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{{Short description|2000 battle in the Second Chechen War}}
{{Copy edit|date=January 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}

{{Infobox military conflict {{Infobox military conflict
|conflict=Battle for Height 776 | conflict = Battle for Height 776
|height=230 | height = 230
|image=] | image = 776-Battle-DE.svg
|caption=Map of the breakthrough, including the fight at the Height 776 | image_size = 300
| caption = Map of the breakthrough, including the fight at the Height 776
|partof=] | partof = the ]
|place=Height 776, ], ] | place = Height 776, ], ]
|date=February 29 – March 1, 2000 | date = 29 February – 1 March 2000
|result= Chechen breakthrough | result = Chechen victory
| combatant1 = {{flagicon|Chechen Republic of Ichkeria}} ]
|combatant1=] ]<br>] ]
|combatant2=] ] | combatant2 = {{flag|Russia}}
| commander1 = {{flagicon|Chechen Republic of Ichkeria}} ] <br> {{flagicon image|Flag of Jihad.svg}} ]<br>{{flagicon image|Flag of Jihad.svg}} ]
|commander1= Uncertain
|commander2=] ]{{KIA}}<ref name=laststand/> | commander2 = {{flagicon|Russia}} ]{{KIA}}<ref name=laststand/><br>{{flagicon|Russia}} Viktor Romanov{{KIA}}
| strength1 = ''Disputed'' <br>70 (per Chechnya)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.warchechnya.ru/news/khattab_o_boe_pod_ulus_kertom_s_desantnikami_6_roty_104_polka_vdv_quot_ehto_byla_ne_nasha_rabota_a_angelov_allakha_quot/2011-10-07-1686/|title=Хаттаб о бое под Улус-Кертом, с десантниками 6 роты 104 полка ВДВ: "Это была не наша работа, а ангелов Аллаха"|date=7 October 2011}}</ref> <br>First day; 1,000+ (per Russia)<br>Subsequently; 1,500–2,000+ (per Russia)<br>
|strength1= Disputed
|strength2=91<ref name="miracle"/> | strength2 = 90{{cn|date=April 2023}}
| casualties1 = 21–25 killed<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.warchechnya.ru/news/khattab_o_boe_pod_ulus_kertom_s_desantnikami_6_roty_104_polka_vdv_quot_ehto_byla_ne_nasha_rabota_a_angelov_allakha_quot/2011-10-07-1686/|title=Хаттаб о бое под Улус-Кертом, с десантниками 6 роты 104 полка ВДВ: "Это была не наша работа, а ангелов Аллаха"|date=7 October 2011}}</ref> (per Chechnya) <br>100 killed<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mk.ru/politics/2020/03/01/desantnik-rasskazal-kak-pogibala-pskovskaya-6ya-rota-v-chechne.html|title=Десантник рассказал, как погибала псковская 6-я рота в Чечне}}</ref> (per Russian veteran Lobanov)<br>400–700<ref> {{cite web|url=http://expert.ru/2014/03/1/zabyityij-podvig-6-rotyi|script-title=ru:Забытый подвиг 6 роты|trans-title=Forgotten Feat of 6 Companies|language=Russian|publisher=Эксперт|date=1 March 2014}}</ref> killed (per Russia)
|casualties1=400-500<ref name=laststand/> or more killed (federal claims)
| casualties2 = 84 killed<br>6 wounded <ref>{{web archive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022212206/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4528734.html}}</ref>
|casualties2=84 killed<ref name="miracle"/>
|casualties3=<small>Note: Their respective official figures according to the both sides involved in direct combat at Height 776 (not the entire operation of the breakthrough from the Argun Gorge, which also included other skirmishes in the area ).</small> | casualties3 = {{small|Note: Their respective official figures according to both sides involved in direct combat at Height 776 (not the entire operation of the breakthrough from the Argun Gorge, which also included other skirmishes in the area ).}}
}} }}
{{Campaignbox Second Chechen War}} {{Campaignbox Second Chechen War}}
⚫ The '''Battle for Height 776''', part of the larger '''Battle of Ulus-Kert''', was an engagement in the ] that took place during fighting for control of the ] ] in the highland ] of central ], between the villages of Ulus-Kert and ].


⚫ In late February 2000, the ] attempted to encircle and destroy a large ] withdrawing from the Chechen capital ] to ] and ] in the southern mountains of Chechnya following the 1999–2000 ].<ref name=bbc>BBC News (6 March 2000) </ref> On 29 February 2000, just hours after Russian Defense Minister ] had assured his government that the Second Chechen War was over,<ref name="nation">'']'' (15 March 2000) </ref> an isolated Russian force composed mainly of a company of ] of the ] from the city of ] found itself cut off by a retreating Chechen column led by ] and ].<ref name="fairy"/> After heavy close-quarters overnight fighting, the Russian position was overrun and almost entirely wiped out. The incident inspired a Kremlin-funded film, and fascinated Russian leader Vladimir Putin.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Osborn |first1=Andrew |title=Kremlin film makes heroes out of paratroops it left to be massacred |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/kremlin-film-makes-heroes-out-of-paratroops-it-left-to-be-massacred-478266.html |website=The Independent |access-date=17 March 2023}}</ref>
⚫ The '''Battle for Height 776''', part of the larger '''Battle of Ulus-Kert''', was an engagement in the ] during fighting for control of the ] ] in the highland ] of central ], between the villages of Ulus-Kert and Selmentausen.

