To the 10th anniversary of the feat of the 6th company
In 2018, a new edition of the book “Step into Immortality” was published, supplemented by new facts about the battle of the 6th company, as well as essays and memoirs of the parents of the fallen soldiers.
If you have any questions about purchasing a new edition of the book, you can contact the author -
Oleg Dementiev(e-mail: [email protected]
)
Dementyev Oleg Vladimirovich born in 1948 in Novosibirsk. Since 1953 he has lived in the Pskov region. Served in the Northern Fleet. Journalist by profession. In 1999, he created the Pskov supplement of the Argumenty i Fakty newspaper. Currently lives in Pskov. Correspondent for Rossiyskaya Gazeta and columnist for the Pskov News newspaper.
Klevtsov Vladimir Vasilievich born in 1954 in Velikiye Luki. Author of five books of prose. Member of the Russian Writers' Union. Winner of the Pskov Region Administration Prize for the best achievements in the field of literature. Lives in Pskov.
Book "Step into Immortality" created at the request of the commander of the 76th Guards Division of the Guard, Major General S.Yu. Semenyuty. At the fifth regional competition of printed products, the publication was recognized as “Book of the Year”. O. Dementyev and V. Klevtsov were awarded Diplomas and awarded commemorative medals in honor of the 1100th anniversary of Pskov.
The paratroopers of the 76th Guards Airborne Chernigov Red Banner Division, who blocked the path of the militants rushing through the Argun Gorge in the Chechen Republic into the valley and further into Dagestan, will forever remain in our memory. February 29, 2000, and paid for it with their lives.
Chronicle of the event.
About 3 thousand mercenaries accumulated in the gorge. They are already February 29 We were supposed to pass the gorge, but were delayed a few times. The landing force knew nothing about their presence here. The soldiers were given the order to move to the heights. The 6th parachute company was supposed to be at the exit from the gorge at an altitude of 776.0 near the village of Ulus-Kert.
The company's reconnaissance patrol was the first to encounter a group of militants numbering over 40 people. The mercenaries shouted to be let through, since “the commanders had agreed”! Senior Lieutenant Alexei Vorobyov urgently contacted the battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Mark Evtyukhin, by radio and reported the situation. He got in touch with the command of the landing group. An order came from there: offer the militants to surrender or destroy everyone!
The bandits listened to this conversation via radio interception, and Khattab gave his order: “Wipe the paratroopers off the face of the earth!” A battle broke out and continued the next day. The guards did not retreat an inch. They rejected the money offered by the bandits. There was no help except the breakthrough of 10 scouts of the 4th company, led by the deputy commander of the 2nd battalion, Major Alexander Dostavalov. The paratroopers fought to the death. Despite their wounds, many threw grenades into the midst of their enemies. Blood flowed in a stream along the road leading down. For each of the 90 paratroopers there were 30 militants.
March 1 at a critical moment, Lieutenant Colonel Mark Evtyukhin and artillery spotter Captain Viktor Romanov called fire from their native artillery: “On themselves!” The morning was clear when the last paratroopers of the company died. A helicopter was patrolling over the battlefield, and the pilots reported to the ground that the militants were collecting the corpses of the guardsmen and intend to take them somewhere. Paratroopers from other units began to break through to the battlefield. The militants retreated. It turned out that they had collected the corpses in one pile, and they sat dead Lieutenant Colonel Evtyukhin with a walkie-talkie and headphones on. All around there were trees cut by bullets, fragments of grenades, mines and shells, mutilated corpses of paratroopers lay, many of them were finished off by militants at point-blank range.
2nd of March the remaining militants were scattered by an air and artillery raid. About 500 went to the mountains and disappeared. Later, some field commanders were killed, according to some sources, by Pskov paratroopers
The dead paratroopers are guys from 47 republics, territories and regions of Russia. 13 officers became Heroes of Russia posthumously. Among the 84 dead guardsmen were 20 conscript and contract soldiers from the Pskov region. The title of Hero of Russia was awarded to Corporal Alexander Lebedev from the Pskov region and Sergeant Dmitry Grigoriev from the Novosokolnichesky region. Eternal memory to them!
The feat of the paratroopers was awarded a Russian prize "Warriors of the Spirit". The streets of their native cities were named in their honor, memorial plaques were opened in educational institutions, and monuments were erected in Pskov and Moscow.
PSKOV PATRONS
No matter what war, no matter what thunder
You would not be severely scorched,
Oh, Russian land! - you are behind the helmet
And behind the shield of your regiments from Pskov.
You are behind the shield of fearless paratroopers,
Their military, tough skill,
What was gained in hand-to-hand battles
At the cost of bloody and mortal teaching.
Their blood burns in all "hot spots"
But Pskov has been their home for half a century.
Division Chernigov firmly
Connected with the ancient valiant land.
Because you keep your honor sacred
And the people have not lost faith in you -
Bow to you, Russian soldiers,
Bow to the soldiers' mothers!
Stanislav Zolottsev,
Secretary of the Writers' Union of Russia
Paratroopers of the 6th company in the 104th Guards Regiment in the summer of 1999
Combat everyday life of the landing force
Opening of the monument to the 6th company "Dome"
Andrei Panov's daughter Irishka with portraits of her father and godfather
“Warriors of the Spirit” Award figurine
For purchasing inquiries please contact:
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Author - Oleg Dementyev
Mobile tel. +7 999 167-91-46
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Dementiev V. O.
List of dead paratroopers
Evtyukhin Mark Nikolaevich - lieutenant colonel, battalion commander. Born in the city of Yoshkar-Ola, Mari Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (now the Mari-El Republic).
He was drafted into the ranks of the Soviet Army in 1981. In 1985 he graduated from the Ryazan Higher Command School of the Airborne Forces.
Since 1985, he served in the 76th Guards Airborne Chernigov Red Banner Division, stationed in the city of Pskov.
He participated in establishing constitutional order in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Kyrgyzstan, which were part of the Soviet Union.
In 1998, he was appointed commander of the 2nd parachute battalion of the 104th regiment of the division, located in the village of Cherekha near Pskov.
He died while performing a combat mission at an altitude of 776.0 in the Argun Gorge near Ulus-Kert in the Chechen Republic (he caused fire on himself when he realized that the forces of the bandits were many times greater than the forces of the defenders).
He was buried in Pskov at the Orletsovsky cemetery.
In 2000, for the great work in military-patriotic education, the Municipal Budgetary Educational Institution “Secondary School N5” was named after the Hero of the Russian Federation Guard, Lieutenant Colonel Mark Nikolaevich Evtyukhin.
In 2017, a monument to the commander of the legendary 6th company of the Airborne Forces, Hero of Russia Mark Evtyukhin, was unveiled in Yoshkar-Ola.
Lieutenant Colonel Evtyukhin arrived in Chechnya with his guard battalion on January 31, 2000. He immediately began carrying out tasks to destroy illegal gangs.
On February 9, the battalion received its first baptism of fire. Moving in a column to the area of the settlement of Dyshne-Vedeno, the battalion unit came across an ambush by militants. Having quickly oriented himself in the current situation, the commander competently managed to organize the defense in a short time. The militants' plan was thwarted. During the ensuing battle, the paratroopers destroyed up to 30 bandits and two vehicles.
