“The whole company was put down”

Participants in combat operations on the territory of Ukraine describe the scale of losses suffered by Russian military units

In the last issue, “Pskov Province” published materials about the death of Russian military personnel in combat on the territory of Ukraine that received a strong public response in Russia and the world (A. Semyonov. War will write off everything ; L. Shlosberg. Dead and Living ) .

The publications attracted the attention of not only the general public, but also family members of military personnel and the military personnel themselves. The author of one of the published materials, Lev Shlosberg, was approached by active servicemen of the 76th Airborne Assault Division with a request to publish information from direct participants in the hostilities. The appeal took place shortly before the attack on the journalist, which occurred on the evening of August 29 in Pskov.

The publisher of PG received recordings of two conversations that took place after the military personnel left the combat zone. There is no reason to doubt the authenticity of the materials provided.

The description of the episode of the death of Leonid Kichatkin, who was buried in the cemetery in Vybuty on August 25, deserves special attention.

The conversations reflect both the course of combat operations in which military units formed on the basis of units of the 76th Airborne Assault Division are taking part, and the scale of combat losses suffered by these military units. “Pskov Province” publishes both conversations in fragments, with partial preservation of the vocabulary.

Editorial

“On the list there are about ten of us left alive”

Voice 2: Well, how is it? Tell me.

Voice 1: What's up?... We fought. It was a difficult battle, b... E..., nah... They walked, b..., in short... Well, the whole company was walking, b...

Voice 2: They killed the whole company?

Voice 1: Yes, yes... We walked like this, at the letter “P” we came out onto the field, sunflowers p..., e..., no head visible. There is a checkpoint in the middle of the field. They fucked him up, in short. Let's go... I look through the "Tulip", b..., there are three tanks, an anti-aircraft gun, b..., an infantry fighting vehicle and a "seventy deuce". Their separation... Kamaz, b..., with ammunition, with this f..., in short. Our f... gunner went crazy..., understand? We pulled him out of there, poured cold water on him, that’s it, understand?

Voice 2: Who?

Voice 1: The guy, well, was a gunner. Well, in short, we, b..., pumped him out, that’s it, he came to his senses. Korolenko drives up here, the commander of the first company, the captain, b... And this, b...: “What are you doing, what’s wrong, b..?” I say: “Yes, we’re crazy.” Well, he started giving instructions... Here is Lenya Kichatkin... Do you know Lenya Kichatkin?

Voice 2: Well, of course, he was buried yesterday... They buried him today.

Voice 1: Today, he had a wife.

Voice 2: Have you seen what they write on the pages? Didn't you see it?

Voice 1: Yes, but I told my friend to delete the page so that she would delete... And this one... And, in short, then the shelling began. Here Lenya, everyone came up, he gave instructions (captain). Like we had to go to military warehouses, b..., they were firing from there. And, in short, the shelling began, b... And that’s it, f... nah... I just don’t remember, I, too..., b..., was burned.

Voice 2: So, wait, look, these units that were seconded from the 7th company, b..., were they all thrown into one company?

Voice 1: Yes... Well, only the first, second, third were completed. Completed.

Voice 2: Who assembled it? Where did you assemble it? Are there any lists of who was sent?

Voice 1: Over there, at headquarters. At the headquarters. At the 234th headquarters T... find the lieutenant colonel.

Voice 2: T... - this is the political officer?

Voice 1: Yes.

Voice 2: You, in short, what then, were you dragged or what did they do, I don’t understand?

Voice 1: I got up, I didn’t even realize that I… I realized that something had stuck me here, it hurt.

Voice 2: A fragment, or what?

Voice 1: Yes, yes, yes, it got here and between my legs... I got up and can’t understand what’s happening.

Voice 2: Here too on the leg? Stitched up?

Voice 1: Yes, I got it here.

Voice 2: How many people died then?..

Voice 1: Yes until...

Voice 2: You don’t know at all? Well, 40, 50, 100 people, damn it?