⚫ In the late February 2000, the ] forces attempted to surround and destroy a large ] force (among them many foreign fighters) ] from the Chechen capital ] to ] and ] in the southern mountains of Chechnya following the 1999–2000 ] and the rebel main force's breakout from the city earlier that month.<ref name=bbc>BBC News (6 March 2000) </ref> On February 29, 2000, just hours after the Russian Defense Minister ] had assured his government that the Chechen war was over,<ref></ref><ref name="nation">'']'' (15 March 2000) </ref> an isolated Russian force based around a company of ]s of the ] from the city of ] found itself cut off by a retreating Chechen column led by ],<ref name="fairy"/> commander of foreign fighters in Chechnya. After heavy close-quarters overnight fighting, Russian positions on the hill were overrun and most of the soldiers were killed.


Uncertainty continues to surround many aspects of the engagement, including how many people were engaged in the battle on both sides, how many casualties the Russians both suffered and inflicted, how much artillery support and ] were provided, and even how long the battle lasted. Uncertainty continues to surround many aspects of the engagement, including the number of combatants, casualties, how much ] and ] was provided, and how long the battle even lasted.


==Battle== ==Battle==
The goal of a regimental combat group ] of the ] (VDV) tactical group in the area, based out of the 104th ] Airborne Regiment of the 76th Division and including also teams from the ] ] and the elite ] group of ], was to block an exit from the gorge while other Russian forces attempted to ] a large Chechen force separated from the village of Ulus Kert. The 6th Company, part of the regiment's 2nd Battalion, participated in this blocking force. The company's nominal commander was Major Sergey Molodov, however it was actually led personally by Lieutenant Colonel ], commander of the entire battalion. With him was also a ] platoon and an artillery ] team led by Captain Viktor Romanov.<ref name=laststand>] (July 2001) </ref> The goal of a regimental combat group ] of the ] (VDV) tactical group in the area, based on the ] of the ] and including also teams from the ], and the elite ] group of the ], was to block an exit from a gorge, while other Russian forces attempted to ] a large Chechen force departing the village of Ulus-Kert. The 6th Company, part of the regiment's 2nd Battalion, was part of this blocking force. The company's nominal commander was Major Sergey Molodov; however, it was actually led personally by Lieutenant Colonel ], commander of the entire battalion. With him were a ] platoon and an artillery ] team led by Captain Viktor Romanov.<ref name=laststand>] (July 2001) </ref>


At dawn of February 29, in the dense fog, the Russians were surprised by a large-scale Chechen breakthrough and got attacked from their rear by a reconnaissance group of about 20 rebel fighters, soon joined by many more who then surroundered them from the other sides. After suffering heavy losses (including the death of Major Molodov) from the initial ambush, the rest of the Russians retreated to the hilltop where they hastily dug defensive positions, where they received fire support, including from the regimental artillery battalion's ] self-propelled 120&nbsp;mm mortars, however an abortive mission by a pair of ] attack helicopters reportedly turned back after having been shot at en route.<ref>{{ru icon}} </ref> The only Russian reinfrorcement that made it to Height 776 were 14 men of the 4th Company's third platoon, personally led by the battalion's deputy commander Major Alexander Dostavalov. Attempts from the 1st Company and the 3rd Company as well as the rest of the 4rd Company to rescue their surrounded comrades or to stop the breakthrough were largely unsuccessful. Eventually, badly wounded Captain Romanov allegedly called for fire support on his own position (this is also disputed, as it has been also claimed that the final radio message from the group were actually rather curses thrown at their commanding officers for betraying them<ref>{{ru icon}} </ref>) before being overrun in the final Chechen attack. According to the Russian side, 84 soldiers were killed in combat at Height 776, including all of the officers. Only seven rank-and-file soldiers survived the battle, four of them injured<ref name=laststand/> (some Russian sources acknowledge only six survivors, not counting the seventh who had answered a call for surrender and was then beaten, stripped out of his uniform and abandoned by the rebels<ref>{{ru icon}} </ref>). At dawn of 29 February, in dense fog, the Russians were surprised by a large-scale Chechen breakthrough and were attacked from their rear by a reconnaissance group of about 20 rebel fighters, soon joined by many more who then had them surrounded. After suffering heavy losses (including the death of Major Molodov) from the initial ambush, the rest of the Russians retreated to a hilltop designated Height 776, where they hastily dug defensive positions. They received fire support, including from the regimental artillery battalion's ] self-propelled 120&nbsp;mm mortars; however, a pair of ] attack helicopters reportedly turned back after being shot at en route.<ref>{{in lang|ru}} </ref> The only Russian reinforcement that made it to Height 776 were 14 men of the 4th Company's third platoon, personally led by the battalion's deputy commander, Major Alexander Dostavalov. Attempts by the 1st and 3rd Companies, as well as the rest of the 4th Company, to rescue their surrounded comrades or to stop the breakthrough were unsuccessful. Eventually, seriously wounded Captain Romanov called for fire support on his own position before being overrun in the final Chechen attack. According to the Russians, 84 of their soldiers were killed in combat at Height 776, including all of the officers. Only six rank-and-file soldiers survived the battle, four of them seriously injured.<ref name=laststand/><ref>{{in lang|ru}} </ref>


