He commanded the 9th company, acted in films, and was Shoigu’s deputy in the Ministry of Emergency Situations. What is General Vostrotin known for?

On February 13, at the age of 72, Hero of the USSR Colonel General Valery Vostrotin died. In the 1980s in Afghanistan, he commanded the 345th Parachute Regiment, which included the 9th Company. Details of his biography are in the Kommersant article.

Vostrotin Valery Aleksandrovich was born on November 20, 1952 in the city of Kasli, Chelyabinsk region, into a working-class family. In 1971 he graduated from the Sverdlovsk Suvorov Military School, in 1975 from the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School, in 1985 from the Frunze Military Academy, and in 1994 from the General Staff Academy.

Since December 1979, he participated in combat operations as part of a limited contingent of Soviet troops in Afghanistan. He was a company commander and took part in the seizure of objects in Kabul.

In 1985, he served in Chisinau as commander of an airborne regiment with the rank of guard lieutenant colonel. From 1986 to 1989 – commander of the 345th Separate Guards Parachute Regiment. In 1986 he returned to Afghanistan as a regiment commander. The 9th Company, part of the regiment, fought for Height 3234 in January 1988; Fyodor Bondarchuk’s film “9th Company” (2005) is dedicated to these events.

He participated in other military operations – the defense of strategic heights in the Alikhail region in the area of ​​Paktia and Khost provinces, the mountainous Paghman region of Kabul province, in the combined arms operation “Magistral” (1987–1988), aimed at releasing the blockade of the city of Khost. Was wounded twice.

From 1989 to 1992 – commander of the 98th Guards Airborne Division, stationed in the city of Bolgrad, Odessa region, Ukrainian SSR.

From 1994 to 2003, he was Deputy Minister of the Russian Federation for Civil Defense, Emergency Situations and Disaster Relief (EMERCOM) Sergei Shoigu. Twice he led the Ministry of Emergency Situations group during the counter-terrorist operation in Chechnya (1995–1997 and 1998). Participated in peacekeeping operations in Azerbaijan, Armenia, Tajikistan.

In 2003 and 2007, he was elected to the State Duma of the Russian Federation from United Russia and was a member of the Security Committee.

Since February 2007, he has been chairman of the board of the Moscow branch of the All-Russian public organization of veterans “Combat Brotherhood”. He also headed the Union of Russian Paratroopers, was the head of the board of trustees of the Patriot Park, and the leader of the all-Russian organization of military disabled people “Warrior”.

In June 2023, he came under EU sanctions for supporting a Russian special operation in Ukraine.

He was awarded the Order of Lenin, the Red Banner, Courage, “For Services to the Fatherland” IV degree, two Orders of the Red Star, the Order “For Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces of the USSR” III degree and the order and medals of the Republic of Afghanistan, Hero of the Soviet Union, and many other awards. Colonel General.

He played the main role in the feature film “Black Shark” (1993) and the role of a general in the film “The Path” (2009).

He was married and has a daughter.