Battle at the Wolf Gate. Duba-Yurt tragedy Battle near the village of Duba-Yurt

At the beginning of September, the division headquarters received a directive from the chief General Staff RF Armed Forces on the creation of the 3rd operational-tactical group motorized rifle division indicating the states. On September 11, the division commander conveyed to the involved units the order to be sent to the area of the counter-terrorist operation. The first units loaded into echelons and moved towards North Caucasus September 12. On September 13, the 84th separate reconnaissance battalion with an updated staff of personnel and equipment left for the Caucasus.

At the time of dispatch, the professional training of soldiers conscript service the battalion left much to be desired. Some of the soldiers and sergeants had already left in the summer; they were replaced by untrained green boys who, at best, had shot several times at the shooting range and had not yet mastered the material part of the battalion’s military equipment. Some young mechanics-drivers of combat vehicles did not know which way to approach the equipment, let alone drive a car in difficult conditions. I had to show everything as I went. As the column moved to the battalion's loading station, several vehicles broke down; they urgently had to be replaced with serviceable ones from the division's tank units, whose equipment was not lost during the Caucasian mission and which, according to the staff of their reconnaissance units, had the same special vehicles.

A few days before loading, combat coordination of the reconnaissance battalion was carried out, during which additional equipment, weapons, personnel and supplies were completed. The battalion’s financiers also arrived in the “fields.” All monetary debts of the state to officers and contract soldiers up to and including August were paid, as in other parts of the division that were leaving for an unknown war...

From the first days of hostilities in Chechnya, the battalion fought boldly and decisively. The officers acquired the necessary experience, the conscript boys were tempered and matured in the heat Chechen battles s everyday life. As a result, the 84th separate reconnaissance battalion became a formidable force, capable of effectively resisting the professional mercenaries of gangs.

From September to December 1999, the battalion performed specific tasks as a reconnaissance unit as part of the West grouping. During the first two months of hostilities in 84 orbs, there were no personnel losses, and all assigned tasks were carried out competently, for which the battalion was respected by the group’s command. The commander of the West group, Lieutenant General Vladimir Shamanov, demanded that the scouts be used only for their intended purpose, and not as assault groups or guards for any military officials.

In addition, having seen the deplorable standard weapons of the reconnaissance units with which they had to carry out combat missions, the commander of the group ordered to provide additional snipers SVD rifles, PKM machine guns, automatic grenade launchers AGS-17 and, until now, unprecedented in the 84 orb, the special rifle NRS-2 (scout shooting knife) and PSS (special self-loading pistol), which according to the staff was intended only for GRU units. At first, there weren’t enough sleeping bags for all the scouts, and Shamanov also helped here - every soldier and officer in the reconnaissance units received a “sleeping bag.”

In December, combat units of the West group approached the Chechen capital, the city of Grozny, to which gang units flocked from all directions. The assault on the city by federal troops was obvious to everyone. The group's troops were ordered to capture the dominant Gikalovsky heights, which were of strategic importance for the subsequent attack on Grozny.

Gikalovsky Heights already for the first time Chechen war was a well-fortified area, which our troops stormed, suffering losses. In the second campaign, engineering structures at the heights grew even more, like tentacles giant octopus. New rifle cells, trenches and communication passages were dug, old ones were reconstructed, turning into impregnable fortresses. The heights loomed over the Russian troops, bristling with scattered everywhere heavy machine guns, mounted in concrete for stability, camouflaged mortars and sniper rifles.

The deputy commander of the group, who acted as General Vladimir Shamanov during his treatment in a military hospital, set the task for the personnel of 84 orb: to carry out search activities at an altitude of 398.3, when an enemy is detected, destroy him, organize a perimeter defense at the height and hold it until approach motorized riflemen of the 752nd regiment of the 3rd motorized rifle division. At the same time, the group’s headquarters did not have accurate information about the concentration of large forces of militants. At this height, according to headquarters officers, the defense was held by small detachments of militants of up to 30 people. The nature of the upcoming task was stated in general outline, did not sign in detail. It was decided to use the scouts as assault groups and perform tasks unusual for them.
The assault on the heights was assigned to two groups total number 29 people. The first group was commanded by the deputy commander of the reconnaissance landing company for educational work, Captain Andrei Seredin, the second was the commander of the reconnaissance landing platoon of the same company, senior lieutenant Alexander Solovyov.

Both groups left simultaneously on the evening of December 10, 1999, passing the outermost position of the platoon of the 752nd motorized rifle regiment in front of the Gikalovsky Heights. From an officer of a motorized rifle unit, the scouts learned that at an altitude of 398.3 there were enemy mortars that fired at them every night, and the number of militants there exceeded 60 people.
The distance from the forward positions of motorized rifles to mark 398.3 was approximately 2–4 kilometers. An armored reconnaissance group of one unit remained at the location of the motorized rifle platoon in case of evacuation of both groups and to provide support with machine gun fire.
From this place, with the onset of darkness, we moved into the night along the southern slope. The climb was long and protracted, the groups walked in a ledge, in a checkerboard pattern. The route was chosen according to the map, trying to move through the groves to the indicated height. Three oil well torches more than 12 meters high were burning on the slope. The entire area in front of the burning well was illuminated so that a thread could be seen on the ground. Reconnaissance groups found themselves in an illuminated area, while the militants were on dark side. The enemy was so confident in the inaccessibility of the Gikalovsky heights that the guards and observers slept peacefully, not expecting a night visit from the scouts.

Reconnaissance groups began to bypass the torch area from the southwestern side. Making their way through numerous militant communication passages, Captain Seredin’s reconnaissance group came across a military outpost of bandits, who at first mistook the scouts for their own, sleepily asking for a cigarette. In response, shots were fired at the “spirits”. And at this time the heights came to life.
The barrage of bullets was so dense that the scouts could not raise their heads at first. The militants fired at the group from three dominant sides. Machine guns and mortars started working. Bullets and mortar shots, the word is a disturbed swarm of wasps, lifted the veil of night calm. At first, the “spirits” fired at random, trying to find the uninvited guests by return shots. Then the fan of bullets began to fall more orderly, snatching the silhouettes of our guys from the darkness.

Captain Seredin decided to retreat. But the scouts had already been discovered by militants who were planning to flank the group. The “spirits” had not yet discovered the location of the second detachment, so they went to full height, anticipating quick reprisals against the feds.
An artillery officer assigned to reconnaissance patrol No. 1 from a motorized rifle regiment radioed for artillery fire at the bandits’ positions. The shells landed at a dangerous distance, 300–400 meters before our fighters, providing a retreat for the group.
Artillery explosions drowned out the heart-rending cries of “Allahu Akbar” and the choice Russian obscenities of the militants. As it turned out later, the defense of the Gikalov Heights, in addition to the Chechens and Arabs, was held by the Slavic brothers, Ukrainian mercenaries.

The commander of reconnaissance group No. 2, senior lieutenant Soloviev, gave the order to his men to take the fight, covering the retreat of the neighboring group. Senior radiotelegraph operator-reconnaissance Mikhail Zosimenko, ensuring the withdrawal of group No. 1, was fatally wounded in the head. Senior Lieutenant Alexander Solovyov, who happened to be nearby, risking his own life, under a hail of bullets, took Zosimenko on himself and ran at full speed to the oil tank. Behind the tank there were already his soldiers, who were pouring machine guns all around, creating a dense fire for their comrades to escape.
The “spirits” were already pushing the scouts from the flanks, not paying attention to the artillery fire. Senior Sergeant Dmitry Sergeev, noticing the militants’ trap that was deadly for them, stood up to his full height and fired a machine gun from his hip until he was wounded in the head. The second bullet destroyed the machine gun, which became useless in battle, like a club at long distances.

The groups retreated back in rolls, one at a time. The wounded soldiers were dragged on raincoats, forgetting about fear and fatigue. The “spirits” followed on their heels. And when it seemed that the scouts could not escape the pursuit, an armored personnel carrier of an armored group emerged from the fog below. Opening on the move with indiscriminate machine-gun fire on the heights, the combat vehicle under the command of the reconnaissance platoon commander, Senior Lieutenant Gennady Bernatsky, with its appearance forced the militants to retreat back and evacuate the reconnaissance groups of the battalion.

On this day there was the first death since the beginning of the Chechen fighting in the 84th reconnaissance battalion. Without regaining consciousness, Private Mikhail Zosimenko died from his wounds at the 752nd Ambulance Rifle Medical Center. For the first time, the battalion served as an assault group instead of motorized rifle units, as a result of which the reconnaissance losses in this night battle amounted to four wounded and one killed.
The next day, the group headquarters again planned reconnaissance of height 398.3. This time the militants showed vigilance. On the approaches to the height, the group was fired upon with all types of weapons from the same trenches and rifle cells that had been opened the day before by the battalion's scouts. After a radio report to the deputy commander of the reconnaissance battalion, Major Pakov, about intense enemy fire, the group was ordered to return to the original area.

All subsequent days, until December 17, companies of the 84th orb, as part of several combat groups, stormed the heights with marks 398.3 and 367.6, opening strong points and firing points of the militants, ensuring the approach of the units of the 752nd infantry regiment to these lines. The battalion's losses from December 13 to 17 amounted to seven wounded (1 officer, 6 soldiers).
The fighting on the Gikalovsky Heights was fierce. Neither side wanted to give in to each other. Engineering structures of the “spirits” snaked along all the slopes of heights that artillery could not penetrate Russian troops. The approaches to the heights were shot at by bandits day and night. The enemy had no intention of leaving here, believing in the inaccessibility of his fortress. And the reconnaissance groups of the battalion, this time together with units of the motorized rifle regiment, again and again rose to the heights.

For personal courage, heroism and skillful leadership of the battle during the mastery of the height with mark 367.6, the commander of the 2nd reconnaissance company of the battalion, senior lieutenant Alexander Khamitov, was awarded the title of Hero of Russia. All the battalion fighters who stormed the Gikalovsky Heights were also awarded state awards.

