- For me, the events connected with the breakthrough of the militants from the village of Pervomaisky began on January 11, 1996. At this time, a detachment of army special forces, which I commanded, was in Khankala (headquarters of the Russian troops in Chechnya. - Ed.). We closely followed the hostage taking in Kizlyar, we were very worried about those who were taken hostage there, and our comrades, who were painfully looking for a way out of the current situation.10 January evening, the commander of the Joint Group of our troops, General Anatoly Kulikov calls me and sets the task: in cooperation with the paratroopers to prepare a version of the operation to free the hostages. And he, as if anticipating that the militants would be released from Kizlyar, according to the decision of the Russian leadership, offered to storm buses with militants and hostages on the way to Chechnya. The paratroopers were to disembark and block the place of the operation, and we had to take buses by storm, neutralize the militants and free the hostages. Only it was not very clear to me how they can be distinguished inside the bus - who is a hostage and who is not a hostage ...
But the task was set. Began to think. We had six hours of reflection. We studied the terrain, however, only by pictures. There was only one option - as soon as the convoy of bandits with hostages enters the territory of Chechnya, we storm it in the place we chose. They reported to the command that they had chosen the most convenient place, where the losses among the hostages would be minimal. Everyone understood that it would be impossible to do without victims. But everyone also understood that it was impossible to repeat the shame that happened in 1995 in Budyonnovsk when ours had to let go of the militants.
Concrete by that time was not yet. According to calculations, on the section we chose, the buses were supposed to be at seven or nine in the morning. The column consisted of several buses, where patients and doctors from the Kizlyar hospital were held hostage. According to official figures, the militants were from one hundred fifty to three hundred people. I had forty scouts, and seventy paratroopers. Ambush on the road - from a tactical point of view - is a classic. I believe that we prepared for this option normally. And by the number of fighters for this task, given the suddenness of us was quite enough.
We decided to attack the buses already in Chechnya. I think that the militants calculated the option that there would be an attack. But they probably thought that this would happen on the territory of Dagestan. Therefore, the main thing for them was to get to Chechnya, where the detachments already awaited them, which they sent to the aid of Maskhadov. But these troops did not find us.
However, further events began to develop not in our version. A column of militants with hostages passed through the village of Pervomaiskoye. Beyond the village is a bridge over a ditch, and then the territory of Chechnya begins. Suddenly, the crews of two of our helicopters MI-24 are launching a missile attack on this bridge. The column immediately turns around and returns to Pervomaiskoye back. Later I managed to ask a question to the commander of the 58 Army, General Troshev, who commanded the operation at the first stage: who commanded the helicopter pilots to destroy the bridge on the way to the place where we were waiting for them. Troshev replied: "I did not give." I still don’t know the answer to this question ... But if we had stormed the column in its own way, then, firstly, there wasn’t a subsequent weekly sitting around Pervomaysky, and secondly, there would have been casualties among and among the military is much less. There would be, but not such ...
It is said that at that moment the capture of Pervomaisky itself began. But in reality there was no capture as such. At the village there was a checkpoint of riot policemen (OMON - special police unit - Ed.) From Novosibirsk. A column with militants and hostages was accompanied by a local police colonel (he was shown on television several times later). He approached the commander of Novosibirsk and, clearly not on his own initiative, invited them to lay down weaponthat they did. They say, however, that part of the riot police refused to surrender, and withdrew with a weapon. After that, the militants gathered weapons, who surrendered to the militiamen attached to the hostages, while they themselves entered the village of Pervomayskoye.
We are urgently given a command to take off and land in a mile and a half from the north-western outskirts of Pervomaisky. Set a new task - to block the north and north-west side. We chose the minimum distance to the village and began to prepare - to dig trenches, organize defense. The one who knows, will understand what it means to force the special forces to dig trenches. But then many remembered with gratitude that we did it after all.
In my opinion, the task of blocking and storming the village of Pervomayskoye could be carried out by any experienced combatant with the forces of a single battalion - after all, this is a common army operation. But everything went completely different. Diverse forces were attracted to the operation - the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Federal Security Service, the Ministry of Defense. However, the fighting experience from all the participants in the operation was mainly my soldiers and officers (we were fifty-five with the doctor and signalmen), as well as the paratroopers who stood to our left. The main parts of the Ministry of Defense were from the 135-th motorized rifle brigade from Budennovsk.
