Link via Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin
This is a chronicle of the Battle of Gostumel in February. Nearly all the text below is from the Russian paratrooper, identified as Alexey. Text in italics is an interviewer's.
[KikOnline] On the evening of February 23, Alexey, as usual, wished his wife Tatyana good night. SMS flew to Moscow from the Mozyr airfield (Belarus). Aleksey had been here with his fellow paratroopers for almost two weeks, and planned to return home one of these days - his wife was about to give birth. But it turned out differently. Tatyana received the first news from her husband only on March 29. "Good morning, darling" - shone on the phone screen. There was nothing more precious than these words for her then.
On March 29, after a month of fierce fighting, Russian troops were withdrawn from the Antonov airfield in Gostomel (Ukraine).
Storm
Under the Mozyr airfield, part of the forces of the Russian army was concentrated, participating in a special military operation in the Kiev direction.
“We were told there would be exercises. Four or five days and back. Exercises are exercises, this is not the first time we have been working with Belarusians. We were getting ready. They received arms and ammunition. Trained. Washed in a field bath. Nothing special happened,” says Alexei.
In the early morning of February 24, Vladimir Putin announced the start of a special military operation to protect Donbass. Alexey and his landing group watched his appeal to the nation from the phone in an army tent. And just a few hours after this speech, the Russian troops landed at the Antonov military airfield, 25 kilometers from Kyiv, having fully established control over the strategic facility.
— The assault team left at dawn. We said goodbye to the guys ... Well, how did we say goodbye? We wished each other a speedy meeting. And sat down on KamAZ trucks. The guys flew in helicopters (more than 200 Russian helicopters were involved in the operation, approx.) to capture the airfield. We advanced to them for reinforcements,” says Aleksey.
The reinforcement group was supposed to arrive at the airfield on the evening of the 24th. But it didn't go according to plan. There was only one way to the airport. Two-strip. And a huge amount of military equipment has accumulated on it: KamAZ trucks, armored personnel carriers, armored vehicles "Tigers" ... somewhere there were already lined Ukrainian tanks.
“Due to constant shelling from the Ukrainian army and traffic jams, we got to our four days. The guys were waiting for us. They flew there with small backpacks - with dry rations for a day, and B/C (ammunition) of 600 rounds for each. Grenade launchers, grenades, yes a bottle of water. They reported that they were constantly under fire. What went on the offensive.
They held the airfield. Although the forces were unequal - the enemy was several times superior in number. From seven in the morning until midnight, everything flew to the airfield from the enemy - Grads, self-propelled guns, mortars worked. Our guys were already tired, but charged. They needed our support, and we could not help them in any way. And that made it hard,” says Alexei.
When the reinforcement group arrived in Gostomel, the picture was gloomy. There was a lot of destroyed Ukrainian equipment. It stood charred and crumpled. With staff inside...
— The Ukrainians did not take their dead. They lay there for four days. Then our guys went out, dug a hole - a mass grave, and removed the bodies.
- Did they have the opportunity to take their dead and wounded?
- Of course. If they had contacted us, they would have been given such an opportunity. This is the rule of war.
Under fire
We have arrived at the airfield. They left for positions. I went to get things for the group - grenade launchers, batteries for radio stations, something else. Walk 150 meters from one building to another. There is an asphalt path made of aircraft plates, and along the roadsides - undergrowth. I was already halfway there. Relaxed.
And suddenly I hear ... the whistling sound of flying mines! The shelling began. He's there at six in the evening, always on schedule. But I didn't know that yet. A shell exploded nearby. I am to the tree. Embraced him like a baby. I turn my head, and fifteen meters from me there is another gap. I was covered in earth. Fortunately, he was in a bulletproof vest, in a helmet - he was not injured. But then for the first time I realized that I could stay near this tree. Then I thought about the children, whom I did not have time to see, - Alexey continues.
The shelling went on for about five minutes, maybe ten, but they seemed like an eternity. When everything stopped, Alexei rushed back in quick dashes. He ran: there is ringing in the ears, and emptiness in the eyes. The guys began to calm down, gave a smoke. He says that he lit a cigarette for the first time, and before that - never.
Mortars, artillery, Grads were fired at the airfield. And they also shot with phosphorus. White phosphorus is a very dangerous thing. It's almost impossible to extinguish it. Burning white powder literally burns the air, making it toxic.
Aleksey says that over time, you begin to determine by the sound of a shot whether it is Grad or a mortar, and depending on this, you already count how many seconds it will arrive.
- The worst thing is the Grads. All in all, it's scary. But when they bombard them day after day for a month, you get used to it. The main thing is not to stick out and quickly run across.
They fired constantly, like clockwork. But we fired more. And our aviation is just gods. When they arrived, you could safely go out for a smoke. Relax for a moment, he smiles.
— Did you manage to sleep well? And how do you deal with fatigue?
- Slept well. When you know that your little brother is sitting on the “chip” (at the post), why not? Sometimes they slept in armor and a helmet. No other way. A stray fragment can fly in, and the building is a brick in two layers and a concrete slab overhead ... And the team helped fight fatigue. The comrade will pat, hug, say that everything will be fine - and already calmer, and strength has increased.
For being there
“Being there, we really defended the country from this Nazi horror. Somehow they went "on a mission." I'm going through the forest.
A platoon of artillerymen, sixteen people, is coming towards us. They resisted. But after our first accurate shots, they dropped their weapons and raised their hands. Of these sixteen people, ten are ordinary young guys, conscripts, they are 18-19 years old. And those who are older are all covered in Nazi tattoos, shaved baldly, with hatred in their eyes.
They have a swastika on their bulletproof vests, and on large-caliber weapons too. Swine attitude even to their own. Real neo-nazis. We delivered them to our group. They talked to the young guys, examined them, and let them go home. They gave them civilian clothes and said, "Go away from here and don't come back." Others were sent to Russia.
How did they behave?
- They had a fear that the Russian "occupiers" would cut and kill them, as they do. But we are military people. And according to the charter, the attitude towards the military enemy is not to cripple, not to beat, only interrogation.
- Any military action is pain and grief. What are you hurting for?
For fallen comrades. I didn't have six. Often I dream. Sometimes, we talk with them in a dream, we remember different moments. With one of them, we went in for sports together all winter, with the other in 2018 we spent the entire business trip in Syria side by side. The boy was loaded. They are missing a lot.
- What gives you support in life?
- Family and real, strong friendship. This is the main support in life.
He wants to instill these principles in his children. He has three of them: the elder Ivan and twins Arseny and Matvey. “Everything is in me,” the head of the family laughs.