On February 29, Guard Lieutenant Colonel Evtyukhin received the task of leaving the sixth company with reinforcement units to occupy heights 776.0 and 705.6. During the advance, the reconnaissance patrol discovered a large group of terrorists. In the ensuing battle, the battalion commander decided to take an advantageous position and organize a defense in order to prevent the reinforcements arriving at the militants from the Argun Gorge from breaking through. Under heavy fire from the guard bandits, Lieutenant Colonel Evtyukhin organized the defense at a height of 776.0 and personally led the battle, constantly being in the most dangerous directions.
Having brought in additional forces and created a numerical superiority in manpower, the militants increased the intensity of fire from two directions. Under heavy fire, the battalion commander managed to withdraw the reconnaissance patrol to the company strong point. Personally supervising the retreat, Guard Lieutenant Colonel Evtyukhin received numerous injuries, but continued to command his subordinates. Suffering heavy losses, the bandits carried out one attack after another. Khattab himself uncontrollably threw militants into the company’s battle formations. On the night of March 1, they launched an assault on the stronghold from three sides. But, thanks to the competent management of the battle by the battalion commander, who was bleeding, and the courage of the paratroopers, the encirclement attempt was thwarted. At dawn, having gathered new forces, the militants launched another assault on the company's stronghold. Without firing, shouting “Allahu Akbar!”, Despite the huge losses, they moved like an avalanche towards the defending paratroopers. The battle escalated into hand-to-hand combat. Seeing that the forces of the militants were many times superior to the defenders, Guard Lieutenant Colonel Evtyukhin managed to call artillery fire on himself via radio. These were the last words of the courageous battalion commander. Guard Lieutenant Colonel Evtyukhin died, having fulfilled his duty to the end. The militants paid dearly for the death of the brave commander - more than 400 militants found their grave on the battlefield. But Khattab’s gang was never able to break out of the Argun Gorge.
For the courage and heroism shown in battles with terrorists in the North Caucasus region, Guard Lieutenant Colonel Evtyukhin Mark Nikolaevich was awarded the title of Hero of Russia (posthumously).
Commander of the 6th company of the 104th Guards Parachute Regiment of the Guard, Major Sergei Georgievich Molodov. Born on April 15, 1965 in Kutaisi, Georgian Republic. He served in the Airborne Forces. Then he graduated from the Ryazan Higher Command Airborne School. He served as a lieutenant in the Turkestan Military District. Over the course of several years, I visited various “hot spots” with my unit. He served in Volgodonsk and Buinaksk, where he fought with bandits who captured a tank battalion. Later he arrived in Pskov, where he was appointed company commander.
A business trip to the Chechen Republic in February 2000 was not unexpected. On February 9 and 22, Major Molodov and a group of paratroopers defeated a cluster of militants.
A fierce battle broke out on February 29, when the militants tried to escape from the Argun Gorge, but their path was blocked by Pskov paratroopers.
Guard Major Molodov S.G. clearly oriented himself in the situation, but the bandits had a significant numerical superiority. Moral superiority in battle was on the side of the paratroopers. None of them backed down. The company commander skillfully controlled the battle. During the day he was seriously wounded in the neck, but continued to fight. Shells, bullets and shrapnel cut down branches of trees. The paratroopers fought hand-to-hand, cutting themselves with shovels and rifle butts. Molodov rushed to pull out the wounded soldier, but was killed by a sniper’s bullet.
The grave of Guard Major Sergei Georgievich Molodov next to the grave of his father Georgiy Feoktistovich at the Krasnopolsky cemetery of the Sosnovsky district, Chelyabinsk region.
For the courage and heroism shown in battles with terrorists in the North Caucasus region, Guard Major Sergei Georgievich Molodov was awarded the title Hero of Russia (posthumously).
Dostavalov Alexander Vasilievich - major, deputy battalion commander. Born in the city of Ufa. In 1981 he was drafted into the ranks of the Soviet Army. He served in the 76th Guards Airborne Chernigov Red Banner Division, located in the city of Pskov.
He died while performing a combat mission at an altitude of 776.0 in the Argun Gorge near Ulus-Kert in the Chechen Republic.
On March 12, 2000, he was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Russia. Forever enlisted in the lists of the 5th parachute landing Chernigov Red Banner Division.
He was buried at the Orletsovsky cemetery in Pskov.
This was the second trip to the war in Chechnya for Guard Major Dostavalov.
The first time he took part in battles with bandits was in 1995. Dostavalov competently passed on his experience of conducting combat operations to his subordinates.
The military clash with terrorists in the war in 2000 for the guard of Major Dostavalov took place on February 10. While accompanying a column of a regimental tactical group, the deputy battalion commander identified a group of militants trying to set up an ambush. Quickly assessing the situation, the officer competently distributed the means of combat security and gave the command to destroy the militants. The plans of the “spirits” were thwarted and unhindered passage of the column was ensured. 15 corpses of militants remained on the battlefield.
On February 29, the battalion units were leaving to occupy the dominant heights in order to prevent the terrorists from breaking through from the Argun Gorge. In the absence of the guard battalion commander, Major Dostavalov remained in charge. When the sixth parachute company engaged in a heavy battle with the bandits, the deputy battalion commander immediately arrived at the fourth company's strong point, organized and led its exit to support a neighboring unit. Major Dostavalov himself personally with a platoon of guard paratroopers reached an advantageous line on the southern outskirts of the height with mark 776.0. By the end of the day, the paratroopers made two attempts to break through to the neighboring unit leading the battle. However, they were not successful. On the night of March 1, having learned by radio from the commander of the guard battalion, Lieutenant Colonel M. Evtyukhin, that superior forces of militants were trying to encircle the sixth company, Guard Major Dostavalov decided to make a breakthrough. Another attempt to connect with the paratroopers of the sixth parachute company was a success. During the battle of the guard, Major Dostavalov was seriously wounded, but did not leave the battlefield and continued to lead his subordinates and destroy bandits.
During one of the battles, a wounded officer saw several militants trying to capture a wounded paratrooper. Overcoming the pain, Guard Major Dostavalov rushed towards the soldier with a swift rush and, having destroyed the militants, carried him under heavy fire into the company’s battle formations. He saved his subordinate, but he himself was mortally wounded.
For the courage and heroism shown in battles with terrorists, Guard Major Alexander Vasilyevich Dostavalov was awarded the title Hero of Russia (posthumously).
Guard Captain Roman Vladimirovich Sokolov - deputy company commander for airborne training. Born on February 16, 1972 in Ryazan. Already from childhood, I observed the life of paratrooper cadets and dreamed of entering the Higher Command School of the Airborne Forces in my hometown. This dream came true on August 1, 1989. After graduating from college, he was sent to his duty station in Pskov in the 76th Guards Red Banner Division.
In 1995, Roman Sokolov took part in the first operation to restore constitutional order in the Chechen Republic. While fighting in the Argun Gorge, he was wounded in the arm and concussed. He was awarded the Order of Courage and the Medal "For Military Merit".
A new business trip to Chechnya began with military clashes. On February 9, the Mujahideen attack was repulsed, and the attackers suffered heavy losses.
On February 29, the 6th company of paratroopers, following orders, advanced to commanding heights at the exit
from the Argun Gorge. A bloody battle broke out here. The mercenaries outnumbered the paratroopers - 2.5 thousand against 90 guards! But the spirit of patriotism increased the strength of the paratroopers hundreds of times.
Captain Sokolov led two platoons in the middle of the day and withdrew with them to a height of 776.0 under heavy fire. A defense was organized and the withdrawal of the rest of the company along with the commander was ensured. After the death of the commander of the 6th Guard Company, Major Molodov, Guard Captain Sokolov took command, although he was already wounded.
