Lieutenant General Viktor Sobolev: I can’t explain much of what is happening and certainly does not contribute to Russia’s defense capability. Sobolev V.I. General Sobolev Viktor Ivanovich autobiography

Lieutenant General, Chairman of the All-Russian Public Movement “In Support of the Army, Defense Industry and Military Science”, member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Viktor SOBOLEV in a conversation with Pravda political commentator Viktor KOZHEMYAKO

My interlocutor today was born on the significant birthday of the Red Army - February 23, although, of course, much later, in 1950. Since childhood I dreamed of becoming a military man. And his dream came true after graduating from the Baku Higher Combined Arms Command School in 1971.

Then military service - from the commander of a motorized rifle platoon to the commander of the 58th Army of the North Caucasus Military District. During this time, he graduated with honors from the M.V. Academy. Frunze and with a gold medal from the Academy of the General Staff. From July 2006 to November 2010, he was the senior group of Russian military specialists - the chief military adviser in India.

Lieutenant General Viktor Ivanovich Sobolev was transferred to the reserve on May 7, 2011. And in October of the same year, a very important event took place for him: he joined the ranks of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. Another important event was in October 2014, when at the extraordinary congress of the All-Russian public movement “In support of the army, defense industry and military science” (DPA) V.I. Sobolev was elected chairman of this movement.

The Bolsheviks saved Russia from collapse

Recently, starting with Gorbachev’s “perestroika” and Yeltsin’s “reforms,” especially great propaganda efforts have been made to discredit the Great October Socialist Revolution. Now they even want to remove the name itself from use, merging all the events of 1917-1922 into a kind of Great Russian Revolution. How do you, Viktor Ivanovich, a military man, feel about this? Does the concept of the Great October Revolution remain of the same significance for you?

Undoubtedly. Let's start with the fact that tsarism held back the development of Russia, and this became obvious then to almost everyone. For many military men too. However, even Pushkin, addressing the Decembrists, predicted: “Russia will awaken from its sleep, and our names will be written on the ruins of autocracy.”

-And then the autocracy collapsed in February 1917.

In my opinion, the role of the masses of soldiers in both the February Revolution and the October Revolution is well known. At the same time, I would like to draw your attention to this: virtually all front commanders signed an appeal for Nicholas II to abdicate the throne. But when the same military leaders saw who had come to power, grave doubts began.

But essentially the current “democratic liberals” arrived, and in the shortest possible time they managed to destroy Russia.

- And the army...

Well, yes, look at the infamous order No. 1, which abolished military chain of command and unity of command and undermined the very foundations of army discipline. At the same time, the country began to rapidly disintegrate. All national outskirts became independent. There is a Rada in Ukraine, and even in my native Kuban, their own Rada was formed: there was also talk about secession from Russia.

- But the Bolsheviks managed to resist the collapse of the country.

It is in this, along with many other things, that I see the great significance of the Great October Revolution, which saved Russia from collapse. Yes, the Bolsheviks immediately set about solving pressing social problems, asserting social justice and responding to the cherished aspirations of the working people: “Peace to the peoples!” Power to the Soviets! Land for the peasants! Plants and factories - to the workers! But it is also extremely important that Russia was preserved as a single sovereign state.

Moreover, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was created - a new form of coexistence of the peoples of the former Russian Empire.

And those military men who were loyal to Russia as such, excuse me, after the mess created by the Provisional Government, realized that Soviet power is the only power that must be honestly served. That is why more than half of the officers and generals of the former army - 72 thousand people! - went over to the side of Soviet power.

- A fact that speaks volumes!

I think so too, which is why I have already mentioned this more than once in my articles.

Who fought for what on the Civil War fronts

Still, not immediately after October. There was also a period, as we call it, of the triumphal march of Soviet power.

- Yes, almost peaceful, because the power that came to the majority of the people was obviously fairer.

The civil war was essentially unleashed by the Entente, which began to divide weakened Russia into spheres of foreign influence. And as a result, 14 states sent their troops into Russian territory so as not to miss out on a share in the division of the skin of the bear that had not yet been killed. This is where the main impetus for the Civil War lies!

The essence was well expressed by Churchill, who later wrote this: “It would be a mistake to think that... we fought on the fronts for the cause of Russians hostile to the Bolsheviks. On the contrary, the Russian White Guards fought for our cause.”

- You probably can’t say it more precisely.

Certainly. After all, all white generals were actually proteges of foreign powers. Take, for example, Kolchak, the executioner of Siberia, who today is extolled in every possible way, doused with the sweetest molasses. Where did he receive his title of “Supreme Ruler of Russia”? In the United States of America, because he promised to give them and Japan the Russian Far East.

- That’s why they supplied him with everything he needed.

From start to finish, weapons, ammunition, equipment, financing - everything was supplied by Western countries and Japan.

- There was a ditty about this:

English uniform,

French shoulder straps,

Japanese tobacco,

Ruler of Omsk.

The people responded aptly. But the officers of the former tsarist army, for whom Russia was truly dear, could not bear this indifferently and went to fight for the Motherland on the side of the Reds. Yes, there were Mikhail Vasilyevich Frunze, Vasily Ivanovich Chapaev, Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny, and many other nugget commanders who emerged from the grassroots of the people. However, if we consider 100 army commanders who served in the Red Army during the Civil War, then more than 80 of them are former tsarist generals and officers. The General Staff of the Navy in its entirety went over to the side of Soviet power. But this is a military aristocracy, but it is no coincidence that this was its choice.

After the October Revolution, one of the first generals of the tsarist army to go over to the side of Soviet power was the commander of the Northern Front, Lieutenant General Mikhail Dmitrievich Bonch-Bruevich. It was he who stood at the origins of the creation of the Red Army.

-Was he the brother of the manager of the Council of People's Commissars?

Yes, one of V.I.’s close associates. Lenin. And when the post of Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic was introduced, it was taken by Colonel Sergei Sergeevich Kamenev, who had previously distinguished himself as the commander of the Eastern Front. And he remained in this responsible position successfully until the end of the Civil War.

