ZAPORIZHZHIA REGION (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd October, 2022) The artillerymen of the Russian Southern Military District have been awarded medals while holding combat positions in the Zaporizhzhia region, a Sputnik correspondent reports.
Senior Lt. Alexander Shevchenko, the commander of the first firing platoon, has been awarded the Medal "For Valor" for saving the lives of two wounded fellow soldiers during shelling by Ukrainian armed formations. The officer returned to the shelling area to evacuate the soldiers.
"We took up a firing position and were waiting for guidance on targets. The enemy began to fire at us. Presumably, two mortars were firing at us. We had no time to change positions, so we abandoned our equipment and withdrew all men. Two fell behind and were wounded as a result of the shelling. I and my comrade ran back, at that moment I was not thinking. We provided first aid, loaded them into cars, and took them away," Shevchenko told the correspondent.
Shevchenko added that he has gained a lot of military experience in the course of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine and said that it is important to share that experience with his brothers-in-arms, including the ones who have drafted into the army during partial mobilization in Russia.
Junior Sgt. Ibrahim Abdullayev, who has been awarded the Medal of Zhukov, told the correspondent that he has been carrying out detection and targeting tasks. He had detected a column of enemy equipment using a drone and promptly radioed the coordinates to an artillery battery, which completely destroyed the enemy equipment.
"I am a topographic surveyor, I was carrying out the targeting task. I observed 14 Kamaz (trucks) using a drone. The coordinates were radioed to an artillery battery, and a salvo destroyed the equipment," Abdullayev said.
The artillery of the Southern Military District in the Zaporizhzhia region continues to strike Ukrainian military equipment hubs and suppress enemy firing positions, from where Ukrainian military formations continue shelling civilian settlements and infrastructure of the region.
On February 24, Russia began a military operation in Ukraine, responding to calls for help from the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics. The Russian Defense Ministry said the goal of the operation, which targets Ukrainian military infrastructure, is to "demilitarize and denazify" Ukraine and to completely liberate Donbas.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the operation aims to "protect people subjected to genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years." As of March 25, the Russian Armed Forces completed the main tasks of the first stage, significantly reducing the combat potential of Ukraine. Western nations have imposed numerous sanctions on Russia and have been supplying weapons to Ukraine.
Putin announced partial military mobilization on September 21. According to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, the partial mobilization in the country was prompted by the need to control the 1,000-kilometer (621-mile) contact line between Russian and Ukrainian territories. He said it would require only 1% of Russia's total mobilization resource, or about 300,000 reservists.
On October 10, Putin told Russia's Security Council that Russia had carried out retaliatory strikes using precision-guided weapons against Ukrainian infrastructure in response to the crimes committed by Kiev against Russian civilian infrastructure. Putin also condemned the bombing of the Kerch Strait Bridge, known as the Crimean Bridge, that took place on October 8, saying that such a terror act cannot be left without retaliation.
Precision strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure have since been going on. The Ukrainian authorities urged residents to save electricity and minimize consumption during peak hours.
