fruit trees. In the garden, after being blindfolded, the “prisoners” are tied to trees. And the armored personnel carriers drive away about two kilometers. Everything remains unclear until the distant Hurricanes start shooting, and the “armor” adjusts the fire on the village using the radio station. It turns out that developers of vacuum ammunition came to the garrison and asked for assistance in testing. They could have taken the sheep, but they took the people. They fire one or two missiles at a time - we drive up and look. (First, the first part of the ammunition is lowered to the ground, spraying gaseous explosives, then a detonator is lowered by parachute - an explosion follows. Designed to combat manpower in shelters). Explosions are happening nearby, from the outside it seems that the village has been covered, we approach - people are alive. In the end, one “spirit” gets untied and runs away, we untie the second and leave for the battalion...

January 21, 1988 My group and I are giving a major “result” on the flyby. We flew along the kalatka to the northeast of Kandahar. We were already returning when on the Manjikalai-Kanate-Hajibur road near the river. Tarnak found a MAZ-500 truck with its nose facing Pakistan. There was no one near the car. This was confusing. Already flew past, but returned. They opened the tarpaulin - filled with ammunition: 100 rockets, 600 mines for an 82-mm mortar in individual capping. And the most interesting thing is 10 extended-range rockets. The caliber is about 120 mm, the head part is separate, the main part with the engine is separate. Connected by thread. Height is about two meters. A real rocket. This “thing,” as they later said, was taken in our area of ​​responsibility for the first time. It turned out that the car had stalled and was left under guard. Apparently, when the helicopters approached, the “spirits” fled. Nearby, in the area of ​​the village of Majikalai, the “armor” of the second company was working. Apparently, because of this, the caravan stopped. Through the battalion I contacted the “armor”. She came up. Igor Morozov, the armor commander, looking at the MAZ, was disappointed: “Well, I wanted to get here!” They started the MAZ from a pusher and drove to the police station under their own power. Then, until the end of the war, these mines were fired when they went out on “armor.”

It looks like the result is on point and even without a fight. On the other hand, the result of systematic daily work - perhaps at this time I was the most active with my group - I went into ambushes more often than others, and flew constantly.

In the morning, a group of the third company during an overflight during the battle destroyed two more GAZ-66s with weapons and ammunition in the village of Tagzigbarga, most likely from the same caravan. I was supposed to fly with them, but my guard chief got knocked up and they put me in his place.

At the same time, a commission arrived at the battalion. The results were very welcome.

Sasha Zaikov suffered from malaria and was sent to the Union. It's a pity, we lived with him in perfect harmony. The company was headed by Misha Dyadyushkin.

Somewhere at the same time, the 1st company went out to relieve the garrison of DRA government troops in the village of Shahri-Safa - from Kandahar approx. 60 km along the road to Kalat. They gave us a D-30 howitzer. We arrived in the evening. We met with the leadership of the garrison and agreed on cooperation. We stood for three days on blocks around the hill where the main forces of the “greens” were located, methodically “demonstrating strength” - they fired howitzers and mortars at the enemy’s likely approach routes, and set up small night ambushes nearby.

The group of the 1st company, commander Andrei Panferov, political officer of the company, sat for several days at the OP on the Hadegar Mountains, purely with the task of monitoring the movement of caravans. Andrey was a fan of the barbell; he took a barbell with him to the NP. As a result of surveillance, vehicle movement was noticed in one of the gorges. The “armor” of the 2nd company (Igor Morozov) came on call and destroyed the ammunition depot.

At the end of January - beginning of February, the 3rd company took part in a major military operation in the north of Helmand province to eliminate Mullah Nasim's gang.

February 29. Valera Gonchar, with whom he served together as group commanders in the 1st company in Pskov, died in the Farakhrud battalion. I was driving to help the group and was ambushed.

Podushkov, do you read Krokodil magazine?
- No, Comrade Major...
- It’s in vain, you have to read it, the personnel will love it.
- I am not a woman to be loved...
- Well, respect. You punish, but with humor.