During the battles for the dominant heights, the enemy’s defenses were broken by the courage, dedication and fortitude of our troops.
In the second half of December 1999, Orb 84 changed its direction of action. From the Gikalovsky Heights it was transferred towards the Argun Gorge near Duba-Yurt.

...The year 2000 was approaching. The most tragic year in the 84th separate reconnaissance battalion...
The Chechen village of Duba-Yurt is located at the entrance to the strategically important point Chechnya - Argun Gorge. “Wolf Gate,” as this area was called, was considered by the militants to be padlocked. Here, militants under the leadership of Khattab were preparing for protracted and bloody battles with the federals in order to prevent them from entering the southern regions of the republic.
84 Orb received from the group command the task of jointly with army special forces units to determine the enemy’s forces and means in this part of mountainous Chechnya.

All combined arms units of the West group (245 motorized rifle regiments, 752 motorized rifle regiments, 15 motorized rifle regiments, 126 motorized rifle regiments) carried out an attack on the Chechen capital. At the disposal of the commander of the group in the southern direction were the 138th Motorized Rifle Brigade, the 136th Orb of the 19th Motorized Rifle Division, and the Special Forces from the Leningrad Military District with the zone of responsibility of Urus-Martan - Goyskoye - Starye Atagi. They carried out the task of reaching the heights from the western side. 160 TP, 84 ORB and 664 OSN were supposed to capture and hold the heights east of Duba-Yurt.

Duba-Yurt was a “negotiated” village, that is, the elders assured the group’s command that the residents were not helping the bandits and did not allow them into the village. At the same time, they were allowed to have their own rural self-defense units to protect the village from militants. Respectively fighting federal troops in Duba-Yurt were categorically prohibited, and violation of these conditions by our troops entailed criminal liability both for those who gave the order and for those who directly violated the peace agreements.

The headquarters of the group assigned the task to the 84th separate reconnaissance battalion to capture the dominant heights above Duba-Yurt for the subsequent advancement and consolidation of motorized rifle units assigned to the 160th tank regiment. For these purposes, consolidated assault detachments were formed with interconnection with the 664 special forces of the GRU. Each detachment, which consisted of two special forces groups, was assigned a reconnaissance group of the 84th battalion. There were three combined groups, which consisted of 6 special forces groups and 3 reconnaissance battalion groups. All combined detachments were commanded by officers of the 664th Special Forces Detachment.

Senior Lieutenant Aralov was appointed commander of the first assault detachment "Aral", and the reconnaissance group of Senior Lieutenant Solovyov "Romashka" was assigned to him. The commander of the second assault detachment “Baykul” was Senior Lieutenant Baykulov, he was assigned the group of Senior Lieutenant Klyandin “Owl”. The third group “Taras” was commanded by Senior Lieutenant Tarasov, he was assigned the group “Akula” of Lieutenant Mironov from the reconnaissance battalion. For the convenience of coordinating the actions of the groups, the management of the operation determined the same radio frequencies.
The assault detachments were tasked with capturing the heights to the left of the “Wolf Gate”, which overlooked one ridge, entering the height and holding it until the arrival of units of the 160th Tank Regiment from the southern outskirts of Duba-Yurt in cooperation with the regiment’s artillery and army aviation. On the left bank of the Argun, units of the 138th operated with similar tasks. motorized rifle brigade and the 136th separate reconnaissance battalion.

The operation was planned for the evening of December 29. However, on this day it did not begin, since the group of the 664th special forces detachment, which had been operating in this direction since December 27, was discovered by militants, and the command decided to first provide assistance to the surrounded special forces.
A group of senior lieutenant Alexander Solovyov “Romashka” on two BRM-1s of 16 people and a special forces group of 12 people were sent to help. The general management of the evacuation was carried out by the commander of the 664th special forces unit, Lieutenant Colonel Mitroshkin.

When approaching the height at which the special forces were fighting, the scouts came under heavy crossfire from militants from small arms and grenade launchers. Dismounting from combat vehicles and hiding behind armor, the combined detachment began to enter the forest. With the help of communications, they quickly discovered the presence of blocked special forces soldiers, but it was not possible to free them from the encirclement - all approaches to them were shot through.
Only six hours later the scouts reached the heights. The “spirits”, taking the dead and wounded, retreated. By that time, the special forces had one killed and three wounded, and the scouts had two wounded. After the evacuation of the special forces detachment, Senior Lieutenant Solovyov’s group was ordered to return to the battalion’s location.

On December 30, the head of reconnaissance of the West group clarified the tasks of the prepared combined assault detachments. The radio frequencies for joint actions were not changed, although, according to Alexander Solovyov, on December 29, the militants tried to play a radio game with him and indicated false coordinates of the location of the special forces.

At 12.30, almost simultaneously, each along its own route, the combined detachments “Aral” with “Romashka” and “Baykul” with “Owl” began to advance. The "Shark" group was sent to the outskirts of the cement plant at the location of 84 orbs for rest. At night she conducted reconnaissance. The Taras group was the last to leave. Motorized rifle units advanced behind the assault detachments.
From the commanding heights, it was not difficult for the militants to observe the accumulation of our troops in front of Duba-Yurt.
The combined detachment, which included the group of senior lieutenant Solovyov "Romashka", carried out the task of capturing the heights, which they had already taken on December 29 when rescuing the special forces.

The groups reached intermediate heights without surprises. Upon reaching the end points, the assault groups came under heavy fire from small arms, mortars and anti-aircraft guns. The anti-aircraft installation of the “spirits” worked blindly along the gorge in which “Baykul” and “Sova” were located. The scouts changed their route and moved up a steep slope so that they would not be hit by anti-aircraft fire.
Meanwhile, the Aral groups with the Sova safely reached the height from where the special forces were evacuated the day before. In the ravine they found caches of dead militants, hastily covered with fresh leaves.

Without having time to gain a foothold at the height and organize a defense, the scouts came under machine gun fire from the enemy. Having sent forward a group led by Senior Lieutenant Bernatsky to suppress the fire of the “spirits,” the reconnaissance group commander began to conduct reconnaissance of the area.
“Owl” and “Baykul” are located a little lower. "Baykul", which was in front at some distance from the "Sova" group, discovered the movement of several groups of militants towards the village of Duba-Yurt...

The date is December 31, 1999. Somewhere the tables were already being set to celebrate the New Year, and here, in the deadly Argun Gorge, the scouts were preparing to either win or die...

At 4 o’clock in the morning, the group’s headquarters received information that a special forces detachment of senior lieutenant Tarasov, which was operating in close proximity to the village of Duba-Yurt, was ambushed and blocked by militants.

The command sets the task for the reserve of the 84th reconnaissance battalion - the reconnaissance group of senior lieutenant Shlykov (call sign "Nara") to move to the southern outskirts of Duba-Yurt and take up defensive positions at level 420.1 in order to prevent the militants from breaking through. All motorized rifle units at that moment were carrying out tasks to block the heights east of the village. Shortest path at mark 420.1 passed through Duba-Yurt. The Nara group was given the task of remaining in the specified area until the main forces of motorized rifles arrived, while the combined assault detachments would destroy the militants in the direction of the Taras group.

“Nara”, under the command of the deputy commander of the 2nd reconnaissance company for educational work, senior lieutenant Vladimir Shlykov, on three BMP-2s in the amount of 29 people, began to move out from the initial area in the direction of Duba-Yurt at about 6 am. The village was covered in thick fog, visibility was almost zero.

A hundred meters before Duba-Yurt, the Nara column stopped. The group commander, having contacted the operation command, asked for confirmation of his actions in conditions of limited visibility of the area. The answer came: “Continue driving.”
As it became known later, the Taras group did not go to the indicated area, getting confused in the search for heights. They did not transmit any signals about the encirclement to the group’s command post. It was impossible to identify the voice. Obviously, the militants prepared disinformation on air in advance.
Having passed the column 400 meters into the village, the militants simultaneously opened fire on the scouts with everything they had.

The first shot from a grenade launcher hit the lead BMP-2, in which Senior Lieutenant Shlykov was located. Private Sergei Voronin, who was next to the commander, was fatally wounded in the stomach. Under crossfire, the scouts dismounted, taking up a perimeter defense. It was not possible to determine the specific locations of the militants. The soldiers headed to the nearest brick house, hoping to find shelter there. One could not count on protection behind the armor of the BMP-2. They were consistently disabled by enemy grenade launchers.

The crews of the combat vehicles remained inside and continued to fight. The senior operator of the lead vehicle, Sergeant Viktor Ryakhovsky, took the gunner’s place during the shelling. The mechanic-driver of the same car, Private Nikolai Adamov, was struck by a sniper’s bullet. The squad commander, Junior Sergeant Shander, was wounded and fought until a second grenade launcher shot ended his life.
The radio air was filled with calls for help, the sounds of battle, and the cries of the wounded.

Private Mikhail Kurochkin, grenade launcher of the Nara group:
“The snipers were working on us. The fire came from all sides. We saw militants descending from the mountains into the village. They also shot at us from the houses of this village. And we were all lying next to the first damaged vehicle.
The fire was so dense that the bullets scattered wires over the road. Our second “bekha” was not yet on fire; its machine gunner was firing. The grenade launcher of the “spirits” crawled closer to her - the first shot ricocheted and exploded behind the houses. The second hit the BMP turret. Sergei Yaskevich dies there, his right leg. Until the last seconds of his life, he asked for help on the radio, and he died with headphones on his head. Our dead and wounded lay around this infantry fighting vehicle.

The situation was such that I didn’t understand anything - I just fired from a machine gun. The gun of the second car jammed, and the boys of the third car were still shooting.
Two guys are dragging Sanka Korobka - a direct hit from a sniper in the head, his whole face is covered in blood, I help drag him. I look - there is a hole in the collar from a bullet. I looked at his face - he has no eyes! The bullet hit the back of the head and came out of the eye.”
Almost simultaneously with the shooting of the convoy in Duba-Yurt, the militants began to intensively fire at the scouts and special forces who were in the mountains. Silent all night anti-aircraft gun“Spirits” spoke again. We had to call aviation and request fire from the artillery battalion stationed in Starye Atagi.