On the night of March 1, the militants tried to encircle the company and sent their main forces to do so. Guard Captain Sokolov's arm was torn off, but he did not stop fighting. A terrible pain pierced the body again - Sokolov remained
without legs! His comrades tried to help him by making tourniquets.
However, everything was in vain. A deadly mine hit him in the back and tore his body apart.
Near the deceased captain Sokolov, 15 corpses of militants were counted.
For the courage and heroism shown in battles with terrorists, Guard Captain Roman Vladimirovich Sokolov was awarded the title Hero of Russia (posthumously).
Guard Captain Romanov Viktor Viktorovich - commander of a self-propelled artillery battery of the 76th Red Banner Airborne Division. Born on May 15, 1972 in the village of Sosva, Serovsky district, Sverdlovsk region. Called up for service on August 1, 1989 by the Serov RVK of the Sverdlovsk region. Graduated from the Kolomna Higher Military Command Artillery School.
After graduating from college, he was sent to Pskov, where he served in an artillery regiment. He took part in battles during the Chechen campaign in 1995, for which he was awarded the Order of Courage and the Medal “For Military Valor”, 1st degree.
At the beginning of February 2000, Guard Captain V.V. Romanov. arrived in the Chechen Republic along with other paratroopers from Pskov. On February 7, reconnaissance discovered a group of militants and the guard battery of Captain V.V. Romanov opened fire. Very few bandits managed to escape. A similar battle took place on February 16.
On February 29, Guard Captain V.V. Romanov was in the mountains, where he was heading along with the 6th company of the 104th regiment as an artillery spotter. During a clash with militants, he quickly prepared and transmitted shooting data to the command post and called for artillery fire. At the same time, he fired from a machine gun. Together with Guard Lieutenant Colonel M.N. Evtyukhin, he called fire from his own batteries on himself. Guard captain V.V. Romanov died from a sniper’s bullet.
Guard captain Viktor Viktorovich Romanov was buried in the village of Sosva, Sverdlovsk region.
For the courage and heroism shown in battles with terrorists, Guard Captain Viktor Viktorovich Romanov was awarded the title Hero of Russia (posthumously).
March 2, 2016 on the facade of house No. 3A on the street. Peacefully, a memorial plaque to Hero of Russia Viktor Romanov was solemnly unveiled.
Guard Senior Lieutenant Alexey Vladimirovich Vorobyov, deputy commander of the 6th company of the 104th Guards Red Banner Parachute Regiment. Born on May 14, 1975 in the village of Borovukha, Vitebsk region, Belarusian Republic. Drafted into the army on August 1, 1992 by the Kurozhevsky RVK of the Orenburg region.
To establish constitutional order in the Chechen Republic, A.V. Vorobyov arrived in the North Caucasus on September 15, 1999. Already on October 27, commanding a reconnaissance unit, he led a battle in which 17 bandits were destroyed and two were captured.
There were battles with militants on December 2, 1999 and January 4, 2000, where A.V.’s paratroopers won. Vorobyova.
In its last battle, the reconnaissance patrol under the command of Guard Senior Lieutenant A.V. Vorobyov was the first to encounter bandits emerging from the Argun Gorge on February 29, 2000. The Wahhabis refused to surrender and opened fire. The fight was brutal. The number of militants was several dozen times greater. But the paratroopers fought to the end.
Vorobyov personally killed the field commander Idris and about 30 bandits. Heavily wounded in the legs, he was bleeding, but ordered R. Hristolyubov and A. Komarov to make their way to their own for help. The soldiers remained alive, but senior lieutenant A.V. Vorobiev died from loss of blood.
Guard senior lieutenant Vorobyov Alexey Vladimirovich was buried in the village of Kandaurovka, Orenburg region. One of the village streets bears his name.
For the courage and heroism shown in battles with terrorists, Guard Senior Lieutenant Alexey Vladimirovich Vorobyov was awarded the title Hero of Russia (posthumously).
Guard Senior Lieutenant Sherstyannikov Andrey Nikolaevich - commander of an anti-aircraft missile platoon. Born on August 1, 1975 in Ust-Kut, Irkutsk region. I graduated from school here. He was called up for military service on his birthday in 1993 - he became a cadet at the St. Petersburg Higher Anti-Aircraft Missile Command School. After graduation, he arrived in the 76th Guards Airborne Chernigov Red Banner Division.
At the beginning of February 2000, Guard Senior Lieutenant Sherstyannikov, together with other paratroopers, began serving on the soil of the Chechen Republic.
On February 11, he was at the positions of anti-aircraft installations when an observer received a report about the movement of a group of militants on equipment in the area where the stream flows into the Abazugal River. They were hit by anti-aircraft guns and small arms. The militants suffered heavy losses and retreated, abandoning two cars and a device for firing mines.
On February 18, Guard Senior Lieutenant Sherstyannikov and his unit rescued sappers who were ambushed. The paratroopers won the battle.
The fierce battle lasted for several hours. The mercenaries, intoxicated by drugs, tried to crush the rebellious company and leave the Argun Gorge. However, the attempts were broken up by paratroopers. Guard senior lieutenant Sherstyannikov was seriously wounded, but continued to fire accurately at the enemy. On the morning of March 1, the Mujahideen rushed into one of the attacks. Guard senior lieutenant Sherstyannikov received another wound, but still threw a grenade at the bandits and died.
For the courage and heroism shown in battles with terrorists, Guard Senior Lieutenant Andrei Nikolaevich Sherstyannikov was awarded the title Hero of Russia (posthumously).
Guard senior lieutenant Panov Andrey Aleksandrovich - deputy commander of the 6th company for educational work. Born on February 25, 1974 in Smolensk. Graduated from school here. Called up for military service on July 31, 1993 by the Zadneprovsky RVK of Smolensk.
He entered the St. Petersburg Higher Combined Arms Command School. After college, he arrived in the 76th Guards Red Banner Airborne Division, where he served in the 104th Guards Red Banner Airborne Regiment.
To replace his comrades in the military group in Chechnya, Guard Senior Lieutenant A.A. Panov arrived with his unit on February 4, 2000 and was here as a platoon commander. Already on February 10, a convoy with cargo, which was accompanied by paratroopers along with Panov, was ambushed by militants. The bandits lost 15 people in the short battle and disappeared.
On February 13, while moving a guard platoon checkpoint, Senior Lieutenant Panov saw a group of militants trying to break out of the Argun Gorge. Realizing that they had been discovered, the bandits opened fire. During the battle, all five terrorists were destroyed.
There were no casualties among the paratroopers.
On February 29, the platoon of Guard Senior Lieutenant Panov carried out a mission as part of the 6th company of the 104th Guards Parachute Regiment. When a clash occurred with the mercenaries and a battle ensued, Guard Senior Lieutenant Panov skillfully led the platoon. His paratroopers covered the retreat of his comrades to more advantageous positions. The officer himself conducted targeted fire and destroyed dozens of enemies.
Waging an unequal battle under heavy enemy fire, Guard Senior Lieutenant Panov and his platoon moved to a height of 776.0 and carried out the wounded paratroopers.
On the morning of March 1, the guards were attacked by a selected detachment of mercenaries "Dzhimar", the number of which reached 400 people. They walked with battle cries of “Allahu Akbar!”
In a fierce battle among the guards, senior lieutenant Andrei Panov received a fatal bullet.
