Battle for Height 776: Difference between revisions
HanzoHattori (talk | contribs) please don't put THIS IS SPARTA/PSKOV on me, if it was victory Russian brass wouldn't be so embarassed at first before they came with spin and legend after they were forced to disclose real losses |
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Partially owing to these points of controversy, the battle has been seen in Russia in two ways: firstly, as a catastrophic defeat for the [[Russian military]], and secondly, as a glorious [[last stand]] made by the paratroopers, confirming the [[VDV]]'s reputation as an elite force in the same way that the [[Battle of Camarón]] did for the [[French Foreign Legion]], and the events were quickly enshrined in heroic myth. |
Partially owing to these points of controversy, the battle has been seen in Russia in two ways: firstly, as a catastrophic defeat for the [[Russian military]], and secondly, as a glorious [[last stand]] made by the paratroopers, confirming the [[VDV]]'s reputation as an elite force in the same way that the [[Battle of Camarón]] did for the [[French Foreign Legion]], and the events were quickly enshrined in heroic myth. |
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All 13 officers and nine enlisted men of the doomed company received the country's highest [[medal]] and [[honorary title]] of [[Hero of the Russian Federation]], and the events sparked army-sponsored pieces of visual arts, including [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405831/ a television film], [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0902981/ a television miniseries], and a [[Musical theatre|theatrical musical]]. |
All 13 officers and nine enlisted men of the doomed company received the country's highest [[medal]] and [[honorary title]] of [[Hero of the Russian Federation]], and the events sparked army-sponsored pieces of visual arts, including [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405831/ a television film], [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0902981/ a television miniseries],<ref>[[AFP]] ([[21 February]] [[2006]])[http://news.sawf.org/Lifestyle/7978.aspx Russians see 'realistic' Chechnya war film, minus the reality]</ref> and a [[Musical theatre|theatrical musical]].<ref>[[Gazeta.ru]] ([[18 June]] [[2004]]) [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chechnya-sl/message/38458 Bizarre Chechen War Musical Hits Moscow Stage]</ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 23:55, 1 February 2008
| Battle of Ulus-Kert | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Second Chechen War | |||||||
| File:Ulus-Kert.jpg Russian paratroopers killed in action on Hill 776 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 VDV and Spetsnaz |
 Chechen separatists Islamic volunteers | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Mark Yevtukhin † and others | Abu al-Walid and others | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| At least 84 killed and 4 injured | At least 12 killed | ||||||
The Battle of Ulus-Kert, also known as the Battle of Hill 776, was a controversial battle in the Second Chechen War during the fierce fighting over the control of the Argun Gorge. An isolated 90-men 6th Company 76th Guards Airborne Division from the city of Pskov was wiped out despite desperate attempts to rescue it, leaving only six survivors on the Russian side.
Controversies
Uncertainty continues to surround many aspects of the engagement, including how many casualties the Russians themselves inflicted and how much, if any, close air support they were provided. The battle began just hours after the Russian Defence Minister, Marshal Igor Sergeyev, had assured his government that the Chechen war was over.[1] According to one analysys, "the Russian military lost a unique chance to destroy the bulk of the Chechen guerillas and to prevent the beginning of the rebel war in the republic."[2]
While 84 Russian soldiers and officers were ultimately confirmed killed in battle, Russia's high commanders, including General Georgy Shpak, the Russian Airborne Troops commander, and General Gennady Troshev, commander of federal forces in Chechnya, initially falsely insisted only 31 men died in the battle[3] (Vladimir Putin's spokesman on Chechnya, Sergei Yastrzhembsky, also claimed 31 killed were "the total losses of that company for several days"[4], as did Minister Sergeyev). Local Pskov newspaper Pskovskaya Pravda first broke the news that the official casualty figures were false; the loss of the company came a week after 25 men from the city were killed in another battle in Chechnya.[2] The losses of the other Russian units operating in area were never disclosed.
The Chechens admitted losing 12 men killed on the Hill 776 and 13 more in related fighting in the area near the villages of Ulus-Kert and Selmentauzen at the time (including three Turkish volunteers[5]), and put the overall Russian losses at up to 200 killed[6] (including about hundred "so-called Pskov commandos"[7]). According to Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star), the official newspaper of the Russian Ministry of Defence, Chechen casualties in the area included approximately 400 dead, including 200 found on the Hill 776.[8]
Aftermath
Partially owing to these points of controversy, the battle has been seen in Russia in two ways: firstly, as a catastrophic defeat for the Russian military, and secondly, as a glorious last stand made by the paratroopers, confirming the VDV's reputation as an elite force in the same way that the Battle of Camarón did for the French Foreign Legion, and the events were quickly enshrined in heroic myth.
All 13 officers and nine enlisted men of the doomed company received the country's highest medal and honorary title of Hero of the Russian Federation, and the events sparked army-sponsored pieces of visual arts, including a television film, a television miniseries,[9] and a theatrical musical.[10]
References
- ^ The Independent (March 15 2000) Nation grieves for lost paratroops of Pskov
- ^ a b The Jamestown Foundation (May 11, 2006) Putin adress conceals challenges in the North Caucasus
- ^ RFE/RL (7 March 2000). "Chechnya: Russia Provides Conflicting Reports On Casualties".
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|year=(help) - ^ GlobalSecurity.org (6 March 2000). "On The Situation in the North Caucasus".
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|year=(help) - ^ The Jamestown Foundation (7 April 2005). "Turkish Volunteers in Chechnya".
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|year=(help) - ^ Kavkaz Center (29 February 2004) Kremlin's lies about Battle of Ulus-Kert
- ^ Chechenpress (8 March 2005) The battle of Ulus-Kert gives no rest to Moscow
- ^ U.S. Army Combined Arms Center (July 2001) ULUS-KERT: An Airborne Company's Last Stand
- ^ AFP (21 February 2006)Russians see 'realistic' Chechnya war film, minus the reality
- ^ Gazeta.ru (18 June 2004) Bizarre Chechen War Musical Hits Moscow Stage
External links
- Chechen photos of the aftermath Kavkaz Center
- Hill 776 Russian documentary on the battle featuring commentary by the few survivors