Sometimes I went to war with the 3rd company.

At the exit of the “armor” of the 2nd company, due to carelessness, an armored personnel carrier crushed a soldier.

We just received information - on March 1, Valera Gonchar died in an ambush in the Farakhrud battalion - we served together as group commanders in the 1st company in Pskov.

April 2. Ambush on a pack caravan. The route from Mount Tarikagar (from Pakistan) to the “green zone” near the city of Kandahar passed through the Registan Desert (approx. 30 km)

Information about the movement of the pack caravan was provided by human intelligence.

In the evening, a reconnaissance group under the command of company commander Art. Lieutenant A. Panin parachuted from helicopters a kilometer from the caravan trail, approximately in the middle of the route. The group of 30 people, in addition to the commander, also included I. Vesnin, A. Tur, myself and the head of the detachment’s reconnaissance D. Grebenichenko. He just recently arrived to us from the Airborne Forces, and this was his first exit.

We quickly approached the path. The group remained behind the dunes. Having posted observers, the officers went out for reconnaissance. Panin decided to allocate two fire subgroups of ten people each and stretch them along the front in order to beat a long caravan or two caravan groups. The first fire subgroup, in which Panin and Vesnin were located, was located 20-30 meters from the path. The second was commanded by Tur, and the chief of intelligence assisted him. They lay 50-70 meters from the path. Each subgroup had AGS-17. There were two support subgroups operating on the flanks, each with three people. They also played the role of observers. I was appointed senior to the right one, which was located on the Pakistani side, thirty meters from the path. With me is a machine gunner and a sniper. It was very important to find a suitable caravan as early as possible. The desert is one level, without serious heights. The camel caravan is not a car, it moves quite quietly and reveals itself at the last moment.

The entire ambush along the front occupied approx. 250-300 meters. Two people covered the rear. The group's control was organized by radio using tones; the rest of the time there was complete radio silence. It should be added that an almost full moon hung in the sky and with night binoculars the area was visible as if it were day.

On the very first night, in order to check the route and provoke an ambush, an empty caravan of six camels and 15 unarmed escorts passed along the trail. Using night binoculars, I saw the lack of cargo on the camels and the lack of weapons on the “spirits” and warned Panin - they let us through. For the day, the group moved 200 meters away from the ambush site. Observers were posted. During the day, the route was also checked by enemy patrols.

On the second night we took up the same positions. Around midnight the caravan left. From me the path towards the probable passage of the caravan was visible about two hundred meters. At first I saw two figures in BN-2. That's how I remember them. As they approached, the first figure split into a lead patrol of two people, and the second into a chain of camels and people. There are 13 camels and 15 escorts. They move very quickly and noisily, making noise. There are about a hundred meters between the patrol and the caravan. I give a signal over the radio station.

The caravan passes by and is pulled into the fire bag. Behind me I hear the crash of a motorcycle - rear patrol. But he has not yet entered the line of sight. The distance from the caravan is about five hundred meters.

The lead patrol passed Panin's subgroup. The core of the caravan arrived. The ambush began with the simultaneous throwing of several grenades. The intense fire lasted for about five minutes. The killed camels created many obstacles. From my place I could clearly see the tail of the caravan and worked along it. There was practically no resistance. Only the lead patrol fired towards the group and left towards Kanedagar. The rear patrol, without ever entering the visibility zone, turned around and went back.

The preliminary search was carried out at night. A reinforcement approach was unlikely. They did not leave the ambush site. They intensified surveillance and sat until the morning.

During the ambush, 12 people were killed. The head patrol and one person from the core left. Several wounded “spirits” managed to crawl two hundred meters during the night. They were found in the morning following the tracks and finished off. Among the “spirits” we found two Egyptian instructors. One of them tried to surrender, but was shot by the intelligence chief. A missile launcher, about thirty rocket launchers, machine guns and carbines, RPG rounds and documents were captured.