For the courage and heroism shown in battles with terrorists, Guard Senior Lieutenant Panov Andrei Aleksandrovich was awarded the title Hero of Russia (posthumously).
FOR COURAGE AND HEROISM, SENIOR LIEUTENANT PANOV WAS EARLY AND POSTHUMBLY AWARDED THE MILITARY RANK OF CAPTAIN
Guard Senior Lieutenant Petrov Dmitry Vladimirovich - deputy company commander for educational work, on a business trip to the Chechen Republic he was a platoon commander. Born on June 10, 1974 in Rostov-on-Don. Drafted into the army on August 1, 1999 by the Soviet RVK of Ryazan. Graduated from the Ryazan Higher Command School of the Airborne Forces. By distribution he was sent to Pskov to the 76th Guards Airborne Red Banner Chernigov Division.
He repeatedly traveled to “hot spots” where order was restored among the civilian population. He was part of the peacekeeping forces in Abkhazia. Following this - a business trip to the war in the Chechen Republic.
The first clashes with militants occurred on February 9 and 22, 2000. A platoon under the command of Guard Senior Lieutenant D.V. Petrov repelled two attacks by bandits, destroying over 10 mercenaries.
On February 29, paratroopers reached the heights blocking the exit from the Argun Gorge and blocked the path of Wahhabi gangs who were breaking into the valley and from there to Dagestan. A fierce battle broke out. The paratroopers did not retreat a single step. By the end of the day, Petrov’s platoon had redeployed to more advantageous positions at altitude 776.0. At this moment, the guard senior lieutenant carried three wounded to safety. In fact, it was a deceptive feeling.
On the night of March 1, militants attacked the paratroopers' positions from three sides. They tried to gain control of the heights, regardless of losses. The roar of shells, mines, grenades, the whistling of bullets and shrapnel, the groans of the wounded and the cries of the dead, the roar of drug-addled militants “Allahu Akbar!” created a terrible picture. Guard Lieutenant D.V. Petrov hit like at a shooting range - right on target. But the “targets” screamed before they died.
In the morning, Guard Senior Lieutenant D.V. Petrov received an order to ensure a breakthrough for the platoon that was coming to the rescue. The task was completed, but D.V. Petrov was wounded. The brave officer did not leave the battlefield and continued to lead his subordinates. The militants went on the attack. Guard battalion commander, lieutenant colonel
M.N. Evtyukhin called fire from his own batteries on himself. The paratroopers fought hand-to-hand, throwing grenades at the brutal enemies. Already mortally wounded, Dmitry Petrov, with a weapon in his hands and the last grenade, rushed towards the spirits. He died as a hero.
For the courage and heroism shown in battles with terrorists, Guard Senior Lieutenant Dmitry Vladimirovich Petrov was awarded the title Hero of Russia (posthumously).
Exactly 10 years ago, on March 1, 2000, the 6th company of the 104th Guards Parachute Regiment almost completely died in the Argun Gorge. At the cost of their lives, our fighters stopped the advance of a Chechen gang numbering up to 2000 guns. The drama unfolded like this.
After the fall of Grozny in early February 2000, a large group of Chechen fighters retreated to Shatoi district Chechnya, where on February 9 it was blocked by federal troops. Some of the militants managed to break out of the encirclement: Gelayev’s group broke through in the northwestern direction to the village of Komsomolskoye ( Urus-Martan district), and Khattab’s group - in the north-eastern direction through Ulus-Kert (Shatoi district), where the battle took place. The combined detachment of paratroopers under the command of Guard Lieutenant Colonel Mark Evtyukhin was tasked with occupying a line four kilometers southeast of Ulus-Kert by 2 p.m. on February 29, 2000 in order to prevent a possible breakthrough of militants in the direction of Vedeno. Early in the morning of February 29, the 6th company of the 104th Guards Regiment, an airborne platoon and a regimental reconnaissance group began to advance to Ulus-Kert. At 12.30 the reconnaissance patrol came into combat contact with a bandit group of about 20 militants. Evtyukhin ordered the 6th company to gain a foothold on the dominant height 776. At 23.25 the bandits launched a massive attack. Their number, according to various sources, was estimated from 1.5 to 2.5 thousand trunks. The bandit leaders several times offered the paratroopers to let them through in exchange for saving their lives. But this issue was not even discussed among the fighters.
Feat at altitude 776
At five in the morning on March 1, despite huge losses, the bandits broke into the company's positions. Guard Lieutenant Colonel Evtyukhin in this situation made a courageous decision and called the fire of the regimental artillery on himself. Hundreds of bandits burned in the fiery inferno. But only a few of our guys survived. They talked about the last minutes of the victims.
The commander of the guard's reconnaissance platoon, Senior Lieutenant Alexei Vorobyov, personally destroyed the field commander Idris in a fierce battle, beheading the gang. The commander of a self-propelled artillery battery of the guard, Captain Viktor Romanov, had both legs torn off by a mine explosion. But until the last minute of his life he adjusted artillery fire. Guard private Evgeny Vladykin was beaten until he lost consciousness in hand-to-hand combat with militants. I woke up, half naked and unarmed, in the positions of the bandits. He knocked off his light machine gun and made his way to his own.
This is how each of the 84 paratroopers fought. Subsequently, all of them were forever included in the lists of the 104th Guards Regiment, 22 paratroopers were awarded the title of Heroes of Russia (21 posthumously), and 63 were awarded the Order of Courage (posthumously). One of the streets of Grozny is named after 84 Pskov paratroopers.
Will we find out the truth?
Immediately after the tragedy, the relatives and friends of the victims demanded that the state answer simple and natural questions: how could intelligence detect such a concentration of militants in the Ulus-Kert area? Why, during such a long battle, was the command unable to send sufficient reinforcements to the dying company?
In a memo from the then commander of the Airborne Forces, Colonel-General Georgy Shpak, to the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Igor Sergeev, the answer to them is as follows: “Attempts by the command of the Airborne Forces operational group, PTG (regimental tactical group) of the 104th Guards PDP to release the encircled group due to heavy fire from gangs and difficult terrain conditions did not bring success.” What's behind this phrase? According to many experts, the high dedication of the lower military echelons and incomprehensible inconsistencies in the higher ones. At 3 o'clock in the morning on March 1, a reinforcement platoon headed by Yevtyukhin's deputy guard, Major Alexander Dostavalov, was able to break through to the encirclement, who later died along with the 6th company. However, why only one platoon?
The soldiers of the 1st company of the battalion also tried to help their comrades. But while crossing the Abazulgol River, they were ambushed and were forced to gain a foothold on the bank. Only on the morning of March 2 did the 1st company manage to break through. But it was already too late - the 6th company died. What did the higher command do on March 1 and 2, why were more powerful reinforcements not sent to this area? Was it possible to save the 6th company? If yes, then who is to blame for the fact that this was not done?
There are assumptions that the passage from the Argun Gorge to Dagestan was bought for the militants from high-ranking federal leaders. “All police checkpoints were removed from the only road leading to Dagestan,” newspapers wrote at the time. The price for the retreat corridor was also mentioned - half a million dollars. According to Vladimir Vorobyov, the father of the deceased senior lieutenant Alexei Vorobyov, “Regimental Commander Melentyev asked for permission to withdraw the company, but the commander of the Eastern Group, General Makarov, did not give permission to retreat.” Vladimir Svartsevich, a military observer, director of the photo service of the Moscow bureau of the AiF, argued in the article that “there was an outright betrayal of the guys by specific officials.”