==Controversies== ==Controversies==
The battle embarrassed Russian military officials who attempted to conceal the casualties they suffered. Russia's top military leaders (including ] ],<ref name="nation"/> VDV commander General ],<ref name=bbc/><ref name="conflicting">] (7 March 2000) </ref> and the commander of federal forces in Chechnya, General ]<ref name="cbc">] (7 March 2000) </ref>) initially have insisted that only 31 of their men died in the battle and denied the unofficial rumours of 86 soldiers killed. ], Russian President ]'s spokesman on Chechnya, also claimed 31 fatalities were "the total losses of that company for several days".<ref>] (6 March 2000) </ref> After days of denials, Russian officials eventually admitted the losses, some of them apparently caused by ] of their own artillery.<ref>'']'' (12 March 2000): </ref> Russian newspapers reported that Marshal Sergeyev had ordered the losses to be covered up,<ref name=stranded>'']'' (11 March 2000): </ref> as the loss of this unit came just a week after 25 men from the 76th Airborne Division were killed in another battle in Chechnya.<ref>] (11 May 2006) {{Dead link|date=March 2010}} ()</ref> Even after the figure of "at least 85" killed has been confirmed by Sergeyev, VDV deputy commander Nikolai Staskov said they were rather killed over four days, from February 29 to March 3.<ref name=claims>'']'' (10 March 2000): </ref> According to one source, "unofficially the losses sustained by Russian paratroopers on 1 March are blamed on the decision of the Eastern group's commander Gen. Sergey Makarov and the VDV tactical group's commander Aleksandr Lentsov."<ref>Venik's Aviation (7 March 2000) {{Dead link|date=March 2010}} ()</ref> The final figure ultimately stood at 84, however the total Russian strength and the losses among the other Russian units operating in the area of Ulus-Kert were never officially disclosed. The battle embarrassed Russian military officials, who attempted to downplay or conceal the casualties they had suffered. Senior military leaders (including ] ],<ref name="nation"/> VDV commander General ],<ref name=bbc/><ref name="conflicting">] (7 March 2000) </ref> and the commander of federal forces in Chechnya, General ]<ref name="cbc">] (7 March 2000) </ref>) initially insisted that only 31 of their men were killed in the battle and denied the unofficial rumours of 86 dead. ], Russian President ]'s spokesman on Chechnya, also claimed 31 fatalities were "the total losses of that company for several days".<ref>GlobalSecurity.org (6 March 2000) </ref> After days of denials, Russian officials eventually admitted the losses, some of them apparently caused by ] from their own artillery.<ref>'']'' (12 March 2000): </ref> Russian newspapers reported that Marshal Sergeyev had ordered the losses to be covered up,<ref name=stranded>'']'' (11 March 2000): </ref> as the loss came just a week after 25 men from the 76th Airborne Division were killed in another battle in Chechnya.<ref>] (11 May 2006) ({{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060515231512/http://www.jamestown.org/publications_details.php?volume_id=416&issue_id=3726&article_id=2371084 |date=15 May 2006 }})</ref> Even after the figure of "at least 85" killed has been confirmed by Sergeyev, VDV deputy commander Nikolai Staskov said they were killed over four days, from 29 February to 3 March.<ref name=claims>'']'' (10 March 2000): </ref> According to one source, "unofficially the losses sustained by Russian paratroopers on 1 March are blamed on the decision of the Eastern group's commander Gen. Sergey Makarov and the VDV tactical group's commander Aleksandr Lentsov."<ref>Venik's Aviation (7 March 2000) {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010421012906/http://www.aeronautics.ru/chechnya/030700.htm |date=21 April 2001 }} ()</ref> The final figure ultimately stood at 84. However the total Russian strength and the losses among the other Russian units operating in the area of Ulus-Kert were never officially disclosed.