Names can still be called and called. The field headquarters was headed by Major General Pavel Pavlovich Lebedev, the All-Russian Main Headquarters was headed by Major General Alexander Aleksandrovich Samoilo. Under the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, a Special Conference was created, which included almost all the full generals of the tsarist army. And it was headed by the cavalry general Aleksey Alekseevich Brusilov, already famous by that time. Members of this Special Meeting participated in the development of plans for the defeat of Denikin, Kolchak, Yudenich, Wrangel and others.

- The most important indicator! We need to talk about all this more widely.

I agree: it is necessary. But do you know what happens in reality? We have, as you know, the Military Historical Society. And it offers to choose ten of the most outstanding commanders on the Internet from among the hundred most outstanding commanders. And they included in the number of one hundred all the beaten white generals who were named above. But those who beat them are not on the proposed list! What's it like?

-It does not fit with their annoying calls to restore historical truth.

The truth, it turns out, is turned inside out. All these attempts to perpetuate the memory of Mannerheim, Kolchak and the like speak about the same thing. There is still a monument to General Krasnov on the Don, who, like Shkuro, went to serve Hitler and called on all Cossacks to follow his example.

- There is a strange excuse: this monument, they say, was erected “on private land.”

What can I say? Really strange.

From war to war

- When the Civil War ended, was the Red Army significantly reduced?

Ten times. From 5 million people to 500 thousand. It was necessary to restore the economy after the First World War and the Civil War. Although the threat of a new war in a hostile capitalist environment remained very serious, and Lenin reminded him of this more than once.

By the way, in my opinion, not enough is said and written about his attention to military problems. Trotsky is more praised as “the creator of the Red Army,” which is clearly exaggerated. However, this is a special topic. But did you know, for example, that Vladimir Ilyich very carefully studied Suvorov’s famous work “The Science of Victory”, and then some of its provisions were reflected in the policy documents of the Red Army?

-The first time I've heard.

But this indicates that the best of Russian military experience was not discarded after the revolution, but was taken into account. It is worth emphasizing: the time allotted by history before the Second World War, which became the Great Patriotic War for us, was used to the maximum in the Soviet Union for the training of military personnel. And most of those officers and generals of the tsarist army who fought in the Red Army during the Civil War now became teachers at military academies and schools.

What do you think, has the Red Army become completely native to them? Was a single organic fusion of former generals and future generals formed who were to lead the fronts and armies in the war of 1941-1945?

I think yes. And I have a lot of arguments in favor of this. I’ll give you at least this one. It was these “former” and “future” who jointly developed the theory of a deep offensive operation, which played a huge role during the Great Patriotic War. Actually, all our brilliant victorious operations since the end of 1942 were carried out on the basis of this theory.

- Then, as far as I understand, they made a very strong impression in the world?

But of course! Today in the West, together with our home-grown “fifth column,” they are trying to turn everything upside down, completely “forgetting” our good things and in every possible way exaggerating the slightest shortcomings and mistakes. This especially applies to Stalin's assessments. Following Khrushchev, who presented him as leading the war “across the globe”, all kinds of false accusations were made against our Supreme Commander-in-Chief!

- How do you rate it?

As a military professional of the highest class. And the first basis for such a conclusion was the text of Stalin’s speech I read on April 17, 1940 at a meeting of the commanding staff of the Red Army to summarize the experience of military operations against Finland.

- Why? What had this effect on you?

The speaker was a man who knew military affairs so deeply that, frankly, I was surprised. For example, he has this idea: we will learn to win only when the combined arms commander learns to control aviation, artillery, engineering troops, and so on. In my opinion, even this term itself - combined arms commander - was introduced by him, Stalin. And this is so correct that you understand: the man thought like a true military strategist!

And throughout the entire Patriotic War, he proved himself, I repeat, as the greatest military specialist, as the highest professional in military affairs.

Again about repression

But Stalin, following in the footsteps of Khrushchev, is accused not only of military ignorance, but primarily of unfounded repressions, which, according to popular allegations, caused fatal damage to the command and political composition of the Red Army on the eve of the Great Patriotic War. How do you feel about this?

I seriously studied the topic of repression, and my conclusion is this: their numbers are incredibly exaggerated. Of course, there were purges in the army, but not as massive as they are portrayed. In total, from 1936 to 1941, 2,218 people were convicted for political reasons.

- Military?

Yes, from marshals to junior lieutenants. Moreover, some of them were later rehabilitated, even before the war. Let's say Rokossovsky is also included in this number, but he met the war as the commander of a mechanized corps.

Those convicted in the army at that time were half a percent of the entire command and political personnel as of June 22, 1941. There were, as I already noted, mistakes. But you can’t consider everyone innocent! Moreover, without 1937 there would probably not have been 1945. During the war, we received General Vlasov, who turned out to be “uncleansed.” But they could have gotten more than one...

- Was there a Tukhachevsky conspiracy?

A very authoritative teacher of military history at the Frunze Academy, where I studied, researched this in the archives and stated unequivocally: there was. But I want to be more specific about where I got the 2,218 people convicted for political reasons. In No. 1 of the Military Historical Journal for 1993 (already non-Soviet times and in fact the official organ of the General Staff), an article was published on the scale of political repression in the Red Army in the pre-war years. Essentially, the data in this article exposed Khrushchev!

- Remind me what he said in his report “about the cult of personality.”

The scale was “drawn” much larger. According to him, in 1937-1938 alone, 39,761 people were killed (not even convicted, but destroyed!) in the army. And a link to archived data. So the magazine set out to find this data.

- What did you find in the end?

Completely different! This is the number of people discharged from the army in 1937-1938. Not destroyed, but dismissed for various reasons: age, length of service, illness, drunkenness (there was also such a column), due to arrest. This is exactly the data that Shchadenko, head of the main personnel department of the Red Army, provided in response to a request from the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks.

And Khrushchev, having distorted this, came out with complete nonsense, which went around the world and is still going on today. They say there was no one to command the divisions and regiments, because everyone was destroyed. There were indeed difficulties with personnel at that moment, but mainly for a different reason.

- Which one?

In connection with the outbreak of World War II, it was decided to significantly increase the size of the Red Army. From September 1, 1939 to June 22, 1941, 125 new divisions were formed, mechanized and tank corps were formed. Of course, personnel were very much needed, but not at all because half a percent of the commanders were repressed. Personnel training for the Red Army was carried out in 77 military schools and 10 academies.