On March 2, 2000, the military prosecutor's office of Khankala began an investigation into this case, which was then sent to the department of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation for the investigation of crimes in the field of federal security and interethnic relations in the North Caucasus. At the same time, the investigation established that “the actions of military officials, including the command of the Joint Group of Troops (Forces) ... in the performance of duties for the preparation, organization and conduct of combat by units of the 104th Parachute Regiment do not constitute a crime.” The case was soon closed by Deputy Prosecutor General S.N. Fridinsky. However, questions remain, and over the past 10 years no one has bothered to answer them.
"Inconvenient" heroes
The attitude of the authorities towards the memory of the paratrooper heroes is also surprising. It seems that the state, having hastily buried and rewarded them in 2000, tried to forget about the “inconvenient” heroes as quickly as possible. At the state level, nothing has been done to perpetuate the memory of their feat. There is not even a monument to the Pskov paratroopers. The parents of the dead children feel a disregard for the state.
“Many single mothers, each of whom gave her only son to the Motherland, have a lot of problems today,” the mother of the deceased paratrooper Lyudmila Petrovna Pakhomova told me, “but the authorities don’t hear us and don’t help us.” In fact, she betrayed the guys twice. And 10 years ago, when I was left alone without help with a 20-fold superior enemy. And today, when he prefers to consign their feat to oblivion.
The country that sent these guys into battle did not allocate a penny for the documentary film about the 6th company - “Russian Sacrifice”. Its screening took place on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the feat of the Pskov paratroopers at the Moscow Khudozhestvenny cinema. Relatives of the victims were invited to this event from different parts of Russia. But the public organizations of special service veterans “Combat Brotherhood” and “Rus” paid for the travel and stay in Moscow. Just like the making of the film itself.
“The films “I Have the Honor” and “Breakthrough” were previously made about this feat of the paratroopers,” the director of the film “Russian Sacrifice” Elena Lyapicheva told me. These are good films about the truth of the Chechen war, about the heroism of soldiers. At the same time, the images of the main characters in them are collective, and the films are created with great artistic imagination. The film “Russian Sacrifice” reflects real heroes and preserves their real names. The script is based on the stories of miraculously surviving soldiers of the 6th company, relatives of the dead paratroopers. The film reveals the “kitchen” of betrayal of the 6th company and the interests of Russia in general by some state and military officials. The film is based on the real diary of senior lieutenant Alexei Vorobyov. This is a parallel line - the officer’s thoughts about the history of Russia and its present day, about betrayal and honor, about cowardice and heroism. Unlike other works that reveal the feat of the Pskov paratroopers, the film “Russian Sacrifice” tells not so much about the military, but about the spiritual feat of the heroes. This is a film-reflection on the deep spiritual meaning of the military oath, about faith and fidelity, about the history of the Russian people, in which the feat of Russian soldiers always shines with a bright light, about the ways of the national and spiritual revival of Russia.
It seems impossible to comprehend with human, earthly understanding where these boys drew their strength of spirit. But when you learn the story of their short life, it becomes clear what kind of power this is and where it comes from.
Most of the guys are hereditary warriors, many are from a Cossack family, their ancestors served in the Cossack troops, some in Donskoy, some in Kuban, some in Siberian. And the Cossacks have always been defenders of the Russian land. Here, for example, is the fate of senior lieutenant Alexei Vorobyov. Being from a family of hereditary Cossacks, he spent his childhood in a Siberian village. Even at school, he differed from his peers in his depth, romance, faith, love for Russia and its history. At the age of 14, he wrote in his diary: “I am proud that I am a Russian Cossack. All my ancestors, be that as it may, served Russia, fought for the Faith, the Tsar and the Fatherland. I also want to devote my life to my Motherland, as my Cossack ancestors did.”
And the state refused to allocate funds for the story about such patriots. The film was made without government support, as they say, by pooling money, on the pennies of ordinary people. Huge gratitude to them. Many thanks for the help to the governor of the Moscow region, the chairman of the All-Russian public organization of veterans “Combat Brotherhood” Boris Gromov, the former commander of the Airborne Forces Valery Evtukhovich, and the personnel of the 76th Airborne Assault Chernigov Red Banner Division.
The film starred People's Artists of Russia Lyudmila Zaitseva, Alexander Mikhailov, Aristarkh Livanov, real soldiers and paratroopers, relatives and friends of the victims.
In a conversation with me, Lyudmila Zaitseva, who played the role of the mother of paratrooper Roman Pakhomov, emphasized:
“In our time, when moral guidelines are often knocked down, the feat of these guys is the most important guideline so that each of us can adjust our course in life. He teaches us not to bend in the difficult, sometimes vile circumstances of modern life, where meanness and betrayal often reign, so that we remain human even in inhuman conditions. The film also tells about the feat of mothers and fathers who raised such children and blessed them to defend the Fatherland. Low bow to them!
“These 18-19-year-old boys fought with 35-40-year-old thugs,” actor Alexander Ermakov, who played the role of his brother, paratrooper Oleg Ermakov, continued the conversation, “who were trained in sabotage camps around the world.” Moreover, they were not afraid to go hand-to-hand, they cut down bandits with sapper blades, and when they were surrounded by superior enemy forces, they exploded grenades on their chests. When our units arrived at the scene of the unequal battle, seasoned officers knelt down and cried in front of the mutilated bodies of the courageous paratroopers. And the commander of the Marine Corps group in Chechnya, Major General Alexander Otrakovsky, his heart could not stand it, and he died suddenly after learning the details of this battle. The drama of what happened was intensified by the fact that many guessed, and some knew for sure, about the betrayal of individual generals associated with the part of the Moscow oligarchy striving for power, which is directly stated in the film.
The memory of the feat of the Pskov paratroopers is needed first of all by us who remain to live on this sinful land. Where else can we draw strength if not from the fact that we are compatriots and fellow believers of these guys. They, who went through hell on earth and became truly immortal, when trouble comes to us, when our hands give up, will help us live honestly and overcome difficulties.
Today, the delegation of the Airborne Forces, headed by Commander Colonel General Vladimir Shamanov, together with 10 heroes of Russia, will take part in commemorative events dedicated to the 16th anniversary of the heroic feat of the paratroopers of the 6th parachute company of the 104th parachute regiment 76- 1st Guards Air Assault Division of the Russian Airborne Forces. The same famous company of Pskov paratroopers, which on March 1, 2000 stood in the way of more than two thousand militants led by terrorist No. 1 Khattab. Of the 90 people, only 6 remained alive then... One battle - 22 Heroes of Russia (21 posthumously), 68 were awarded the Order of Courage (63 posthumously). If there was hell on earth, it was there, in the Chechen mountains near Ulus-Kert. And this hell was for the militants who were never able to get through the positions of the 6th company. In the 16 years that have passed since their death in the Argun Gorge of Chechnya, they have become a legend. Monuments were erected to them in Moscow and Pskov, dozens of articles and books were written about them, the films “Russian Sacrifice” and “Breakthrough”, the series “I Have the Honor” were made about their feat, the play “Warriors of the Spirit” was staged, based on the real events of that battle. ..“We remember and honor the feat of 26 Baku commissars, 28 Panfilov heroes, we remember the “Afghans”, the guys who died in local wars and conflicts, we remember the feat of the 9th company in Afghanistan, the 6th company in Chechnya. Heroism has no statute of limitations, and this is our memory of the people who went to heaven fulfilling their duty,” says Igor Isakov, director of the national award “Warriors of the Spirit” (the first prizes were awarded to the soldiers of the 6th company). - Now 16 years have passed since the moment when the Pskov paratroopers accepted an unequal battle, but did not flinch and did not retreat. And in fifty years, and in a hundred, our descendants will know that there were people who despised death and honestly fulfilled their military duty. I am sure that now, by supporting and reminding the survivors of that battle, Sasha Suponinsky (Hero of Russia), Andrei Porshnev (awarded the Order of Courage), and all other paratroopers, we are laying down a kind of lesson in courage that will forever remain in the minds of all citizens of our country. Those who will always defend and protect their homeland - Russia. th regiment. In fact, the entire bloody battle took place before his eyes and with his direct participation. The major was on the verge of death, but remained alive... 
