Among the graduates of the RVVDKU there are many Heroes of the Russian Federation. Petrov Dmitry Vladimirovich - one of them. The article is devoted to the biography and feat of a 25-year-old officer, one of 84 paratroopers who died in battle at a height of 776 during the second Chechen campaign.
Childhood
What is known about Petrov Dmitry Vladimirovich? His biography is recreated bit by bit by students of the 84th school of Rostov-on-Don, which now bears the name of the hero.
Dima Petrov was born into an ordinary Rostov family in 1974, on June 10. His mother's name is Lyudmila Vladimirovna, his father is Vladimir Dmitrievich. From childhood, the boy was a support and protector for his younger sister, with whom they studied together at the 84th school.
Dima went to first grade in 1981, was fond of chess, dancing. Getting older, I fell in love with sports, especially football. He knew how to be friends. They were even nicknamed "Three Musketeers" with Volodya Krugovoy and Oleg Voloshin. At the age of 12 he enrolled in a club called "Young Pilot." And since then I have not missed a single lesson. Until 1991, the club was almost the second school for him.
At 15, Dmitry made the first parachute jump and literally fell ill with the sky. His dream was to enter the Ryazan Air Force School.
Education
Thin, light, Dima Petrov was preparing for a military career. It was difficult to enter the RVDKU - the competition was 11 people per place. But the years of preparation made themselves felt: in 1991, he became a cadet of the 8th company. Father recalls how the whole family went to the oath. In uniform, the guys seemed the same, and for a long time they could not find their Dima. The sister was the first to recognize the brother and literally hung on him.
During the oath, the relatives felt a sense of pride and recalled that the choice of the young man was quite logical. Since childhood, the song “Victory Day” has become Dmitry’s favorite song.
The cadet studied well, and in 1995 he was awarded the rank of guard senior lieutenant. Dmitry was sent to serve in Pskov, where the 76th Chernihiv Airborne Division was stationed.
"Hot Spots"
Having become the platoon commander, Dmitry Vladimirovich Petrov repeatedly visited on business trips in “hot spots”. The first combat experience was Abkhazia. As part of the peacekeeping force, in August 1999, Petrov’s platoon was subjected to artillery shelling by Georgian troops, and he received a serious shell-shock. Then everything worked out.
From the first days of February 2000 he was sent to Chechnya. And already on the 9th, his platoon entered the battle with mercenaries. The second skirmish occurred on February 22. Both episodes ended with the victory of the paratroopers, who managed to eliminate more than 10 militants.
On February 29, General Troshev near Chateau reported that the last stronghold of the gangs had fallen. The war seemed to end. But on the same day in the Ulus-Kert region, Khattab gathered more than 2 thousand militants who planned to break into Dagestan through the Argun Gorge in the Vedeno region.
Combat mission
On February 29, the Pskov paratroopers advanced to 776 altitude. Their combat mission included strengthening their positions in order to prevent disparate groups of militants from escaping from the encirclement. The 6th company of the parachute assault regiment was to make a march of 14 km, carrying with it not only weapons, but also all the equipment up to the camp kitchen. Helicopters did not operate, because at a height there was no convenient platform for landing.
The commander was Sergei Molodov, however, taking into account the seriousness of the task, Lieutenant Colonel Yevtyukhin also went with the group. Among the paratroopers was Petrov Dmitry Vladimirovich.
The company was very stretched. The reconnaissance group commanded by Alexei Vorobyov was the first to take the position. And already at 12:30 she encountered the Khattab mercenaries. A battle ensued. But there were about 40 separatists, and soon they moved away. By radio, Yevtyukhin handed over the clash to the command, but he was not given a proper assessment.
No one could have imagined that the militants who had retreated to the hollow near the Abazulgol River would nevertheless decide to break through the height of 776. And their number exceeds the number of paratroopers by more than 20 times.
Feat
The 6th company was still on a march, and around the militants saw already reinforced roadblocks. After a short meeting, Khattab decided to take the height by storm, attacking from three sides. About 400 mercenaries were supposed to go to the rear and surround the paratroopers, but they were prevented by a reconnaissance patrol under the command of Lieutenant Kozhemyakin. For three hours, the soldiers restrained the fierce attacks of the enemy.
It's hard to believe, but 90 paratroopers, among whom was Dmitry Petrov, restrained the onslaught of almost two thousand bandit formations for 19 hours. The first company tried to break through to them. But for this it was necessary to cross the Abazulgol River. During the day they could not overcome the water obstacle, because it was there that the mercenaries used all their firepower.
In the very first hours of the battle Sergey Molodov was killed, and Lieutenant Colonel Evtyukhin took command. By morning, only a handful of guards remained with him. Ammunition ran out, so the wounded had to fight hand-to-hand. From a height of 787, a platoon of the 4th company under the command of Lieutenant Dostalov managed to get to the remnants of the 6th company. But this support of 15 people could not influence the outcome of the battle. Dostavalov and his comrades shared the fate of the sixth company. Of the 90 paratroopers, only six survived. Two at different times were sent for help, and four were seriously injured.
Presumably, Dmitry Petrov died on March 1. Mortally wounded, he continued to fight with the militants. There were 10 bullets in his chest, and his stomach was pierced by a fragment.
Afterword
Khattab managed to break through Argun, but this does not detract from the merits of the 6th company. These heroes of the country laid near themselves about 600 fighters. At the same time, the aircraft was completely inactive due to fog. Subsequently, it became clear: the commander of the marine corps, Alexander Otrakovsky, was forbidden to provide assistance to the paratroopers. And after the operation was completed, the general’s heart could not stand it - it stopped forever.
The troops managed to reach a height of 776 only on the fifth day. The bodies of the dead soldiers and officers were dragged to the riverbed, so that in the future they could be sent to their homeland. Dmitry Vladimirovich Petrov is buried in Rostov-on-Don.
For a long time the feat of the paratroopers was hushed up, real losses were hidden. The parents who supported the Pskov governor, Evgeny Mikhailov, were the first to sound the alarm. Only after his intervention, the events of February 29-March 1 were given a real assessment. Twenty-two paratroopers were awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation, including 21 posthumously. Among them is Dmitry Petrov.