It is probably extremely important how the spirit of the army changed during Soviet times. Still, while preserving the best traditions of the past, the Red Army was fundamentally different from the Tsarist army. If only because there were no class barriers between commanders and ordinary soldiers. The first under the tsar are mainly nobles, “white bones” and “blue blood”, and the second are the despicable mob. Now everyone has become comrades. Did this affect people's mood?

Still would! In 1937, Major General Alexei Ignatiev, a count who had been away from his homeland for many years, serving as a military attache abroad, returned from France to Russia. And he most of all noticed that the mood of the people in the Soviet Union, the spirit of the army had become completely different! By the way, after returning, the first thing he asked for was a pass to Red Square, to the November 7 parade, which he really liked.

- Subsequently, he wrote the most interesting book “Fifty Years in Service.”

That's exactly what I wanted to say about her. The book is autobiographical, but there are a lot of details and reflections that honestly and truthfully reveal real life before the revolution. It is impossible not to trust such a person. He studied in the page corps, was close to the royal court, then went through the Russian-Japanese War, that is, he knew what he was writing about. And especially it is necessary to highlight his actions in the military-diplomatic service.

The duty of the military attaché, as a representative of the Russian military Headquarters in France, was to purchase weapons for the Russian army, for which huge sums of money were transferred. When the revolution broke out, he had a simply colossal sum - 225 million gold rubles, which at the current exchange rate is more than 2 billion dollars.

- Which he disposed of like a true patriot?

Absolutely right. Having transferred this money to my personal account, I did not spend a penny on myself. And he did not give them to either the Provisional Government or the French authorities. When diplomatic relations between France and the Soviet Union were established in 1924, he came to our embassy and said: “This money belongs to Russia.”

- He received Soviet citizenship and was reinstated in the diplomatic service?

Yes. And then he will become a Soviet lieutenant general and will serve during the Great Patriotic War on the General Staff. I note that he came up with the idea of creating Suvorov schools, which Stalin warmly supported.

A feat without equal

In recent years, you, Viktor Ivanovich, have repeatedly spoken in Pravda on topics related to the Great Patriotic War. However, even today it is impossible not to touch upon this period, which became decisive for the fate of our country, since it was the Great October Revolution that predetermined the Great Victory. Do you agree with this?

The fact is indisputable, although falsifiers are trying to distort everything here too. But it is absolutely obvious that the socialist revolution provided an unprecedented stimulus both for the powerful development of our productive forces and for the rise of the patriotic spirit of the Soviet people. Stalin in 1931 spoke of the need to cover distances in a decade that took other countries 50-100 years. And it was done! Six thousand new major enterprises were built, completely new industries were created, including defense, a generation of patriots was raised who selflessly loved the Soviet Motherland and were ready to give even their lives for it...

It is probably worth recalling the force the Soviet country had to face at that time. This was not just fascist Germany, but in fact almost all of Europe.

Certainly! Firstly, there were direct allies of Hitler’s Germany, who together with her declared war on us. These are Finland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Italy, Spain, which sent their troops to our country. But, in addition, Hitler occupied a number of European states, and from here 1 million 800 thousand people fought against us.

- Huge numbers!

Yes, citizens of France, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Holland and so on. Of these, 59 divisions, 23 brigades were formed, and in addition, legions, regiments, and battalions.

-Were they forced to fight?

Imagine, many or even the majority went to war against the Soviet Union, so to speak, out of ideological convictions. After all, there were pro-fascist parties in these countries, and first of all, units and units for the Eastern Front were formed from their members and supporters. The divisions created by the Nazis in the occupied countries became mainly SS divisions, and the SS is the “party security detachment.” You remember that in Western Ukraine the SS division “Galicia” was created from Bandera’s followers?

-Of course.

True, it performed more punitive functions, and when it was sent to the front, it was immediately destroyed. After this, the remnants of Bandera’s division were sent to Yugoslavia - again as punitive forces, and they still brought a lot of grief there.

-In addition to the formation of such units, the industry of European countries also worked for the Nazis.

Powerful industry, transferred to a military footing. All these Renault and other factories are in France, Skoda in the Czech Republic and so on. And besides, the Germans attracted engineers and skilled workers from occupied countries to their enterprises, paying them well, especially when total mobilization began in Germany.

In a word, our Motherland was truly confronted by a colossal enemy force, and the achievement of Victory is an unparalleled feat of the entire Soviet people and its Armed Forces, a feat of the Communist Party and the Soviet government, a feat of I.V. Stalin, who took upon himself the extraordinary burden of leading the army and the country in such a difficult time.

- But they continue to talk about the “mediocrity” and even “harmfulness” of the Stalinist leadership...

This really angers me! All this chatter that Stalin did not prepare the country for war, that Victory was achieved “in spite of Stalin,” and the like. Listen, already on June 23, 1941, in accordance with a pre-developed plan, the organized evacuation of our industrial enterprises from west to east began. More than 2 thousand factories were transported and began work in a new location.

And how much did Stalin’s military-diplomatic efforts mean, ensuring the creation of an anti-Hitler coalition! He is anathematized because our troops were not deployed near the new border in advance. But this could lead to truly catastrophic results, since the USSR would be declared an aggressor, and then no coalition could certainly take place.

Don’t forget also about Hess’s mysterious flight to England - this was May 1941. What was his goal and what could it lead to? The British never declassified the materials of those negotiations in 1989: they remained classified until 2039. It's no coincidence!

- Let's talk, at least briefly, about the role of the Communist Party in that Great War.

Before the war, 1.5 million people were in the ranks of the CPSU(b). There was a well-known motto: “Communists, forward!”, and 3 million communists died on the fronts. But over the years, more than 6 million people have joined the Communist Party. In my opinion, such numbers speak volumes.

Let me add: the statements that the soldiers wrote before the battle were not a fiction of Soviet propaganda, but the very real reality: “If I die, I ask you to consider me a communist.” I know this from my father - he himself wrote such a statement and later became a communist in Berlin.

- So, you joined the Communist Party in 1977, so to speak, in the footsteps of your father?

And maternal grandfather. He became a Bolshevik during the Civil War.

- Under what circumstances?

