Afghan captive of a Russian transport crew
Almost all readers of Military Review probably saw the film Kandahar directed by Andrei Kavun, shot in Russia in 2010. This historical The drama is based on real events and tells the story of the fate of the crew of the Russian transport aircraft Il-76, who was captured by the Afghan Taliban in the mid-90s. It is thanks to this film (which, however, has some discrepancies with historical certainty) that the general public learned about this simultaneously heroic and unpleasantly contradictory story. Seven (and not five, as in the film) Russian pilots were captured in Afghanistan exactly 17 years ago - on August 3, 1995.
On August 3, 1995, the IL-76 airplane of the Aerostan airline (Kazan) carried out a transport flight from the Albanian capital Tirana to Bagram in northern Afghanistan. The board was loaded with boxes of 7,62 mm cartridges in the amount of 1304 pieces. The cartridges, according to the current international standards at that time, belonged to ammunition, and they could be transported by air. The recipient of the cargo of ammunition was the famous Pansher lion Ahmad Shah Masoud, who at one time was desperate for war with the Soviet Army, and at that time was the main enemy of the Taliban Islamic movement. It is worth noting that the cargo was transported by military transport aviation not for the first time: the flight was already the third in a row. The Taliban expected it in advance and thoroughly prepared for the interception.
During the flight over the Taliban-controlled territory of Afghanistan, they contacted the crew via radio communications from the ground and, in Russian, demanded that the aircraft be landed to inspect the cargo being transported on board. The MiG-21 fell in the tail of the transport worker. The crew commander, Vladimir Sharpatov, decided to drag out time in the hope of escaping from prosecution, leaving the territory under Taliban control. But these attempts were in vain, and the second Taliban fighter prepared for takeoff. Thus, the Russian IL-76, under the threat of being destroyed, was forcibly seated at the airfield of Afghan Kandahar. Russian pilots were declared criminals and imprisoned, because when inspecting cargo in one of the boxes, the Taliban discovered large-caliber shells, according to international standards, forbidden for transportation. The fact is that the box with the shells was loaded onto the plane before take-off by the Taliban agents themselves, operating in Albania.
Taliban authorities charge crew weapons to their enemies, the army of the Northern Alliance, Rabbani and Mosud. Started 378-day imprisonment of the Russian crew. The pilots were kept in harsh conditions, suffering from the sizzling heat, thirst and lack of normal food.
The pilots actively tried to free them by resorting to the help of international mediators and the personal initiative of Tatarstan President M. Shaimiev. In addition to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and the delegation of Tatarstan, mediators from the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the United Nations were involved in negotiations with the Taliban. The negotiating process was attended by the then powerful powers: US President Bill Clinton, US Vice President Al Gore, and Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
However, the efforts of diplomats and international mediators were not destined to succeed. They managed to achieve only permission for correspondence and a number of meetings with pilots, during which the crew escaped with the aircraft was planned and prepared.
The Taliban allowed the crew to maintain the aircraft, which continued to stand at Kandahar airport once a month. 16 August 1996, the pilots carried out the next maintenance. This day fell on a holy Friday for Muslims, which significantly weakened the guard's vigilance. The pilots started the engines and began to take off. The plane barely managed to get off the ground. Three guards who were at that moment were on the plane, were successfully disarmed.
Where did the fighter who landed the plane a year ago go to? The fact is that the pilot of the only flying fighter, taking advantage of the weekend, left Kandahar, and there was no one to replace him. To prevent detection by locators, the aircraft flew across the territory of Afghanistan at extremely low altitude - 50 meters. Very soon, IL-76 successfully crossed the Afghan-Iranian border, swung across the Persian Gulf and landed in the UAE.
22 August 1996 by decree of the President of the Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin, crew commander Vladimir Sharpatov and co-pilot Gazinur Khairullin were awarded the title Heroes of the Russian Federation and awarded the Gold Star medal. Navigator Alexander Zdora, flight engineer Askhat Abbyazov, leading engineers Sergey Butuzov, Viktor Ryazanov, and radio operator Yury Vishivtsev were awarded orders of Courage.