Voice 1: 80.

Voice 2: Eighty?

Voice 1: Uh-huh... This is together with Cheryokha...

Voice 2: Is this one company?

Voice 1: This is together with Cherekha, with Promezhitsy, all together.

Voice 2: Because there was a rumor, b... that there were 140, nah...

Voice 1: Yes? May be.

Voice 2: Well, this is from Pskov.

Voice 1: Well, I don’t know, this is together with Promezhitsy, Cheryokha, with everyone.

Voice 2: So wait, look, b... how can we now figure out who is alive and who is dead?

Voice 1: Lists. Well, there are about ten of us left alive on the list. Sowing, I remember when we were leaving there, driving through the field, I saw Zasey. From the 7th or the 8th. They were all together from the battle, they were in the second company.

Voice 2: All in the second? But they didn’t cover the second company, or?..

Voice 1: I don't know...

Voice 2: So only the first one?

Voice 1: I don't know. You need to ask T...

Voice 2: They say that everyone who remains is being collected and sent away.

Voice 1: Yes, everyone is sent there...

Voice 2: All the double basses who are there, all the double basses there.

Voice 1: They ship tomorrow.

Voice 2: Tomorrow or today... What did they tell you when you left? What date was this anyway?

Voice 1: I knew where I was going, I guessed.

Voice 2: 16th?

Voice 1: Well, yes.

Voice 2: We left on the 16th, nah?.. Well, did everyone go there together in a crowd?

Voice 1: Yes.

Voice 2: When did all this happen?

Voice 1: 20th.

Voice 2: What time on the 20th?

Voice 1: At 10 o'clock I was wounded.

Voice 2: During the day?

Voice 1: Uh-huh.

Voice 1: In general, there was no need to turn on the phones, nothing, b...

Voice 2: There?

Voice 1: Yes... Phones were detected. There is an American electronic warfare brigade there.

Voice 2: The column was walking and they just started to surround it..., yeah, nah?.. Or no, did you take a position..?

Voice 1: I’m telling you how it was, I’m telling you. We went, b..., looking for these, b..., ukrov, as they are called. They were looking, b... We went out, they noticed us, *thud*, and they pulled us in, lured us into encirclement, you know? *Zhzhh* We don’t give a fuck..., we f... *thump-thud*, b..., jumped out onto the road, there’s a field, f..., sunflowers, a checkpoint there. They started bombing it *doo-doo-doo* and smashed it. Then we went into this field. And the shooting comes from there, you know, we are moving there, where the shooting is coming from.

Voice 2: In short, in an open area?

Voice 1: Yes... From there, on the other side, they also shoot. There our artillery is working along Georgievka. Whoever they saw, they brought down, you know? There was a battle going on, how do you know... I actually... From there, on the other side they are shooting, from there they are shooting, from there they are shooting... You don’t know where, in general, where the shooting is coming from. In the whirlpool, you don’t even understand where you came from.

Voice 2: Where were you in Rostov, in the hospital or where?

Voice 1: Uh-huh.

Voice 2: Well, what about these people who died? Where are they now, how are they?

Voice 1: I don't know...

Voice 2: Are you still there? Collecting?

Voice 1: I don’t know... They transported... Lenya, you see, they transported him here. Maybe they sent it here. T... has a list of who and what. Who is killed and who is not, do you understand?

Voice 2: Got it. If people... send people there now, then everything will be there for a long time. But who already recruited these third company, b?..

Voice 1: From all these people there they recruited...

Voice 2: From the specialists too?

Voice 1: Yes... From the second, third battalion. RKhBZ flamethrowers determined...

Voice 2: Well, it’s clear, a group was created.

Voice 1: Yes, yes...

Voice 2: A... called, A... says: “B..., bro, I don’t know anything, I can’t tell you anything.”

Voice 1: Yes, in general, they are now forbidden to say anything.

Voice 2: Who said, who forbade?

Voice 1: They forbade us to talk about it at all. About the fact that you can’t talk about it at all.