Classic ambush. Like clockwork. As teachers and predecessors taught.

After this incident, the Kandahar garrison of Soviet troops was subjected to intense rocket fire for two nights.

April. A couple of times a week at night the garrison was bombarded with rockets. First, you run out into the street with everyone else and hide in a shelter. After a couple of weeks, you drive the soldiers out to the shelter, and you return to sleep in the barracks. Come what may.

During one of the shelling of the eReSami garrison in the motorized rifle brigade, four were killed and four were wounded.

A battery of “Gyacinth” howitzers and “Uragan” rocket launchers is based near the battalion. As soon as the shelling of the garrison begins, they begin to hammer on the “green stuff”, the entire barracks shakes. A pair of MI-24s rises into the air and also hits the green. After a while the shelling stops.

Diary: “Fatherlessness is a scourge. Male qualities are in short supply. Only ten out of thirty soldiers recognize male authority in their upbringing (from the survey). Of the seventeen to eighteen soldiers of a group going into combat, five to six people are a capable core, seven to eight are outright ballast, carrying themselves and weapons. It would be better without them, but it’s impossible, and there are no others. But that's not all. Some senior commanders believe that everyone should be taken to war in order to educate and re-educate them all there. It’s strange, it always seemed like they were fighting in a war...”

Somewhere around this time. I'm doing fire training at the shooting range with my group. The “armor” of the 1st company is approaching. They are taking some leaders of the “spirits” to be shot.

12th of April. Motorized riflemen. An armored personnel carrier is set on fire while a convoy is being escorted in Kandahar. The battalion commander from the brigade was seriously wounded - his leg was torn off. There is no rush to help - the fire is very strong. When the armored personnel carrier finally arrives, there are no tourniquets or bandages. He dies from loss of blood.

From the diary: “Sometimes I don’t write the complete truth, everything is as it is, out of superstition...”

April 13. The special officer called. He warned me not to be very frank in my assessments of the Afghan war in my letters. My comrade from the Intelligence Directorate of the Leningrad Military District, to whom I wrote letters on his questionnaire for his candidate’s dissertation in philosophy, was also shaken. (After returning to the Union. He: “And I didn’t understand why!”)

April 18th. Not far from the airfield, a MiG-23 crashed during landing. According to the official version, a MANPADS was shot down. The pilot died. Some kind of general rank. The “armor” of the third company went to provide security for the work of the commission.

Accession to the Union is scheduled (once again, the dates are constantly being postponed) for May 15. The "spirits" have intensified the transfer of weapons from Pakistan. They carry, incl. ATGMs are also preparing for our exit. Our activities are very limited - the radius of action (groups) is narrowed to 30-40 km. “Spirits” smash the border battalions of the government army. (We visited them a couple of times - they are still a gang. No service, of course, just a struggle for survival). The “spirits” approach the battalion, send a parliamentarian - one day to think about it - switch to the side of the “spirits” or be destroyed. For the majority, of course, there is no choice.

Somewhere at the same time, the head of the Control Group of the USSR Ministry of Defense in Afghanistan - Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces - Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR V.I. came to the garrison. Varennikov - prepared him morally for a conclusion. I took the words, asked why they were limiting military operations, said that this was wrong, we were letting the “spirits” gather their strength. He agreed and said that military operations must be carried out, but people must be protected.

Episode. Fuel trucks came and filled all the infantry fighting vehicles of the 1st company... with water - they sold all the diesel fuel along the way.

Somewhere at the same time. The group of the 2nd company under the command of Igor Musorov came out on “armor” to maintain the tone. They don't really hide. We stopped in a small “green patch” not far from the village of Garkalai, very close to the border control point (they are no longer allowed further than 30 km, only overflights). It had just gotten dark - a caravan was coming from Pakistan. During the ambush, a MAZ with weapons and ammunition is captured; the second vehicle appears to have been destroyed. At that time I was on duty at the vehicle fleet. I hear and see flashes of battle. I called the unit on duty: “Musorov is probably hitting the caravan...” - before the group contacted the battalion via radio.