Based on materials:
http://ria.ru/spravka/20100803/260983499.html#ixzz22P0an57G
http://www.kommersant.ru/doc/237858
http://svpressa.ru/all/article/21205/
On August 3, 1995, the IL-76 airplane of the Aerostan airline (Kazan) carried out a transport flight from the Albanian capital Tirana to Bagram in northern Afghanistan. The board was loaded with boxes of 7,62 mm cartridges in the amount of 1304 pieces. The cartridges, according to the current international standards at that time, belonged to ammunition, and they could be transported by air. The recipient of the cargo of ammunition was the famous Pansher lion Ahmad Shah Masoud, who at one time was desperate for war with the Soviet Army, and at that time was the main enemy of the Taliban Islamic movement. It is worth noting that the cargo was transported by military transport aviation not for the first time: the flight was already the third in a row. The Taliban expected it in advance and thoroughly prepared for the interception.
© Vladimir Melnik, 1995 Kandahar, Afghanistan
IL-76 Board Number 76842
IL-76 Board Number 76842
During the flight over the Taliban-controlled territory of Afghanistan, they contacted the crew via radio communications from the ground and, in Russian, demanded that the aircraft be landed to inspect the cargo being transported on board. The MiG-21 fell in the tail of the transport worker. The crew commander, Vladimir Sharpatov, decided to drag out time in the hope of escaping from prosecution, leaving the territory under Taliban control. But these attempts were in vain, and the second Taliban fighter prepared for takeoff. Thus, the Russian IL-76, under the threat of being destroyed, was forcibly seated at the airfield of Afghan Kandahar. Russian pilots were declared criminals and imprisoned, because when inspecting cargo in one of the boxes, the Taliban discovered large-caliber shells, according to international standards, forbidden for transportation. The fact is that the box with the shells was loaded onto the plane before take-off by the Taliban agents themselves, operating in Albania.
Taliban authorities charge crew weapons to their enemies, the army of the Northern Alliance, Rabbani and Mosud. Started 378-day imprisonment of the Russian crew. The pilots were kept in harsh conditions, suffering from the sizzling heat, thirst and lack of normal food.
© Vladimir Melnik, 1996 Kandahar, Afghanistan
Commander - Vladimir Sharpatov. Before escaping a few more months ...
Commander - Vladimir Sharpatov. Before escaping a few more months ...
The pilots actively tried to free them by resorting to the help of international mediators and the personal initiative of Tatarstan President M. Shaimiev. In addition to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and the delegation of Tatarstan, mediators from the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the United Nations were involved in negotiations with the Taliban. The negotiating process was attended by the then powerful powers: US President Bill Clinton, US Vice President Al Gore, and Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
However, the efforts of diplomats and international mediators were not destined to succeed. They managed to achieve only permission for correspondence and a number of meetings with pilots, during which the crew escaped with the aircraft was planned and prepared.
The Taliban allowed the crew to maintain the aircraft, which continued to stand at Kandahar airport once a month. 16 August 1996, the pilots carried out the next maintenance. This day fell on a holy Friday for Muslims, which significantly weakened the guard's vigilance. The pilots started the engines and began to take off. The plane barely managed to get off the ground. Three guards who were at that moment were on the plane, were successfully disarmed.
© Vladimir Melnik, 1995 Kandahar, Afghanistan
Zamir Kabulov (the main negotiator from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia) communicates with the crew
Zamir Kabulov (the main negotiator from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia) communicates with the crew
Where did the fighter who landed the plane a year ago go to? The fact is that the pilot of the only flying fighter, taking advantage of the weekend, left Kandahar, and there was no one to replace him. To prevent detection by locators, the aircraft flew across the territory of Afghanistan at extremely low altitude - 50 meters. Very soon, IL-76 successfully crossed the Afghan-Iranian border, swung across the Persian Gulf and landed in the UAE.
22 August 1996 by decree of the President of the Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin, crew commander Vladimir Sharpatov and co-pilot Gazinur Khairullin were awarded the title Heroes of the Russian Federation and awarded the Gold Star medal. Navigator Alexander Zdora, flight engineer Askhat Abbyazov, leading engineers Sergey Butuzov, Viktor Ryazanov, and radio operator Yury Vishivtsev were awarded orders of Courage.
Based on materials:
http://ria.ru/spravka/20100803/260983499.html#ixzz22P0an57G
http://www.kommersant.ru/doc/237858
http://svpressa.ru/all/article/21205/
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