Voice 2: So, who forbade it?

Voice 1: Command...

Voice 2: W...what?

Voice 1: Yes, N... forbade and...

Voice 2: He was there himself, b...?..

Voice 1: Political officer G went with us there...

Voice 2: G...?

Voice 1: And this...

Voice 2: Now the entire OBMO has been sent there in full force.

Voice 1: L..., huh? All…

Voice 2: All the rear officers too, nah... I don’t understand, so you’re saying that the company there was covered, right? You say this with the letter “P”, b..., did the whole battalion go there or just one company?

Voice 1: One company... Cheryokha was walking... We also wanted to encircle them, into a ring.

Voice 2: Well, we didn’t have time, right?

Voice 1: Yes... Well, because there is no connection, there is nothing, and who the enemies are, he knows.

Voice 2: Was there no connection at all? Are they jamming nah...?

Voice 1: Well...

Voice 2: P..., what about without communication?

Voice 1: That's it...

Voice 2: I heard they gave you the Order of Suvorov, right?

Voice 1: To whom?

Voice 2: Our divisions.

Voice 1: I know...

Voice 2: Well, how will you be later? Will you go from here yourself?

Voice 1: Well, they’ll take you, I don’t know... They’ll probably take you. I’m the only one walking here... Everything is still messed up here...

Voice 2: From mortars, yes, hu...?

Voice 1: Yes, I guess, well. Cluster bombs...

Voice 2: Did their aircraft still operate there?

Voice 1: Huh?

Voice 2: There was no aviation?

Voice 1: Well, she was... Those, there, took off... Them from the PZR... These, b..., PTRs in..., fuck..., ours. Two helicopters in... anti-tank missiles.

Voice 2: Like a dog, everything heals on you...

Voice 1: Some of them actually had their phalanges torn off.

Voice 2: And K... where, in what company?

Voice 1: There, in ours, in the first one.

Voice 2: And... also, thin one, from the control?..

Voice 1: Yes, I saw many.

Voice 2: L... S..., the deputy was in this division, b...

Voice 1: Yes, maybe I do, I know a lot of people by sight, you know... Lyokha, there, Seryoga, Vaska... By face I know everyone - “How are you, oh, bro, you’re healthy.” Remembering everyone by name is amazing.

Voice 2: So, what about this... Do they generally inform the division who is alive and who is not?

Voice 1: Yes, that's it. T... He has the whole list.

Voice 2: I see...

Voice 1: That's it. I'm telling you, I literally took two steps away from them. Someone just says, “Go look there.” They were shooting there, but if they didn’t come, they would just f..., you know, the offensive was coming from there. Well, look, I wonder if it’s there, bitch. I just walked away, turn around, and then *bzhzh* - I’m in the grass, fuck... In the sunflowers, fuck... And shelling, fuck... I get up, fuck..., everyone is lying... Everyone was lying, I got up , b... The boys who were still there, let's bandage it right away, b... I ran up to Lena, nah.., let's bandage it. I see that it’s useless to bandage there, the leg is broken, the hips are broken... it’s just... simple. I say, just looking, we have two... or three tanks left. These ones went to the left somewhere, and lost them, b... I look like this, the cannon is jammed, in short, b... In that tank, the cannon was also jammed. I’m like, in short, I tell the boys: “Leave the battle or f... nah.., kill us.” I went there to the breeder...

Voice 2: Already all fucked up?

