During the North Ossetian conflict of 2008, General Shemyakin, in the exercise of his official duties, led the operations of transport aviation. Judging by the results of the military operation, he did it well; no problems with the delivery of military goods were noted. He was even presented to the Order of Merit to the Fatherland Order of the IV degree, but the then Air Force Commander-in-Chief Zelin refused to be awarded for unknown reasons.
For a real soldier, this does not matter, although it is unpleasant. But military people serve their native country not for rewards, in addition, transport planes are not attack aircraft or bombers, they did not fall under enemy fire during the August war, and they did not fly over hostile territory. So, perhaps, such a routine work, which was led by General Shemyakin, did not fall under the definition of a feat, although he himself even had to sit at the helm of a heavy Il-76.
He was not the first time, and if he had to take risks, he would fulfill his duty, there is no doubt about that. Participation in military conflicts is much greater tension. And military rewards.
In 2013, a scandal erupted over fraud in the distribution of real estate, which was attended by General Valery Shemyakin. The news of forged documents provided by the accused to the Housing Commission of the Ministry of Defense for free material assistance, an apartment and a land plot, was distributed after the trial.
In the face of obvious and proven facts, General Shemyakin chose a rather unusual line of defense. He did not explain his actions, but the accusation of them, in his opinion, became the reason for his objection. To whom? Firstly, the leadership of the Ministry of Defense in general and the Air Force in particular. Someone liked the place of the deputy commander in chief. And secondly, his courageous actions angered the special services of the defeated enemy, that is, the Georgian ones.
The situation: the airport of Beslan, there is an air bridge, transport planes land and take off, General Shemyakin directs the pilots, standing on the concrete. Here some dark personalities come up to him and with a Caucasian accent (typical spies) offer to stop the activity of transferring manpower and equipment. What are the actions of a brave defender of the homeland? Did he delay the insolents? No, in his own words, he invited the officers to change into jackets without shoulder straps and continue to command. General Ermolov once delicately called such courage shyness. For this manifested resourcefulness of one order will not be enough ...
And another episode of pressure was remembered by Valery Shemyakin. The general, upset by the refusal to award him, picks up a mobile phone, and from there, again, with the same emphasis, unidentified persons gloat over this. Here, they say, how we avenged you, not to see you the order!
According to some members of the public who strongly condemn Putin, the sentence to Shemyakin is the same cynical reprisal as the Khodorkovsky case. There is nothing to refute the arguments of the prosecution, it remains to hint at "displeasure to the authorities."
However, it would be strange if the country's leadership liked generals, seeking by hook or by crook to snatch as many material wealth from their home country as possible. Such military leaders must be objectionable.