April 28, 1988 We landed from the armor and landed in a mandekh right next to the road, in the same place where we took 2 Simurghs and a MAZ during a flyby. It was very convenient to work in this place because of the large number of mandekhs and man-made ditches. Straight, like a line of trenches, in full profile.

On the second night, a motorcycle goes towards Pakistan. Watch, I think. Skip or hit? I decided to use a silent weapon. There are only three trunks in this group. I have a PB, a warrant officer-deputy APSB, and an AKMS reconnaissance officer with PBS-1. And at that moment the ensign was impatient. Events developed rapidly. We're almost running now. As soon as we got about twenty meters from the road, a motorcycle approached. Knocked down from two trunks. The motorcycle is on its side, with its wheels facing us. We send bullets to finish them off. Suddenly, a shadow from a motorcycle darted into Mandeh. Light up! They started shooting from machine guns.

Dark. Come over. It turned out that the motorcycle fell over a small hillock, and all the finishing bullets went into it, into the motorcycle, and into the front “spirit”... They searched, took off the jacket with documents from the trunk, walked through the mandekh - there was no one, but drops of blood. I look at the documents from my jacket - the German has left! I’m contacting the battalion via radio - send “armor”! They answer - we will send it in the morning. The duty officer did not wake up the battalion commander, and then he was punished for it. Re going.

Suddenly, in “BN” I see two “spirits” walking through the ambush site in single file. They are two hundred meters away. I also thought it was as if they were driving a motorcycle. Fire! We shot back and didn’t go look at night. We moved one and a half kilometers away. They arrived in the morning. A motorcycle is lying with a backpack. In the backpack there are films, photographs, diaries, books and drugs.

The “armor” has arrived. I drove 30 km to the battalion in a captured Yamaha.

May 15. I have a bad cold, my whole throat is covered. This is in 40 degree heat! But it's common. From the heat to the officers' quarters - cold soda, air conditioning... Igor Vesnin gave us a captured antibiotic from the caravan. I woke up this morning and I didn’t feel anything inside. Nothing at all, not a single organ. The feeling is like being completely empty. But he recovered immediately.

I anonymously surveyed the group’s fighters (distributed homemade questionnaires) - out of 16 people, 10 tried drugs.

May 25. They signed up “volunteers” to be transferred to Kabul. Because the battalion left Kandahar in the first stage of withdrawal, and from Kabul in the second - six months later. V. Goratenkov has already been transferred there as a battalion commander. S. Breslavsky was sent from Lashkar Gah in his place. Many officers who did not serve for two years “signed up.” Me too. But as a result, he remained in the battalion.

On the same day, a fighter from my group was electrocuted in a bathhouse. The group was on its way out. I stopped taking him - he’s a slob. The bathhouse was undergoing renovations, the wiring was being changed, and he went there without permission. Very banal. I was at war and electrocuted because of sloppiness. Of course, they wrote it off as “battle losses.” They composed a “description of the feat”, presented it to the order and sent it to their homeland...

May 27. The third company took part in escorting the Soviet military column through Kandahar and set up blocks. The day before there was shelling of a convoy almost in the center of the city; the “spirits” were knocked out, among other things. security tank. The company was placed in a cordon right in this place. We've arrived. We saw some group of bearded “darlings” with machine guns. We talked. Supposedly “allies”. (Who can sort them out!) But it’s better not to turn your back. Very annoying. A group of soldiers and I sat down in a dilapidated villa directly opposite the place where the tank was hit. RPG shots were found in the corner of the room. Either they were left over from the last ambush or already prepared for a new one. A few hours later a column passed by. Dusty, hot... But everything went fine. We are leaving after the column.

May 29. The “spirits” waged a real war. Columns cannot pass through Kandahar. Another tank and 4 vehicles were burned on the passage. The agents report that it will be even tougher. At the same time, the activities of our troops, incl. battalion, in view of the upcoming withdrawal and all sorts of agreements, is limited - we are only defending ourselves.

