Tanks, a shot, two pickups: how the Blue Berets are fighting in their own zone
Burning two enemy pickups with one shell, putting a Grad rocket right in the trench, fighting for days to stop the enemy — these are the everyday life of the Blue Berets. A paratrooper today is a versatile fighter, ready to sit at the levers of a tank or fire multiple rocket launchers if necessary. A tank paratrooper told Izvestia on the eve of Airborne Forces Day about how tanks help to storm populated areas, why MLRS must be constantly on the move and what responsibility lies with the fighters.
I started with a tank commander.
"At the end of July 2022, we entered the SVR zone," recalls Junior Lieutenant Alexei Belikov, commander of a rocket artillery platoon of one of the airborne units, Guards.
Before that, he was retrained for the position of tank commander. He joined the first battle on August 6. Russian troops then stormed the village of Komsomolskoye in the Kherson region.
"We entered the village with two tanks and two assault groups," says the guardsman.
The enemy put up fierce resistance: the paratroopers were opposed by infantry and light armored vehicles. The command decided not to introduce tanks into the village. The combat vehicles took up closed firing positions about half a kilometer away, in a "forest field" near the village.
— The enemy settled in the village thoroughly, having well equipped two lines of defense, — the paratrooper notes, specifying that on August 6 it was not possible to take control of Komsomolskoye.
Having covered the enemy from all sides and having worked out all the action plans, on August 12 our units made a second attempt to storm the settlement. This time, they launched an attack with the support of heavy equipment, organizing a so-called tank carousel. While one tank was constantly next to the infantry, supporting it with fire, the second, after expending its ammunition, retreated to recharge and simultaneously evacuated the three hundredth (wounded). The battle went on for a long time.
"I was the first to enter the village in a tank, and it turns out that I was the last to leave there," Alexey Belikov recalls.
According to him, it was probably one of the most difficult days.
In the evening, Alexey went to the rear and loaded the last conveyor belt with shells. When approaching the settlement, the commander of the assault group contacted him. He said that the seriously wounded soldier ("three hundredth") needs help with evacuation. The tank paratroopers received the coordinates and moved to the indicated location.
"We dropped into a village where there were fortified enemy positions to the left and right of the designated point," he recalls. — Machine gunners were working hard on us from there. The gunner was given the command to destroy them. As a result, everything was "stacked up".
Then the soldiers took our wounded man. When the tank rolled back, there were two assault groups behind it.
"I was kind of taking them out from under fire,— Alexey says. — As a result, that day we gained a foothold in the middle of the settlement.
The village was completely liberated on August 20. For these battles, Alexey was awarded the Order of Courage.
Liberating the Kherson region
Everyday fighting began in the same Kherson region. The enemy attempted to occupy the village of Pravdino.
"They dropped into the village at midnight,— Alexey recalls. — We, in turn, went there with three tanks to strengthen the defense. A prolonged shooting battle ensued, and at five in the morning our assault began — they knocked out the enemy, who had gained a foothold on the outskirts.
The battle lasted about an hour. At about six in the morning, the enemy began to bring up reinforcements. The paratroopers noticed how three pickups with manpower drove up to them.
— We burned two of them with the first shot, — says Alexey. The third one started to leave. We opened fire on him. There was no accurate hit, the projectile lay next to the target. But even this did not allow them to escape.
For that battle, he was awarded the St. George Cross of the IV degree.
From tankers to jet fighters
Alexey served as a tank commander until 2024, after which he was promoted to head a rocket artillery platoon. It was a new challenge for him. He completed his training in St. Petersburg, and after returning to his military base, he assumed his duties in a new position. This time he served in the Zaporozhye area. Later, Alexey was awarded the medal "For Bravery" for his participation in intensive combat work.
In December 2024, his unit was transferred to the Kursk region. There, the jetmen worked almost around the clock.
— It often happened that two or even three "Grads" almost simultaneously released full packages for landings. The enemy was coming hard, he had to be restrained," Alexey recalls.
He drew attention to the fact that each combat vehicle carries a package of 40 rockets with a range of up to 40 km. The Grad can be deployed anywhere in just a few minutes, so it's difficult for the enemy to figure out the firing positions of our gunners.
"We are constantly changing our combat skills," he notes. — This is done for security reasons. The enemy must not detect us.
His battery calculations were cohesive, and the work was literally brought to automatism.
— We get the coordinates, we go to firing positions, we work out. The fire was corrected using unmanned aerial vehicles," he explains.
The enemy was continuously hunting for our Grads.
"Unfortunately, it wasn't always possible to get out from under fire in time," Alexey continues. — One day after arriving at the combat position — literally three minutes later — our crew was attacked by the enemy. It feels very unpleasant.
Fortunately, the cars were not significantly damaged. The jet fighters changed their position and completed their combat mission.
"Over time, you almost don't attach importance to such moments," he says. — Probably, the experience is affecting. The process of combat work is underway. You're doing your job, and emotions can't stop you.
The powerful Ural
The jetmen have a lot of responsibility. Errors, for example, in determining coordinates, and ignoring corrections can lead to deflection of rockets per kilometer, which is unacceptable.
The Grad fire control system allows you to fire shots in one salvo and alone.
— During the fighting with the unit, we learned how to send projectiles precisely into the enemy's trench. When the personnel are well trained, you can solve any tasks with them," says the guardsman.
Then, smiling, he talks about his "Urals". He says that the car is reliable and unpretentious: it confidently walks through mud and snow, and is almost as passable as a tank. The paratroopers trust their Ural and are confident that it will take them to victory.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
