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: Alexander 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 stock had a jump of 381.
Urgent Alexander Zhukov took place 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 army he graduated from the Leningrad military Institute of physical training and in the rank of second Lieutenant, he headed the airborne service of the helicopter regiment stationed in Kaunas.
call Petrovich
After the collapse of the Soviet Union Zhukov continued to serve in a similar position in the North Caucasian management of army aviation Squaw. Participated in both Chechen campaigns. His call sign was Petrovich (patronymic). According to the military rescue of their division, using the experience obtained 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 on a trip to Angola, where Russian peacekeepers were previously stationed.
the Operation “Evacuation”
In the second Chechen campaign, according to Alexander Zhukov, the military rescuers had to rescue the pilots of the helicopters and pull equipment, but also to help the special forces 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 attack of fighters came down to earth. 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 operation. Evacuated commandos also with the help of winches. Under fire surrounded the militants on Board the Mi-8 managed to raise 9 people. Remained the Sergeant of spetsnaz Dmitry Belenko and two military rescuer – Colonel Alexander Zhukov and captain Anatoly Mogutnov. 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 was wounded in the arm. Tried to escape using grenades, but the rebels caught them 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 Tractor. During the hostilities in the Republic he is “famous” for cruelty and ruthlessness: personally killed prisoners and recorded it on video. As recalled Zhukov, Tractor and he wanted to cut his head off, but in the pocket of the Colonel, the rebels found his ID and Rexile to hold 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, but used Callsign of the pilot who was killed a few days ago, and the command, realizing that the Colonel transmits the coordinates against their will, the reinforcements at the specified location is not sent.
Zhukov and his comrades long and hard campaigned to make anti-Russian appeals and to accept Islam. Acted by threats and beatings, were not given food and drink. The Colonel was interrogated Khattab, also forced him to change his faith under pain of death. In February, after the action of Federal troops in the area of the Argun gorge 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 Barayev regarded it 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. Last with 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, hiding behind them. 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.
Zhukov received four severe wounds in the left shoulder, right forearm, leg and chest. Alexander Petrovich fell into the river but managed to swim out, with difficulty crawled ashore. He had the strength to shout to the soldiers that here and call yourself. One of the officers personally Zhukov knew. The 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 surgeries. 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 to get to his feet. 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 a Tractor and in February in Kremlin the President of Russia awarded him the “Star of the 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, Alexander Zhukov 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 the sportswoman-the parachutist) a daughter and a son.
Nicholas Syromyatnikov
Source:
© Russian Seven
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