Voice 1: Yes!.. Let’s go, I’m bleeding, my legs are all bleeding. I’m walking through this field, b... I go out, and there... Well, they loaded Lenya into the tank, loaded the company commander, and killed everyone. I went to the platoon commander: “You have to…”, I say. I reach the platoon commander - their tank flew onto the concrete, in short, onto a slab, and there is no way for them to move, understand? And let’s keep the defense near this tank, in short, for a while longer, you know? There they were advancing, b... , x... for now. Then another infantry fighting vehicle arrived with this one, from F... F... there, from the 6th company. The boys jumped up, somehow pulled him out, and then knocked out another “seventy deuce”. Here... Then we went out, in short, b... We pulled out the BMD, reloaded the wounded there, in short, that's all, and we went out, you know? We set off in that direction. They're shooting at us from where the airport is... Well, ah... we have to get involved in a fight, we're no good anymore, you know? They went to their own people, the wounded... Some were wounded, some were already there... They loaded them onto a BMD to another, and took them to the militias, loaded them into an ambulance - and into the hospital. I was nothing at all.

Voice 2: Well, of course, I lost a lot of blood.

Voice 1: My head was spinning, damn... I came and took everything off. Everything is covered in blood - vest, panties... He took off all his trousers, everything... Pea coat, everything...

Voice 2: So, wait, were you immediately warned where you would go?

Voice 1: Well, gradually... I knew where I was going. Yes x... who didn’t know where he was going. I told my wife that I was going to war, and that’s all.

Voice 2: I see...

Voice 1: Well, they say that at first it’s easy to escort the cargo to the border, understand?

Voice 2: 10 people you say left? How much was there in total? 90?

Voice 1: In short... How many of us are there in the company? In our first company there were only two platoons. First, second. Or three platoons?

Voice 2: Three platoons of 30 each, probably.

Voice 1: Ah, three platoons, seven people per squad, three squads.

Voice 2: 21 people? Well, as usual, 21, 21, 21 – 60. Well, no, that means there were four platoons. Do you know who is still alive?

Voice 1: I don't know.

Voice 2: Who said that there are ten people left?

Voice 1: T... said. He says there are only ten people left alive. Just like that...

Voice 2: I see, damn it. S... will treat you in Pskov, if he is there, of course. Maybe he left too.

Voice 1: At his age, where should we go?

Voice 2: Well, there are young people there, in principle there are a ton of doctors.

Voice 1: Well, someone left there...

Voice 2: Of course... There should be medical support too. Don't you have a through line there?

Voice 1: No, blind. The fragment remained.

Voice 2: Will they get it later?

Voice 1: I don’t know, not yet... Not tangent, doesn’t play any role, it’s small.

Voice 2: They'll get it in time.

Voice 1: Yes... Yes, in general, it was necessary to use hail, nah..., to level everything, f... na... And then protect it.

Voice 2: And no connection at all, right? Even with your own?

Voice 1: So it’s there, they’re jamming it.

Voice 2: And the 159th?

Voice 1: So they figure it out right away. American electronic warfare personnel work there, an electronic warfare brigade. They immediately cover everyone.

Voice 2: They're taking bearings, nah..?

Voice 1: Yes... Once and that's it, nah...

Voice 2: Did your wife come?

Voice 1: Where, here? Yeah, well, it works. Little one there, child, where will she go?

Voice 2: How’s your daughter?

Voice 1: “Are you coming home?” - speaks. “I’ll come.”

“Our people are dying, and we are silent about it. Why the f...?”

Voice 2: Where did you come from?

Voice 1: From there.

Voice 2: I see, from there. How did you get there?

Voice 1: Oh, on your own. So they said: “We don’t give a fuck..., fuck... from here on our own.”

Voice 2: So where exactly?

Voice 1: From Kamensk-Shakhtinsky.

Voice 2: Kamensk-Shakhtinsk...

Voice 1: 60 kilometers from the border.

Voice 2: 60 kilometers from the border... It was by train, yes, did you get there from there? How do you get there?

Voice 1: And there’s a plane to get us there...

Voice 2: No, until Kamensk-Shakhtinsk...

Voice 1: Well, we landed on Millerovo, and went there in Kamaz trucks.

Voice 2: So, I see... Wait, wait. What do they say, why are you going there? What are they telling you?

Voice 1: They don’t tell us anything, we’re there for an exercise.

Voice 2: During combat exercises... Completely?

Voice 1: Just like they shoot in Struga, in combat.