The attack aircraft, due to the dense fire of the militants and poor visibility, were unable to perform high-quality targets. The artillery partially suppressed the firing points of the “spirits”, but did not create barrage fire and soon stopped firing.
And below, in Duba-Yurt, the bloody massacre continued. Acting commander of the reconnaissance battalion, Major Vladimir Pakov, who at that time was at the command post of the 160th tank regiment, decides to pull the Nara out of the battle with the forces of his battalion. The “Akula” group under the command of Lieutenant Mironov, hastily equipped itself and put on body armor that the scouts never wore in raids, consisting of BRM-1 K - 1 unit, BMP-2 - 2 units and numbering 24 people, hastily moves to Duba-Yurt .

The group's command tried to use aviation to suppress enemy firing points in the village and on the adjacent heights. Thick and dense fog in Duba-Yurt makes the use of aviation fatal for the scouts located in the village - helicopters and attack aircraft could catch the surrounded scouts with their NURS. The chief of artillery of the 160th tank regiment also could not fire on the southern outskirts of the village, believing that the scattering of fragments within a radius of 400 meters could be disastrous for our soldiers located in the open area.
Simultaneously with the advance of the “Akula” group to the aid of the “Nara” scouts at the location of 84 orbs, new evacuation groups are being prepared from among the remaining personnel of the battalion; two tanks with officer crews have moved from the 160th regiment to Duba-Yurt. Later, another tank with officers went with the last evacuation group of the reconnaissance battalion.

Lieutenant Mironov’s group flew into the village in one breath, having managed to notice that the residents of Duba-Yurt had already poured out of their houses and crowded at the entrance to it. It was visible how the lead vehicle of the Nara group was burning in front with a torch and the other two were standing motionless with the bodies of our killed soldiers blackening in the snow. There were three hundred meters left before them. At this time, militants opened fire on the second column.

Dismounting from the armor and hiding behind the aft landing hatches, Lieutenant Mironov's scouts continued to move.
Lieutenant Mironov contacted the battalion commander on the radio and said that he would not be able to break through to the aid of Nara, he had wounded and killed. Major Pakov ordered Mironov to stop, gain a foothold in the courtyards and wait for reinforcements.

The first to appear were two T-64s. Apparently, the militants did not expect the tanks to appear here, and their fire began to weaken for some time. The T-64s fired several salvos at the nearby hills, from where enemy fire was visible, and slowly headed towards the damaged column of the first group. Hiding behind armor, several scouts of Lieutenant Mironov headed towards the building where the wounded soldiers of the Nara group lay. The remaining soldiers of the "Shark" group, taking advantage of the calm, ran forward and took refuge in a ditch.

Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Kuklev:
“I gathered everyone who remained. Almost everything combat vehicles, remaining in the battalion reserve, had any serious malfunctions with weapons or communications. What remained in the battalion is not considered combat personnel, although these people knew how to shoot. Half of the soldiers remaining in the battalion have AKS-74 U assault rifles, effective at a distance of up to 50–60 meters, and two magazines. The artillery spotter, the commander of an artillery division of a tank regiment, went with me. Everyone who remained in the battalion’s position at that time was sent to the rescue of the scouts who were ambushed.”
Meanwhile, in Duba-Yurt the battle continued. The militants pinched the last vehicle of the Akula group with BelAZ trucks, intending to cut off the escape route. The mechanic-driver, private Eldar Kurbanaliev, and the junior sergeant, the driver-motor operator of the repair platoon, Mikhail Sergeev, who served as the operator of the BRM-1 K during the battle, were killed.

The scouts of the Nara and Shark groups found themselves in a bag of fire. Having loaded the wounded onto the armor, the tanks went to the command post of the 160th regiment. After unloading the wounded, without even replenishing their ammunition, the tanks again went to Duba-Yurt.
The evacuation group led by Lieutenant Colonel Kuklev was met with fire by the militants.
The foreman of the reconnaissance landing company, senior warrant officer Alexei Trofimov, who participated in this battle as part of the evacuation group:
“We were walking in a group of three infantry fighting vehicles, mine was in the center. The militants spotted us from the road and started shooting at us. They entered the village, jumped off the armor and, hiding behind it, reached the wall of the mosque. I can feel from the situation: the boys, the second company, were simply brought here as targets at the shooting range.
A bulldozer crawled from the tankers, which was supposed to hook the equipment. He was fired upon. The fire was such that they knocked out the tap dance. They shot from right and left. We extinguished distant firing points, but in reality they were sitting, as it turned out, 25 meters away!
I saw the first wounded man. They covered it with armor and took the BMP on board. Eight wounded people were gathered into the car. When they pulled out the wounded, the driver and machine gunner in my group were wounded in the legs. One guy was from a repair platoon: he didn’t take off his bulletproof vest - a bullet entered his side and traveled there, in his body. And we threw it off to make it easier.

My BMP was hit like this: with a grenade under the bottom, in the power rods. And the BMP rolled back. I severely bruised my knee from a rupture under the armor, and a shrapnel hit my shin.
All the wounded who could move were dragged into another infantry fighting vehicle, 6–7 people. The wounded were taken out by conveyor belt - one batch, then another... In total, they made two flights. The first batch was taken to the regiment's command post, where the doctors were already waiting for us.
We return to Duba-Yurt. On the BMP I was alone with the driver; there was no gunner. I fly to the wall near the mosque, turn around and begin loading the wounded. The full BMP was wounded.

I sat down in the turret behind the gunner, turned around, checked the weapon - the cannon and machine gun were jammed. I heard the “spirits” shouting: “Khan to the Russians!” I shout to the mechanic: “Get back!” I poke my head out of the tower - and just next to it, a house collapsed from a rocket hit. The guys retreat back under the cover of smoke.
I hear a rumble, turn my head - there are three tanks behind me. We walked between the tanks, and the guys walked away along the ditch.
I drove the second batch of wounded directly to the emergency room of the medical battalion. At 16.45 I was at the cars with doctors. The sun had already begun to set, and it was a sunny day.”

In Duba-Yurt the battle lasted for more than six hours. Finally, the surviving infantry fighting vehicles fired several smoke grenades towards the village. A smoke screen slowly enveloped the battlefield. Under the cover of smoke, the remnants of the scouts with the wounded under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Kuklev emerged from the bloody nightmare.
The losses of the reconnaissance battalion were 10 people killed, 29 seriously wounded and 12 lightly wounded people who refused to go to the hospital. The irreparable losses of armored vehicles were: BMP-2 - 3 units, BRM-1 K - 1 unit. A few months later, Private Alexander Korobka, a participant in the battle in Duba-Yurt from the Nara group, died in the hospital.
The next day, January 1, 2000, the militants did not leave the village.
The exchange of dead took place a few days later.

Private Mikhail Kurochkin, took part in the battle as part of the Nara group:
“Three days have passed. The special forces brought the corpses of militants for exchange. I was sent to identify the dead. I knew Seryozha Voronin well. Shortly before this operation, he and I made tattoos on our arms. He impaled a cross on his hand
with Jesus, bat and flames around the cross... The dead are lying: the heads of the contract soldiers were cut off, and the ears of the conscripts were cut off. Seryozhka’s face is stretched out, covered in dirt, his ears are gone - they cut them off. The face is unrecognizable, it’s so disfigured. At first I recognized him by his jacket. I say: “Cut the jacket on your left hand.” If it’s a tattoo, it’s him.” They cut it... This is Seryozhka Voronin. I was shaking all over, wobbling, it was so scary...”

A few weeks after the execution of the second company of the reconnaissance battalion in Duba-Yurt, special forces destroyed a detachment of militants in the mountains of the Argun Gorge. Among the trophies was a recording of the battle, filmed by the militants. The footage, which was filmed from about three hundred meters above the village, shows episodes of the battle in Duba-Yurt on December 31, 1999 and the morning of January 1, 2000, when the bandits examined the remains of burnt equipment and the corpses of Russian soldiers.

When terrible footage of the battle flashed on the TV installed in the army tent, the scouts remained silent, clenching their fists from powerlessness and swallowing the stingy tears that welled up. The painful question of who is to blame for the death of his comrades forever remained in the soul of every officer and soldier of the 84th separate reconnaissance battalion...

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In the office of the deputy commander of the 84th separate reconnaissance battalion, Major Salekh Agayev, they watched a videotape filmed by your correspondent in November last year, when the unit was stationed in Chechnya on the Sunzhensky ridge. Officers and soldiers recognized themselves on the screen, their comrades.

Stop! This is Kurbanaliev, who died near Duba-Yurt! - one of the soldiers screamed.

Kurbanaliev was in the frame for one or two seconds. The scout standing in front of him stepped slightly and covered the face of the scout who died a few weeks later. Left the frame... And soon out of life. Then, on videotape, the scouts found two more of their dead comrades. They also only briefly flashed in the frame. If only I had known then that they would die...

Eighteen soldiers and officers were killed in the second Chechen campaign by the 84th separate reconnaissance battalion of the 3rd motorized rifle division of the 22nd army. Their names are now engraved on the monument, which was unveiled at the battalion headquarters on June 21. The soldiers and officers watched that front-line videotape, where they stood in the same formation next to the dead, and everyone thought: “But I could be among these eighteen...”

Eyes and ears

On September 28, 1999, the reconnaissance battalion, as the vanguard of a group of Russian troops, entered Chechnya from the north. Having carefully adjusted their equipment, checked communications, weapons and ammunition, the reconnaissance groups, one after another, went on their first combat search. The 19-year-olds, under the command of lieutenants only three or four years older than themselves, left into the darkness of the night, into strange hills, into the unknown. The only clear task was to establish the enemy’s strongholds, their numbers and weapons.

The battalion's combat log contains daily meager entries. “The assigned combat mission has been completed. There are no losses of personnel or equipment." These lines are typical of the first weeks of the campaign.