June 1st. In the evening the battalion sounded the alarm. The “spirits” completely cut off the road to Kandahar. Columns with cargo cannot pass. The officers were read a closed letter from the CPSU Central Committee about the situation in Afghanistan. Nothing new for us. There are reports of increased transfers of weapons from Pakistan to Afghanistan, incl. with the participation of the Pakistani army - caravans go day and night... Enemy groups are being strengthened, they are being consolidated into army units, and new fortified areas are being created. The border battalions of the DRA army have already been partially destroyed, and some are going over to the enemy’s side. The “spirits” promise to seize power in Kandahar 5 days after our departure.

To participate in unblocking the road to Kandahar (the 70th Motorized Rifle Brigade requested assistance), the battalion commander assigned the 3rd company. I go to the battalion commander: “Permission to go with the third company.” Allows. We're starting to get ready. We sit for 2-3 hours waiting to get out. After a while, a “lights out” follows.

Everyone is nervous about the “no war, no peace” situation. Either they prohibit military operations completely, or they allow them, but “not far away.” On TV - Gorbachev is fraternizing with Reagan.

Somewhere around this time. The garrison of government troops in Kalat asked for help - “spirits” drive up in cars every night and fire at them. We fly on two sides of the Mi-8 - in one there is a mining group, in the other there is mine (the Mi-24 is in cover, as usual). A few kilometers from Kalat we sit on a dirt, well-trodden road. The miners are installing the “Hunting” system, we are on guard. We're flying away. Three days later, helicopter pilots flew out to take a look and reported that two cars had been blown up.

June 4. Party meeting. I'm speaking. I'm talking about postscripts of results; about the receipt of military awards by people who do not go to combat; that while the group commanders are fighting and getting “results” for the battalion, clothes from the Union are being bought up and the group commanders are getting nothing; etc.

At night, another heavy shelling of the garrison came from the “green” side. A strong fire broke out somewhere on the territory of the motorized rifle brigade. The rockets explode 100-200 meters from the battalion barracks. In the morning we find craters and fragments right next to the adobe fence of the battalion.

The next day, my group was sent to fly into the “green zone” directly to the west and northwest of the PPD - we had never flown there - to look for firing positions of RS launchers. We've been spinning around for quite some time. Both we and the helicopter pilots are very tense. Groups of “darlings” are carefully watching the helicopters from different sides. When we approach, they hide in karizs. I think there are also launchers there. We find nothing, so we return.

June 7. We fly for several days in a row to fly over the Registan desert, incl. see if the troops can get out through the desert. No options. The technique will not work.

The flight mechanic kills a goitered gazelle with a machine gun. We sit down and pick it up. Helicopter pilots will have extra rations. Great guys, all like family. It can not be in any other way. Our lives depend on them, theirs on us.

In the evening, Hurricane fires at the greenery. One of the charges turns out to be faulty and it falls on the airfield. We are watching it all live. Later they reported that the Su-25 burned down and a security soldier died. (Officially – “during a rocket attack,” of course).

June 17. We fly overflights less often. The "spirits" calm down. The first flight into the “zone” to the east gives the result: “Toyota” and 4 guns.

Senior officer R., who has been in Afghanistan for almost a week, writes to himself for his medal: “Vesnin, get me an American body armor. I order you!”

June 25. Igor Vesnin on the “armor” with deputy technical engineer Kostya Parkachev scored “Simurg” and 9 “spirits” on the Kanate-Hadzhibur route.

During a flight inspection of the 1st company, a soldier was wounded during an inspection of motorcyclists. They put a fighter in the helicopter and drag a motorcycle.

June 29. In an ambush with a group to the southeast of the PPD on the border of the treaty zone. It's hellishly hot. Wind from Registan. Everything iron became hot. You wait for the night, but only by 4 am it becomes a little easier, and in the morning it’s all over again... It’s impossible to sleep, some pieces and scraps from oblivion...