In the first days after the battle, Gen. Troshev said 1,000 rebel fighters were involved in it.<ref name="cbc"/> This figure has been subsequently raised to 1,500-2,000 by Yastrzhembsky<ref name=bbc/> and eventually revised to 2,500 by Troshev himself.<ref name=claims/> However, according to a statement by Colonel General Valery Manilov, first deputy chief of the ], there were only 2,500 to 3,500 separatist fighters left in all of Chechnya at this time.<ref>BBC News (10 March 2000): </ref> According to Yastrzhembsky on March 6, some 70 rebels have laid down their arms at what he called a "pocket" at Selmentausen, while "up to 1,000 might have succeeded in escaping".<ref name=bbc/> The very first Russian official statements mentioned the death of 100 Chechen fighters for the price of 31 Russian soldiers. According to the article in '']'' ("]"), the official newspaper of the ], separatist casualties in the Argun Gorge area totaled approximately 400 dead, including 200 bodies allegedly found at Height 776.<ref name=laststand/> However, the official federal estimate later was later raised to about 500 enemy dead according to the Russian government website,<ref>Russian Embassy to ] (undated): </ref> and in 2008 the state-controlled English language TV station ] spoke of even over 700 fighters killed there.<ref name="miracle"/> In the first days after the battle, Gen. Troshev said 1,000 rebel fighters were involved.<ref name="cbc"/> This figure was subsequently raised to 1,500–2,000 by Yastrzhembsky<ref name=bbc/> and eventually to 2,500 by Troshev.<ref name=claims/> However, according to a statement by Colonel General Valery Manilov, first deputy chief of the ], there were only 2,500 to 3,500 separatist fighters left in all of Chechnya at this time.<ref>BBC News (10 March 2000): </ref> According to Yastrzhembsky on 6 March, some 70 rebels had laid down their arms at what he called a "pocket" at Selmentausen, while "up to 1,000 might have succeeded in escaping".<ref name=bbc/> The very first Russian official statements mentioned the death of 100 Chechen fighters at the price of 31 Russian soldiers. According to the article in '']'' (''Red Star''), the official newspaper of the ], separatist casualties in the Argun Gorge area totaled approximately 400 dead, including 200 bodies allegedly found at Height 776.<ref name=laststand/> However, the official federal estimate was later raised to about 500 enemy dead, according to the Russian government website.<ref>Russian Embassy to ] (undated): {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724084157/http://www.thailand.mid.ru/chech3.html |date=24 July 2011 }}</ref>


⚫ On 10 March, Chechen President ] announced a general order to begin "an all-out partisan war"<ref name=stranded/> and the separatist forces remaining in the still unoccupied territories scattered to launch a long guerrilla war. The Russians thus lost one of their last chances to defeat a large number of the pro-independence fighters in a concentrated position, although in March the federal forces managed to inflict devastating losses against a different column of some 1,000–1,500 fighters (trapping the group under ] in the village of ] on 6 March and then killing hundreds of them in the ]).
According to one interview with a Chechen fighter, there were some 1,600 fighters in the slow-moving column,<ref>Grani.Ru (26 March 2002) {{Dead link|date=March 2010}} ()</ref> but he did not specify how many ]ed the withdrawal and how many were in the main caravan (many of them also being badly injured, including the recently-maimed ] who reportedly ordered Khattab to clear the hill of the Russian mortar spotters) or in the rear and flank guard forces. On their ] website, the separatists admitted losing only 12 men in combat at Height 776 (among the fighters who were killed while storming the hill were three ] volunteers<ref>] (7 April 2005) {{Dead link|date=March 2010}} ()</ref>) and 13 more in other fighting at that time in the area between the villages of Ulus-Kert and Duba-Yurt, as well as about 50 killed during their march to ]. In addition to these losses, 30 wounded fighters left behind at Selmentausen were claimed to be captured and allegedly executed by Russians after being turned in by a traitor.<ref name=kc>] (29 February 2004) </ref> At first, Chechen rebel spokesman ] told ] that up to 30 soldiers and officers were killed in the attack by 65 Chechen fighters.<ref>'']'', Volume 116, Issue 4‎ (page 25)</ref> Later, the Chechen separatist sources estimated Russian losses in the extended battle at about 200 servicemen, including "about hundred Pskov commandos".<ref>] (8 March 2005) {{Dead link|date=March 2010}} ()</ref>


⚫ While there were no civilians in the immediate proximity of the clashes at the uninhabited Height 776, there were severe civilian casualties during the struggle for the broader Argun Gorge area, in particular from the artillery and air attacks on Ulus-Kert, Yaryshmardy and other villages, where thousands of locals and ]s from Grozny were trapped.<ref name=stranded/> Furthermore, there were many credible reports of direct atrocities against the population. For example, on 6 March, a group of civilians was detained by soldiers at the notorious Russian checkpoint on the road between Ulus-Kert and Duba-Yurt; 12 men from the group "]" and the bodies of three of them were unearthed at the nearby village of Tangi-Chu two months later.<ref>] (March 2001): </ref> In an infamous incident later in March, a local girl, ], was abducted from her home in Tangi-Chu, then raped and strangled to death by ] Colonel ].
⚫ On March 10, Chechen President ] announced a general order to begin "an all-out partisan war"<ref name=stranded/> and the separatist forces remaining in the still unoccupied territories scattered to launch a long guerrilla war. The Russian command thus lost one of their last chances to defeat a large number of the pro-independence fighters in a concentrated position, although in March the federal forces managed to inflict devastating losses against a different column of some 1,000-1,500 fighters (trapping the group under ] in the village of Komsomolskoye on March 6 and then killing hundreds of them in the ]).

⚫ While there were no civilians in the immediate proximity of the clashes at the uninhabited Height 776, there were severe civilian casualties during the struggle for the broader Argun Gorge area, in particular from the artillery and air attacks on Ulus-Kert, Yaryshmardy and other villages, where thousands of locals and ]s from Grozny were trapped.<ref name=stranded/> Furthermore, there were many credible reports of direct atrocities against the population. For example, on 6 March, a group of civilians was detained by soldiers at the notorious Russian checkpoint on the road between Ulus-Kert and Duba-Yurt; 12 men from the group have "]" and the bodies of three of them were unearthed at the nearby village of Tangi-Chu two months later.<ref>] (March 2001): </ref> In an infamous incident later in March, a local girl ] was abducted from her home in Tangi-Chu then raped and strangled to death by ] Colonel ].