“In the afternoon of March 1, we were given the task of moving from height 1410 to the rescue of the 6th company,” recalls Andrei Lobanov. - We hastily assembled our two groups (Major Lobanov served in the 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment) plus the Vympel group. Two companies of the 106th division were allocated for reinforcement. Even before the advance, we noticed large reinforced concrete fortifications in the area of the village of Zany - we redirected fire towards them. Let's go. We trudged very slowly, it took almost half a day to walk three kilometers: the descent from the mountain was very steep, almost vertical - 70 degrees, no less. Plus, we had to conduct thorough reconnaissance so as not to run into an ambush ourselves. We reached the heights in the afternoon, entered the northern slope, overgrown with beech trees, and secured a foothold. Nearby was the Devil's Height - mark 666. We found in this area many paths made by pack animals: it was clear that more than one hundred horses and donkeys had passed here - it was all the militants breaking through... Already at dusk we reached the road where the second battalion was anchored . It was clear that people were digging in, preparing for defense, but for some reason they left. It felt like something had suddenly torn them from their places. They began to examine the area - everything was abandoned there. The bins are half full of food - we didn’t even have time to finish... But we found no traces of the battle - no spent cartridges, no traces of explosions. The battalion just left, that's all. 
One of the few survivors of that battle is Andrei Porshnev.Photo: Vladimir Vyatkin/RIA Novosti We gained a foothold, began to examine the area, and some of the people came out to the nameless navel. Suddenly shouts of “Allah Akbar!” we can hear: there are a lot of militants around... A firefight ensued, but then on the radio we intercept Khattab’s words on the air: “Don’t engage in battle. Break forward.” At the neighboring height with mark 776, where the 6th company was, many explosions were visible. The overall picture of the battle gradually became clearer. Soon we encountered a detachment of militants who were breaking out of the gorge... One of our groups took up defensive positions and stopped the “spirits”. The second began to inspect the site of the previous battle: it was necessary to find the wounded and dead. Night, shooting from all sides, flashes of explosions - but the guys held on well. We settled at an altitude marked 787: it blocked many of the paths along which the militants walked. The position turned out to be unprofitable - they began to look for another and sent a reconnaissance platoon ahead. And an advanced detachment of militants was already waiting for them - entirely Arab mercenaries. The battle was severe: on our side - five “two hundredths”... We sent a company to help, which immediately entered the battle with the “Czechs”: it was a caravan, the main force of the breakthrough... The second battalion was very unlucky - the main blow fell on them. The militants simply crushed people en masse - they moved forward en masse, despite the losses. One long-term conscript, whom we found (miraculously survived), said: “The battalion commander was killed almost immediately. The battalion commander began to adjust the artillery fire and decided to call fire on himself.” Many died from their own artillery fire. However, there was practically no chance of staying alive anyway - the militants finished everyone off with a shot in the face... 
75 people were killed there, and more than two hundred militants. The patch where all the events took place is small - two hundred by two hundred meters. I examined it - everything there was shoveled with metal. No amount of rambs could hold out here... The question was constantly in my head: why was there no information that such a horde of militants was breaking through? Why was the third battalion, which was nearby, withdrawn?.. If there had been timely intelligence information, such huge losses could have been avoided. And our help could no longer change anything in that battle... And the guys from the sixth company fought well. What they managed to do is heroic. They detained such a huge crowd of militants - this is a real feat. No matter what they say, a toast to a Russian soldier should always be raised, and not just a funeral toast. They deserve it...” The 6th company was killed almost completely in 2000. But she will live forever - as long as the memory of the feat of the Pskov paratroopers is alive. In Pskov, Ryazan, Kamyshin, Smolensk, Rostov-on-Don, Bryansk, Ulyanovsk, the village of Sosva and the village of Voinovo... Not only in the small homeland of the heroes - throughout Russia. They will remain fighters of the company that did not surrender.
We, the principled opponents of socialism, Bolshevism, Stalinism and other “isms,” are often reproached for allegedly denying the Soviet period. Of course, such a formulation of the question in itself is delusional, since it is impossible to deny historical periods.
We are talking about something else. That it is impossible to elevate any human teaching, doctrine or state to the level of the Divine, to whom blood sacrifices must be made. That it is criminal to kill hundreds of thousands of people in the name of various chimeras, explaining this by some kind of “expediency”. We deny the method and practice of the so-called Soviet government, which, by the way, has never been “Soviet”. But this does not mean at all that we deny the courage, valor, and work of our people during the times of this so-called Soviet power.
The most important thing that unites all generations of our people is — this is self-sacrifice, for the Lord says: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” And it doesn’t matter at all who and when performed this sacrificial feat: the heroes of the Battle of Kulikovo, Borodin, Shipka, Port Arthur, the Brest Fortress, the Kursk Bulge, or in our days the military pilot Roman Nikolaevich Filippov.
Today we want to remember another such feat, accomplished already in the post-Soviet period, at the very beginning of the Second Chechen War. And it was committed by very young guys, soldiers of the 6th company of the 104th parachute regiment of the 76th (Pskov) Airborne Division in the period from February 29 to the morning of March 1, 2000 in the mountains of Chechnya near Argun, at an altitude of 776. Exactly there, 90 paratroopers entered into battle with a 1,500-strong detachment of the separatist field commander, the Arab mercenary and Saudi terrorist Khattab (real name Samer Saleh al-Suweile). The company was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Mark Nikolaevich Evtyukhin.
History will still tell who and how started the war in Chechnya in 1994, who was interested in it, who sought to pit Russians and Chechens against each other and use their confrontation for their own dirty purposes. History will also definitely note that as a result of the activities of these forces, our country was on the verge of collapse by 2000, and that the current head of the Russian State, V.V. Putin, played a huge role in the fact that this did not happen.
But history will also note the selfless devotion to duty of our soldiers, who, as always in history, remained faithful to the oath, despite the games of politicians and the dirty projects of businessmen. It was they, these famous and unknown heroes, who once again defended Russia, as their great-grandfathers had done before. This fully applies to the heroes of the 6th company.
The 104th Parachute Regiment arrived in Chechnya 10 days before the battle at height 776. Major Sergei Molodov was appointed commander of the 6th company, who did not have time in 10 days, and could not have time to get acquainted with the soldiers, much less create from the 6th company a combat-ready formation.
Soldiers of the 6th company. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
The military situation in Chechnya then was as follows. During the summer campaign, Russian troops stopped the invasion of Shamil Basayev’s militants into Dagestan, drove them back to Chechnya, burying their hopes for an “imarate from sea to sea,” restored control over the flat part of Chechnya, besieged and, after stubborn fighting, took Grozny. After the capture of Grozny, the main forces of the militants were blocked in the Argun Gorge in the south of the republic. The remnants of the separatists were led by the so-called. commander-in-chief of the defense of Grozny, militant Ruslan Gelayev and Arab mercenary Khattab.