July. Chronicle.

The shelling of the garrison became more frequent. Almost every night, and sometimes even during the day. 4 helicopters were damaged at the airfield. They reported that on June 23 in Kabul, 8 Su-25s burned down during shelling at the airfield. Our artillery and aviation are also increasing their attacks on the green zone of Kandahar in view of the upcoming withdrawal.

An ensign and a soldier from a motorized rifle brigade went at night on a fuel tanker to sell fuel with “spirits.” The place where they were killed was found, there were no corpses.

While charging in the morning, we found 3 machine guns – the infantry had prepared them for sale.

An officer and 2 soldiers from the security “point” went to the store - the corpses were found, the machine guns were missing.

The D-30 howitzer started firing at the garrison.

5 KPVTs were removed from armored personnel carriers in the 70th Omsbr and prepared for sale.

College classmate Sasha Egelsky gives an interview in Jalalabad.

They reported that when the troops left Shahjoy, dozens of criminal cases were opened. They wanted to transport 18 firearms to the Union.

July 2. I was transferred to the 3rd company (this was more my choice) to take the place of Andrei Malkov, who dropped out due to injury. A few weeks ago, at a shooting range, a soldier set the AGS barrel low and fired; a grenade exploded close by, and a shrapnel wounded Andryukha in the throat. He was sent to the Union. In general, in view of the imminent withdrawal, people, if possible, send by plane to the Union everyone who will not be needed during the withdrawal.

Igor Vesnin suffered from malaria.

Somewhere around this time, the 3rd Company participated in the planting of a hiding place for an illegal agent. He's from the Russians. We leave - he stays. They laid down a lot of ammunition, explosives, and communications equipment.

The third company was engaged 300 meters from the MPD with fighters. We planted a couple of boxes of explosives. The detachment thought that the shelling of the RS had begun.

July 9. Two TASS correspondents arrived from Kabul. One is Snastin Alexander Vasilievich (45-47 years old). We say what we think. Publicity. But they warn that little will make it into the reports.

July 11. The “spirits” have set their sights on the UN town in Kandahar and are methodically hammering it. “storytellers” and advisers live in it. (We went there sometimes to swim in the pool). Everyone is transported to the garrison. To “advise” they now travel to Kandahar only a couple of times a week.

We were notified that terrorist groups of children and teenagers had been formed in Kandahar. Armed with grenades and pistols.

July 16. In the 70th Motorized Rifle Brigade, “spirits” dragged away two soldiers. The soldier settled scores with the sergeant - he shot him with an AK.

July 19. Reported. Yesterday, 10 people died while escorting the convoy. from the 70th Omsbr. “Spirits” were brought in approx. 1000 Rs.

A fuel tanker was set on fire in the Daman area. They dragged it to the checkpoint, it exploded, two more fuel tankers, 1 armored personnel carrier, 1 Ural were burned - 2 soldiers were killed, approx. 10 wounded.

July 28th. Some of the garrison soldiers and service personnel continue to be sent by plane to the Union. Television has arrived. But the exact release date is not announced. (Most likely they are hiding it on purpose so that there is no leakage of information). In fact, the date has already been postponed many times.

July 29. I went with the soldiers to unload ammunition at the warehouse - the government army is creating supplies for several months.

July 31st. The withdrawal of the battalion begins. The role of the battalion during the withdrawal is combat protection of the exiting columns.

The 1st company and battalion command as part of a general military column today tried to pass Kandahar. But the motorized rifles could not even set up a guard - very dense fire. An officer died, a soldier disappeared, 3 tanks were damaged (and there are only 12 of them left in the garrison, as they say). In the evening the column returned.

August 1. Today the columns passed Kandahar. There was only one explosion, one sapper was killed. We are in an empty garrison and battalion. Things have already been collected and loaded onto armored personnel carriers - everything is ready to go. I leave an empty seat in one of the armored personnel carriers in case of injury. The special officer comes with his trunks and fills it.