The enemy, not risking engaging in battles with an avalanche of Russian troops, retreated, offering almost no resistance, only occasionally setting up ambushes. We must pay tribute: the Chechens and mercenaries fight competently and carefully. Reconnaissance groups walked ahead of the Russian motorized rifles. If the scouts established the location of the enemy, they immediately called for artillery fire using the radio with prearranged signals. Merciless volleys of Grads and self-propelled artillery units swept away strongholds, and then the scouts advanced again. We walked, risking every second of being blown up by a mine and getting hit in the forehead by a sniper’s bullet. The radio operators listened anxiously to the broadcast. If communication was suddenly interrupted, the battalion tried not to think about the bad.

In each search, the scouts could be ambushed. Luck largely depended on the skill of the commanders and the caution of each soldier. You must be able to see the mark in the grass, the thin wire from a grenade on a tripwire, and hear the distant sound of shovels. Every sound mattered.

From the battalion’s combat log: “...Active vehicle traffic was established between Alkhan-Yurt and Shaami-Yurt, both during the day and at night... In an ambush at a ford there was a clash with the enemy. Documents of a murdered colonel of the armed forces of the Chechen Republic were taken... In the area of the bridge, two vehicles with militants and a KamAZ fuel tanker were destroyed in an ambush, samples of documents and ammunition were taken... Two machine gun points were destroyed. A group of militants and a stronghold were discovered. The operation of optical instruments is noted in square 90551... They called in artillery fire at two discovered firing points... They captured a driver who was setting up a tripwire with a grenade..."

The reconnaissance battalion carried out the tasks of the commander of the “West” group and acted in the interests of not only the 3rd motorized rifle division, but also its neighbors. The scouts throughout the campaign were the “eyes and ears” of the command. I also had to carry out tasks of particular importance. For example, an operation was successfully carried out during which it was necessary to obtain material evidence of the direct participation of NATO countries in the Chechen conflict. It was November 21st. Then the scouts set up an ambush and killed five bandits. They were wearing uniforms and equipment from one of the NATO countries, which was later shown on central television. And the West stopped openly supporting the Chechen regime for some time.

First blood

For two and a half months, the reconnaissance battalion, moving further and further into the mountains of southern Chechnya, fought without losses. But everyone understood that sooner or later trouble would happen. The scouts, as usual, went away for two or three days, sometimes 10–15 kilometers.

On December 10, one of the reconnaissance groups near Chiri-Yurt established Basayev’s headquarters, but was ambushed. A fight ensued. The scouts knocked the enemy down from a height, then found the corpses of ten bandits on its slopes. In this battle, two scouts were wounded and Sergeant Mikhail Zosimenko died. He managed to destroy the machine gun crew in the trench and three machine gunners. The bandits walked around the foreman and shot him point-blank.

Scouts don't abandon their friends

The further into the mountains the reconnaissance groups went, the more stubborn the militants’ resistance became. The group of senior lieutenant Pyotr Zakharov, on the outskirts of Duba-Yurt, established several caches of bandits and destroyed a caravan with weapons. Two Chechens were killed in the battle, one of whom turned out to be Basayev’s closest associate. The scouts had difficulty escaping pursuit.

On December 16, in thick fog, the reconnaissance group of Senior Lieutenant Mikhail Mironov was ambushed. The scouts, finding themselves surrounded, took on an unequal battle. The commander of the reconnaissance group, Senior Lieutenant Alexander Khamitov, received a radio message about the incident. His group had just occupied an important height; there was an enemy ahead, ready to attack. But Alexander could not leave his comrades in trouble. With half of his group, the officer went to help Mironov’s group. Secretly, Khamitov’s group entered the enemy’s flank and opened heavy fire. The militants were forced to weaken the pressure on the encircled scouts. Senior Lieutenant Khamitov received numerous wounds in the thigh in battle, was bleeding, but did not leave the battlefield and personally destroyed the machine-gun crew of the militants.

Thanks to the bold maneuver of the reconnaissance group of Senior Lieutenant Khamitov, she was saved large group scouts. This battle ended without losses. If it weren’t for Khamitov’s help, who knows how many zinc coffins would have gone to Russia... Alexander Khamitov, when he was evacuated bloodied by helicopter to Mozdok, thought about anything but the fact that in a few months he would stand in the Kremlin next to the president Russia, and the golden star of the Hero of Russia will sparkle on his chest... At twenty-four years old...

And in that battle, both groups of scouts, having united, occupied another height and fought to hold it until the infantry arrived.

New Year at the Wolf Gate

The village of Duba-Yurt is located at the entrance to the Argun Gorge. Wolf Gate is the name of this strategically important point. Here, militants in large forces, commanded by Khattab, were preparing to give a stubborn battle to Russian troops in order to prevent them from entering the southern regions of Chechnya.

The scouts received orders to establish enemy forces in the area by reconnaissance in force. And there were three days left until the New Year...

First, one reconnaissance group ran into an ambush near Duba-Yurt. A group of senior lieutenant Solovyov came to her aid. The scouts lost two people wounded and retreated to their original positions. The next day, December 30, two reconnaissance groups went on a search in armored vehicles. During the advance, one infantry fighting vehicle hit a mine. So far there have been no losses...

At 23:00 on December 30, one of the reconnaissance groups started a battle with superior enemy forces in Duba-Yurt. We managed to capture several small arms, a mortar and large number ammunition. The Chechens did not leave their dead behind. At three o'clock in the morning, two more groups of reconnaissance moved into the area. By six o'clock in the morning the battle broke out. On the southern outskirts of Duba-Yurt, the group of senior lieutenant Vladimir Shlykov was surrounded. The scouts, suffering losses, nevertheless gained a foothold in one of the buildings. A group of senior lieutenant Mironov was already in a hurry to help the encircled, but the militants met it with fire and did not give them the opportunity to get through to the encircled.

By nine o'clock in the morning on December 31st, the remaining units of the battalion were alerted - signalmen, repairmen, a logistics support platoon... It was necessary to help the scouts get out of the encirclement, save the living, carry out the wounded and dead. The evacuation group was headed by the deputy battalion commander for educational work, Major Saleh Agayev, a real Baku native and a real commissar. It was not the first time he had to be in such a situation. When on December 15 one of the reconnaissance groups was ambushed, Major Agaev with reinforcements moved into the battle area, struck the flank and ensured the group’s withdrawal with fire. And here is a similar situation. Under heavy fire, the group of Major Salekh Agayev repelled the attack of the bandits and made their way to the encircled people in Duba-Yurt. Major Agayev carried out two wounded, and his entire group carried out ten and one killed.

The situation was complicated by the fact that in the continuous fog helicopters could not help us,” recalls Major Agaev, “but later tankmen came to our aid. It’s very hard to remember this battle... They even fired at us from the mosque. The four dead could not be found immediately; they were later exchanged for the killed bandit commanders.

For the evacuation of the wounded and killed, Major Agayev was awarded the Order of Courage... A month and a half later, in February, Salekh Agayev distinguished himself once again when, with an armored group, he rescued scouts who were ambushed. And at the beginning of March, he and his group broke through to the height where the scouts were fighting, organized its defense and evacuated the wounded. Soon after this, he was awarded the second Order of Courage for the campaign.

“In that merciless war...”

From the battalion's combat log and the award sheets for the reconnaissance soldiers who died that day, an army-like picture of the hard battle, in which 10 scouts were killed and 29 were injured...

Sergeant Vladimir Shchetinin was killed by a sniper as he climbed out of his combat vehicle, which had been hit by a grenade launcher. In battle before last minute fired from a cannon and a BMP machine gun, helping to evacuate wounded comrades with fire...

Junior Sergeant Stanislav Kulikov died from a sniper bullet at the end of the battle, when the group began to retreat. In battle he acted skillfully and bravely, covering with fire the group that was evacuating the wounded.

Private Vladimir Serov was killed by a sniper while ensuring the group's retreat. His comrades remember that he was wounded, caught in enemy crossfire, but continued to fight...

Sergeant Alexander Zakhvatov was killed by a grenade launcher. He fought while surrounded, was wounded, managed to shoot a sniper, and was wounded again. His comrades saw him firing back until he disappeared into the gap.

Private Nikolai Adamov, driver of an infantry fighting vehicle, was killed by a sniper. When the combat vehicle was ambushed and hit, Nikolai was seriously wounded, but he still ensured that his comrades disembarked from the vehicle.

Sergeant Viktor Ryakhovsky burned in the turret of an infantry fighting vehicle. When his combat vehicle was hit, he took the gunner's place in the turret and fired. The BMP was hit by another grenade launcher shot, but Victor continued to fire, ensuring the withdrawal of his comrades. He fought until the last minute of his life.

Sergei Yaskevich was killed by a direct hit from a grenade launcher. When his infantry fighting vehicle was ambushed, he skillfully organized a perimeter defense. Sergei's leg was blown off, but he continued to fire and destroyed two militant firing points.

Private Sergei Voronin was killed by a sniper. When the group was ambushed, he was seriously wounded, but fired back until the last moment.

Private Eldar Kurbanaliev also died from a sniper’s bullet. His infantry fighting vehicle was hit, but Eldar fired, covering his comrades.

Sergeant Vladimir Sharov died from a direct hit from a grenade launcher. Until the last second, he covered the flank of the ambushed group with a machine gun.

Private Alexander Korobka had both legs torn off by a mine and seriously wounded in the head. He suffered until April 29 and died. In the battle near Duba-Yurt, when the scouts were surrounded, he skillfully fought and destroyed two machine gunners. On the videotape, Sasha, who was standing in formation in the second row during filming, also flashed into the frame for only one or two seconds. The scouts, while watching the film, returned these frames several times, where he was still alive. According to reviews of his fellow soldiers, he was a very modest guy, thanks to him many of his comrades survived.