During World War I he fought on the Caucasian front. After October, as a non-commissioned officer, he joined the Red Army. When Kornilov led his troops to Yekaterinodar in 1918, his grandfather’s battery fired at his headquarters, and this white general was destroyed. So my grandfather came to the Bolshevik-Communist Party quite consciously, with a firm conviction. Accordingly, at one time both my father and I...

What if there is war tomorrow?

Let's return, Viktor Ivanovich, to the present time. Who would have thought relatively recently that we would celebrate the 100th anniversary of October without socialism and Soviet power, for the re-creation of which we have to fight again. And you, Lieutenant General, having barely retired, joined the Communist Party of the Russian Federation in 2011. Why?

After deep, thorough reflection, I made this decision. Because I understood: only this party with its program can lead the country out of the difficult situation into which it has been plunged. Actually, the threat is the same as in 1917: we may simply lose our country. This means that we need to save her, just like the Bolsheviks during the revolution.

Your speech this spring at the 17th Congress of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, where you spoke about the state of Russian defense capability today, was very alarming.

Even now, since you raise this topic, I will probably speak with no less anxiety. I think it is absolutely clear that it is dictated by the military-political situation that has been created in the world, and especially around our country. We must understand: this situation is fraught with war. Therefore, we are obliged to think based on a very dangerous, but, alas, real condition: if tomorrow there is war...

-But doesn’t the country’s leadership have such an understanding?

On the one hand, it seems that this is true, but the attitude towards the army has changed significantly recently. But on the other hand... Honestly, I can’t explain much of what’s happening and it certainly doesn’t contribute to our defense capabilities.

-What do you mean first?

The so-called radical military reforms carried out by Serdyukov.

-Have their consequences not yet been corrected?

What do you! Not in any way.

I, and many others, had the impression that this furniture dealer was specially appointed then Minister of Defense in order to completely destroy the army.

Certainly. However, he was only a performer. Others conducted. What were you guided by? Instructions from there, from the West. I remember all these arguments: “Why do you need such an army? You have no enemies." Well, when the “military reforms” were completed, Obama said that Russia, it turns out, is the number one enemy for the United States... after Ebola. That's how they fooled me!

-And what, from your point of view, are the results?

Sad. During Serdyukov's radical reforms, the system of management of the Armed Forces was destroyed. The number of main headquarters of the armed forces has been reduced by more than 10 times, and commanders-in-chief are currently virtually unable to control their troops or naval forces.

The organizational structure of the Armed Forces has been destroyed. Military districts were abolished (in their place four operational-strategic commands were created), divisions and regiments.

The system of mobilization readiness has been destroyed, and our armed forces have actually been reduced by an order of magnitude. Before the reforms, according to the peacetime staff, they numbered 1 million 300 thousand people, and according to the wartime staff, their number increased to 5 million. Today, in the event of an armed conflict or war, our Armed Forces are capable, at best, of making up for the existing shortage, which has now reached almost 300 thousand people.

The logistics and technical support systems were destroyed, and it is now unclear who will restore damaged equipment in wartime, transport ammunition, and evacuate the wounded. Will “oboronservis” and “outsourcing” really do this?

The military education system has also been destroyed, and as a result, for example, our Aerospace Forces today lack 1,300 pilots.

- But for the uninitiated, it seems that everything in the army is simply brilliant now.

Something has really improved recently. However, often, in my opinion, PR prevails instead of business. The new Armata tank, which is being advertised with might and main, has not yet passed military tests. And according to my information, the Kurganets BMP does not yet have an engine, but these vehicles have been running in parades for two years now.

I carefully watched television reports from the latest strategic exercises “Zapad-2017” and did not see a single example of new equipment there.

In my opinion, the focus on fighting terrorist groups rather than the geopolitical enemy had a harmful effect. What is international terrorism? This is politics. The policy of intimidation. But who is conducting it? We know that all the main international terrorist organizations were created by Great Britain, the USA and other Western countries.

-Speaking at the congress of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, you connected the problems of our army with the general situation in the country.

It is so indeed. For example, how many conversations are there “from above” to stop the outflow of capital abroad! But talk is talk, and in the meantime, the well-known “United Russia” Makarov in the State Duma is developing a bill that does not stop, but simplifies the transfer of money to offshore companies for oligarchs. And the Duma, with the majority of the same “United Russia” members, adopts such a law.

Our own automobile and aviation industries have been almost completely destroyed; machine tool manufacturing and electronics must be created anew. We can't live without them! Because a lot, including for the army, now depends on foreign supplies, and if they stop these supplies, we will be broke.

Let me refer to one more fact that simply amazes me. They say: we need anti-sanctions. But why aren’t they actually introduced? There is such a metal - titanium.

-Winged metal, what is it called?

Well, yes, the basis of the aerospace industry. In 1990, we in the Soviet Union produced one and a half times more titanium than the rest of the world. And just imagine, now 90 percent of our metal goes to the USA.

-With their sanctions against us?

That's what I pay attention to! They don't have enough of it, and last year the Russian-American joint venture Ural-Boeing was created to increase titanium production for America. From this titanium of ours they make cruise missiles for the first global disarming strike on our nuclear forces.

-Amazing...

I say to the Russian authorities: if you want to take real, and not ostentatious, anti-sanctions, stop supplying titanium to the States. But no - they continue.!!

In general, despite all these current speeches about patriotism, essentially the same liberal policy continues. Once upon a time, the famous Alfred Koch, who was Deputy Prime Minister of the government under Gaidar, was asked what the essence and purpose of the reforms were being carried out. And in a fit of frankness he said: to make Russia a raw material colony of the West, and then to ensure its final degradation and collapse. Now, I believe, the stage of degradation continues.

- Do you see an opportunity to stop it, to interrupt it?

Only in a radical change in the course that is imposed on our country. This is what the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, of which I became a member, is fighting for. Our movement, which I lead, does the same.

I recently had a very heated argument with a prominent United Russia member. He convinced me that “they don’t change horses in midstream.” But what if the “horses” are rushing us to the abyss? In my opinion, this is becoming more and more obvious, and the country really needs to be saved. I repeat: like our grandfathers and great-grandfathers in 1917...