In my opinion, given the number of forces involved in the operation, it should have been commanded by General Anatoly Kvashnin, at that time commander of the North Caucasian Military District. But at the scene was the director of the FSB, Mikhail Barsukov, and Interior Minister Viktor Yerin. So who actually commanded - I do not know. I had a connection with the chief of intelligence of the 58 Army, Colonel Alexander Stytsina. With the breakthrough of the militants, he was on the positions of our squadron and died in battle. But first he was at the command post, and it was he who gave me commands.
But the tasks themselves were not set by the military. For example, a combined detachment of army special forces arrives from Rostov. But this squad has no combat experience at all! And I have a whole detachment standing on Khankala. This is much closer, from there you can deliver everything you need much more quickly - property, ammunition. So, with my Rostov squad, my friend Valera arrives. I ask him what their task is. He replies: “Four of our intelligence officers should assault every fighter of the“ Alpha ”in the assault of the village (special forces of the FSB. - Ed.). Scouts must bring alfovtsev to the mosque, where the militants are concentrated, and provide them with its assault. ” But what kind of madhouse? !! Four soldiers-conscripts provide a passage for an adult Alpha man! This task was clearly set not by the military. A plan with four scouts for one Alpha member was dropped - I managed to convince the command of the operation that this was nonsense.
From the moment when a missile strike was made on the January 11 bridge, and on January 15, this badaga lasted with talks and conversations. Gradually, additional troops began to pull up. By the way, I still do not understand why the militants did not leave immediately. This, of course, Raduev idiocy. South, southwest, and southeast were still open for him a day. Only a day later, the so-called ring was completely closed. The density of this ring was about the same as ours - fifty-five people and a half kilometers.
We stood at the place where it was the most convenient place to break through. First, close to the border with Chechnya. Secondly, it was here that a gas pipe passed through the river, above the water. I suggested: "Let's blow up the pipe." And to me: “And let us leave the whole republic without gas?” I again: “So what is the task? Do not miss? Then fight like that. ” And I again about the republic without gas. At our own risk we put mines before the pipe. All of them subsequently worked when the gunmen climbed onto the pipe.
On the third or fourth day, we attempted an assault. "Vityaz" (special forces of the internal troops. - Ed.), "Alpha", "Vympel" (special forces of the FSB. - Ed.) Tried to enter the village from the southeast and got hooked there. Then I talked with the guys from Vityaz. They said: “We stopped, caught, we are fighting in the village for every house. And “Alpha” could not pass behind us. ” That is, the back of the "Vityaz" remained open. After all, Alpha, under such a battle order, was ordered to go back and help the Vityaz, concentrate, storm the houses together, and so on. In the locality go forward with an open back - it's just suicide. (I had the same case in my life when, in the same year, 1996, we were also framed.)
As a result, the Vityaz was surrounded, and he left the boiler on his own, with heavy losses. After the battle, the commander of the Vityaz naturally said to the Alpha: “Thank you! I'm not a walker anymore. Not with you, nor with the others ... ”There they even became personal.
The next day, the command planned another assault by the same forces. But first I had to imitate an assault from the northwest. We were given the task of reaching the first houses, to divert the militants and attract their main forces. And in the southeast at this moment a real assault was to begin.
We approached these houses for twenty minutes (the distance was about seven hundred meters), and four and a half hours departed. One group of ours almost to the extreme houses passed through the ravine. Another - through the destroyed building of a farm, and then - to the houses. The group in which I myself walked was making my way through the foundations of a building. They managed to run to these foundations, but it was already difficult to lean out because of them - the assault for some reason did not take place again. We lay down, no one else attacks the village, and we are given the command to retreat. It turns out: we made reconnaissance in force. When nominating, we didn’t hide ourselves very much, we walked with noise, specially attracting attention to ourselves. Militants, as the command was intended, went to our side of the village and started shooting at us. And it was about ten in the morning.
The militants during the time we gave them, managed to organize the defense, the hostages dug trenches. We saw which houses the militants were sitting in, destroyed several machine-gunners, snipers, and began to direct artillery. Behind our helicopter MI-24 appeared. Launches missiles at the homes that we have indicated. And suddenly two rockets come out, but they do not fly forward, but fall behind us and explode. We - helicopter pilots: “What are you doing?” And they: “Sorry, guys, rockets are not standard.” But it's funny to remember it just now. Then there was no laughing time ...
When they gave us the command to depart, I began to take turns in groups: two groups concentrate the fire, cover up, and one slowly moves away. During the so-called assault, we had one wounded, and during the retreat - three.