The Wolf Gate was defended by the detachments of Khattab and Basayev, a total of about a thousand bandits. The scouts identified the enemy forces, but then the motorized riflemen, tankers and artillery had to fight here for a whole week.

Before this operation, we were preparing for the New Year,” recalls Major Agayev. - In Mozdok we bought champagne and tangerines for the guys. But we all had no time for the holiday... It was very hard on our souls after such losses.

“Thank you for the children...”

After Duba-Yurt there were new battles, night searches, and ambushes. The battalion's scouts were the first to reach the outskirts of the village of Komsomolskoye, for which there were particularly fierce battles, and, as Major Agayev recalls, “dragged the infantry behind them.” The list of those killed in the battalion added several more names. And the bandits placed several dozen more poles with green flags on their graves.

The 84th separate reconnaissance battalion, on whose banner the Order of the Red Star and the Red Banner of Battle is perhaps the only part of the combined group of Russian troops in Chechnya, where all personnel were awarded for one campaign, and some two or three times. In addition to A. Khamitov, who became captain ahead of schedule, and was awarded the gold star of the Hero of Russia, senior lieutenants A. Soloviev and P. Zakharov (posthumously) were nominated for this rank.

The battalion was withdrawn from Chechnya when it had completely fulfilled its duty. The conscripts were demobilized. And soon, Major Salekh Agayev received a letter from Leonid Vysotsky’s mother: “...Only thanks to such wonderful people and excellent professionals like you, our children were able to withstand and not break in the difficult conditions of war. Your son remembers you with warmth and gratitude. I am infinitely happy that at the most difficult time for my son, a deeply decent person who was not indifferent to the fate of people was next to him. Thank you so much for everything you have done for our children...”

If only it were possible to return their dead sons to the mothers...

At the beginning of September, the division headquarters received a directive from the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces on the creation of an operational-tactical group of the 3rd Motorized Rifle Division, indicating the personnel. On September 11, the division commander conveyed to the involved units the order to be sent to the area of the counter-terrorist operation. The first units loaded into trains and moved to the North Caucasus on September 12. On September 13, the 84th separate reconnaissance battalion with an updated staff of personnel and equipment left for the Caucasus.

At the time of dispatch, the professional training of the battalion's conscript soldiers left much to be desired. Some of the soldiers and sergeants had already left in the summer; they were replaced by untrained green boys who, at best, had shot several times at the shooting range and had not yet mastered the material part of the battalion’s military equipment. Some young mechanics-drivers of combat vehicles did not know which way to approach the equipment, let alone drive a car in difficult conditions. I had to show everything as I went. As the column moved to the battalion's loading station, several vehicles broke down; they urgently had to be replaced with serviceable ones from the division's tank units, whose equipment was not lost during the Caucasian mission and which, according to the staff of their reconnaissance units, had the same special vehicles.

From the first days of hostilities in Chechnya, the battalion fought boldly and decisively. The officers acquired the necessary experience, the conscript boys hardened and matured in the heat of Chechen combat everyday life. As a result, the 84th separate reconnaissance battalion became a formidable force, capable of effectively resisting the professional mercenaries of gangs.

In addition, having seen the deplorable standard weapons of the reconnaissance units with which they had to carry out combat missions, the commander of the group ordered to provide, in addition to the staff, SVD sniper rifles, PKM machine guns, AGS-17 automatic grenade launchers, and hitherto unseen in 84 orb special small arms NRS-2 (scout shooting knife) and PSS (special self-loading pistol), which according to the staff was intended only for GRU units. At first, there weren’t enough sleeping bags for all the scouts, and Shamanov also helped here - every soldier and officer in the reconnaissance units received a “sleeping bag.”

Already in the first Chechen war, the Gikalovsky Heights were a well-fortified area, which our troops stormed, suffering losses. In the second campaign, the engineering structures at the heights grew even more, like the tentacles of a giant octopus. New rifle cells, trenches and communication passages were dug, old ones were reconstructed, turning into impregnable fortresses. The heights dominated the Russian troops, bristling with heavy machine guns scattered everywhere, mounted in concrete for stability, camouflaged mortars and sniper rifles.

The deputy commander of the group, who acted as General Vladimir Shamanov during his treatment in a military hospital, set the task for the personnel of 84 orb: to carry out search activities at an altitude of 398.3, when an enemy is detected, destroy him, organize a perimeter defense at the height and hold it until approach motorized riflemen of the 752nd regiment of the 3rd motorized rifle division. At the same time, the group’s headquarters did not have accurate information about the concentration of large forces of militants. At this height, according to headquarters officers, the defense was held by small detachments of militants of up to 30 people. The nature of the upcoming task was stated in general terms, but was not described in detail. It was decided to use the scouts as assault groups and perform tasks unusual for them.

The assault on the heights was assigned to two groups with a total of 29 people. The first group was commanded by the deputy commander of the reconnaissance landing company for educational work, Captain Andrei Seredin, the second was the commander of the reconnaissance landing platoon of the same company, senior lieutenant Alexander Solovyov.

The distance from the forward positions of motorized rifles to mark 398.3 was approximately 2–4 kilometers. An armored reconnaissance group of one unit remained at the location of the motorized rifle platoon in case of evacuation of both groups and to provide support with machine gun fire.

From this place, with the onset of darkness, we moved into the night along the southern slope. The climb was long and protracted, the groups walked in a ledge, in a checkerboard pattern. The route was chosen according to the map, trying to move through the groves to the indicated height. Three oil well torches more than 12 meters high were burning on the slope. The entire area in front of the burning well was illuminated so that a thread could be seen on the ground. Reconnaissance groups found themselves in the illuminated area, while the militants were on the dark side. The enemy was so confident in the inaccessibility of the Gikalovsky heights that the guards and observers slept peacefully, not expecting a night visit from the scouts.

The barrage of bullets was so dense that the scouts could not raise their heads at first. The militants fired at the group from three dominant sides. Machine guns and mortars started working. Bullets and mortar shots, like a disturbed swarm of wasps, lifted the veil of the night's calm. At first, the “spirits” fired at random, trying to find the uninvited guests by return shots. Then the fan of bullets began to fall more orderly, snatching the silhouettes of our guys from the darkness.

An artillery officer assigned to reconnaissance patrol No. 1 from a motorized rifle regiment radioed for artillery fire at the bandits’ positions. The shells landed at a dangerous distance, 300–400 meters before our fighters, providing a retreat for the group.

Artillery explosions drowned out the heart-rending cries of “Allahu Akbar” and the choice Russian obscenities of the militants. As it turned out later, the defense of the Gikalov Heights, in addition to the Chechens and Arabs, was held by the Slavic brothers, Ukrainian mercenaries.

The “spirits” were already pushing the scouts from the flanks, not paying attention to the artillery fire. Senior Sergeant Dmitry Sergeev, noticing the militants’ trap that was deadly for them, stood up to his full height and fired a machine gun from his hip until he was wounded in the head. The second bullet destroyed the machine gun, which became useless in battle, like a club at long distances.

The next day, the group headquarters again planned reconnaissance of height 398.3. This time the militants showed vigilance. On the approaches to the height, the group was fired upon with all types of weapons from the same trenches and rifle cells that had been opened the day before by the battalion's scouts. After a radio report to the deputy commander of the reconnaissance battalion, Major Pakov, about intense enemy fire, the group was ordered to return to the original area.

The fighting on the Gikalovsky Heights was fierce. Neither side wanted to give in to each other. The engineering structures of the “spirits” snaked along all the slopes of the heights, which the artillery of the Russian troops could not penetrate. The approaches to the heights were shot at by bandits day and night. The enemy had no intention of leaving here, believing in the inaccessibility of his fortress. And the reconnaissance groups of the battalion, this time together with units of the motorized rifle regiment, again and again rose to the heights.

...The year 2000 was approaching. The most tragic year in the history of the 84th separate reconnaissance battalion...

The Chechen village of Duba-Yurt is located at the entrance to the strategically important point of Chechnya - the Argun Gorge. “Wolf Gate,” as this area was called, was considered by the militants to be padlocked. Here, militants under the leadership of Khattab were preparing for protracted and bloody battles with the federals in order to prevent them from entering the southern regions of the republic.

84 Orb received from the group command the task of jointly with army special forces units to determine the enemy’s forces and means in this part of mountainous Chechnya.

Duba-Yurt was a “negotiated” village, that is, the elders assured the group’s command that the residents were not helping the bandits and did not allow them into the village. At the same time, they were allowed to have their own rural self-defense units to protect the village from militants. Accordingly, military operations by federal troops in Duba-Yurt were categorically prohibited, and violation of these conditions by our troops entailed criminal liability both for those who gave the order and for those who directly violated the peace agreements.

The assault detachments were tasked with capturing the heights to the left of the “Wolf Gate”, which overlooked one ridge, entering the height and holding it until units of the 160th Tank Regiment arrived from the southern outskirts of Duba-Yurt in cooperation with the regiment’s artillery and army aviation. On the left bank of the Argun, units of the 138th motorized rifle brigade and the 136th separate reconnaissance battalion operated with similar tasks.

When approaching the height at which the special forces were fighting, the scouts came under heavy crossfire from small arms and grenade launchers from militants. Dismounting from combat vehicles and hiding behind armor, the combined detachment began to enter the forest. With the help of communications, they quickly discovered the presence of blocked special forces soldiers, but it was not possible to free them from the encirclement - all approaches to them were shot through.
Only six hours later the scouts reached the heights. The “spirits”, taking the dead and wounded, retreated. By that time, the special forces had one killed and three wounded, and the scouts had two wounded. After the evacuation of the special forces detachment, Senior Lieutenant Solovyov’s group was ordered to return to the battalion’s location.

From the commanding heights, it was not difficult for the militants to observe the accumulation of our troops in front of Duba-Yurt.

The combined detachment, which included the group of senior lieutenant Solovyov "Romashka", carried out the task of capturing the heights, which they had already taken on December 29 when rescuing the special forces.

Meanwhile, the Aral groups with the Sova safely reached the height from where the special forces were evacuated the day before. In the ravine they found caches of dead militants, hastily covered with fresh leaves.

