The President with the “oar” – Newspaper Kommersant No. 196 (7397) dated 10/21/2022

On October 20, Supreme Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Putin arrived at the location of the Ryazan Higher Airborne School, checked the condition of the mobilized and stayed with them, a Kommersant special correspondent believes. Andrey Kolesnikov, more than satisfied. And how could it be otherwise? No, it couldn’t.

According to Kommersant’s information, Vladimir Putin came up with the idea of ​​a visit to the mobilized a few days ago. Obviously, the questions of journalists after the summits in Astana played an important role (see “Kommersant” dated October 15). The questions turned out to be difficult – for example, about the fact that one of the mobilized, an employee of the Moscow mayor’s office, was on the front line and was killed without having time to properly hold a weapon in his hands.

The Ministry of Defense offered the Supreme Commander-in-Chief to inspect the mobilized Ryazan Region. The Ministry of Defense and the presidential press services do not, in principle, tell where exactly Vladimir Putin flew in, but judging by the fact that he was met by the head of the Ryazan Guards Higher Airborne Command School named after General of the Army Margelov, Colonel Ruslan Evkodimov and the chief of staff of the country’s airborne troops, Lieutenant General Anatoly Kontsevoi, one can understand that this was the landing school of the capital of the Airborne Forces, which Ryazan is considered by all paratroopers, and even those who served in other places, and this is saying something.

In addition, if the military is dressed like a paratrooper, talk like a paratrooper and behave like a paratrooper, then they are most likely paratroopers.

Vladimir Putin arrived at the training ground in a Toyota, he was dressed in a warm down jacket (it is inconvenient to fight in this, but putting on a bulletproof vest under it is just right).

From the very beginning, Vladimir Putin knew to himself that he would shoot, otherwise he would not have taken glasses in one hand and headphones in the other.

He has not done this in public for a long time (and it happens). The last time this happened was in the Patriot Park at the VIP training ground, and then almost without journalists: the Supreme Commander suddenly silently withdrew along the embankment with a group of like-minded people, and only later did the journalists find out what he was doing.

This time he wanted to demonstrate: yes, he is mentally with the mobilized, and more than that, he is one of them.

“Skills return quickly,” Ruslan Evkodimov explained to him on the way. “Within twenty days.

And it seems that these twenty days will be greatly envied by those mobilized in many other parts of the country. Firstly, twenty is a lot (this is enough even to not only remember how to shoot, but to learn how to shoot), and secondly, it’s true, apparently, they won’t let you out of the Ryazan school without skills.

“Anatoly Georgievich, show me,” Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu suggested to Mr. Kontsevoi when they met, apparently, mobilized.

Anatoly Kontsevoi showed the mobilized:

– Going to perform a task, a soldier has … Well, firstly, he himself is equipped … An unloading vest, a weapon, respectively, a helmet …

It seems that Anatoly Kontsevoi fully described the appearance of the fighter. But in front of him lay more things from the backpack:

– A set of underwear, a trimmed sleeping bag, a rug, a camouflage coat, and a separate trunk like this … This is taking into account the dirt, autumn …

Anatoly Kontsevoi held soldier’s boots in his hands. Another one, with warm inserts, was already in the hands of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, who was looking at them with interest.

– In the trunk only shoes (later it turned out that a winter hat. – A.K.). The main thing is that it should be, – General Kontsevoi stated. – Here in this form … Turn around (he turned to the soldier. – A.K.) … In which case, he takes it all off, leaves a small backpack … He puts dry rations and ammunition in it …

They approached the shooting gallery. Here a terrible firing was heard. Vladimir Putin stepped closer. The shooting intensified. The evening was getting dark.

“Bullets hit metal gongs,” General Kontsevoi continued to say. “Range is 300 meters …

“Is it by the gong?” the president repeated, hearing clanking metallic sounds.

“Yes, defeat is coming,” they told him.

Yes, if such a story had hit the screens of federal TV channels three weeks ago, the mobilization would probably have been more combative.

Nearby for a couple of minutes toiled, apparently mobilized, who could tell about himself.

– Where are you from? Putin remarked.

– From the Ryazan region.

— Local? the President asked.

He didn’t hear right away, but finally nodded.

– When did you serve?

– From the 15th to the 16th year …

“And since when have you been here?”

“Since October 7,” the fighter reported.

On this day, Vladimir Putin in the Konstantinovsky Palace (in St. Petersburg.— “b”) celebrated its 70th anniversary.

That is, both started the countdown in a sense from zero.

– Is the skill recovering? – decided, apparently, to check the words of Anatoly Kontsevoy, Vladimir Putin.

– Yes sir.

– Do you feel confident?

– Yes sir!

They didn’t seem to have anything else to talk about. All the same, the fighter would have answered, “That’s right.”

– Cartridge in the chamber? Vladimir Putin just clarified.

“That’s right,” the fighter immediately responded.

The President lay down under the net and fired a series of shots from the Dragunov sniper rifle (in the army it is called the “paddle.”— “b”). The sounds of the gong were yes, audible.

Then, having already finished shooting and moving away from the fighter, the president suddenly returned:

– What is your family like?

– Daughter. Five years, – said the fighter.

Apparently, the wife is already ex. And the daughter, of course, does not exist.

The President once again hugged the fighter (he probably wanted to do something for his relatives, that’s why he asked), now, probably, with genuine sympathy, like a man.

“We are practicing medical training here on the right…” said Lieutenant General Kontsevoi.

The fighters fell out of one door, from the other, froze until their comrades fell out of the beaten car, and ran as fast as they could away from the Supreme Commander… Maybe they were averting trouble from him…

– The enemy is on the right! .. On the left! – came from somewhere.

Strangely, both on the right and on the left were only the Supreme Commander and the people around him. It is unlikely that students perceived them as learning goals. But the president’s security service, already at the limit of readiness, seemed to be even more alert (among such sounds, they probably had not yet had to work with the president).

“Commanders of full-time departments are in charge,” commented Anatoly Kontsevoi.

“The element of surprise is being worked out,” Ruslan Evkodimov explained.

Ammunition was being loaded nearby. It looks like speed. Then the fighters went on the offensive on the targets, standing at full height. The fighters, unlike the targets, crouched down and then fired from their knees. Then the commanders marked the riddled targets with pencils for a long time. The fighters, meanwhile, were crawling and shooting, shooting, sticking bayonet-knives next to them …

“You need to take about eight stores with you,” Anatoly Kontsevoi said on the way to the next mobilized lined up.

I thought it was already clear.

— Where, guys? the president asked the fighters.

And again it was – what are you going to do – the Ryazan region.

– When did you serve?

“A year and a half ago…” said one.

– 10-11th year … – added another.

– Left at home loans, payments related to housing? ..

– No way! – as one reported fighters.

Of course. They would have reported here to the Supreme if they had stayed.

– Are there any requests?

– No way!

Well, you rarely meet people who have nothing to lose.

Only at the shooting range at the Ryazan Airborne School.

Andrey Kolesnikov