Heroes 17/02/20 Colonel Zhukov: why he was the “guardian angel” for Russian soldiers in Chechnya
the Russian military passed both Chechen wars, survived captivity and miraculously did not die. The specifics of his profession was quite exotic – that Zhukov was a military lifeguard. He was looking for and evacuated pilots of downed aircraft and helicopters, pick up special forces troops from raids and evacuated from dangerous areas of civilians. For many of the military he became a real angel.
the Beginning of a military career
beetles are a native of Donbass. As he himself said in an interview with “homeland”, in his childhood their family moved to his father’s home in the Orel region. Alexander Zhukov studied in a boarding school, where he joined the parachute section of the DOSAAF. Skydiving began in the period of study at the agricultural College, and by the time it ends in the reserve the recruit was already 381 jumps.
Urgent Alexander Zhukov served in the Baltic States, in the training division of the air force, was part of the team of the airborne forces in the Baltic district. After the service, after graduating from the Leningrad military Institute of physical culture, in the rank of second Lieutenant and continued his service as a chief of airborne service helicopter regiment stationed in Kaunas.
the call “Petrovich”
After the collapse of the USSR Alexander Zhukov continued to serve in a similar position in the North Caucasian management of army aviation Squaw. Zhukov participated in both Chechen campaign, he had the Callsign “Petrovich” (patronymic). According to the military rescue, to their unit, using the experience of similar operations in Afghanistan, operated in conjunction with the scouts and commandos: latest provided cover, and the rescuers, meanwhile, were evacuated pilots.
According to the calculations of Zhukov, only in the first Chechen campaign, he participated in 38 rescue operations. Until the beginning of the counterterrorist operation military rescue a year spent in the business trip in Angola, where Russian peacekeepers were previously stationed.
“Operation Evacuation”
In the second Chechen campaign, according to Alexander Zhukov, the military rescuers had to rescue the pilots of the helicopters and equipment, but also to help the special forces soldiers who find themselves in difficult situations, to evacuate civilians.
… At the end of January 2000 in the area of the Argun gorge unit under the command of Alexander Zhukov flew to save a group of GRU, among the 11 commandos were wounded. The terrain where the spetsnaz group, was wooded, land the helicopter could not. Bugs under enemy fire, he descended to the ground. To raise the winch was only one seriously injured. The lifeguard ordered the helicopter crew to leave the fighters at any moment could shoot down Mi-8, and then killing all.
Zhukov with 10 commandos retreated into the mountains. A day later in the area harsenoi they radioed for a helicopter group. Arrived at the scene five helicopters, including two Mi-24 to cover the rescue operation. Evacuated commandos also with the help of winches. Under fire surrounded the militants on Board the Mi-8 managed to raise 9 people. There were two military rescuer – Colonel Alexander Zhukov, captain Anatoly Mogutnov and Sergeant of spetsnaz Dmitry Belenko. The fighters were too close and the Mi-24 could not shoot, so as not to hurt their own. The bandits started to fire RPG. Zhukov ordered the helicopter to leave without them.
Bullets from the rest of the Trinity was not only three anti-personnel grenades. P. and Mogutnov wounded in the arm. A grenade was thrown at the fighters. Tried to leave, but the militants they caught and severely beaten with rifle butts.
In captivity
Soldiers were captured by the infamous Salautdin Temirbulatov. Action before the collapse of the USSR, worked on the farm, for which he received the nickname “the Tractor”. During the hostilities in the Republic of known as a fierce and merciless fighter, who personally killed prisoners and recorded it on video. As the suncommemorated bugs, Tractor, and he wanted to cut off the head, but in the pocket of the Colonel, the rebels found the business card and decided to use the prisoner for their own purposes.
Temirbulatov demanded that Zhukov summoned the Russian helicopters in the area of anti-aircraft fighters or Mogutnov and Belenko would be shot. Zhukov phoned the air force base using the Callsign of the pilot who was killed a few days ago, and the command, realizing that the Colonel transmits the coordinates against their will, of rescuers in the place indicated is not sent.
Zhukov and his comrades on the record video long and persistently campaigned to make anti-Russian appeals to Islam. Acted by threats and beatings, were not given food and drink. The Colonel was interrogated Khattab, was also persuaded to change his faith in exchange for life. In February, after amplification, the actions of Federal troops in the area of the Argun gorge, the field commander Arbi Barayev decided to exchange Zhukov on his brother. By satellite phone, the Colonel called his wife home. However, the exchange took place by mistake on that day Federal troops launched air strikes on neighboring areas, and this Barayev regarded as a failure of the agreement.
Liberation
Mogutnov and Belenko was released from captivity at the end of February. The militants are under pressure from Federal troops went out of the Argun gorge. Temirbulatov fled, leaving his gang. Before that Zhukov was sold to the field commander Ruslan Gelayev. Gelaev and his gang from the Argun gorge came in the village of Komsomolskoye, which soon blocked by the feds.
After the outbreak of the March 18 assault Komsomol remnants of the militants tried to move away to the mountains. The prisoners, they drove ahead, using as cover. The group, which was Colonel Zhukov, the night of 20 March crossed the minefield, the prisoners were in the vanguard. Reached the river Goyta, and came under fire from one of the roadblocks the feds.
the bugs got 4 seriously injured in the left shoulder, right forearm, leg and chest. Alexander Petrovich fell into the river, but managed to survive, with difficulty crawled ashore. He had the strength to shout to the soldiers that here and call yourself. One of the officers personally knew Zhukov, Lieutenant-Colonel in the Cape dragged them to the checkpoint, where he lost consciousness.
Treatment and return
In captivity, the beetles stayed for almost 50 days. Surgeon Rostov Central hospital SKVO Vladimir Mackin said the Colonel literally living space was not. The officer has undergone several operations in Khankala, to put it in Rostov, his heart stopped.
In Rostov caught bugs identified of Salautdin Temirbulatova Thriller brought it directly in hospital chamber.
Mackin recalled that Alexander Zhukov was brave, not screaming and not moaning. The officer determined that as early as possible to stand up and walk. On recovery took 8 months. While treated, made another parachute jump, a secret from the doctors.
In January 2001, Alexander Zhukov gave testimony in court against “Tractor”, and in February in Kremlin the President of Russia presented him with a Star Hero. From 2001 to 2003, Colonel Zhukov served in the air force in North Caucasus military district, and then headed the rescue team at the Federal aerospace search and rescue under the Ministry of defense of the Russian Federation.
Since 2008 Aleksandr Zhukov of the year in stock. He graduated from the state University of justice, working in the Institute of transport of oil and oil products. Alexander Zhukov and Rita (wife of the Hero is also an active athlete, parachutist) a daughter and a son.
Nicholas Syromyatnikov
Source:
© Russian Seven
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