Not far from our positions were paratroopers. They also got, even the dead seemed to be ... Militants hit us, and grenades over our heads pass and explode into the positions of the paratroopers. Then they had two BMP (infantry fighting vehicle. - Ed.) Burned. We see that the militants suggest the BMP ATGM (anti-tank guided missile. - Ed.), Wave the paratroopers: "Go away!". The crew managed to jump out, and the car smashed. The paratroopers in their place put another, and everything repeats from the beginning - the guerillas suggest, we wave, the crew aside, the rocket hits the car. But it seems that at this moment they did not hook anyone ...
I did not know who supervised and how supervised everything. But I have never seen a more illiterate and disorderly operation in my life. And the worst thing is that even ordinary soldiers understood this. There was practically no leadership, and each unit lived its own separate life. Everyone fought as best he could. For example, the task we put one, and the paratroopers to our right - the other. We are neighbors, we are located a hundred meters from each other, and different people are commanding us. It is good that we have more or less agreed with them. We had a connection with them both visual and on the radio. True, the radio communication was open, for sure the militants were listening to our talks.
On the night of 13 on 14 January, the old New Year has arrived. From the place of constant dislocation of the detachment, our sent a huge basket of gifts. It was very opportunely, after all, we went here only with ammunition - it was supposed to work on storming the column for about forty minutes. And then we got up in the open field, and in the yard - January ... I asked for boots to be sent to us - they were thrown to us from a helicopter. Then I heard someone complaining: they slept in “Ikarus”, it was very uncomfortable! .. And we slept all the time, as usual, on the ground, someone - in the trenches. Then they brought sleeping bags, we made capes of them. At night - frost, during the day - frost, whole day legs and all uniforms are wet. With the weather, we are very unlucky.
But the detachment helped us as well as I could. So on this New Year sent salads, vinaigrettes. We made an improvised table out of the door. The head of intelligence, Colonel Alexander Stytsina, was amazed how in such conditions we could organize a “holiday” table. One bottle of vodka for twelve people was symbolically drunk, and the rest were left for later.
Continued the same firefight. Then they shoot, then my machine gunners with snipers ... So we kept each other in suspense. When we realized that the operation was protracted, we began to think through the options ourselves in groups, at night, quietly. After all, we were prepared precisely for such actions - from the base of the detachment in Khankala we were given all the silent weapons, mines. But in the end they used us as infantry.
And no one knew the prospects, did not know what would happen next. Whether we are storming, or waiting, when they come out. And this uncertainty influenced a number of my decisions. Every night we started putting minefields in front of us to cover ourselves. After all, the militants had the only real way - through our positions to go to the gas pipe and cross the river along it. I reported this to Colonel Stycycin, who asked the command to at least strengthen us with armored vehicles. Armor in the fire does not give a big advantage, but it has a strong psychological effect on the enemy. (I myself was a couple of times under such fire - very psychologically crushes.)
Every night from January 15 to January 18 breakout, rockets were suspended by parachutes above the village. The highlight of this, of course, was amazing. And on January 17, they gave me a command: tomorrow there will be a second assault. But now we are no longer a distraction, but we are going to the end together with others in our sectors. Therefore, I naturally did not set mines in front of me. The group of observers who were ahead in the 2.30 nights asked: "Quiet?". Answer: "Quiet." And I gave them the command to retreat to the position. I leave a third of the people to guard, and the rest I give the command to rest, because in the morning - the assault. A week has passed in such conditions: naturally, the people began to sway slightly when walking. But in the morning another seven hundred meters must be run. And run is not easy, but under fire.
... And then almost immediately everything began ...
Interestingly, this night there was no light at all. Therefore, the militants, we noticed forty meters. There is freezing frost in the air, practically nothing is visible in the night binoculars. At this time, the group that was returning was following our trenches. My signalmen, who were on duty in turns, launched a rocket and saw the militants. They start counting - ten, fifteen, twenty ... very much! .. I give a signal: all to the battle! The group of twelve people, which was coming from the observation post, was completely ready and immediately hit the militants from the left flank. Thus, they gave the rest of the opportunity to prepare.
And the breakthrough itself was built correctly. The militants had a distracting group aside, a fire group with large-caliber weapons, rocket launchers, and machine-gunners. Their fire group head did not give us a raise. Basically, all those who died and wounded appeared during this first strike. The density of the fire was such that the officer Igor Morozov had his finger crushed. He, an experienced officer, went through Afghan and shot, sitting in a trench, with his hands out with a gun. Finger him here and crippled. But he remained in the ranks.
Their fire group beats, and the others go under their own fire. Come close to us. We hear: “Allah akbar!” Most likely, they were under drugs, then everyone in the backpack found a bunch of medicines and syringes. And under our fire, they did not run, but just walked like a psychic attack. And another thing that was bad. The weapons of our scouts caliber 5.45 millimeter. After all, 7.62 caliber bullets are stopped, and 5.45 is simply pierced through, and the action still goes. And the fighters of different psychological training. He shoots, he sees that he hits the action movie, and he goes on for twenty meters, he does not fall. This is very cool on the nerves, and the fighters will have an impression for a long time. Involuntarily comes to mind a children's tale of Koschey the Immortal.