==Aftermath== ==Aftermath==
] at a speech in Pskov at the ceremony unveiling a memorial stone erected for the monument to paratroopers of the 6th Company]] ] at a speech in Pskov at the ceremony unveiling a memorial stone erected for the monument to paratroopers of the 6th Company]]
] in Pskov in honor of the 6th Company]] ] in Pskov in honor of the 6th Company]]


⚫ In 2001, Putin flew to Chechnya to visit the former battlefield.<ref>'']'' (16 April 2001) </ref> In 2008, a day before Russia's ], a street in Grozny was officially renamed as "84 Pskov Paratroopers Street",{{cn|date=April 2023}} a move that sparked further controversy in Chechnya.<ref name="fairy">'']'' (19 March 2008) </ref><ref>Prague Watchdog (29 January 2008) </ref><ref>Prague Watchdog (22 February 2008) </ref>
The battle was viewed in Russia at first as a shameful defeat for the Russian military, and later as a glorious ] made by the paratroopers, confirming the VDV's reputation in the same way that the ] did for the ], and the events have been quickly enshrined in ]. Even though some in the Russian army view it as a defeat that could have been avoided, it is officially seen in Russia as an example of bravery and sacrifice.<ref name=independent/>

⚫ In 2001, Putin flew to Chechnya to visit the former battlefield.<ref>'']'' (16 April 2001) </ref> In 2008, a day before Russia's ], a street in Grozny was officially renamed as "84 Pskov Paratroopers Street",<ref name="miracle">] (23 February 2008) </ref> a move that sparked further controversy in Chechnya.<ref name="fairy">'']'' (19 March 2008) </ref><ref>] (29 January 2008) </ref><ref>] (22 February 2008) </ref>


==Awards== ==Awards==
{{Wikisourcelang|ru|Указ Президента РФ от 21.07.2000 № 1334|Battle of Hill 776}} {{Wikisourcelang|ru|Указ Президента РФ от 21.07.2000 № 1334|Battle of Hill 776}}


On March 12, 2000, President Putin signed an '']'' conferring ] upon participants of the battle.<ref name="fairy"/> 63 soldiers received the ] and 22 of the soldiers (all 13 officers and nine enlisted men) were awarded the country's highest ] and title of the ].<ref></ref> This may be compared to total of only 65 medals of the ] medal awarded for the entire duration of the 10-year ]. On 12 March 2000, President Putin signed an '']'' conferring ] upon participants of the battle.<ref name="fairy" /> 63 soldiers received the ] and 22 (all 13 officers and nine enlisted men) were awarded the country's highest honorary medal and title of the ].<ref></ref> In comparison, only 65 medals of the ] medal were awarded for the entire duration of the 10-year ].


List of the Hero of the Russian Federation recipients in relation to this incident:<ref>{{ru icon}} </ref> Hero of the Russian Federation recipients for this incident are:<ref>{{in lang|ru}} </ref>
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
<div style="-moz-column-count:3; column-count:3;">
* Guard Lt. Colonel ]{{KIA}} * Guard Lt. Colonel ]{{KIA}}
* Guard Major Sergey Molodov{{KIA}} * Guard Major Sergey Molodov{{KIA}}
Line 81: Line 77:
* Guard Private Alexey Rasskaza{{KIA}} * Guard Private Alexey Rasskaza{{KIA}}
* Guard Sergeant Alexander Suponinsky (survivor, ) * Guard Sergeant Alexander Suponinsky (survivor, )
{{div col end}}
</div>


==In popular culture== ==In popular culture==
A series of Russian productions loosely based on these events were produced in the years after the battle, including the 2004 ] show,<ref>] (18 June 2004) </ref> the 2004 television series ("I Have the Honour"), the 2006 four-part television film ("The Storm Gate")<ref>] (21 February 2006) </ref> and the 2006 movie ''Proriv'' ("Breakthrough").<ref name=independent>'']'' (15 May 2006) </ref> A series of Russian productions loosely based on these events were produced in the years after the battle, including a 2004 ] show,<ref>] (18 June 2004) </ref> the 2004 television series ("I Have the Honour"), the 2006 four-part television film ("The Storm Gate")<ref>] (21 February 2006) </ref> and the 2006 movie ''Proriv'' ("Breakthrough").<ref name=independent>'']'' (15 May 2006) </ref> In 2022, Russian heavy metal band ] released a song about the battle called ''Высота 776'' as the second track on the albulm ''Наследие'' (Heritage).<ref>{{Citation |last=Radio Tapok |title=Наследие |url=https://www.amazon.com/%D0%9D%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%B5-Radio-Tapok/dp/B09VLHFW27 |access-date=2022-03-24}}</ref>

