Head of the Russian Guard: fighters in Chechnya protected the population at the cost of their lives. Details of the attack on the Russian Guard in Chechnya became known. Those killed during the attack on a military unit.

Six militants attacked the location of the Russian Guard near the village of Naurskaya in Chechnya. The terrorists opened fire on the security forces, who were forced to return fire. As a result, the attack was repulsed and the terrorists were eliminated.

“In the Chechen Republic, at about 02:30, a group of armed bandits tried to enter the territory of one of the military camps of the National Guard. The militants took advantage of heavy fog during the attack. While attempting to enter the territory of a military camp, the bandit group was discovered by a military detachment, which entered into battle with it. Six attackers were killed,” the Russian National Guard said in a statement.

It is noted that the bandits were well prepared and had ammunition with them. In addition, during the inspection, security forces found replicas of suicide belts on the bodies of some militants.

The Russian Guard suffered losses

However, losses among personnel could not be avoided. Six security forces were killed during the clash, and several more were injured.

“Unfortunately, it was not possible to avoid losses from the soldiers of the Russian Guard; among the military personnel there were killed and wounded,” the National Anti-Terrorism Committee reported.

According to some reports, among the victims are a rangefinder of an artillery regiment, a commander of an engineer battery, and a deputy battery commander.

At the moment, the operation to eliminate the bandits has been completed. Operational search and investigative actions are being carried out to establish the identities of the attackers. Explosive technicians from the Russian Federal Security Service are also on site.

According to a RIA Novosti source, the “Fortress” plan has been introduced in the military unit. To clarify the circumstances of the attack, a task force from the central apparatus of the Russian Guard troops went to Chechnya.

The attack on the military unit of the Russian Guard was commented on in the State Duma.

“Terrorism is the path to death. And our country, with the help of highly qualified actions of law enforcement agencies, will continue to respond to such actions harshly and uncompromisingly,” TASS quotes the head of the Security and Anti-Corruption Committee Vasily Piskarev.

In turn, State Duma Vice Speaker Vladimir Vasiliev promised on behalf of the deputies to provide comprehensive legislative support for the activities of the Russian Guard.

Effective counteraction

According to the National Anti-Terrorism Committee, last year security forces prevented over 40 terrorist attacks, more than 140 militants were killed during operations, and about 900 more were detained.

The Russian Guard notes that in the North Caucasus alone, 82 bandits were neutralized in 2016. In addition, about 50 improvised explosive devices were neutralized.

It is emphasized that the units of the joint group, in cooperation with operational headquarters, carried out more than 1 thousand special events.

“Together with law enforcement agencies, more than 3 thousand crimes have been solved and 148 members of the underground gang taking part in hostilities in the Middle East region have been identified. Over 2.5 thousand citizens and 164 units were identified and detained. vehicles that are wanted,” the department said in a statement.

RBC became aware of the details of the attack by militants on part of the Russian Guard in Chechnya on the night of March 24. The militants were registered as “Wahhabi,” the guardsmen in the barracks were unarmed, and the guards on duty at the checkpoint were asleep, a source in the Russian Guard and an interlocutor close to the security forces of Chechnya told RBC

At the site of a militant attack on part of the Russian Guard in Chechnya (Photo: NAC press service)

Sudden attack

Soldiers of the military unit of the Russian Guard (military unit 3761) in the Chechen village of Naurskaya, where on the night of Thursday to Friday, March 24, were unarmed. This was reported to RBC by a source in the Russian Guard and an interlocutor close to the security forces of Chechnya.

By six o'clock in the evening, all military personnel, according to the governing documents, hand over their weapons to the storage room, the keys to which are kept by the duty officer of the military unit, sources told RBC. In the event of an attack on a unit, those on duty at the checkpoint (checkpoint) must report this to the unit commander. The commander, in turn, must take the keys to the weapons room from the unit duty officer and issue weapons to the soldiers. But on the night of the attack, no alarm signals were received from the guards on duty at the checkpoint: they were asleep during the attack, according to RBC’s interlocutors.

The militants climbed over the fence of the unit, quietly made their way to the checkpoint in the fog and entered through the open door, since the door was not closed during duty, an RBC source close to the security forces of Chechnya reconstructed the chronology of the attack. The attackers stabbed two sleeping guards to death and took away their machine guns and rubber truncheons. Having entered the territory of the unit, the militants came across a patrol.