Lieutenant General Viktor Ivanovich Sobolev was born on February 23, 1950 in Krasnodar. Graduated from the Baku Higher Combined Arms Command School, the Military Academy named after M.V. Frunze and the Military Academy of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces. Promoted positions from motorized rifle platoon commander to deputy army commander. Since 2002 - Deputy Commander of the OGV (s) in the North Caucasus. 2003-06 Commander of the 58th Army of the North Caucasus Military District.
Since 2006, chief military adviser at the Russian Embassy in India. He left his post upon reaching the age limit in December 2010.

On the eve of the elections, our President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief Dmitry Medvedev and “national leader” Vladimir Putin became concerned, among other things, with the state of the army and the country’s military-industrial complex and assure the gullible citizens of Russia that they will do everything to ensure that our Armed Forces meet modern requirements and received new types of weapons and military equipment in a timely manner.

Russian media controlled by the government and the president also actively joined these ASSURANCES. Thus, in the final program on NTV on October 9 with Kirill Pozdnyakov, an entire news block was dedicated to the Russian military department. It was prepared by NTV correspondent Alexey Pobortsev. And, I must say, he did everything to smooth out the rough edges and problems of the Armed Forces and the military-industrial complex that had accumulated over the years of reform, while at the same time promoting our “national leader” Vladimir Putin, who this time personally tested the control system of the T-90S tank with commander's seats in the tower.
The car is good in all respects: a modern communication and navigation system, additional electromagnetic protection of the armored hull, automatic transmission, rearview camera; the tank is equipped with a complex of guided missiles with a range of hitting targets up to 5000 m; According to experts, it has good export prospects, but... it will not be supplied to the Russian army.
It turns out that our Ministry of Defense is waiting for a fundamentally new model of the tank, the development of which should supposedly be completed by 2015. This is despite the fact that the Ministry of Defense abandoned the previously developed new T-95. Its prototypes were manufactured and factory tested - and that’s it. And therefore, according to the statement of First Deputy Minister of Defense A. Sukhorukov, it is planned to modernize the Soviet T-72 tanks of the 70s: “the Ministry of Defense is satisfied with the price-quality ratio.” The fact that the capacity of Uralvagonzavod, the last Russian plant capable of producing modern tanks, will be idle is not important for our Ministry of Defense.
The matter is further aggravated by the fact that the export prospects for our armored vehicles as a result of the activities of the previous First Deputy Minister of Defense V. Popovkin are very vague. In 2010, Mr. Popovkin gave the most negative characterization of our military-industrial complex in the media, rated almost all types of our weapons and military equipment as outdated and unpromising, which actually dealt a blow to our entire military-technical cooperation with foreign countries. (Who will purchase outdated models of military equipment?). Mr. Popovkin was urgently transferred to another position - to Russian Space, after which all our rockets began to fall. I cannot connect all the failures of our space industry directly with the name of Mr. Popovkin, but the fact remains a fact.
“The military doesn’t want to just order new tanks and aircraft,” A. Pobortsev further says, “they need modern combat systems and battle control systems.” And what does this mean, military observer V. Litovkin explains to the gullible Russian citizen: “The tank must be connected to an unmanned aerial vehicle. He must transmit the target coordinates to the tank. And the missile must be guided to the target and corrected by a drone.”
As a military man, I can’t imagine how this will happen in practice. Unmanned aerial vehicles can indeed provide enormous assistance in reconnaissance of targets, but area ones: artillery and anti-aircraft batteries, control posts and communications centers, areas where various reserves are located; with their help, you can adjust the fire of artillery and multiple launch rocket systems from closed firing positions. But to detect a single camouflaged target for a tank (a tank or an anti-tank gun, an anti-tank guided missile in a firing position) using a drone and adjust the fire of a tank gun - this could only occur to a military observer who has never served in the army.
And, of course, such unmanned aerial vehicles can only be manufactured in Israel (which the Israelis demonstrated during the last war in Lebanon, when they lost most of their Merkava tanks, which were considered invulnerable).
By the way, the military themselves have not ordered anything for a long time. This is done for them by completely different people - “effective” civilian managers who have never served in the army, but who understand financial flows much better than the military.
The military observer is complemented by another “major military specialist” - Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, who justified the need to purchase unmanned aerial vehicles in Israel. Next came the justification for the need to purchase Mistrals from France and sniper rifles from England. Moreover, A. Pobortsev agreed that the sighting range of our SVD sniper rifle, it turns out, is three times less and is only 500 m. Well, is it possible to be so ignorant of military affairs and prepare a military program?!
“Today the Ministry of Defense has money,” continues A. Pobortsev, “so sometimes more expensive foreign models are purchased for the army. “Soon our motorized riflemen will be driving Italian armored vehicles from IVECO.” They are, however, inferior in maneuverability and cross-country ability to the domestic Tiger armored vehicles, but superior to them in armor protection (our Ministry of Defense is not embarrassed by the fact that it was they who ordered the vehicles with this level of protection). At the international arms exhibition in Nizhny Tagil, an Italian armored car was unable to overcome obstacles that the Tiger easily conquered.

Russian "Tiger"