In the evening, TV shows the beginning of the withdrawal of troops from Kandahar (filming at the airfield - a rally and loading onto planes) - the southernmost garrison. We have to leave tomorrow. All officers gather in the large officers' room of the third company. They carry everything that is not finished. Igor Morozov brings a can of mash. People drink, scooping in mugs. I'm the only one almost sober. (The third, fourth toast is sacred, then I skip it). Sasha Thor proposes a toast “to those who don’t drink.” Until late at night we go over the Afghan epic of the detachment, who remembers what. I'm recording on a tape recorder. (The film is still preserved).

August 2. In the morning we load onto the “armor”. Officers of government troops arrive at the battalion with luggage and accept the property. Everything, of course, is purely formal - take what you give.

All day long we stand in a common column with the self-propelled guns "Gyacinth" and the RZSO "Uragans" not far from the battalion - we are their combat guard. But for now the road is closed by “spirits”. We sleep on the “armor” at night. When undershooting, rockets explode. In the park 70th br. (already occupied by “brothers in arms”) a fuel tanker explodes. The fire spreads to several neighboring vehicles with ammunition. Fireworks at midnight. Shots are heard somewhere.

August 3rd. My birthday. 25 years. The conversations of the units providing convoy support can be heard in the headset: “They’re working on me with a mortar. It's Gundigan! There are already wounded and killed. We are waiting for the firing points to be suppressed. The start of the movement has already been delayed for an hour... The tension is growing. Hurry up! 11.15 - let's set off!

We are quickly drawn into the city. It's dusty, the sun is blazing hot. At the exit from the city, the dust around becomes so dense that you involuntarily lower the machine gun - you still won’t have time to use it, visibility is only a meter or two. We enter the “green zone” - from all vehicles in the area adjacent to the road we open heavy machine gun fire. Do not give the “spirits” a chance to realize their plans and cheer themselves up. The feeling of being stripped naked in a crowded square. The world is more unstable than ever. The column cannot move quickly: someone has pulled ahead, someone is lagging behind, someone has breakdowns, somewhere a self-propelled gun has stopped... A few tens of minutes - and the years of war are left behind. We’ve walked 30 km, there’s still 800 ahead, but these 30 are just like those 800.

In the evening we stop at the first overnight stop on the left of the road. They remembered that it was my birthday. We make a simple dinner, have small drinks, eat watermelons and grapes, Igor Vesnin gives everyone a large pack of Afghani.

August 4th. We approach the bridge over the Helmand River. We stop on the road. The river has completely dried up, only isolated puddles remain. On the left, a kilometer from the road, there is an extensive greenery. Lyokha Panin goes to the nearest mandekh to relieve herself. Suddenly the whistle of a mine and a gap in the flight. “Wow!” - Lyokha yells from Mandeh. Everyone hides behind the equipment, lies down behind the road embankment and opens fire. It was decided that since they were shooting from here, this is where we should stand. We were given an automatic mortar "Cornflower" as reinforcement - we know the platoon commander from Kandahar. He loads the cassette and fires a series of shots at the green gun.

We leave the road to the left, hide the equipment in the folds of the terrain, alternately conduct observation and warning fire through the sights of the armored personnel carriers. The officers decided to catch fish “with a grenade.” We approach a large puddle, throw an RGD-5 from behind cover - an explosion, about 40 small fish float up with their bellies. Edible? We cook fish soup.

Soviet columns are constantly passing by: the Kandahar and Lakhkargah garrisons are leaving. We “borrow” oblong watermelons from Afghan women from passing barbuhas, and that’s the only way to get drunk.

In the evening we change places and decide to go with part of the company to an ambush. Restless! We leave part of the “armor” in the field. It got dark. The soldiers lit fires to cook dinner. Suddenly there was heavy shelling. 18 shells are exploding around the “armor”. She reports to us over the radio station, takes off and drives out onto the road. We, of course, return immediately. Thank God no one was hurt.