During the ] ] raised the "Alexander Dostavalov Battalion" volunteer unit, named after Major Dostavalov, commander of the 4th Company's third platoon that reinforced the hill.<ref name="ISW Volunteer List">{{cite web |last1=Stepanenko |first1=Kateryna |last2=Barros |first2=George |last3=Kagan |first3=Frederick W. |title=Russian Volunteer Units and Battalions |url=https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-volunteer-units-and-battalions |website=] |access-date=7 August 2023}}</ref>


==See also== ==See also==
Line 90: Line 88:


==References== ==References==
{{Reflist|2}} {{reflist}}


== External links == == External links ==
{{Commons category|Battle for Height 776}} {{Commons category|Battle for Height 776}}
* (July 2001 ] paper based on the article in ''Red Star'') * (July 2001 ]). Archived link:
*, ], April 2002 (based mostly on General Troshev's memoir) *, ], April 2002 (based mostly on General Troshev's memoir)
* {{ru icon}} * {{in lang|ru}}


{{Chechen wars}}
{{Coord|42|57|47|N|45|48|17|E|type:event|display=title}} {{Coord|42|57|47|N|45|48|17|E|type:event|display=title}}

<!-- do not add "Conflicts in 2000", it was just a battle and not a conflict -->


{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle For Height 776}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Battle For Height 776}}
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Latest revision as of 14:48, 18 November 2024

2000 battle in the Second Chechen War

Battle for Height 776
Part of the Second Chechen War

Map of the breakthrough, including the fight at the Height 776
Date29 February – 1 March 2000
LocationHeight 776, Argun Gorge, Chechnya
Result Chechen victory
Belligerents
Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Chechen Republic of Ichkeria  Russia
Commanders and leaders
Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Shamil Basayev
Ibn al-Khattab
Abu al-Walid		 Russia Mark Yevtyukhin †
Russia Viktor Romanov †
Strength
Disputed
70 (per Chechnya)
First day; 1,000+ (per Russia)
Subsequently; 1,500–2,000+ (per Russia)
 90
Casualties and losses
21–25 killed (per Chechnya)
100 killed (per Russian veteran Lobanov)
400–700 killed (per Russia)		 84 killed
6 wounded
Note: Their respective official figures according to both sides involved in direct combat at Height 776 (not the entire operation of the breakthrough from the Argun Gorge, which also included other skirmishes in the area ).
Second Chechen War
Russian offensive (1999–2000)

Guerrilla phase (2000–2009)

The Battle for Height 776, part of the larger Battle of Ulus-Kert, was an engagement in the Second Chechen War that took place during fighting for control of the Argun River gorge in the highland Shatoysky District of central Chechnya, between the villages of Ulus-Kert and Selmentauzen.

In late February 2000, the Russian military attempted to encircle and destroy a large Chechen force withdrawing from the Chechen capital Grozny to Shatoy and Vedeno in the southern mountains of Chechnya following the 1999–2000 siege and capture of Grozny. On 29 February 2000, just hours after Russian Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev had assured his government that the Second Chechen War was over, an isolated Russian force composed mainly of a company of paratroopers of the 76th Airborne Division from the city of Pskov found itself cut off by a retreating Chechen column led by Shamil Basayev and Ibn Al-Khattab. After heavy close-quarters overnight fighting, the Russian position was overrun and almost entirely wiped out. The incident inspired a Kremlin-funded film, and fascinated Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Uncertainty continues to surround many aspects of the engagement, including the number of combatants, casualties, how much artillery support and close air support was provided, and how long the battle even lasted.

Battle

The goal of a regimental combat group task force of the Russian Airborne Troops (VDV) tactical group in the area, based on the 104th Guards Airborne Regiment of the 76th Division and including also teams from the GRU Spetsnaz, and the elite Vympel group of the FSB, was to block an exit from a gorge, while other Russian forces attempted to encircle a large Chechen force departing the village of Ulus-Kert. The 6th Company, part of the regiment's 2nd Battalion, was part of this blocking force. The company's nominal commander was Major Sergey Molodov; however, it was actually led personally by Lieutenant Colonel Mark Yevtyukhin, commander of the entire battalion. With him were a reconnaissance platoon and an artillery forward observer team led by Captain Viktor Romanov.

At dawn of 29 February, in dense fog, the Russians were surprised by a large-scale Chechen breakthrough and were attacked from their rear by a reconnaissance group of about 20 rebel fighters, soon joined by many more who then had them surrounded. After suffering heavy losses (including the death of Major Molodov) from the initial ambush, the rest of the Russians retreated to a hilltop designated Height 776, where they hastily dug defensive positions. They received fire support, including from the regimental artillery battalion's 2S9 Nona self-propelled 120 mm mortars; however, a pair of Mil Mi-24 attack helicopters reportedly turned back after being shot at en route. The only Russian reinforcement that made it to Height 776 were 14 men of the 4th Company's third platoon, personally led by the battalion's deputy commander, Major Alexander Dostavalov. Attempts by the 1st and 3rd Companies, as well as the rest of the 4th Company, to rescue their surrounded comrades or to stop the breakthrough were unsuccessful. Eventually, seriously wounded Captain Romanov called for fire support on his own position before being overrun in the final Chechen attack. According to the Russians, 84 of their soldiers were killed in combat at Height 776, including all of the officers. Only six rank-and-file soldiers survived the battle, four of them seriously injured.