But as a military man, I have a question: why do our motorized rifles need armored vehicles at all? After all, these are not battlefield vehicles; neither ours, nor even more so the Italian armored car will overcome a basic trench without a bridge pre-installed across it, not to mention weapons.
Military observer V. Litovkin also justified the refusal to purchase Kalashnikov assault rifles: “Kalashnikovs, of course, are not suitable for a professional warrior. Because the AK has a drawback: one or two bullets hit the target, the rest fan out to the side.” But this is characteristic of all automatic small arms without exception and largely depends on the training of the shooter. This is such a “professional” critic.
As if with regret, A. Pobortsev states that not all types of weapons for the Russian army can yet be purchased abroad, for example, the X-35 anti-ship missile. Western partners today will not sell anything similar or more modern to Russia.
The only sober thought in this program was expressed by the General Director of the Tactical Missile Arms Corporation B. Obnosov: “If we expect that someone will sell us modern models on a serial scale, this is nonsense. Everyone is concerned about their own safety, and we are not actually such close friends with all our competitors that they would sell us good weapons.” Everyone is worried about their safety, except for our Ministry of Defense, unfortunately. As for “good weapons,” I think this fully applies to the Mistrals, IVECO, British sniper rifles, and Israeli drones.
And one more very important point. During the reforms, we liquidated the army system of technical maintenance and military repair of weapons and military equipment. It is assumed that this will be done by the commercial structure Oboronservis and representatives of manufacturing plants. Weapons and military equipment purchased abroad will also be serviced and repaired by representatives of foreign companies in the troops, or what?
The First Deputy Minister of Defense easily and naturally justified the disruption of the state defense order this year. It turns out that officials of the Ministry of Defense demanded that military-industrial complex enterprises justify in detail the prices for all components, right down to screws. Therefore, most contracts were concluded only by October. Well, who is to blame for this? Of course, the military-industrial complex enterprises themselves. But it seems to me that if the president had not suddenly remembered about the state defense order, no one would have concluded contracts this year at all. I wonder if the money allocated by the budget for the purchase of weapons and military equipment has really been lying dead all this time?!
By the way, about prices. Does Mr. Sukhorukov not know that after paying all taxes, military-industrial complex enterprises only have half of the amount allocated to them (half is returned to the state)? But that is not all. The titular piece of the “defense pie” goes to bankers in the form of interest on loans. After all, the allocated money never reaches enterprises on time, and we have to take out loans, this is the policy of our Ministry of Finance. There are also intermediary companies that organize various tenders. For some reason, the Ministry of Defense does not work directly with military-industrial complex enterprises. And, of course, there is the corruption component.
That's how many problems that need to be solved at the level of the Ministry of Defense, and not counting in 9 months, how much do screws cost? From really big money (20 trillion by 2020), our military-industrial complex will receive mere crumbs. But instead, the Ministry of Defense decided to order weapons and military equipment abroad.
So, what do we have today?
This year's defense order has been disrupted. Chronic underfunding or, as this year, its almost complete absence has led to the country’s military-industrial complex degrading and rapidly losing its ability to produce new modern weapons and military equipment. In order for new models to appear, it is necessary to advance funding for research and development work - R&D, and they are generally financed on a residual basis. Enterprises that are not busy with production are losing skilled workers and engineers, whose training takes many years.
And this situation in our military-industrial complex has developed largely due to the targeted policy in the field of state defense procurement of our own Ministry of Defense. Really the president and our “national leader” don’t see and understand this? And if they see it, why don’t they take any measures?
The situation in the Armed Forces is even worse. It is believed that we have a million-strong army, as Mr. Sukhorukov recalled in this program. Let's count together. There are 150 thousand officers in the army, there are no warrant officers at all, they were liquidated. According to the civilian head of GOMU V. Smirnov, 184 thousand contract soldiers serve in the army and navy. A total of 334 thousand, which means that the remaining 666 thousand people are conscripts. But they simply weren’t called up that many. In addition, conscripts serve not only in the army and navy; of the total number of conscripts, up to 30% serve in the internal troops, border troops, units of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, in the presidential regiment, and finally. This means that there is a huge shortage in the army and navy, and it will only grow. The autumn conscription is planned to be reduced by almost 2 times. More than 200 thousand citizens, according to the same Smirnov, evade military service. The spring conscription extends until September, and the autumn conscription until March. All the troops do is continuously, throughout the year, in small groups, recruit young soldiers into their ranks, organize individual training with them, and try to staff the units. At the same time, the dismissal process is also ongoing. Under these conditions, there can be no question of any high-quality staffing of units. What are these parts of constant combat readiness?
Therefore, NATO military analysts note with satisfaction that as a result of the reforms carried out, the Russian Armed Forces are no longer able to successfully solve problems even in local conflicts, “The Russian army does not have a sufficient number of vehicles to transport troops over long distances, does not have a sufficient number of aircraft and pilots who can fly in any weather, there is no unified information system. There are not enough soldiers in the army..."
The Russian army is collapsed, NATO understands this, but what about the country’s leadership?

Russian "Tiger"

Lieutenant General Sobolev Viktor Ivanovich

SobolevVictor Ivanovichborn on February 23, 1950 in Krasnodar. He graduated from the Baku Higher Combined Arms Command School named after the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijan SSR in 1971, the Military Academy named after M.V. Frunze and the Military Academy of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces. Promoted positions from motorized rifle platoon commander to deputy army commander.

Carrying out the Banner 145 Guards UMSP 66 Guards UMSD PrikVO Chernivtsi (Sadgora)

right flank Sobolev V.I.

Photo from the archive of retired colonel V.I. Zhukova

Since 2002 - Deputy Commander of the OGV(s) in the North Caucasus. 2003-06 Commander of the 58th Army of the North Caucasus Military District.

Since 2006, chief military adviser at the Russian Embassy in India. Left office upon reaching the age limit in December 2010

""The RUSSIAN ARMY IS A GUARANTOR OF PEACE AND STABILITY IN THE NORTH CAUCASUS"

Comrade Lieutenant General, the association you lead actively participated in the counter-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus. How often do army personnel today have to intervene in the course of Chechen events?

After the completion of the active military phase of the counter-terrorism operation, the scale of our participation in its various activities decreased significantly. This is understandable: any large gangster formations have been practically destroyed, this is completely true, and the liquidation of residual small gangster groups has been entrusted to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB. After the reassignment of the 42nd Guards Motorized Rifle Division directly to the North Caucasus Military District, the presence of military personnel of the 58th Army proper in Chechnya is limited to the combat work of reconnaissance units, specialists from engineering and repair services, and military signalmen. In addition, a number of officers of the association and subordinate formations and units are on the territory of the Chechen Republic on long-term business trips.

So in this sense, we feel the hot breath of the “hot spot” every day. Another no less important circumstance that we have to take into account most seriously is the still remaining threat of terrorist and sabotage attacks. As we know, bandits of various stripes and nationalities are haunted by the increasingly confident peaceful life in the Chechen Republic. Alas, here and there there are explosions and people are dying. Among the victims, unfortunately, there are many military personnel. Let us recall, for example, the barbaric bombing of the Mozdok garrison hospital or Beslan last September, where our military personnel played an important role in the release of hostages.

We were forced to take a set of measures aimed at reducing the risk of terrorist attacks. Particular attention is paid to the construction of engineering and technical structures that prevent unauthorized entry of transport into the territory of military units and institutions. At the entrances to the residential areas of military camps, specially trained military personnel are on duty around the clock. The units systematically conduct training to repel a potential attack. People receive detailed instructions, acquire and consolidate skills. Everything that depends on us is done in the troops.