We have a gap in defense in two or three rifle cells. In one of them, Vinokourov died immediately; a bullet hit his head during the first fire strike. This distance is about thirty meters. The militants went along the parapet of our trenches - the group that returned returned to fire the militants in the opposite direction. And then we started throwing grenades at them. They passed on past us - and then suddenly they turned on Valera Kustikov. He later said: "I did not shoot at all, only threw grenades." The sergeant sat, screwed in the fuses and served him. And Valera pulled out the check and threw. Here is a pipeline from them. Then the paratroopers entered the battle and also began squeezing the militants along the line to the center.
The militants, whom Valera had stopped with his conveyor-launched grenade launcher and the paratroopers with their fire, returned to the center of our positions and began to pass through this thirty-meter gap. I didn’t have a second line of defense - there were only fifty-five of us for a half kilometer of the front, along with a doctor and radio operators. Behind us, there was a post of five to six people, Igor Morozov, who was supposed to ensure that the militants did not come at us from behind. He was just the head of the night shift and at that moment came a tea to drink.
Militants at night, of course, no one thought. But there were several hundred of them. And they all rushed into this gap. We had to work both on the front and on the flank where the militants went. When we did not have time to do it, I gave the command to retreat to the flanks and make a corridor, and let the militants into it. I myself went in the direction of the infantry, the other part - in the direction of the paratroopers. I call the artillery and say: "Beat on our location." They: "Give the coordinates." I give the coordinates. They: "So there you are!". I: "We moved away." They: "Where did you go?" And this is all over an open connection. In short, the artillery never struck. And for the helicopters it was still dark.
Somewhere in about thirty minutes this shaft passed, we closed the defense and began to look around. It became clear that the first assault group of militants that we threw grenades and the fire group did not pass. We, along with the paratroopers, who were standing on the right, suppressed with crossfire. Only the group in which Raduyev was left. Breakthrough itself was organized correctly. But in practice, it was not Raduev who did this, but one Arab, who was often shown on TV. Raduyev is simply a Komsomol gangster, whose family ties have been raised.
The bandits went into the forest, which from one side and the other closely approached the river behind our back. The width of the river in this place is fifty meters. KAMAZ vehicles were already on that side, the boats were already prepared for the crossing.
It is light. We watched those militants who remained in our positions. There were almost no wounded among them, only those killed. We later found many wounded in the forest, and those killed too. These are those who walked through us and were mortally wounded, but were still moving by inertia.
By that moment, we already calculated our losses. Of the fifty-five people, I have ten left. Five were killed. Fifteen injured (they were evacuated immediately). The rest were about the same as an officer with a shot-off finger — they remained in the ranks, but no longer walkers. And then my ten remaining scouts are set to go to the forest to look for the militants hiding there. And at the same time a hundred fresh paratroopers from the reserve are sent to the forester's house. In the forest area to the north of us was the home of a forester, some sort of broken shack. I say to the command: “There is no one there. Militants understand that if they sit in the house, they are blocked - that's all. Let the paratroopers throw a river on our bank, they will squeeze out the militants on me, and I will meet them here. ” Before that, my squad had been in battle for almost ten days, slept on the ground in the trenches. And after the night of the fight got such a stress! But they did not listen to me, and the order is an order - we moved into the forest. Just entered - we have one "300-th" (wounded. - Ed.), Then another. That's how it turns out because of our Russian mentality! The ensign, who came up and saw the wounded girl and the boy there, did not think that the girl could shoot by the nature of her female. The gunfire of the ensign's knee punched ... Then the same thing with the old man, who also can't seem to shoot. And he can. Naturally, our grenades showered them, and I gave the command to leave.
When I brought out my own, I ask the helicopter pilots: “Work in the forest.” But the artillery never shot. And the paratroopers did not find anyone in the forester’s house, loaded into the helicopters and flew away with a victory.
When it began to dawn, on the field in front of the village we began to collect hostages, who were walking along with the militants and carrying their wounded. How can they be distinguished: is he a hostage or not? Those who were in police uniform were asked a couple of questions. Like their ... A fire was made, we drink tea. Among them, many doctors were from the Kizlyar hospital, which Raduev had seized. The doctors, one might say, were the most fortunate. They, when the militants went for a breakthrough, put on white robes. The soldiers immediately realized. The police were in their form. But here again the Russian mentality manifested itself. We see among the hostages a girl of about nineteen, slaughtered such. Immediately her tea is hot, crackers, stew. And she does not eat stew. The FSB guys are coming up: “Can we talk with the girl?” - “Yes, of course.” And they take it under the white arms and take it with them. Then we look at the tape with the capture of Kizlyar, and she is among the militants!