In total, eight people took part in the attack on the guards , according to RBC's interlocutors. Six militants were killed during the ensuing shootout with patrolmen, who, unlike the rest of the unit's fighters, had weapons with them. Two more accomplices of the militants were outside the territory of the military unit during the attack - “they were on watch,” and therefore, when panic arose, they managed to hide, the second source explained. One of the two escapees has already been caught, said an interlocutor from the Russian Guard.

Video: NAC

Hearing the sounds of shooting, one of the unit’s privates tried to call the duty officer for 15 minutes, and another contract soldier called a neighboring military unit and reported the attack, but they did not immediately believe him, sources told RBC. Earlier, TASS, citing its own source, reported that there were not six, but eight militants. According to the agency, the attack was repulsed after a battle at the checkpoint.

At least six of the eight attackers were on preventive (so-called Wahhabi) registration, said an RBC source close to the security forces of Chechnya. “Vakhuchet” is a practice organized by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Caucasus to unofficially register those suspected of extremism. In one of the groups on VKontakte appeared photos of the dead, which were photographed, presumably, during preventive registration. Those who attacked the military unit “went exclusively for weapons,” concludes RBC’s interlocutor.

Old acquaintances

The militants were well acquainted with the territory of the military unit, noted a source close to the security forces of Chechnya. “Some of them previously took part in construction work: they tinted something, whitewashed it,” he said.

One of the six dead soldiers of the Russian Guard was a signalman and ended up at the scene of the firefight by accident. “There were two people on duty at the checkpoint, three on patrol, and this signalman was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” said a source in the Russian Guard.

At the same time, on Friday night, three servicemen were supposed to be on duty at the checkpoint, but one of them “asked for time off,” the interlocutor says. The daily routine is approved by the commander in accordance with the law. But if necessary, the working day can be extended, the source explained.

A source close to the law enforcement agencies of Chechnya added that “to walk for a day” outside the territory of a military unit costs 1 thousand rubles, and the military personnel themselves call such time off “pro***.”

According to the interlocutor, the patrolmen, noticing at night strangers who were poorly distinguishable in the fog, shouted: “Stop!” To this the militants replied: “We’re our own, we’re coming back from hell.” It was precisely because the patrolmen heard words that were familiar to them that they did not react properly, the interlocutor noted. “Only when the militants opened fire did it become clear that they were not their own,” concluded the RBC source.

Letting people leave the unit in exchange for a monetary reward or, for example, a carton of cigarettes is a common practice in the army, Alexander Peredruk, press secretary of the human rights organization Soldiers' Mothers of St. Petersburg, commented to RBC.

An internal review of the circumstances of the incident showed that the military “acted courageously and selflessly in this situation, in accordance with official duties and military regulations,” the press service of the North Caucasus District of the National Guard troops said on Wednesday, March 29 (quoted by Interfax). This, the press service emphasized, made it possible to prevent numerous casualties among the military and members of their families living on the territory of the military camp. Investigative authorities continue to work and establish all the circumstances of the incident. “Therefore, references by some media to certain informed persons in the security forces of the Chechen Republic and supposedly the Russian National Guard cannot be perceived as reliable information,” the press service emphasized.

The editors of RBC are awaiting answers to inquiries from the Investigative Committee of Russia (ICR), as well as from the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Chechnya. The Investigative Committee for Chechnya suggested that RBC send requests to the Investigative Committee for the North Caucasus Federal District and the Russian Guard “for consideration on the merits.”

In turn, the Russian Guard, in response to a request sent to RBC on March 27, reported that employees of the Russian Investigative Committee are currently carrying out operational investigative measures to clarify the circumstances of the incident. Therefore, the requested data can be made public only with the permission of the investigator. For additional information, the Russian Guard recommended contacting the investigative authorities. The department’s response was received by RBC on April 6.

Official version

According to the security forces (Rosgvardia, Investigative Committee and NAC), a group of six militants on the night of March 23-24, carrying knives and firearms, “taking advantage of the fog,” attacked military unit 3761, located in the village of Naurskaya (Chechnya) . As a result of the attack, six Russian Guard servicemen were killed and three more were injured. Six militants were killed during the shootout. Models of suicide belts were found on the bodies of two of them.

The terrorist organization “Islamic State” (ISIS), banned in Russia, is responsible for the incident. President Vladimir Putin said the terrorist attack was a “serious event,” and the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, considers himself to blame for the attack.

“In this case, first of all, it is my fault and the fault of all security and law enforcement agencies located in Chechnya,” Kadyrov said. According to him, the military “relaxed, they thought that they had neutralized and detained everyone.” The head of the Chechen Republic said that the radicals were planning to seize weapons to carry out terrorist attacks.