Viktor Ivanovich, how does the army use the accumulated experience of military personnel participating in combat operations?

We consider the use of accumulated experience as an integral part of the entire learning process. Many of our military personnel took part not only in the Chechen and Dagestan events. At one time, they became a kind of buffer in the Ossetian-Ingush conflict. Our military personnel still perform peacekeeping functions in South Ossetia. And, as you know, the situation there is difficult. And in repelling the terrorist attack on Nalchik, the army men played an important role.

All this requires high professional and moral training from army personnel.

But life goes on as usual. Most of the most experienced military personnel retired, units and units were replenished with newcomers. This is especially true for platoon and company commanders. Many of these positions are filled today by graduates of civilian universities. Therefore, the methodological training of officers is now the focus of attention of the army headquarters and administration. For example, training and methodological gatherings for company commanders and units equal to them, where they improve their practical knowledge and skills in organizing military service, conducting classes in tactical and fire training, driving military equipment, ensuring interaction and combat coordination of units.

In the recently completed academic year, units and formations of the 58th Army conducted many platoon live-fire exercises, battalion- and company-level tactical live-fire exercises, and dozens of command-staff mobilization exercises and training.

And what place is given in the curriculum to such a component of combat training as mountain training of troops?

We view mountain training as a serious aspect of combat training. The specificity of our combat training activities lies in the fact that the area of responsibility of the 58th Army covers the mountainous regions of North Ossetia - Alania, Ingushetia, Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria and other territories. It is no secret that a significant part of the counter-terrorism operation was also carried out in the mountainous regions of the Chechen Republic. At a certain stage, we encountered serious shortcomings in this type of training, especially during the first Chechen campaign. Previously, in the Soviet Army, this system was clearly established. However, after the collapse of the USSR and in the initial period of formation of the new Russian army, much was lost. In particular, higher military educational institutions with specialized mining training underwent reformation and reduction. Including the traditional source of personnel for officers - “mountain workers” - the Vladikavkaz Higher Military Combined Arms Command School. A similar fate once befell our main educational and methodological center, the Daryal mountain range. And this turned out to have unpleasant consequences for us. After all, in a combat situation one had to deal with a well-trained enemy, who, as they say, was born in the mountains and knew every path there. Therefore, back in the mid-90s, the command of the North Caucasus Military District decided to immediately restore the Daryal training ground. And already in 1998 it came into operation again. Of course, this is not our only testing ground, but its “biography” is quite indicative. Now the training ground fully provides classes on almost any subject. The directorate of combat vehicles, a mountain military shooting range, a mountain tank and race track, and a mountain sports complex are functioning successfully.

Most military personnel who have undergone training at the Daryal mountain range receive serious practical skills in using the camouflage properties of the terrain, firing up and down from various types of small arms. And commanders view the acquisition of mountain combat skills as an obligatory element of professional personal training and as a necessary condition for further career growth.

It is no coincidence that the Russian army is called the guarantor of peace and stability in the North Caucasus.

Sergey PRYGANOV, Yuri SELEZNEV. 2005

“Two Alpha officers were killed, and the tanks began to work”

In the Supreme Court of North Ossetia, at the next meeting in the case of Nurpashi Kulaev, the commander of the 58th Army, Viktor Sobolev, was interrogated. He stated that he considered negotiations with terrorists unnecessary.

Lieutenant General Viktor Sobolev learned about the hostage-taking “at approximately 9 o’clock on September 1,” took an official car and drove to Beslan.

“A motorized rifle company was alerted,” said witness Sobolev at the trial. “And then I gave instructions to send there a reconnaissance company and a tank company, and then another motorized rifle company and another reconnaissance company.” Together with internal troops, we began to blockade the area around the school. The Minister of Defense came to me and ordered me to carry out tasks that are typical of the armed forces: to prevent terrorists from entering the blockade zone.

Lieutenant General Sobolev took out the blocking diagram from the tablet and handed it to Judge Tamerlan Aguzarov.

- Is this a secret document? - Judge Aguzarov asked. “There is such a thing, there is,” state prosecutor Maria Semisynova hastened to answer for the military witness, but Viktor Sobolev, despite the secrecy, left the diagram to the judge.

— How many militants, according to your data, were there at the school? — Victims’ lawyer Taimuraz Chedzhemov asked the army commander.

“According to police representatives, up to 30,” answered Viktor Sobolev. — What was the connection with the operational headquarters? - Mr. Chedzhemov asked again. “Personal communication,” said the witness. “They met practically continuously.” - Who was in charge of the headquarters? — The head of the FSB Directorate of Ossetia is Valery Andreev, but on the first day the President of the Republic, Alexander Dzasokhov, took the initiative. I saw the note sent by the terrorists on the first day in his hands. Dzasokhov wanted negotiations from the very beginning, and when he received the note, he decided to go to the militants himself. He was held back only by Dzantiev (Kazbek Dzantiev, former head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of North Ossetia - Kommersant), who said that he would simply be shot. When Roshal arrived, he was also eager to go to school, he even went, but he was stopped by warning shots from bandits who wanted to see everyone together, and not one by one.

- Why didn’t everyone go? “I didn’t see Zyazikov (President of Ingushetia Murat Zyazikov - Kommersant), but they demanded him too,” said Viktor Sobolev. “But he never showed up.”

Lieutenant General Sobolev also spoke about the participation of the armed forces in the assault on the first school.

“We were given the task of narrowing the blocking ring around the school and providing armored vehicles for the attackers - to cover them with armor and suppress the bandits’ firing points. Eight transporters and a tank platoon consisting of three vehicles were transferred to the FSB, but they did not participate in the assault.

— Why were there such large losses among the attackers? - Mr. Chedzhemov asked.

“On September 3, they left to practice interaction with armored vehicles in the suburbs of Vladikavkaz,” answered witness Sobolev. “So when the first explosion occurred, they were not there, and they began the assault with a march.” That's why there were so many losses.

-When did the tanks start shooting? — the lawyer asked another question. — At 21:00, on the orders of the officer of the special operations center, the tank fired several shots, when there was no one left in the school except the militants. This decision was made because at that time two Alpha officers who were at the school were killed. They were shot in the back in the dark. That's why the tanks started working. There were no living people left in the school.