“Owl” and “Baykul” are located a little lower. "Baykul", which was in front at some distance from the "Sova" group, discovered the movement of several groups of militants towards the village of Duba-Yurt...

The date is December 31, 1999. Somewhere the tables were already being set to celebrate the New Year, and here, in the deadly Argun Gorge, the scouts were preparing to either win or die...

The command sets the task for the reserve of the 84th reconnaissance battalion - the reconnaissance group of senior lieutenant Shlykov (call sign "Nara") to move to the southern outskirts of Duba-Yurt and take up defensive positions at level 420.1 in order to prevent the militants from breaking through. All motorized rifle units at that moment were carrying out tasks to block the heights east of the village. The shortest route to mark 420.1 passed through Duba-Yurt. The Nara group was given the task of remaining in the specified area until the main forces of motorized rifles arrived, while the combined assault detachments would destroy the militants in the direction of the Taras group.

As it became known later, the Taras group did not go to the indicated area, getting confused in the search for heights. They did not transmit any signals about the encirclement to the group’s command post. It was impossible to identify the voice. Obviously, the militants prepared disinformation on air in advance.
Having passed the column 400 meters into the village, the militants simultaneously opened fire on the scouts with everything they had.

The radio air was filled with calls for help, the sounds of battle, and the cries of the wounded.

Private Mikhail Kurochkin, grenade launcher of the Nara group:

“The snipers were working on us. The fire came from all sides. We saw militants descending from the mountains into the village. They also shot at us from the houses of this village. And we were all lying next to the first damaged vehicle.

The fire was so dense that the bullets scattered wires over the road. Our second “bekha” was not yet on fire; its machine gunner was firing. The grenade launcher of the “spirits” crawled closer to her - the first shot ricocheted and exploded behind the houses. The second hit the BMP turret. Sergei Yaskevich dies there; his right leg is torn off. Until the last seconds of his life, he asked for help on the radio, and he died with headphones on his head. Our dead and wounded lay around this infantry fighting vehicle.

The situation was such that I didn’t understand anything - I just fired from a machine gun. The gun of the second car jammed, and the boys of the third car were still shooting.

Two guys are dragging Sanka Korobka - a direct hit from a sniper in the head, his whole face is covered in blood, I help drag him. I look - there is a hole in the collar from a bullet. I looked at his face - he has no eyes! The bullet hit the back of the head and came out of the eye.”

Almost simultaneously with the shooting of the convoy in Duba-Yurt, the militants began to intensively fire at the scouts and special forces who were in the mountains. The anti-aircraft installation of the “spirits”, which had been silent all night, spoke again. We had to call aviation and request fire from the artillery battalion stationed in Starye Atagi.

And below, in Duba-Yurt, the bloody massacre continued. Acting commander of the reconnaissance battalion, Major Vladimir Pakov, who at that time was at the command post of the 160th tank regiment, decides to pull the Nara out of the battle with the forces of his battalion.

Simultaneously with the advance of the “Akula” group to the aid of the “Nara” scouts at the location of 84 orbs, new evacuation groups are being prepared from among the remaining personnel of the battalion; two tanks with officer crews have moved from the 160th regiment to Duba-Yurt. Later, another tank with officers went with the last evacuation group of the reconnaissance battalion.

Dismounting from the armor and hiding behind the aft landing hatches, Lieutenant Mironov's scouts continued to move.

Lieutenant Mironov contacted the battalion commander on the radio and said that he would not be able to break through to the aid of Nara, he had wounded and killed. Major Pakov ordered Mironov to stop, gain a foothold in the courtyards and wait for reinforcements.

Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Kuklev:

“I gathered everyone who remained. Almost all combat vehicles remaining in the battalion's reserve had some serious malfunction with weapons or communications. What remained in the battalion is not considered combat personnel, although these people knew how to shoot. Half of the soldiers remaining in the battalion have AKS-74 U assault rifles, effective at a distance of up to 50–60 meters, and two magazines. The artillery spotter, the commander of an artillery division of a tank regiment, went with me. Everyone who remained in the battalion’s position at that time was sent to the rescue of the scouts who were ambushed.”

Meanwhile, in Duba-Yurt the battle continued. The militants pinched the last vehicle of the Akula group with BelAZ trucks, intending to cut off the escape route. The mechanic-driver, private Eldar Kurbanaliev, and the junior sergeant, the driver-motor operator of the repair platoon, Mikhail Sergeev, who served as the operator of the BRM-1 K during the battle, were killed.

The evacuation group led by Lieutenant Colonel Kuklev was met with fire by the militants.

The foreman of the reconnaissance landing company, senior warrant officer Alexei Trofimov, who participated in this battle as part of the evacuation group:

“We were walking in a group of three infantry fighting vehicles, mine was in the center. The militants spotted us from the road and started shooting at us. They entered the village, jumped off the armor and, hiding behind it, reached the wall of the mosque. I can feel from the situation: the boys, the second company, were simply brought here as targets at the shooting range.

A bulldozer crawled from the tankers, which was supposed to hook the equipment. He was fired upon. The fire was such that they knocked out the tap dance. They shot from right and left. We extinguished distant firing points, but in reality they were sitting, as it turned out, 25 meters away!

I saw the first wounded man. They covered it with armor and took the BMP on board. Eight wounded people were gathered into the car. When they pulled out the wounded, the driver and machine gunner in my group were wounded in the legs. One guy was from a repair platoon: he didn’t take off his bulletproof vest - a bullet entered his side and traveled there, in his body. And we threw it off to make it easier.

We return to Duba-Yurt. On the BMP I was alone with the driver; there was no gunner. I fly to the wall near the mosque, turn around and begin loading the wounded. The full BMP was wounded.

I drove the second batch of wounded directly to the emergency room of the medical battalion. At 16.45 I was at the cars with doctors. The sun had already begun to set, and it was a sunny day.”

The losses of the reconnaissance battalion were 10 people killed, 29 seriously wounded and 12 lightly wounded people who refused to go to the hospital. The irreparable losses of armored vehicles were: BMP-2 - 3 units, BRM-1 K - 1 unit. A few months later, Private Alexander Korobka, a participant in the battle in Duba-Yurt from the Nara group, died in the hospital.

The exchange of dead took place a few days later.

Bottom line Terrorists and mercenaries held their positions Opponents Strengths of the parties

The “Western” group of federal troops under General Shamanov was ordered to drive the enemy out of a strategically important area. The only asphalt road to the mountainous regions of Chechnya runs here. According to the plans of the military leaders, the first strike was to be delivered by small units of GRU special forces and the 84th separate reconnaissance battalion armed forces. Their task is to secretly rise to the key heights of the Wolf Gate and gain a foothold there, and in the event of a retaliatory strike by the militants, hold out until the main forces arrive.

Militant positions

Reconnaissance in force December 29

The 84th battalion, together with special forces units, was tasked with finding out the number and location of militant forces in this area. The reconnaissance was supposed to be carried out in force. To complete the task, the reconnaissance battalion was tasked with occupying the heights above Duba-Yurt to ensure free access for motorized riflemen. The plan for subsequent actions was quite simple: use the data received, push the militants into the valley, and then destroy them in the open. According to the plan, special forces units were to move ahead, followed by reconnaissance groups, which periodically had to stop and wait for the infantry. The advance of the combined groups was supposed to be supported by aviation and artillery. The 160th tank regiment of Colonel Yu. Budanov was concentrated nearby.

On the night of December 29, a group of special forces rose to the heights and without a fight occupied the militant positions equipped there. Those, as usual, went to spend the night at bases located in the mountains. When the enemy patrol returned here in the morning, it came under fire from scouts. In response, the militants opened heavy fire on the special forces from small arms and mortars. Solovyov’s reconnaissance group “Romashka”, numbering 27 people on 2 infantry fighting vehicles, had to come to the aid of the special forces. Only after six hours of battle did the scouts manage to break through to the heights. The militants, taking the dead and wounded, retreated. Russian soldiers, by order of the operation commander, Lieutenant Colonel Mitroshkin, also returned to their original positions. During the battle on December 29, the special forces lost 1 person killed and 3 wounded. The scouts lost 2 people wounded.

Fight December 30

On December 30, the head of reconnaissance of the West group clarified the tasks of the prepared combined assault detachments. In the middle of the day, all three combined groups set out and the operation began. At 12.30, almost simultaneously, each on their own routes, the combined detachments “Aral” and “Baykul” began to advance. The Taras group was the last to leave. Motorized rifle units advanced behind the assault detachments. Already at this stage, the commanders gradually realized that the militants were listening to radio communications and were well aware of the assault plan. Ambushes awaited the attackers at the places indicated on the map. The second combined detachment, which included “Baykul” and “Sova”, at this time found itself under fierce fire from mortars and anti-aircraft guns. Wherever the reconnaissance groups went, militants were waiting for them, greeting them with heavy fire.

Meanwhile, the Aral and Romashka groups safely reached the height from where the special forces were evacuated the day before. In the ravine they found caches of dead militants, hastily covered with fresh leaves. By nightfall, the militants ceased fire - they probably received orders to gather at the entrance to the “Wolf Gate” - the village of Duba-Yurt. "Baykul", which was in front at some distance from the "Sova" group, discovered the movement of several groups of militants towards the village of Duba-Yurt. In the darkness, a line of luminous points flocked to Duba-Yurt.

Fight December 31

At 4 a.m. on December 31, the group’s headquarters received information that the Taras detachment, Art. Lieutenant Tarasov, who was operating in close proximity to the village of Duba-Yurt, was ambushed and blocked by militants. The command sets the task for the reserve of the 84th reconnaissance battalion - the reconnaissance group of senior lieutenant Shlykov (call sign "Nara") to move to the southern outskirts of Duba-Yurt and take up defensive positions at level 420.1 in order to prevent the militants from breaking through. All motorized rifle units at that moment were carrying out tasks to block the heights east of the village. The shortest route to mark 420.1 passed through Duba-Yurt. The Nara group was given the task of remaining in the specified area until the main forces of motorized rifles arrived, while the combined assault detachments would destroy the militants in the direction of the Taras group. As it became known later, the Taras group did not go to the indicated area, getting confused in the search for heights. They did not transmit any signals about the encirclement to the group’s command post. It was impossible to identify the voice. Obviously, the militants prepared disinformation on air in advance.