Version "New"

Novaya Gazeta questioned the official version of the death of those who attacked part of the Russian Guard. According to the publication’s conclusions, the militants did not die while repelling the attack, but were shot “almost point-blank” after their arrest. “In all those killed, the bullet entry hole is located in the area of ​​the auricle,” the article said.

Arguing its conclusions, Novaya Gazeta wrote that on the left hand of one of the killed terrorists a smooth, fresh bruise was clearly visible, reminiscent in appearance of a mark from handcuffs. Novaya Gazeta also claims that dummies of suicide bombers’ belts were already attached to the corpses of the militants. “It is also clearly visible that the IED [improvised explosive device] was taped to the body of the deceased with yellow tape on top of fresh stains from soil, grass and blood on the “attacker’s” jacket,” the publication emphasized.

According to Novaya Gazeta, military unit 3761 is served mainly by military personnel sent from other regions (RBC’s source clarified that the unit is exclusively served by contract military personnel). Novaya, citing residents of the village of Naurskaya, put forward a version that a conflict on ethnic grounds occurred between local Chechens and military personnel of the unit, during which the Chechens could have been detained. “However, this version still does not clarify the circumstances of the injury and death of nine guardsmen,” the publication emphasized.

Sniper, rope and IED marks

Some of the dead “were taken by a sniper, a Dagestani,” RBC’s interlocutor from the Russian Guard explained the militants’ bullet wounds to the head. According to him, all those who attacked the unit were residents of the village. In addition to knives, they had IEDs with them.

“The suicide belts were not dummies [as stated in the official version], but IEDs that the militants had taped together,” said a source from the Russian Guard, emphasizing that the explosive devices were low-power. “If one of the terrorists had activated his belt, he would not have died from it,” the interlocutor explained.

The marks on the hand that Novaya noticed were left by the rope of a rubber baton, RBC sources claim. A photo (18+) of one of the killed was published on the website of the analytical community “Operational Line”. In addition, Novaya previously published a photo of another deceased. In both photographs, marks on the hands are more likely from a rope rather than from handcuffs, the head of the department of forensic medicine of the First Moscow State Medical University named after I.M. told RBC. Sechenov Yuri Pigolkin.

“The damage is uncharacteristic of the effects of metal handcuffs, because the mark has uneven edges,” the forensic expert commented on the Novaya photo. “If there were handcuffs, the strip would be straight.” The nature of the trail [in the Novaya photo] resembles an hourglass. There are abrasions on the lower and upper parts of the hand. Perhaps he was dragged by the hand.” However, the version of the publication with handcuffs cannot be completely ruled out, Pigolkin said. According to him, such damage could have been caused by handcuffs if he tried to pull off his bracelet.

Strengthening security measures

Advisor to the director of the Russian Guard, Alexander Khinshtein, refused to assess the publication of Novaya Gazeta. “There is a criminal case, there is an investigative group, there are bodies of both our servicemen and militants. And, of course, all necessary examinations will be carried out in the case, including pathological examinations. The examination will determine the cause of death for everyone,” he told an RBC correspondent.

After the attack in the North Caucasus, “a combat regime was introduced,” Khinshtein added. When asked whether security measures in Moscow had increased after the events of March 24, Khinshtein replied that he knew nothing about it. According to the adviser to the director of the Russian Guard, in any case, anti-terrorist measures in Moscow and throughout Russia “are being applied actively and effectively.”

“What happened showed that the problem of international terrorism and its threat in Russia is also relevant. The National Guard today is at the forefront of not just terrorism, but international terrorism,” he added. Khinshtein noted that the militants had an advantage during the attack. The fact that the attackers were destroyed on the spot speaks of the high preparedness and professionalism of Russian military personnel, he concluded.

Radical sympathies​

Despite the fact that ISIS militants claimed responsibility for the attack and the number of radical Islamist sympathizers in the North Caucasus has recently increased, there is no need to fear a “return to the 90s,” according to experts interviewed by RBC.

The first ISIS cells in the region appeared at the end of 2014. The Caucasian branch finally took shape in the form of the group “Vilayat Caucasus” (“vilayat” means “province”) took shape in June 2015, when the leader of “Vilayat” took an oath of allegiance to the leader of the “Islamic State”. Today, only about 50 active ISIS militants appear on the official wanted list in the North Caucasus, military expert Andrei Payusov told RBC. The number of sympathizers is many times greater, he noted. “Roskomnadzor constantly blocks terrorist public pages and websites. But any newly created group gains at least 500 subscribers per day,” Payusov said.