Controversies

The battle embarrassed Russian military officials, who attempted to downplay or conceal the casualties they had suffered. Senior military leaders (including Marshal of the Russian Federation Igor Sergeyev, VDV commander General Georgy Shpak, and the commander of federal forces in Chechnya, General Gennady Troshev) initially insisted that only 31 of their men were killed in the battle and denied the unofficial rumours of 86 dead. Sergey Yastrzhembsky, Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman on Chechnya, also claimed 31 fatalities were "the total losses of that company for several days". After days of denials, Russian officials eventually admitted the losses, some of them apparently caused by friendly fire from their own artillery. Russian newspapers reported that Marshal Sergeyev had ordered the losses to be covered up, as the loss came just a week after 25 men from the 76th Airborne Division were killed in another battle in Chechnya. Even after the figure of "at least 85" killed has been confirmed by Sergeyev, VDV deputy commander Nikolai Staskov said they were killed over four days, from 29 February to 3 March. According to one source, "unofficially the losses sustained by Russian paratroopers on 1 March are blamed on the decision of the Eastern group's commander Gen. Sergey Makarov and the VDV tactical group's commander Aleksandr Lentsov." The final figure ultimately stood at 84. However the total Russian strength and the losses among the other Russian units operating in the area of Ulus-Kert were never officially disclosed.

In the first days after the battle, Gen. Troshev said 1,000 rebel fighters were involved. This figure was subsequently raised to 1,500–2,000 by Yastrzhembsky and eventually to 2,500 by Troshev. However, according to a statement by Colonel General Valery Manilov, first deputy chief of the Russian General Staff, there were only 2,500 to 3,500 separatist fighters left in all of Chechnya at this time. According to Yastrzhembsky on 6 March, some 70 rebels had laid down their arms at what he called a "pocket" at Selmentausen, while "up to 1,000 might have succeeded in escaping". The very first Russian official statements mentioned the death of 100 Chechen fighters at the price of 31 Russian soldiers. According to the article in Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star), the official newspaper of the Russian Ministry of Defense, separatist casualties in the Argun Gorge area totaled approximately 400 dead, including 200 bodies allegedly found at Height 776. However, the official federal estimate was later raised to about 500 enemy dead, according to the Russian government website.

On 10 March, Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov announced a general order to begin "an all-out partisan war" and the separatist forces remaining in the still unoccupied territories scattered to launch a long guerrilla war. The Russians thus lost one of their last chances to defeat a large number of the pro-independence fighters in a concentrated position, although in March the federal forces managed to inflict devastating losses against a different column of some 1,000–1,500 fighters (trapping the group under Ruslan Gelayev in the village of Komsomolskoye on 6 March and then killing hundreds of them in the following siege).

While there were no civilians in the immediate proximity of the clashes at the uninhabited Height 776, there were severe civilian casualties during the struggle for the broader Argun Gorge area, in particular from the artillery and air attacks on Ulus-Kert, Yaryshmardy and other villages, where thousands of locals and refugees from Grozny were trapped. Furthermore, there were many credible reports of direct atrocities against the population. For example, on 6 March, a group of civilians was detained by soldiers at the notorious Russian checkpoint on the road between Ulus-Kert and Duba-Yurt; 12 men from the group "disappeared" and the bodies of three of them were unearthed at the nearby village of Tangi-Chu two months later. In an infamous incident later in March, a local girl, Elza Kungayeva, was abducted from her home in Tangi-Chu, then raped and strangled to death by Russian Ground Forces Colonel Yuri Budanov.

Aftermath

Russian president Vladimir Putin at a speech in Pskov at the ceremony unveiling a memorial stone erected for the monument to paratroopers of the 6th Company
Milestone in Pskov in honor of the 6th Company

In 2001, Putin flew to Chechnya to visit the former battlefield. In 2008, a day before Russia's Defender of the Fatherland Day, a street in Grozny was officially renamed as "84 Pskov Paratroopers Street", a move that sparked further controversy in Chechnya.

Awards

On 12 March 2000, President Putin signed an ukaz conferring Russian state awards upon participants of the battle. 63 soldiers received the Order of Courage and 22 (all 13 officers and nine enlisted men) were awarded the country's highest honorary medal and title of the Hero of the Russian Federation. In comparison, only 65 medals of the Hero of the Soviet Union medal were awarded for the entire duration of the 10-year Soviet intervention in Afghanistan.

