Hero of Russia Raspopov declared confidence in the restoration of peace after HIS

The Hero of Russia, Lieutenant Denis Raspopov, said that on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War (WWII) they fought with almost the same thing that fighters have to fight in the special military operation zone (SVO). He shared this belief with Izvestia on Victory Day on May 9.

"I want to wish everyone patience. A peaceful sky above our heads, we will definitely wait for it. So that everyone returns alive and well to their families and friends," the lieutenant added.

In February 2024, Raspopov's regiment conducted offensive operations in the area of the village of Terny in the Krasnolimansk direction. During the hardest week, the crew of the T-72BZM tank, under his leadership, made several trips per day.

"As a result of the crew's work, our assault units have made significant progress. Three pieces of military equipment, a mortar crew, an ammunition depot and enemy manpower were destroyed. <...> We both delivered an assault unit directly "head—on" to the enemy, and provided fire support," he explained.

When the crew moved back, the fighters noticed a drone circling in the air — the drone overtook the tank just a couple of kilometers from the strongholds.

"He flew, he flew, he didn't attack us. The assault units jumped back on us. We drove and drove, there were literally 700 meters left to the line of contact, to the strongholds — and we were shot down with a guided missile. <...> They evacuated, the mechanic was concussed," Raspopov recalls.

Thanks to the coordinated actions of the crew, a number of enemy strongholds were captured, and the Russian troops were able to make significant progress. In December 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded the lieutenant the title of Hero of Russia and awarded the Golden Star, and the tank crew members were awarded Orders of Courage.

The parade: the celebrations in Moscow showed the connection between the heroes of Victory and the participants of their

Putin congratulated the Russians on May 9th and told them what inspires his fighters.

In an interview with Izvestia on May 9, Semyon Lyulko, a veteran of the Great Patriotic War, told how, at the age of 17, he deceived the military enlistment office to get to the front, and recalled a 100-kilometer trek through mountainous and wooded areas under shelling.