The number of those loyal to radicals increased significantly after Russia entered the war in Syria in September 2015, noted Anton Mardasov, head of the department for research on Middle Eastern conflicts at the Institute for Innovative Development. “When the Chechens saw that our Special Operations Forces were conducting raids with the patches of the Shiite Hezbollah, it caused them not only bewilderment, but also, frankly, anger,” he said, recalling that the majority of the republic’s residents are Sunnis. The “Chechen” military police battalion of the Ministry of Defense to Syria is associated with an attempt to smooth out religious contradictions, Mardasov believes.

The Islamist underground still exists, and militants continue to carry out sabotage, said Sergei Markedonov, associate professor of the Department of Foreign Regional Studies and Foreign Policy of the Russian State University for the Humanities. For example, in August 2016, ISIS was responsible for an attack on a traffic police post in the Moscow region, in December - in Grozny, he recalled. But this does not mean that there is no fight against the militants and that they feel at ease - a return to “Russia of the 90s” should not be expected, since there are no large terrorist groups left in Russia, Markedonov is sure.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack because it is trying to attract media attention against the backdrop of defeats in Syria and Iraq in 2016, says orientalist and senior lecturer at the Higher School of Economics Leonid Isaev. “The worst thing for jihadists is if they are forgotten and stopped writing and speaking. Their main strategy is not to organize a terrorist attack, but to monitor terrorist attacks and, as soon as something happens, declare that it is us,” the expert concluded.

MOSCOW, March 24 – RIA Novosti. Six soldiers were killed and three more were injured in a militant attack on Friday night on a military unit of the Russian Guard in Chechnya; all military units of the Russian Guard in the North Caucasus were put on combat readiness; The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case under four articles at once. The Islamic State terrorist group* claimed responsibility for the attack.

Six from each side

Reports of a militant attack on a military unit of the Russian Guard in the Chechen Republic appeared on Friday morning from a RIA Novosti source in law enforcement agencies. According to the agency's interlocutor, six suicide bombers were killed as a result of an attempted attack on a military camp.

Soon the National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAC) confirmed this information. The department added that the militants attacked the facility of the military unit of the Russian Guard, stationed in the area of ​​​​the village of Naurskaya, at about 02:30. The Russian Guard emphasized that “during the attack, the militants took advantage of heavy fog.”

“During the ensuing clash, all members of the gang were neutralized. The bandits were found to have firearms and ammunition, and on the bodies of two of them were dummies of suicide belts,” the NAC added.

Later, the Russian National Guard stated that there were casualties among the military during the attack. “During the clash, six servicemen were killed and there were wounded,” the department said, adding that thanks to the decisive actions of the personnel, the suicide bombers were not able to penetrate inside the military camp.

A RIA Novosti source in the law enforcement agencies of Chechnya reported that three soldiers were wounded as a result of the attack and were hospitalized in a medical facility.

“The servicemen of the 140th artillery regiment of military unit 3761, located in the Naursky district, wounded as a result of an attack by militants, were taken to the central regional hospital. These are the rangefinder of the artillery regiment, the commander of the engineer battery, the deputy commander of the battery. They received gunshot wounds to the lower extremities and heads,” he said agency interlocutor.

Nikolai Dolonin, deputy commander of the North Caucasus District of the Russian Guard, soon told reporters that the lives of the wounded soldiers were not in danger.

“Measures have been taken to maintain their health; they are in the hospital. Psychologists and commanders are working with the families of military personnel. Measures are being taken to provide them with psychological and material assistance,” Dolonin said.

In addition, he said that all military units of the department in the North Caucasus were put on combat readiness after the attack by militants. Also, according to him, “measures are being carried out jointly with the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs aimed at preventing this from happening, and intelligence has been strengthened.”

Consequence

On Friday afternoon, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation announced that a criminal case had been opened under several articles regarding the attack on a military unit in Chechnya.

“A criminal case has been opened on the fact of an armed attack on military personnel in the Chechen Republic under the articles... “Encroachment on the lives of military personnel,” “Participation in an armed formation not provided for by federal law,” “Illegal trafficking in weapons,” “Theft of firearms,” the statement said. department.

In addition, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation noted that currently members of the investigative and operational group are carrying out investigative actions aimed at establishing all the circumstances of the incident.

