“My best crew”: tankers from Buryatia spoke about the rescue of a colleague near Ugledar

• Tankers from Buryatia spoke about the rescue of an injured soldier near Ugledar

Russian tank crews, who accidentally became famous after a video of the battle near Ugledar, went on a special operation as volunteers.

The tank commander, gunner and driver are all from Buryatia and met in the training unit.

The battle, during which they were blown up by an anti-tank mine, but were able to survive and help the wounded, was their first combat exit.

This was told to RT by the 27-year-old gunner Geser and the 37-year-old tank driver Dmitry.

“We are all volunteers: in October we signed a contract and met already in training (educational part. - 

), at the end of December we were already here.

This was our first attack.

When I got into the tank, maybe it was scary, but when we were already driving, they were shooting, there wasn’t much fear,” says Geser.

“Glory to Russia, there is no market!”

The video, which became popular on social networks, was recorded by the tank commander.

On the recording, the crew of the combat vehicle is sitting in a shelter - a shell crater.

A tank smokes on the horizon.

“Big hello to everyone from the front line ... Here f***** what’s going on, but we’re pushing!”

— says the author of the video, smiling at the camera.

Then he shows his comrades, one of them says: “Glory to Russia!”, To which the tank commander replies: “Glory to Russia, there is no market!”

Next to him lies a soldier with a bandaged leg.

As the tank commander explains, he received help: “My best crew.

Andryukha was rescued, the wounded lies.

They bandaged it, gave an injection."

The video was recorded after the tankers completed their combat mission.

They had to clear the site so that the next combat vehicles could freely go on the offensive and shoot through part of the forest belt.

After the tankers had done their job, they drove over a mine.

“We were blown up when we were returning from a combat mission.

We had to go in reverse, in our own footsteps, and we began to turn around and there it was literally enough to move off our track by one meter to catch that very mine, ”recall the gunner and tank mechanic.

According to them, the car jumped at least one and a half meters from the explosion.

The commander received a fracture of the vertebrae from the blow, two other crew members suffered a concussion.

“It’s good that we hit a mine with the back of the tank, if we hit the front one ... The driver, he sits in front, well, I think we would have left him there,” says Geser, who said in the video “Glory Russia!

The tank had to be abandoned, and the soldiers began to return to their positions along the same road along which they were driving in a car - so as not to be blown up by other mines.

When they crawled to their own, an infantryman called them out of the funnel from an exploding shell.

As it turned out, 44-year-old Andrei lay on the field for two to four days - he received a shrapnel wound to his leg and could not return to his own.

The tankers bandaged a comrade and gave him an anesthetic injection.

“He saw how our equipment drove past him, but he could not call - they were far away.

When they injected him with painkillers, he began to fall asleep, we talked with him - for the house, for life, for the family.

They encouraged him as much as they could so that he would not turn off, ”the tankers said.

After resting, they managed to follow the trail of their tank back to our positions and pull out the wounded.

“I will pray for this tanker”

Now the crew commander and infantryman Andrei are in the hospital for treatment.

Andrei's family recognized him on the video, despite the fact that his face is not visible on the recording: he lies with his back to the camera.

His wife told RT that she recognized the man by his physique.

In addition, the video mentions that he is from the village of Dzhida in Buryatia, and Andrei is the only one mobilized from this locality.

The man was drafted into the army on September 23, before that he worked on the railway, and in his youth he served in the border troops, so he expected to be called up.

“I was just flipping through the page in Odnoklassniki, and I saw my husband.

The tankman, this fellow, says: “I gave him an injection, bandaged his leg, and rendered first aid.”

You won't believe how happy I am.

I will pray for this tanker,” said the soldier’s wife.

The last time she heard her husband's voice was two weeks ago.

Andrei's wife and children still cannot contact him by phone.

RT helps the fighter's family find out exactly where he is so they can talk to him in person.

The operator and driver of the tank, despite the shell shock, are ready to continue their service.

Now they are waiting for a new tank.

They do not consider themselves heroes and did not expect the video to become so popular.

“To be honest, I would not want everyone to see this video.

We didn't do anything heroic.

The tank was lost - it's a pity, - says Geser.

Now let's be more experienced.

But the combat mission was completed, everyone seems to be happy.

The fighting spirit of all the guys is excellent, and in general, everything is fine!”

According to Geser and Dmitry, the morale in their units is greatly supported by their commanders.

Thus, the commander of the battalion in which they serve, 35-year-old Major Enver Nabiev, was awarded the title Hero of Russia last fall.

“Our battalion commander and company commander are the best!

We look up to them.

Our battalion commander is a Hero of Russia, an example for us,” the servicemen say.

During the service, they have not yet been at home and miss their relatives and even colleagues very much.

“Can I say hello to your aircraft factory from you?

17th workshop, Ulan-Ude aircraft factory!

I still work there.

As soon as I return (from the special operation), I will immediately go there.

And I say hello to my mother, ”Dmitry smiles.

He and his colleagues regularly receive parcels from residents of Buryatia.

Soldiers value not only things, but also letters written to them by relatives, as well as unfamiliar compatriots.

So, since the New Year, Geser always carries with him a letter from schoolchildren from Buryatia.

It was with him in the first combat output.

"Dear soldier!

I am in the sixth grade, I am fond of sports, but most of all I love basketball.

I want the war to end as soon as possible, so that all countries become friendly with each other and that there will never be a war again.

I wish you health, good mood, good luck and a speedy return home,” reads the tanker.