“Nara”, under the command of the deputy commander of the 2nd reconnaissance company for educational work, senior lieutenant Vladimir Shlykov, on three BMP-2s in the amount of 29 people, began to move out of the initial area in the direction of Duba-Yurt at about 6 am. The village was covered in thick fog, visibility was almost zero.

The infantry fighting vehicles moved in almost complete darkness and thick fog. The camouflage lights were turned off. When entering the village - an order to stop. The group commander, having contacted the operation command, asked for confirmation of his actions in conditions of limited visibility of the area. We waited for about twenty minutes. Then again the command: “Forward!”

Having passed the column 400 meters into the village, the militants simultaneously opened fire on the scouts with everything they had. The first shot from a grenade launcher hit the lead BMP-2, in which Senior Lieutenant Shlykov was located. Private Sergei Voronin, who was next to the commander, was fatally wounded in the stomach. Under crossfire, the scouts dismounted, taking up a perimeter defense. It was not possible to determine the specific locations of the militants.

Yuri Babarin, in 1999 a private, senior intelligence officer of the 84th ORB, tells:

“It felt like the mountains came to life, that is, shooting began from all sides, gunfire. They beat us with every type of weapon you can think of. Machine guns, grenade launchers. We just lay there for almost two hours, unable to raise our heads. Their calculation was probably that while it was dark, they would knock out one “bekha” (infantry fighting vehicle) and the other... They prepared thoroughly. There's probably square meter It wasn’t empty, because there was either a mine or a grenade launcher shell. There were definitely 10 kilograms of lead for every square meter.”

The artillery could not provide high-quality cover due to poor visibility. In the village, the Russian column was shot at from grenade launchers, the soldiers were knocked out by snipers. The airwaves were filled with cries for help. However, it turned out to be impossible to use aviation, since Duba-Yurt was covered with a thick veil of fog. "Shark" came to the aid of Shlykov, but the second column was immediately fired upon upon entering the village. The scouts dispersed and began to fire back. When one of the Nara group’s infantry fighting vehicles was hit, its commander, Sergeant Ryakhovsky, ordered the gunner to leave through the airborne squad, and he himself opened fire on the militants surrounding him. The footage taken by the militants themselves shows that no one dares to approach the burning car; the militants are staying close to the shelter. After several direct hits on the BMP, the ammunition exploded. Ryakhovsky burned alive, covering his comrades to the last. The mechanic-driver of the same car, Private Nikolai Adamov, was struck by a sniper’s bullet. The squad commander, Junior Sergeant Shander, was wounded and fought until a second grenade launcher shot ended his life. Private Mikhail Kurochkin, grenade launcher of the Nara group:

“The snipers were working on us. The fire came from all sides. We saw militants descending from the mountains into the village. They also shot at us from the houses of this village. The fire was so dense that the bullets scattered wires over the road. Our second “beha” was not yet on fire, its machine gunner was firing. The grenade launcher of the “spirits” crawled closer to her - the first shot ricocheted and exploded behind the houses. The second hit the BMP turret. Sergei Yaskevich dies there; his right leg is torn off. Until the last seconds of his life, he asked for help on the radio, and he died with headphones on his head. Our dead and wounded lay around this infantry fighting vehicle.”

At this time, at the location of the 84th reconnaissance battalion, it was decided to pull out the Nara group from Duba-Yurt. The remnants of the reconnaissance battalion came forward to help the dying colleagues: signalmen, cooks, sick and wounded people - 30-40 people, armed with AK-74U close-combat machine guns.

At this time, three kilometers from Duba-Yurt stood the 160th Tank Regiment of Colonel Yuri Budanov. As Lieutenant Colonel of the tank regiment Oleg Metelsky later recalled: “Our regiment was given an order not to open fire on Duba-Yurt, since it is a peaceful village.”. Major of the 84th reconnaissance battalion Sergei Polyakov went there to ask for a tractor to evacuate the damaged infantry fighting vehicles in the village. The groups trapped in the ring of militants were supported by the battalion commander of the 160th tank regiment, Vladimir Pakov. With the tacit consent of Colonel Budanov, Pakov sent 2 T-62 tanks with crews of officers to the battle site. By evening a third tank joined them. According to the commander of the Romashka reconnaissance group, Solovyov, the soldiers would not have been able to leave the ring without the support of tanks. Apparently, the militants were not expecting tanks in the village, so their appearance caused confusion and turned the tide of the battle. The tanks opened fire on the positions of the militants in the village, and under their cover, the Akula group on an infantry fighting vehicle managed to break through to the encircled Nara group and begin evacuating the wounded. The militants sandwiched the last vehicle of the Akula group with BelAZ trucks, intending to cut off the escape route. The mechanic-driver, private Eldar Kurbanaliev, and junior sergeant Mikhail Sergeev, died. The surviving infantry fighting vehicles fired several smoke grenades towards the village. Under the cover of smoke, the remnants of the scouts with the wounded were able to escape from the fire bag. Six o'clock fierce battle the center of the village was practically destroyed. It was not possible to evacuate damaged equipment and several killed soldiers

Not far from the village, in an open field on a quick fix They set up a first aid station. The wounded were unloaded directly into the mud. Doctors here provided them with first aid medical care and were sent to the infirmary.

Almost simultaneously with the shooting of the convoy in Duba-Yurt, the militants began to intensively fire at the scouts and special forces who were in the mountains. After a night break, their anti-aircraft gun resumed fire. We had to call in aviation and request fire from the artillery battalion, which was stationed in Starye Atagi. The attack aircraft, due to the dense fire of the militants and poor visibility, were unable to perform high-quality targets. The artillery of the federal troops partially suppressed the enemy's firing points, but did not create barrage fire and soon ceased to operate.

Consequences of the battle

The losses of the reconnaissance battalion were 10 people killed, 29 seriously wounded and 12 lightly wounded people who refused to go to the hospital. The irreparable losses of armored vehicles were: BMP-2 - 3 units, BRM-1 K - 1 unit. A few months later, another participant in the battle in Duba-Yurt from the Nara group died in the hospital.

The next day, January 1, the militants still continued to hold the village. Duba-Yurt. A few days later, the dead were exchanged. Private Mikhail Kurochkin, took part in the battle as part of the Nara group:

“Three days have passed. The special forces brought the corpses of militants for exchange. I was sent to identify the dead. I knew Seryozha Voronin well. Shortly before this operation, he and I made tattoos on our arms. The dead lie dead: the heads of the contract soldiers were cut off, and the ears of the conscripts were cut off. Seryozhka’s face is stretched out, covered in dirt, his ears are gone - they cut them off. The face is unrecognizable, it’s so disfigured. At first I recognized him by his jacket. I say: “Cut the jacket on your left hand.” If it’s a tattoo, it’s him.” They cut it... This is Seryozhka Voronin. I was shaking all over, wobbling, it was so scary...”

During the assault, the courage of Russian privates and officers was demonstrated, but the operation was obviously unsuccessful. The detachments entered into battle with an enemy superior in numbers, weapons and technical equipment. The inertia of management in decision making also played a sad role. In some cases, assistance was not provided to groups dying under fire for fear of being punished for unauthorized actions; orders were not given in a timely manner.

Suspicions of betrayal of command

After the defeat of the Nara group of the 84th reconnaissance battalion, a strong belief emerged among the soldiers that they had been betrayed by the command. The commander of the Romashka group, A. Solovyov, admits in his interview that already at the stage of preparing the operation, he was faced with the inexplicable behavior of the command, namely Lieutenant Colonel Mitroshkin. To this day, he does not understand why the commanders were taken to Duba-Yurt itself for reconnaissance, because the actions were planned to be carried out at the heights. Certain fragments of phrases conveyed by the major suggest the idea of betrayal in the circles of command.

Senior Lieutenant Alexander Solovyov says:

“While we were looking at the ridges and hills on the outskirts of the village, Lieutenant Colonel Mitroshkin took several pistol magazines, a couple of grenades, signal flares and one of us, Senior Lieutenant Tarasov. The lieutenant colonel told us: “I’ll go to the Duba-Yurt commandant’s office and find out the situation in the village. If you see a red rocket, save me.” Mitroshkin had everything at that moment: a map, radio frequency numbers on which we later worked, our call signs, a communication diagram with artillery and aviation. The lieutenant colonel left for Duba-Yurt in the same way as General Verbitsky, transferring to a Chechen jeep. When the lieutenant colonel and senior lieutenant returned about 40 minutes later, Mitroshkin told us: “We’re leaving here quickly!” Tarasov was pouring sweat. We ask him: “Why are you sweating so much?..” He replied: “In this village everyone is armed to the teeth and dressed in NATO uniform.” - “Have you even found a commandant?..” - “What kind of commandant could there be?!” Then, when all of us had dispersed, I lingered and heard Mitroshkin say to Tarasov: “Senior Lieutenant Tarasov, I’ll clarify the task for you.” Involuntarily I heard this clarification: “Chechen intelligence officers will work with you tonight.” I remember I was very surprised: what kind of intelligence officers could the Chechens have???” A little later, the command lined up scouts at the foot of the mountains - so that all three reconnaissance detachments, which were to carry out a secret mission, were clearly visible to the militants holed up in the mountains. It was even possible to count our scouts by their heads... On the same day, on the hills of the Argun Gorge, they were all ambushed. And the next day - a new order: “Forward, there!”.

Another participant, Vladimir Pakov, claims that he knows both the commander of the “West” group and Lieutenant Colonel Miroshkin himself and other commanders well and does not believe in their betrayal. In his opinion, the militants, having more advanced communication devices at their disposal, tuned in to the frequency, which is confirmed by the facts of the radio game during the assault.