Hero of the Russian Federation recipients for this incident are:

  • Guard Lt. Colonel Mark Yevtyukhin †
  • Guard Major Sergey Molodov †
  • Guard Major Alexander Dostavalov †
  • Guard Captain Roman Sokolov †
  • Guard Captain Viktor Romanov †
  • Guard Lieutenant Alexey Vorobyov †
  • Guard Lieutenant Andrey Sherstyannikov †
  • Guard Lieutenant Andrey Panov †
  • Guard Lieutenant Dmitry Petrov †
  • Guard Lieutenant Alexander Kolgatin †
  • Lieutenant Oleg Yermakov †
  • Lieutenant Alexander Ryazantsev †
  • Lieutenant Dmitry Kozhemyakin †
  • Guard Sergeant (contract service) Sergey Medvedev †
  • Guard Sergeant (contract service) Alexander Komyagin †
  • Guard Sergeant (contract service) Dmitry Grigoriyev †
  • Guard Sergeant Sergey Vasilyov †
  • Guard Sergeant Vladislav Dukhin †
  • Guard Corporal (contract service) Alexander Lebedev †
  • Guard Corporal Alexander Gerdt †
  • Guard Private Alexey Rasskaza †
  • Guard Sergeant Alexander Suponinsky (survivor, interview in Russian)

In popular culture

A series of Russian productions loosely based on these events were produced in the years after the battle, including a 2004 theatrical musical show, the 2004 television series Chest imeyu ("I Have the Honour"), the 2006 four-part television film Grozovye vorota ("The Storm Gate") and the 2006 movie Proriv ("Breakthrough"). In 2022, Russian heavy metal band Radio Tapok released a song about the battle called Высота 776 as the second track on the albulm Наследие (Heritage).

During the Russian Invasion of Ukraine Bashkortostan raised the "Alexander Dostavalov Battalion" volunteer unit, named after Major Dostavalov, commander of the 4th Company's third platoon that reinforced the hill.

See also

  • Battle for Hill 3234, a successful defense of the Soviet paratroopers against an attack by the Afghan mujahideen in 1988

References

  1. ^ U.S. Army Combined Arms Center (July 2001) ULUS-KERT: An Airborne Company's Last Stand
  2. "Хаттаб о бое под Улус-Кертом, с десантниками 6 роты 104 полка ВДВ: "Это была не наша работа, а ангелов Аллаха"". 7 October 2011.
  3. "Хаттаб о бое под Улус-Кертом, с десантниками 6 роты 104 полка ВДВ: "Это была не наша работа, а ангелов Аллаха"". 7 October 2011.
  4. "Десантник рассказал, как погибала псковская 6-я рота в Чечне".
  5. Забытый подвиг 6 роты [Forgotten Feat of 6 Companies] (in Russian). Эксперт. 1 March 2014.
  6. Archived 2012-10-22 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ BBC News (6 March 2000) Chechen rebels besieged
  8. ^ The Independent (15 March 2000) Nation grieves for lost paratroops of Pskov
  9. ^ The Moscow Times (19 March 2008) Fairy Tales of Glorious Battles in Chechnya
  10. Osborn, Andrew. "Kremlin film makes heroes out of paratroops it left to be massacred". The Independent. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  11. (in Russian) «Мы шли на помощь шестой роте...» – Army.lv
  12. (in Russian) ArtOfWar. Фарукшин Раян. 6 рота: Герой России Александр Супонинский
  13. RFE/RL (7 March 2000) Chechnya: Russia Provides Conflicting Reports On Casualties
  14. ^ CBC News (7 March 2000) 31 Russian soldiers killed in Chechnya battles
  15. GlobalSecurity.org (6 March 2000) On The Situation in the North Caucasus
  16. Chicago Sun-Times (12 March 2000): Russians confirm troop deaths 84 fatalities in worst battle of war with Chechen rebels
  17. ^ The Guardian (11 March 2000): No way back: Refugees stranded as Chechnya declares all-out war
  18. The Jamestown Foundation (11 May 2006) Putin address conceals challenges in the North Caucasus (Archived 15 May 2006 at the Wayback Machine)
  19. ^ The Independent (10 March 2000): Russia claims rout of rebels in mountain area, but fighting continues
  20. Venik's Aviation (7 March 2000) War in Chechnya – 1999 Archived 21 April 2001 at the Wayback Machine (Internet Archive)
  21. BBC News (10 March 2000): Russia admits heavy losses
  22. Russian Embassy to Thailand (undated): CHECHNYA: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Archived 24 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  23. Human Rights Watch (March 2001): THE "DIRTY WAR" IN CHECHNYA: FORCED DISAPPEARANCES, TORTURE, AND SUMMARY EXECUTION; The "Disappearance" of Nineteen People at the Checkpoint Between Duba-Yurt and Chiri-Yurt (13 January, 18 February and 6 March 2000)
  24. The Moscow Times (16 April 2001) Putin Takes Quick Trip to Chechnya
  25. Prague Watchdog (29 January 2008) Enemy Street
  26. Prague Watchdog (22 February 2008) Grozny street renamed in honour of Pskov paratroopers
  27. Russia Mourns Ambushed Troops – CBS News
  28. (in Russian) Евтюхин Марк Николаевич
  29. Gazeta.ru (18 June 2004) Bizarre Chechen War Musical Hits Moscow Stage
  30. AFP (21 February 2006) Russians see 'realistic' Chechnya war film, minus the reality
  31. The Independent (15 May 2006) Kremlin film makes heroes out of paratroops it left to be massacred
  32. Radio Tapok, Наследие, retrieved 24 March 2022
  33. Stepanenko, Kateryna; Barros, George; Kagan, Frederick W. "Russian Volunteer Units and Battalions". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 7 August 2023.

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