Voice 2: Where is this, exactly where is this, e...? In Lugansk, b..., where?

Voice 1: Our column was already in Lugansk, doing something there, b...

Voice 2: Well, there it is... , yo...

Voice 1: Well.

Voice 2: The first company for... the whole damn...

Voice 1: The first company for...

Voice 2: And the wounded, wait, do you know anything where they are sent?

Voice 1: They didn’t tell us anything about the wounded. We were told that there were... ten people left alive.

Voice 2: W... where?

Voice 1: I don’t know, I didn’t see him there.

Voice 2: How did you not see this? Did you fly away together?

Voice 1: We flew away together, we were immediately scattered. The first battalion went straight over the border... And we remained the second echelon.

Voice 2: Yes. And you went, in short, here? What, they didn’t tell you to do anything with the documents, did you hand over the documents somewhere, to someone?

Voice 1: Only those who moved to the border.

Voice 2: Where did they give it, b...?

Voice 1: They left us, the colonel was leaving with us - he left his phones and everything, he went there, then he came back.

Voice 2: And the PDRs, look, they come, at least, b..., for one day, for two days, to be repaired?.. They hang out there, nah...?

Voice 1: Only broken tanks here. Seven tanks were supposed to be brought by these races... There, in Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, all the equipment is pulled together in trains. Tanks from Dagestan, T-nineties...

Voice 2: Well, there’s already an army, more than one company, nah... I see... It’s bad, f..., b... Who else is there from ours, nah...?

Voice 1: Of ours - the commandants, b..., sit, eat the bitch, b..., watermelons, nor... do.

Voice 2: Is it hot there?

Voice 1: There p…. at all. At 7 am it’s already close to thirty. Yo... you can. And all day long it’s like this...

Voice 2: Haven’t you seen these ones, the OBMO arrived there, b...?

Voice 1: I didn't see it.

Voice 2: Why, eat as provided, just dry food, right?

Voice 1: We only ate rations there, then on the last day they only gave us hot food, only one lunch, and that’s all. Then I don’t know, they gave it, they didn’t give it.

Voice 2: Also, in these barrels, cauldrons, all the f..., right?

Voice 1: Well. We were stripped of all these very...

Voice 2: Stripes? Do you hear, did they force you to sign some kind of documents, like, b..., about non-disclosure, the secret police didn’t work?

Voice 1: The secret police were working there, but they apparently didn’t have time to get to us. You've seen what's going on on the sites. Yesterday I wanted to go to the site, where... the Dozhd TV channel put up, like, look, they took down signs on the graves of military personnel. X..., and the site is already blocked.

Voice 2: The site is x...

Voice 1: The bitches are hiding, hiding.

Voice 2: So what do you think, nah... is this necessary or what? Are they going to send more people?

Voice 1: The second BTGR is being assembled, but there are various rumors. That they will simply...

Voice 2: Wait for the time to change those?

Voice 1: Like change it. So they are collecting the second BTGR, b... There are not many conscripts left... and no... and 2-13 will come, that's all. And for the two-thirteenth, in two months they’ll go home.

Voice 2: And no one is going to sign the contract?

Voice 1: Of course not, how did they find out this x...!

Voice 2: No... no... Conscripts are not morons.

Voice 1: Well.

Voice 2: I see. Are they going to send someone from the 234th regiment?

Voice 1: Everyone who remained.

Voice 2: It is unknown when they are?

Voice 1: Generally. The division commander will now conduct inspections, x..., but this is all in standby mode.

Voice 2: Well, the second one isn’t ready yet?

Voice 1: Of course.

Voice 2: It won’t be soon, probably. Well, two weeks, maybe maximum. U... We need to think something, b...

Voice 1: I understand that since the race there is such an attitude, you can just stupidly go there and change someone. The same as it was in Belgorod. People are tired, they call from there - here, x..., - “Will you go?” There troops are stretched along the entire border ...