Having been defeated, the separatist detachments began to retreat to the mountainous and forested area in the south. They went through the Argun Gorge to Georgia, where they hid their families, healed their wounds and received weapons. Caravans with weapons, medicines and equipment walked through the gorge to Chechnya.
The Russian command, fully understanding the significance of the road through the gorge, flew companies of border guards and paratroopers to the heights above it by helicopter. Other military units closed the circle around the separatists. For the latter, it was actually a mousetrap. Russian aviation carried out up to 200 sorties a day, destroying mountain fortresses and forest bases of militants. Special forces operated in the forests, armored vehicles and motorized rifles occupied the valleys. For Khattab and Gelayev, there was only one way left: to break through the ring of Russian troops and go to Georgia.
The militants decided to break out of the encirclement in two large groups. One (under the command of Gelayev) went northwest to the village of Komsomolskoye, the other (under the command of Khattab) moved in almost the opposite direction — to the northeast. In addition to Chechen terrorists, the gang included a large number of Arab mercenaries. The militants were well armed and well motivated. It was with them that the paratroopers of the 104th regiment had to face.
The commander of the 6th company was given the task of marching on foot and occupying the dominant heights in the Argun Gorge. The plan was to secure part of the 6th company at height 776 and then, using this height as a strong point, move forward and occupy the remaining heights. Target — do not miss the breakthrough of gangs.
On February 28, the 6th company set off on a 14-kilometer forced march to Ulus-Kert. The paratroopers did not take heavy weapons; instead, they carried ammunition, water, stoves and tents for the entire 14 km, and they had to carry all this through the mountains, and even in winter. The command decided not to use helicopters, allegedly due to the lack of natural sites for their landing. They even refused to throw tents and stoves at the deployment point, without which the soldiers would have frozen to death. The paratroopers were forced to carry all their belongings on themselves, which is precisely why they did not take heavy weapons. When the fighters finally reached height 776, they were physically very exhausted.
By a completely incomprehensible coincidence, army intelligence did not notice a large enemy group (up to 3,000 people), which was preparing to break through the Argun Gorge. There is a version that the command of the eastern group of troops did not take into account the specifics of the mountainous and wooded terrain, when the unit does not have the opportunity to form a continuous front or even control the flanks. In addition, no one expected a large group of gangs to break through in one place. The aviation, which had been mauling the militants the other day, also could not help: throughout the entire day the area was covered in thick fog, and rain and snow fell from low clouds. Thick fog did not allow us to support the 6th company with helicopters, but our long-range artillery fired at suspected militant positions all day, supporting the paratroopers.
At about 11 o'clock in the morning Khattab reached the positions of the 3rd company. The militants radioed the commander, calling him by name, and offered money for passage. The company commander responded by pointing artillery at them. The Khattabites retreated.
Khattab. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
During the day, reconnaissance of the 6th company encountered 20 militants on Mount Isty-Kord.
The head patrol and command rose to the top at the same time as Chechen intelligence. A short but fierce firefight took place. During the battle, Major Molodov was mortally wounded, and the company was led by battalion commander Evtyukhin.
Around four o'clock in the afternoon the first powerful attack of the separatists followed. The militants managed to overtake and shoot the third platoon of the company on the slope. Only three soldiers from this platoon survived. Then the assault on the summit began. Up to 1.5 thousand militants took part in the attack. The terrorists crushed the paratroopers with massive fire, and the defenders fired back. A self-propelled division fired at the slope; the attack was repulsed. The situation was already critical: many were killed, almost all of the remaining were wounded.
The second attack began around ten o'clock in the evening. The 12-mm Nona self-propelled guns were still firing at the heights. At about three o'clock in the morning, 15 scouts of the 4th company under the command of Major A.V. Dostavalov made their way to the aid of the defenders, who exactly fulfilled the behest of the great Suvorov: perish and save your comrade. This was the only help that reached the 6th company. Meanwhile, the militants launched a decisive assault. One of the surviving company soldiers, Sergeant Alexander Suponinsky, later recalled that day as follows:
At some point they attacked us like a wall. One wave will pass, we will shoot them, half an hour of respite — and another wave... There were many of them. They just walked towards us, their eyes bulging, shouting: “Allahu Akbar”... Then, when they retreated after the hand-to-hand fight, they offered us money over the radio so that we would let them through..."
By that time, no more than 40-50 paratroopers remained at the top. The wounded died not only from bullets, many died from severe frost. Nevertheless, the wounded and frostbitten soldiers continued to fire from the advancing horde for several more hours. When it became clear that the heights could not be held, and there was nowhere to wait for help, Captain V.V. Romanov, who took command of the 6th company after the death of senior officers, called fire on himself. At five o'clock in the morning on March 1, militants occupied the heights. Despite the massive artillery fire that covered Hill 776, the remnants of Khattab’s bandit group were still able to leave the Argun Gorge.
In the unequal battle, 84 Russian servicemen died, including 13 officers. Only six fighters survived. The militants' losses ranged, according to various estimates, from 370 to 700 people. Despite the fact that some Khattabites managed to break out of the encirclement, it was already the agony of large forces of militants. Since the spring of 2000, they were no longer able to resist Russian troops in open battle, remaining capable only of ambushes and terrorist attacks.
Photo: www.globallookpress.com
Looking at the eternally young faces of the heroic paratroopers of the 6th company, Anna Akhmatova’s lines about the soldiers of the Great Patriotic War involuntarily come to mind:
So they will write books about you;
"Your life for your friends"
Unpretentious boys -
Vanka, Vaska, Alyosha, Grishka,
Grandchildren, brothers, sons!
Eternal Memory to them!
In the history of the Chechen wars, the battle of the 6th company of the Pskov landing at height 776 in Chechnya on February 28–29, 2000 occupies a special place. This fight was an example of desperate courage that we should not forget.
In February 2000, militants in Chechnya found themselves on the brink of an abyss. After the capture of Grozny, the Russian army began encircling the main enemy forces in the south of the republic.
Mountainous Chechnya is divided in two by the Argun Gorge, running from north to south. It was there that the destruction of the bulk of the Mujahideen was planned. The gorge itself is small, and if it were possible to bottle up the militants in it, their destruction would be a matter of time.
Although numerous detachments settled in the mountains in the southeast of the republic, and some of the militants went underground in cities and towns, the largest group was under the threat of complete defeat.
The detachments inside the tightening loop were commanded by Gelayev and Khattab. The militant leaders had to make some decision, and urgently. At this moment they were frankly not in the best position. The battles, which lasted for many weeks, exhausted the insurgents, and the wounded accumulated in the detachments. Russian troops experienced their own difficulties.
The army was acutely lacking in equipment, primarily communications and reconnaissance equipment, the troops were poorly able to operate in the mountains, and the training of even well-trained units was carried out according to Soviet patterns - that is, it focused on large maneuverable battles of masses of equipment, and not on catching partisan detachments.
In addition, in the forests and wild mountains, many people were required to control the territory. And it was extremely difficult to provide assistance to individual platoons and companies, especially since darkness came early, which limited the actions of aviation.
Due to all these circumstances, only a very loose chain of outposts and barriers remained on the way of the militants from the trap. In addition, from the east, Russian troops approached the Argun Gorge slowly and not in all areas at the same time.