Reaction to attack

The head of the State Duma Committee on Security and Counter-Terrorism, Vasily Piskarev, after the militant attack on a military unit, told reporters that Russia, with the help of highly qualified actions of law enforcement agencies, will continue to react harshly to manifestations of terrorism.

“They do this out of despair. When they go for broke, it means that people have reached the edge, the bottom, when it is impossible to go further. Terrorism is the bottom, a dead end from which there is no way out,” the parliamentarian added.

Director of the Russian Guard Viktor Zolotov said that the military, who repelled the militants’ attack on the military unit, prevented civilian casualties.

“Unfortunately, our solemn event is overshadowed by the tragic events that occurred last night in the village of Naurskaya, Chechen Republic. As a result of a vile suicide attack, six of our comrades were killed. They honestly fulfilled their military duty, preventing civilian casualties,” Zolotov said during the presentation of state and departmental awards to military personnel and department employees who distinguished themselves while performing service-combat and operational-service tasks.

According to the director of the department, “these events once again confirm that the troops of the Russian Guard are troops of constant combat readiness.”

* Terrorist organization banned in Russia.

MOSCOW, March 24 – RIA Novosti. Terrorists attacked a military unit of the Russian Guard in Chechnya. As a result of the attack, six servicemen were killed and the militants were destroyed.

Attack in the Fog

The bandits' attack occurred late at night - at 2:30. The Russian Guard said that the criminals tried to penetrate the location of the 140th artillery regiment of military unit 3761, which is located in the Naursky district of Chechnya.

The terrorists specifically chose a time when there was thick fog in the area of ​​the military facility.

“When attempting to enter the territory of a military camp, the bandit group was discovered by a military detachment, which entered into battle with it. Six attackers were killed,” the Russian National Guard said in a statement.

The department noted that the fighters managed to prevent militants from entering the facility.

“The bandits were found to have firearms and ammunition, and on the bodies of two of them were dummies of suicide belts,” the National Anti-Terrorism Committee said.

The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case into the incident under the articles “Encroachment on the lives of military personnel,” “Participation in an armed formation not provided for by federal law,” “Illegal trafficking in weapons,” and “Theft of firearms.”

According to the department, the militants were armed with firearms and knives.

An operational investigation team and FSB explosives experts are currently working at the scene of the incident.

Losses of security forces

As a result of the terrorist attack, six servicemen were killed. Their names and ranks are not specified.

Three more soldiers were injured.

“This is the rangefinder of the artillery regiment, the commander of the engineer battery, the deputy battery commander,” a source in the law enforcement agencies told RIA Novosti.

All victims were first taken to the central regional hospital, after which they were transported to a hospital in Grozny.

According to the agency's interlocutor, the condition of one of the wounded is assessed as serious - a bullet hit him in the head.

“Two victims received gunshot wounds to their legs, their condition is moderate,” the source added.

"Honestly fulfilled military duty"

The incident was commented on by the director of the Russian Guard, Viktor Zolotov, who today presented awards to distinguished employees.

“Unfortunately, our solemn event is overshadowed by the tragic events that occurred last night in the village of Naurskaya, Chechen Republic. As a result of a vile suicide attack, six of our comrades were killed. They honestly fulfilled their military duty, preventing casualties among the civilian population,” Zolotov said .

Those gathered honored the memory of the fallen soldiers with a minute of silence.

The militants are going all in

Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Security and Counter-Terrorism Vasily Piskarev said that Russia will continue to react harshly to manifestations of terrorism.

“They do this out of despair. When they go for broke, it means that people have reached the edge, the bottom, when it is impossible to go further. Terrorism is the bottom, a dead end from which there is no way out,” the parliamentarian noted, commenting on the attack in Chechnya.

“And our country, with the help of highly qualified actions of law enforcement agencies, will continue to respond to such actions harshly and uncompromisingly,” Piskarev added.

Terrorists went for weapons

Former State Duma deputy Anvar Makhmutov believes that the bandits' goal was to seize weapons.

“When the enemy is almost defeated, he becomes especially bold. Successes in the Caucasus in the fight against terrorism should not weaken the units of the Russian Guard - they were tried to test their strength by forces that, unfortunately, have not yet stopped their activities there. The enemy is cunning and experienced,” - Makhmutov said on Sputnik radio.

The expert also called for strengthening the military units of the Russian Guard.

“The enemy has shown that the target of an attack can be not only civilians, but also objects of law enforcement agencies. I think that serious measures will be taken to prevent such factors - the military units of the Russian Guard will be reinforced with more modern means of warning,” he noted.