Voice 2: And where exactly ours stand now is unknown, they are moving ...

Voice 1: And x ... who will tell you ...

Voice 2: That's the point, B ... Therefore, you need to go as part of this group.

Voice 1: Lieutenant Colonel called, said: "Send a rag." A box with a rag will go there now. Just agree here and ... there in any way they will already meet this rag at least somehow. There not only a rag will go ...

Voice 2: And when will the shipment be?

Voice 1: Without a concept. We have already made a box, and so far he is in our company in waiting mode.

Voice 2: And who gave the command to put together?

Voice 1: That lieutenant colonel who is there now. He called, says: "Get the box and send me a rag."

Voice 2: And who?

Voice 1: There we have ... - The deputy on weapons.

Voice 2: Was he missing?

Voice 1: Who?

Voice 2: Well, he, b ..., about ... along with g ..., yes?

Voice 1: Well, yes ...

Voice 2: Well, now they got in touch now?

Voice 1: Well.

Voice 2: But they were not, only then, after the battle ...

Voice 1: He arrived there after the battle. Because we arrived, and a day later he arrived.

Voice 2: He first disappeared, and then appeared in touch.

Voice 1: Well, b ..., because he was there with the first company there, probably, nah ...

Voice 2: Simply, you see, they began to cover the “grades” there, they were all in the scatter at ... and then they themselves were already pulling up on the way home. Well, this is also normal. In theory, from the "city" neither ... you will not hide, you need only ... on the sides.

Voice 1: In the same place, this very ... Kadyrovsky sailed.

Voice 2: In the same place, like the 104th regiment struggled ... Ugh, p ..., nah ... and why are they silent? Why are they silent?

Voice 1: They themselves are the same as the Americans, B ... they first hid what, b ..., refugees-x ... Ginets. “There are no refugees,” they say, “they go to relatives.” Nor ... Three hundred thousand people for relatives in Russia ... And now ours also begin: - "No, what documents?"

Voice 2: I see ...

Voice 1: Well, in principle, how can I tell you, for example, I am pleased that I came. E ... I am this ... there.

Voice 2: I am glad that I was not getting here to serve on a contract, nah ... That's what I'm glad. I wanted to jump quickly. You see what, it would quickly only have to jump there, nah ...

Voice 1: We have a kid signed a contract, on the same day an order came to his contract, on the same day he was there at ..., in general ... from the city. He was already sniffing there, probably. Already, he is already looking for who to write a report on the dismissal, and there is no one there!

Voice 2: You see, they cannot do anything, x ..., b ... they themselves ... will not be able to from there. What do they say?

Voice 1: X ... knows him, what they say to them.

Voice 2: Most likely, they tell them that we have fighting, all x ... if you will ... back - we are with you ... That's how it turns out ...

Voice 1: In fact, they are there according to all the documents on the exercises ...

Voice 2: And they know about it if they are there x ..., nah ..?!

Voice 1: Maybe they told them ... Well, since they took the phones from them and said not to ... no one ... in any way, someone hid the phone. If they go to the network, at least VKontakt or somewhere else-they will immediately be blessed there.

Voice 2: Well, x ... with him, that “VKontakt”. So you can still get in touch, in any case, b ... I would find any connection there. I would take and connect, bitch, with the house.

Voice 1: Listen, b ... and immediately warn, so as not to ... superfluous.

Voice 2: Yes, the FSU ... what they listen there. I would say: everything ..., nah ... This is not a dark war - this is P ... Our people are dying, but we are silent about it. Why, b ...?

Voice 1: As I understand it, that Lenin’s wife was covered with my wife?

Voice 2: Most likely, b ... because she took the phone from her, some man picked up the phone, said that "I am Lenya." Bitch, I would see him, I would be him .... I would break, nah ...

Voice 1: Lenya is already lying, nah ...

Voice 2: Lenya there without legs, you can say ... I was talking with a man who was right there, in this battle, ё ...

Voice 1: Okay, bro ...