Meanwhile, the militants did not intend to stay inside the bag. In the last days of February they made a breakthrough on two fronts.
The detachment under the leadership of Gelayev went northwest to Komsomolskoye, and its defeat is a separate story. Khattab chose to break through to the east, towards the village of Vedeno.
There were remote mountainous areas, traditionally loyal to the militants, only recently and not fully combed by the military. Khattab decided to leave the encirclement near the village of Ulus-Kert.
These places are covered with dense dense forest, providing shelter from observation from the air and ground. On his road stood regimental groups of two airborne divisions - the 7th from Novorossiysk and the 76th from Pskov.
The Arab commander led more than a thousand men to the breakthrough, but the military on the breakthrough line had very little idea of where the enemy was. The fact is that reconnaissance in the eastern part of the Argun Gorge was literally blinded. It was forbidden to conduct it outside the range of artillery, and “their” guns lagged behind.
The reconnaissance units located in this area belonged to other units and even departments, and even if they collected any information about the enemy, they did not reach the paratroopers.
In general, at that time, the key task was considered to be the attack on the village of Shatoi, and it was there that all the eyes of both the command of the United Group and intelligence of all types were looking.
Weak link
Among others, the 6th company of the 104th regiment of the Pskov 76th Airborne Division reached positions east of Ulus-Kert at the end of February. The specific problem of this company was that it was understaffed literally just before the deployment to Chechnya with soldiers seconded from other units.
The last soldiers were included in its composition just before loading onto the planes, and even the company commander received his appointment just a month before being sent to war. There was no need to even talk about combat coordination, and yet in battle the ability of all soldiers to act as one hand is of great importance.
On February 26, the paratroopers received the task of setting up posts at the heights. The battalion, which included the 6th company, moved to the designated area. The battalion commander Mark Evtyukhin was well aware of the weakness of the 6th company, so he himself was with it.
In general, there should have been another company at height 776, better prepared for battle, but due to transport breakdowns it could not leave on time, so the plan was shaken up on the move and the 6th still moved to the height.
The soldiers marched on foot. At the same time, the company was overloaded - in addition to weapons and ammunition, the soldiers carried camp equipment. Because of this, the company was stretched: the soldiers were tired and climbed the paths slowly. The load for each person was more than 40 kilograms.
On February 29, 2000, a company led by Evtyukhin and regular commander Major Molodov began climbing to height 776. While the company was struggling to reach the height, a battle was already going on nearby. Khattab probed the positions of the 3rd company, but the Chechen attack was repulsed there.
The company commander, Captain Vasilyev, managed not only to reach the designated area, but also to dig in and even place mines in front. Vasiliev led his company lightly, leaving property in the rear, which gave the 3rd company the necessary time to prepare for battle.
Khattab contacted the company commander and offered money. However, as a response, Vasiliev sent an artillery strike on the heads of the militants. After this, the enemy rolled back, carrying away the dead and wounded. It is interesting, by the way, that in this battle Khattab was very active in radio communication with Vasiliev’s company and even managed to talk with the company sniper pair.
The snipers, themselves natives of Dagestan, reported that the Russians were not surrendering, and the 3rd company indeed did not surrender and successfully blocked an attempt to break through in its sector.
However, the militants did not give up on the breakthrough; for them, access to the east was a matter of life and death. Khattab never tired of conducting reconnaissance, looking for weak points in the formations of the paratroopers. Soon the search was crowned with success.
Still from the film “Breakthrough”/ © Kinopoisk
The first shootings began in the afternoon. The advance detachment of the company collided with the vanguard of the militants. In the shootout, the company commander, Major Molodov, was almost immediately mortally wounded. From that moment on, the company was personally commanded by the battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Mark Evtyukhin.
So far there has been no talk of an attack by large forces: the number of militants was estimated at several dozen people. However, the situation was already extremely difficult.
It was impossible to quickly dig in in the frozen ground, and the soldiers were extremely exhausted after a 14-kilometer march through the mountains. Due to the disgusting weather, visibility was very poor and aircraft could not provide support.
At about 16-17 hours, at dusk, the company came under attack from large forces of militants. One of the platoons, which was still climbing to the heights, found itself in the worst position. He was defeated almost immediately, caught in a surprise attack.
The main forces of the company fought back and caused an artillery strike from the airborne regiment to hit the Khattabites. However, darkness was approaching, and a Chechen strike force of at least 500–600 bayonets was gathering in front of the company. After dark the company was finally attacked with all its forces.
The Last Frontier
The militants attacked the positions of the 6th company from several sides. The high-rise was bombarded with mines from mortars. About a third of the company's soldiers were already out of action, meaning that only two platoons actually resisted. It was extremely difficult to adjust the fire of the regiment’s already weak artillery due to the darkness.
The only reserve - a company trying to establish contact with the 6th - was stopped at the turn of the Abazulgol river. The problem was aggravated by extremely weak night combat skills and the almost complete lack of equipment necessary for this - special sights and night vision devices.
Now that we have data on the number of militants, it can be argued that the failure to break through to the positions of the 6th only reduced the number of corpses: if the paratroopers had shown persistence, another company would have simply died nearby. Be that as it may, they decided to postpone the breakthrough until the morning.
Moreover, the command already understood that a serious battle was taking place at the heights, but still believed that the situation was generally under control. Meanwhile, the wounded were accumulating in the 6th company.
Subsequently, some of the killed company soldiers were found in bullet-ridden sleeping bags, and this gave rise to rumors about the capture of the sleeping company. In reality, most likely, these were the wounded, bundled up from the cold and killed in the last hours of the battle.
In the middle of the night, a platoon from the neighboring 4th made its way to the 6th company. There was no more help. There were no more than fifty living soldiers left at the height. For the final attack, the militants formed a strike force of about 70 volunteers.
The offensive was again supported by mortars, and if there was any return artillery fire, it was weak. At about six o'clock in the morning, Evtyukhin called self-propelled gun fire on himself. The final fight was hand-to-hand.
The militants carried out the final attack competently, even skillfully, covering each other and controlling the battlefield. Among them there were many militants of Arab origin, and Khattab himself was a very experienced terrorist who always took care of the good training of his people. Therefore, very few of the soldiers of the 6th company survived.
Two soldiers rolled off the cliff and managed to get out of the battle zone. Their escape was covered by the last officer, the already seriously wounded Captain Romanov. Another fighter was stunned by a rifle butt in hand-to-hand combat and was mistaken for dead. In total, six soldiers climbed out from the height in ones and twos. 84 soldiers and officers were killed. No one surrendered.
The militants remained on top for some time - picking up trophies and their wounded. Only the next day it became clear that the company was no more.
The militants moved east, leaving the Russians to count their losses and mourn the dead. However, the matter was not limited to stating the catastrophe. Contrary to the almost generally accepted point of view, the losses of the Khattabites reached 500–600 people killed.
Unfortunately, this is a greatly inflated figure, if only because with such losses, Khattab’s detachment should have lost another 1–1.5 thousand people wounded and ceased to exist.
Such a mass of dead would undoubtedly have been quickly discovered: there would have been no one to carry out the bodies. In fact, according to the testimony of prisoners, 25–50 militants were killed on the spot by paratroopers and artillery fire at the height.
Taking into account all the circumstances, this is just a very serious damage, which speaks of the high qualities of the Pskov residents. In addition, the reconnaissance group following in the footsteps of the Khattabites discovered several dozen more wounded and dying.