I also remember how someone from the high authorities explained why the dead militants were barefoot. Like in order to sneak up on us was more convenient. In fact, everything is much easier. One of the fighters of the Novosibirsk riot police points at the victim and says: "Oh, my shoes, can I take it off?" And the jackets were also removed from the killed gangsters. I do not consider this looting, if we consider what riot policemen were wearing.
We collected eighty-three corpses in front of our position, thirty-two more to the edge of the forest behind us, not counting those who died in the forest. We took twenty prisoners.
The command had such euphoria when they flew to the battlefield! .. I thought they were going to wear me in my arms. The picture is good: corpses, mountains of weapons. All this is normal by military standards. The first was General Anatoly Kvashnin, the commander of the North Caucasian Military District, who approached me. We have long known him. At the beginning of the war, he personally instructed the first groups, I was the commander of one of them. When we met later, he always had the same phrase first: “Are you here again?” He greeted me this time too.
But our tribulations did not end there. I understood that during the day or night, the bandits, according to the laws of Islam, should come for the bodies. There will be a fight, there will be no fight - it is not known, but they will definitely come for the bodies. But when the winning euphoria was over, everyone sat down in helicopters and flew away. The paratroopers also sit on the equipment and leave, the motorized infantry officers roll up and leave. And I remain alone with my own people, who are still intact, because our light-wounded were also sent. Colonel Stytsina, with whom I had contact, died in this battle. I ask the command: “What should I do? You gave me the command forward, and the command back? .. When do I have the deadline for completing the task? ”And in response:“ Take up the defense, only in the opposite direction. ” I say: "Are you stupid?" My people are falling down again, the frost begins again! ”And to me:“ This is an order, your people are shot at. ” I replied: "Yes, very well shelled, fired all night."
There is nothing to do, we occupy the defense front to the river. At first, I pushed forward a few people, but, given their condition, then I returned it back - if you fall asleep, you will not lift with any kicks. It was a fun night, especially for officers. After all, they understand that if they fall asleep, then everything ends. Two sit by the fire, the rest walk along the line back and forth, wake up the fighters: “Do not sleep!” You’re almost cutting down yourself. I pass and see that one fighter is sleeping. I kick him in the hearts: “Do not sleep, you bastard, you will destroy everyone!” And the fighters around them giggle. It turned out to be a killed "spirit", they have not yet been taken out. The fighters later recalled this incident to me for a long time ...
In the morning, Dagestan police arrived. They all wanted to hold us up. They say: "You will leave now, the spirits will come, but we will not be able to do anything." I replied to them: “No, brother, I'm sorry, this is already your war.” And as soon as we started to take off, we immediately saw how the "spirits" come out of the forest. But they did not have a fight with the Dagestan police. But then the entire list of my squad who participated in this battle turned out to be at the Dagestani police. We were witnesses in a criminal case.
At that time, none of our awards and attention were cheated. The officers and warrant officers were handed a registered weapon, although it is only for officers. Five of our detachment was given the title of Hero of Russia, soldiers were given orders and medals. I was given the rank of lieutenant colonel ahead of time, the star of the Hero was given a nominal gun. In this regard, the authorities sins atone for good. I now understand that they simply closed their mouths to us.
I carry this star with a clear conscience. I also deserved my title and everything else not only by this operation, but also by my entire service ... My conviction is this: the heroism of one person is a mistake of someone else, who should have done everything right. One thing is bad - the militants still broke through. Then my friends and I analyzed this fight and came to the conclusion that it was possible to prevent a breakthrough. And it needed a little bit - to strengthen us with armor.
Under all military laws, I should have had a lot more losses. But preparation also that the people was fired has affected. And an important role, as it turned out, was played by the fact that the trenches had been dug up. The soldiers later thanked us forcing them to dig trenches, because for the special forces it’s almost like another feat to accomplish.
I often remember the bike that walks between those who participated in the siege of Pervomaisky. By the time the militants broke through on the night of 17 on January 18, the entire operation was commanded by Mikhail Barsukov, director of the FSB. At night, they report to him: “The fighters break through!” And he was defeated, commanded: “They are theirs to me!” And they sarcastically answer: “Sorry, Comrade General, they are still only breaking through.”