Grandfathers - no, but execution - there is

It seems that a recent interview with Sergei Shoigu “Moscow Komsomolets” (the very same, for which the “Izvestia” fired their military observer) is destined to become a classic illustration of the concept of “jilage”. The head of the military department boasted, attributed exclusively those really positive changes that have occurred in the Russian army over the past ten years. It seemed that this could be done completely safely: according to all surveys, the Russian army became a modeling institution in the eyes of Russians (which, we note, is characteristic only for militaristic society) and enjoys even great authority than the president. But after the interview was published, troubles fell like peas from a holey bag. At first, during the Strategic Nuclear Nuclear Forces unprecedented in terms of the exercises of the Thunder-2019, it was not possible to launch a missile from the atomic submarine (PR residents of the Ministry of Defense explained then that there was no “abnormal situation” at all, just from the very beginning: to notify about the upcoming launch and then abandon it).

And soon there was a shooting in the guard of the military unit in Transbaikalia. Soldist Ramil Shamsutdinov killed eight colleagues, including two officers. An excellent confirmation of the minister’s victorious statement: “Now there is simply no ground for hazing in the army. Of course, there are cases of household and barracks hooliganism. In the presence of a great desire, these cases can be raised on the shield and worn in all stage and rally. Like, look, one soldier hit another! But such situations are much more numerous among civilians in any city. The main thing is that in our millionth army crime is an order of magnitude, I repeat-an order of magnitude less than in any millionaire city. And this is dry statistics. " It is unlikely that now, after the execution, the military department will be able to say on a blue eye: look, we have fewer crimes than civilian. The army is one of the most important institutions of the state, which, in order to ensure its safety, gives weapons in the hands of military personnel, “sovereign people”, among which it seems that the strict rules of which do not apply to residents of millionaire cities.

In the tragedy with Shamsutdinov, the military department took the same absurd defensive position that it occupies when society learns about some failures in the army. First, the Ministry of Defense Commission came to the conclusion that the soldier was not a victim of physical violence. And moreover, what happened, it turns out, was in no way “was connected with military service”. As if Shamsutdinov, until recently, a completely normal guy, which the teachers and neighbors were talking about one voice, was in his native village, and not in the military unit. Everything, they say, is the reason, the officials of the Ministry of Defense say, the “nervous breakdown”, caused by the fact that the ordinary did not have relations with the officer. It is as if the military department is not responsible for those in whose hands it gives the roar soldiers. Further, more, as the “sources” reported to reporters, Shoigu made a terrible variety to his subordinates. However, the essence of the Minister’s claims came down to the fact that in the case of Shamsutdinov, orders were violated that prohibit sending military soldiers to outfits that last more than three days. As if the execution cannot be made by a person who was given the weapon in his hands for a couple of hours.

And the Ministry of Defense PR managers came to hysteria when one of the telegram channels published the testimony of Shamsutdinov, where he allegedly said that he had shot the guard in a situation where he was threatened with sexual violence. “The information that describes the language of the 90s of the last century, which was allegedly existing in the military unit in Transbaikalia, is the absolute lie, which is common to one of the telegram channels,” the department reported with played indignation. At the same time, they did not react to an interview with the father and brother of the soldier, where they say that violence was the norm in the military unit, where mobile phones are taken away from conscripts and extort money. But a press conference was hastily arranged, who had lied all responsibility for the execution of the Internet and computer games.

The irony lies in the fact that violence in the barracks was really almost defeated. Not Shoigu, but his predecessor - Serdyukov. He, together with the then head of the General Staff, Nikolai Makarov mercilessly and consistently fired the whole chain of bosses from the army - from the platoon commander to the brigade or division commander - in case of violence. At the same time, past merits were not taken into account. This was perfectly known in the troops. Maintaining human order in military units by itself became a priority for commanders. "By the end of 2012, we had no complaints from the troops at all!" -says Valentina Melnikova, the responsible secretary of the Union of Committee of the Soldiers' Mothers of Russia (not to be confused with an organization that works in extremely close cooperation with the Ministry of Defense and the leader of which was not embarrassed to take part in a shameful press conference). In fairness, we note that Sergei Shoigu also had a hand in the elimination of barracks violence. It was under him that all sergeant posts in the army were occupied by contractors, which objectively excluded the prerequisites for the notorious "grandfather". He, we will give him his due, continued the line for the humanization of military service. With him, soldiers began to eat relatively normally, they had the opportunity to take a shower daily.

However, all this is blocked by the obvious fact that the minister has no desire to betray the cases of barracks violence, publicly and the public to dismiss the guilty officers. Surely the PR managers who are listening to Shoigu so much were advised not to concentrate on the fight against violence in the barracks. Indeed, the revealed fact of such violence will certainly not ensure the growth of the popularity of the minister. If the absence of crimes in the army is perceived as the norm, its maintenance does not bring obvious dividends. In the troops we read this signal - create what you want, most importantly, be able to sweep the garbage under the carpet. It is clear that in a particular Transbaikal unit, mockery of soldiers was allowed for a long time. Only the “grandfathers” were no longer mocked, but officers. And the fact is not a single one. Following the story with Shamsutdinov, a message came: in the military unit in Kozelsk (Kaluga region), a 21-year-old soldier Sergei Safonov was found on a belt in the office of the commander of the unit. Relatives of the deceased, who received the body with traces of beatings covered with makeup, are sure that Sergei Safonov could not commit suicide and demand an investigation of the murder. As experience shows, after such tragedies follows the flow of statements from those who became a victim of violence. And, much worse, an epidemic of executions begins when the boys dressed in military uniforms suddenly see a way out for themselves in the murder of colleagues. So it was in the 1990s and the first half of the 2000s. I really want to believe that this will not happen again ...

Photo: 1. Kirill Kitmar/TASS
2-3. Support Group Ramil Shamsutdinov / vk.com