5th of August. There is a technical closure. Our company turned out to be the most extreme. All the troops had already passed and we then caught up with the columns that had gone ahead. A lot of equipment has accumulated in Dilaram.

August 6. We pass Farakhrud and pick up the column of the 8th detachment of the 22nd Special Forces brigade. The presence of spirits is not particularly felt. We pass the place where the Valera Gonchar trough. Traces of the battle are still visible. In the 8th detachment, one of the armored personnel carriers bears his name. When we passed the mountain range, in one place we saw a broken column (before the withdrawal) - 9 damaged fuel tankers, 1 tank, 4 infantry fighting vehicles.

August 7. In the evening we reach Shindant, where we spend the night. A huge amount of equipment from all over the south. We communicate with people. The situation here is much calmer than in Kandahar. Many officers, having served for 2 years, did not see “spirits” in their eyes. (This is once again to the topic of “flight of Soviet troops from Afghanistan”). From Shindant to the border Turugundi the road is completely different - no craters, no damaged equipment. There is a gas pipeline running along the road to Soyuz (an indicator!), it is rarely blown up. More often they crash and steal gasoline. Single army vehicles drive freely - incidents are extremely rare. In all villages there are many “spirits” with weapons - local self-defense. They are not showing any aggression; on the contrary, many sincerely regret that the “Shuravis” are leaving - an undermining of the entire business - the Russians buy a lot and provide fuel. It feels like everything has settled down here during the war years, relations have been established.

8 August. We are driving through Herat. The green zone is very vast, there are still the same armed “self-defense units” in the villages, but the soldiers on the blocks walk at full height. They demonstrate that there is no danger. It is surprising that here, closer to the Union, there are practically no Soviet goods in the continents, but only Japanese, American...

11th August. We form a company on a hill on a block in a combat outpost near Turugundi. The USSR border and border towers are already visible. We have been standing on blocks for several days. The columns approach the border. Every night there are fireworks: tracers, flares... There are wounded. The soldiers of our company are trying to trade with the locals - exchanging cartridges and grenades for women's cosmetic sets. If we find out, we punish. Special officers warn that there will be a lot of noise at the border, do not even think about transporting weapons.

August 16. We leave the block and go to the border. We rent out armored personnel carriers, weapons and ammunition. The cars are left with the squad. We wash in the bathhouse. The drivers remain to continue serving in Afghanistan. They still have to go even to Kandahar, to carry cargo for the government army. Of course, they are not happy. One third-term soldier from our company is lost. We are looking hard. It's very unnerving. After a while, we found him among the vast troops - they were choked up, so he left.

We cram into the supplied KAMAZ trucks like herring into a barrel.

At 12.15 we cross the border. Kushka, Soyuz. The total length of the route from Kandahar was thus almost 1000 km.

In Kushka, no one is waiting for us. There is no food. At all. Everyone is in quiet shock. We didn’t make any reserves; we saw everything on TV and it was well received. But then the TV... We finish the meager dry rations, the officers go to the garrison canteen. We are loaded into the veal wagons.

August 17. We arrive in Iolotan, they set up tents at a military training center on the border with the desert, where we stand in the so-called. “quarantine” for a week: no normal food, no light, no normal water - given for a few minutes 3 times a day... No activity - stupid idleness from food to food that is impossible to eat. The officers go out into town to eat and call home.

August 24 (not exactly). We load ourselves back into the veal wagons and through Mary, Ashgabat, Nebit-Dag, on the southern border of the Kara Kum desert, we go to Krasnovodsk, a port on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea. A very interesting place. We're loading onto the ferry.

August 27 (not exactly). We wake up in the morning on the open sea. We go out onto the deck and see seals swimming below. Closer to the western shore, the water becomes dirty and oil rigs appear.

We arrive in Baku. The brigade was stationed in the city of Perikishkul, in the military unit of operational-tactical missiles. There are no conditions at all: no barracks, no normal dormitories for officers. We will do all the arrangement ourselves.

D. Podushkov