15:05 24.03.2017

(updated: 12:29 03/25/2017)

MOSCOW, March 24 – RIA Novosti. A group of militants that attacked a military unit of the Russian Guard in Chechnya on Friday night planned to steal weapons and then carry out high-profile terrorist attacks, said the head of the republic, Ramzan Kadyrov.

“Late at night, they made an attempt to infiltrate the territory of one of the military units (Rosgvardia) in order to seize weapons... Now there is no doubt that the bandits intended to carry out high-profile terrorist attacks using weapons if they managed to get them and leave alive. The military personnel obscured civilian population," he wrote on his page in Instagram.

The attack took place today late at night in heavy fog - six militants armed with firearms and knives sneaked into the military unit. During the shootout, they were all destroyed, but there were casualties among the military: six employees of the Russian Guard were killed, three more were wounded.

New circumstances of “repelling” an attack on a National Guard unit in Chechnya: the attackers were detained alive. And they were shot in the head.

ATTENTION! THE MATERIAL CONTAINS STRICTLY 18+ IMAGES

According to the official version, confirmed by the press service of the National Guard, on the night of March 23-24, six residents of the village of Naurskaya (identities have been identified) attacked military unit 3761. During the “shootout,” the attackers were eliminated, six National Guard servicemen were killed, and three were wounded. However, the official version of the attack on the National Guard unit stationed in the village of Naurskaya raises serious doubts. Novaya Gazeta obtained unretouched photographs of Chechens who allegedly died during the “fight.” These photographs were taken at the scene by one of the members of the investigative team. The photographs clearly show that all the “attackers” were killed in almost the same way - with a shot to the head.

Novaya Gazeta showed these photographs to forensic experts, criminologists and ballistic experts. The interviewed specialists had no contradictions in their judgment about the nature and method of injury. Experts confirmed that the people in the photographs were shot almost point-blank; in all those killed, the entrance bullet hole was located in the area of ​​the auricle.

Killed attacker

“a typical “Chinese execution”. This is how both sides fighting in the Chechen campaigns called the execution of prisoners of war

(by analogy with public executions in China, which are characterized by two characteristics: mass scale and the method of murder - the victim kneels, and the executioner shoots in the head, most often in the back of the head).

There are no other bullet wounds, except head wounds, on the bodies of the Chechens who allegedly “attacked” military unit 3761. These photographs practically disavow reports of the clash that took place on the night of March 23-24 and indicate, at the very least, that all the “attackers” were detained alive.

Of particular interest is the photograph of a killed Chechen with a dummy of an improvised explosive device (IED). (The fact that the IEDs were not real was officially confirmed by the National Anti-Terrorism Committee).

One of the attackers on the military unit. Operational shooting

On the left hand of the murdered man, a smooth, fresh bruise is clearly visible, reminiscent in appearance of a strangulation groove from handcuffs. It is also clearly visible that the IED is taped to the body of the deceased - with yellow tape OVER the fresh stains of soil, grass and blood on the “attacker’s” jacket.

In fact, this means that someone attached an IED to the corpse of the “militant.”

If there was no clash (and photographs of killed Chechens are objective confirmation of this), then the question arises: under what circumstances did nine servicemen of military unit 3761 die and were wounded?

Novaya Gazeta has information about the nature of the wounds of four guardsmen. Major S. (all names are available in the editorial office) was diagnosed with an open craniocerebral injury and lacerated wounds to the head and face. Senior Lieutenant S. received a gunshot wound to the right thigh, Private I. received a tangential gunshot wound to the knee joint.

It is also known that at least one of the six victims - senior lieutenant Ermolaev - died from gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen.

However, according to a prosecutor’s office employee who was directly involved in the inspection of the scene, the Chechens who “attacked” military unit 3761 were armed only with sticks and knives.

This fact is confirmed by official reports of the National Guard (see photo). That is, the Chechens did not have firearms with them.

The attackers did not have firearms

According to the official version of the National Guard, the “attackers” failed to enter the territory of the military unit and take possession of the military personnel’s weapons. Thus, it is unclear under what circumstances the National Guard soldiers received gunshot wounds and who actually shot them.

According to Novaya Gazeta, military unit 3761 is served mainly by military personnel sent from other regions. According to information from residents of the village of Naurskaya, there may have been a conflict on ethnic grounds between local Chechens and military personnel of military unit 3761. This could have caused a showdown, during which the Chechens could have been detained. However, this version still does not clarify the circumstances of the injury and death of nine guardsmen.

Elena Milashina
special projects editor

Information on those killed from the professional accounting databases