However, after a bloody battle, the command of the reconnaissance battalion expected a new “battle” - a battle with investigators special department. Alexander Solovyov alone was called in for questioning about eleven times, and, according to him, they exerted extreme psychological pressure. It turned out that there were no official orders there was no information about the reconnaissance operation on December 29-31, 1999; they tried to lay the blame for the deaths and failure of the assault on the immediate commanders. They were especially interested in the candidacy of Pakov, who unauthorizedly used tanks and had a decisive influence on the outcome of the battle.

Sergeant Oleg Kuchinsky recalls:

“Very soon officers from the group’s command and the special department entered the tent. They were looking for switchmen. ...They listened to us for about thirty minutes and realized that we needed to quickly leave here, otherwise there would be trouble in this tent. We understood that we needed to restrain those guys so that they wouldn’t do anything crazy now. Otherwise there will be trouble. If they go to the headquarters and someone tells them something wrong, but everyone has machine guns, machine guns... They will stand in front of this command post - and before command post just walk one and a half kilometers... They will destroy everything there. Well, everyone felt, everyone felt that it was a betrayal.”

The question of the militants’ awareness of all actions Russian groups was delivered already in the first days of the battle, even the reason for such awareness was revealed - the availability of radio frequency. However, there was no solution to the problem. Fear is also especially evident in attempts to blame the death of fighters on their immediate commanders. senior management for your own well-being. Against the backdrop of everything that happened, it is not surprising that the majority of combatants to this day consider the tragedy that took place in the Argun Gorge to be a betrayal.

05.04.2012

Wolf Gate. December 1999 – another black page in the history of the Chechen war

The Argun Gorge is one of the largest gorges in the Caucasus in terms of length, formed by the breakthrough of the stormy waters of the Argun. Planned placement here today ski resort, and yet quite recently this area was watered with the blood of Russian soldiers. Bullets whistled around, the glasses of sniper scopes gleamed in the green thickets, as if “spirits” were appearing from underground. At the end of December 1999, the 84th reconnaissance battalion and groups special purpose the order was given to storm the “Wolf Gate” - that was the name of the entrance to the gorge.

The 84th reconnaissance battalion arrived on the territory of Chechnya back in September 1999; it consisted mainly of soldiers with low vocational training, only a small part of the battalion included professional officers and contract soldiers. However, it was precisely thanks to this relatively small group of military personnel that the battalion’s losses until December 1999 were minimal. Some of the officers already had experience of military operations in five and even seven hot spots. By December, even inexperienced young soldiers had gained the necessary experience and could act competently even in difficult unforeseen situations. Shortly before the operation in the Argun Gorge, the 84th battalion was used as an assault battalion on the Gikalovsky Heights. By the time of the assault, the 84th reconnaissance battalion was a serious force capable of fulfilling the combat mission assigned to it.

By the beginning of 2000, the Wolf Gate was an important strategic point. This area was essentially the gateway to southern regions republic, so the militants were preparing for a clash long before the assault began. Numerous camouflaged trenches, trailers and shelters dug deep into the ground, tripwires - all this was prepared in anticipation of the federal troops. At the head of the mountaineers was the experienced and battle-hardened Khattab, who knew the area well and had at his disposal a wide network of agents. Many of the participants in the assault on the “Wolf Gate” are convinced that among Khattab’s agents there were also individual Russian commanders who received considerable rewards for transmitting information.

The 84th battalion, together with special forces units, was tasked with finding out the number and location of militant forces in this area. The reconnaissance was supposed to be carried out in force. Near the gorge there was a peaceful village of Duba-Yurt, which was classified as “negotiable”, which meant that the residents observed neutrality. To treaty settlements federal troops did not have the right to enter military equipment, however, in fact, the agreement was observed only by the federal command, while local residents provided active support to Khattab’s forces.

To complete the task, the reconnaissance battalion was tasked with occupying the heights above Duba-Yurt to ensure free access for motorized riflemen. The plan for subsequent actions was quite simple: use the data received, push the militants into the valley, and then destroy them in the open. To successfully implement the plan, the battalion was divided into 3 combined groups, each of which consisted of two special forces detachments and one reconnaissance battalion detachment. The attack aircraft, codenamed "Aral", led by Senior Lieutenant Aralov, were supposed to act together with the reconnaissance detachment "Romashka" under the command of Senior Lieutenant Solovyov. The Baykul assault detachment, led by Senior Lieutenant Baykulov, operated with the Sova reconnaissance group of the 84th battalion, led by Senior Lieutenant Kalyandin. The third detachment consisted of the group of senior lieutenant Tarasov, code-named “Taras” and the reconnaissance group “Akula” of senior lieutenant Mironov.

It seemed that the operation had been thought out to the smallest detail, even the frequency of radio messages was determined to be uniform so that the groups could hear each other's messages and coordinate their actions. According to the plan, special forces units were to move ahead, followed by reconnaissance groups, which periodically had to stop and wait for the infantry. The advance of the combined groups was supposed to be supported by aviation and artillery. A tank regiment was concentrated nearby.

Alexander Solovyov admits in his interview that already at the stage of preparing the operation, he was faced with the inexplicable behavior of the command, namely Lieutenant Colonel Mitroshkin. To this day, he does not understand why the commanders were taken to Duba-Yurt itself for reconnaissance, because the actions were planned to be carried out at the heights. Certain fragments of phrases conveyed by the major suggest the idea of betrayal in the circles of command. On the other hand, another participant, Vladimir Pakov, claims that he knows both the commander of the “West” group and Lieutenant Colonel Miroshkin himself and other commanders well and does not believe in their betrayal. In his opinion, the militants, having more advanced communication devices at their disposal, tuned in to the frequency, which is confirmed by the facts of the radio game during the assault.

The start of the operation was scheduled for the evening of December 29, but Solovyov’s detachment had to set out in the morning, since the militants discovered a group of special forces, whom the command decided to provide assistance. The number of the detachment was only 27 people, of which 16 belonged to the reconnaissance battalion. The group advanced on two infantry fighting vehicles, then continued on foot. Move quickly through the foothills in full equipment it didn't work out. In addition, the militants opened continuous fire on the attackers, so they had to take cover behind the armor and gradually move towards the forest. It was not difficult to detect the special forces trapped in Khattab’s ring of fire, since the group still had contact, but the combined group was able to cross the fire zone and occupy the height only after six hours.

Alexander Solovyov recalls that on the approaches to the height they found themselves minefields, installed by Russian specialists. And again the major asks the question of why they were not warned about the presence of stretch marks, which were discovered only by chance. Solovyov’s detachment lost two people wounded, while one soldier in the assault group was killed. The assigned task was completed, three wounded special forces soldiers were taken to the camp and handed over by doctors. During transportation, Solovyov’s group lost another soldier, who was wounded by a sniper shot. As soon as the first combined group left the area and formed up, it was again rushed to save Zakharov’s detachment.

On December 30, in the middle of the day, all three combined groups set out and the operation began. Solovyov and his soldiers again had to take the heights abandoned the day before by order of Colonel Mitroshkin. Already at this stage, the commanders gradually realized that the militants were listening to radio communications and were well aware of the assault plan. Ambushes awaited the attackers at the places identified on the map. The terrible guess was confirmed. The second combined group, which included “Baykul” and “Sova,” was at that time under fierce mortar fire. Early in the morning, Tarasov’s group found itself in an ambush and sent signals for help, fighting a fierce battle. The command sent the group of Senior Lieutenant Shlykov to storm height 420.1. At this time, the combined groups were fighting in the direction of Tarasov’s special forces. The militants continued active disinformation on the air, as a result of which “Nara,” as Shlykov’s group was called, was also ambushed in the center of Duba-Yurt.

The artillery could not provide high-quality cover due to poor visibility. In the village, a Russian column was shot at from a grenade launcher, and soldiers were knocked out by snipers. The airwaves were filled with cries for help. However, it turned out to be impossible to use aviation, since Duba-Yurt was covered with a thick veil of fog. "Shark" came to the aid of Shlykov, but the second column was immediately fired upon upon entering the village. The scouts dispersed and decided to shoot back.

Battalion commander Vladimir Pakov provided support to the groups caught in the militant fire. Without waiting for orders from their command, with the tacit consent of Colonel Budanov, 2 tanks with crews were sent to the battle site. According to Solovyov, without the support of equipment, the fighters would not have been able to leave the ring. Apparently, the militants did not expect the appearance of tanks in the village, so their appearance caused confusion and turned the tide of the battle. Six hours of fierce battle practically destroyed the center of the village.

The 84th reconnaissance battalion and the special forces, scorched by enemy fire, met the first day of the year, counting their losses. The assault on the Wolf Gate claimed the lives of ten scouts and wounded twenty-nine others. However, after a bloody battle, the command of the reconnaissance battalion expected a new battle-battle with investigators from the special department. Alexander Solovyov alone was called in for questioning about eleven times, and, according to him, they were subjected to extreme psychological pressure. It turned out that there were no official orders for the reconnaissance operation on December 29-31, 1999, and they tried to lay the blame for the deaths and failure of the assault on the immediate commanders. They were especially interested in the candidacy of Pakov, who unauthorizedly used tanks and had a decisive influence on the outcome of the battle.

The employees of the special department withdrew from the battalion and special forces positions solely out of fear of the possibility of the soldiers being disrupted, since confidence in the general’s betrayal reigned among the people. Armed soldiers could at any time cross the line of the regulations and deal with those who were considered traitors. The investigation did not establish the perpetrators; no one was held responsible for the deaths.

The following died in the battle for the Wolf Gate:

1. Sergeant V. Shchetinin;

2. Junior Sergeant S. Kulikov;

3rd Private V. Serov;

4. Sergeant A. Zakhvatov;

5. Private N. Adamov;

6. Sergeant V. Ryakhovsky;

7. Sergeant S. Yaskevich;