“But many say that they saw and heard the tank firing until 21 o’clock!” - This is complete nonsense! It can not be so. The shots from the Shmel RPO and the tank are practically indistinguishable to a non-specialist.

— What if a tank fired into the dining room? - asked the defense lawyer, remembering that the defendant Kulaev spoke about this at the previous meeting.

“This is a serious projectile,” the military man answered, thoughtfully. “There would be consequences (he didn’t finish. - Kommersant)...

— Could it be possible to do without the use of tanks? “It’s possible,” the commander of the 58th Army said firmly. “There would have been a dozen more dead Alpha soldiers.”

— Do you think it was worth negotiating? — the lawyer did not let up. - I think not! — Viktor Sobolev immediately answered. “If we had not talked with Basayev in Budennovsk, this Basayev would have been gone a long time ago.” And this terrorist attack would not have happened. In Israel, where they do not negotiate with terrorists, there are always fewer victims.

Viktor Sobolev, answering the question why the militants needed the presidents of North Ossetia and Ingushetia, said that, in his opinion, the goal of the terrorists was “to create an armed conflict between Ossetians and Ingush”:

“The assassination of presidents would add to the volume of this matter. — Why were they looking for Maskhadov? - Taimuraz Chedzhemov asked almost sarcastically. -Who was looking for him? — the lieutenant general was sincerely surprised. - Dzasokhov. - Why was he looking for him? — Viktor Sobolev answered the question with a question. “I don’t know.” I wasn't looking.

— Do you think it is necessary to take action if information is received about an impending terrorist attack? - asked Mr. Chedzhemov.

- We must, of course! I receive such signals every day! I received it today. - So, something could happen today? - And today it can!

Zaur Farniev, Kommersant

***

Viktor Ivanovich expressed his concern about the situation in the country. He was especially worried about the situation that had developed in the army under the leadership of the current Minister of Defense Serdyukov. After studying the work carried out by the party organization of the republic, talking with activists, he decided to join the ranks of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, promising to provide all possible support and assistance to the republican party organization.

“We have known Viktor Ivanovich Sobolev for a long time as a true Russian Soviet officer, devoted to his oath, loving his country and Motherland. It is a great event for us that a person of this level decided to stand next to us and do everything to change the situation in the country for the better. The work of our sister organization, the Union of Soviet Officers, will take a very serious step forward with the arrival of Viktor Ivanovich. A program for military-patriotic education of youth has already been outlined. There are elections ahead to the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, presidential elections and elections to the Parliament of North Ossetia-Alania, and the fact that people like Viktor Ivanovich are turning to us indicates that the position of the Communist Party is strengthening and its rating is growing. And there is no doubt, we will win the parliamentary elections!

S.I. Beletsky, 2011

Next subpage "Antonensko S.V., Antonenko V.V." Lists of generals

In the late eighties - early nineties of the last century, the United States and its allies managed to achieve their main geopolitical goal - to divide the Russian people into their component parts, split off from them other peoples who had lived with them for hundreds of years, and begin to build a “new world order”, which, in the words of Zbigniew Brzezinski, “it is being created against Russia, at the expense of Russia and on the ruins of Russia.” And so that no one has any doubts that it was the West that played the main role in the collapse of the Soviet Union, I would like to quote the words of another political figure, US Secretary of State Baker during the collapse of the USSR: “In order to collapse the Soviet Union and win the Cold War,” We've spent trillions of dollars."

Having divided the Russian people into its component parts, the West began to solve its next geopolitical task - to oppose these parts to each other, to pit them against each other. And so far this task has been successfully solved. Thanks to the efforts of the United States and its allies, Ukraine, and especially its western part, is turning into an irreconcilable enemy of Russia.

How and why did this happen, what were the prerequisites for this? After all, in Soviet times there was no trace of anything like this, and I am a living witness to this.

The fact is that after graduating from military school, I served in Western Ukraine for almost eight years. Over the years of service, I had to visit almost all its regions: Chernivtsi, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Rivne, Ternopil, Volyn, Transcarpathian, meet with different people, at different levels, in different situations: during exercises, on business trips, during harvesting when we helped collective farmers harvest sugar beets in the rainy season.

In 1978, units of our regiment worked in Lviv for three months, preparing the sports facilities of the Lviv SKA for the European Cup in modern pentathlon. Once, almost the entire regiment took part in the filming of the feature film “The Last Haiduk”. Now it’s impossible to list everything...

But I want to say that at that time the residents of the western regions of Ukraine were ordinary Soviet citizens who loved their Motherland and their army. During the exercises, it was impossible to simply drive through a populated area: the column was showered with flowers, residents, especially young people, ran to the stopped equipment, treated the soldiers and officers with fruits and sweets, an impromptu concert, sometimes a rally, began.

WHAT ABOUT THE BANDEROVS? There were also Banderaites, especially since they were released from prison ahead of schedule by N.S. Khrushchev, apparently, as “victims of Stalinism.” Several times I had to travel for young recruits to various regions of Western Ukraine. So, in the registration and service cards of some conscripts there were such entries: “Father was sentenced to 25 years for participation in the OUN gang”; “The older brother was sentenced to 15 years for participation in the OUN gang.”

But Bandera’s men sat quietly and kept their heads down. Of course, Western intelligence services tried to use them to their advantage even then, but they were under the close supervision of the KGB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and did not have any influence on the life of Western Ukraine.

But after the collapse of the Soviet Union, they sharply intensified. But in order for this to happen, as US Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland let slip, the Americans alone spent five billion dollars. Bandera’s ideology was literally hammered into the heads of Ukrainian youth from a very early age, especially during the reign of V. Yushchenko, the “American son-in-law,” when Stepan Bandera and Roman Shukhevych were recognized as heroes of Ukraine.

Hundreds of non-governmental organizations appeared in Ukraine, generously funded by Western intelligence services, and dozens of different training centers and camps, where experienced foreign instructors theoretically and practically trained future militants. You look at the age of the Maidan and Right Sector militants - they were all born in the late eighties and nineties.

Well, what about Russia? And in Russia during these same years, our youth also studied history using the textbooks of D. Soros. Fortunately, we did not have our own Bandera and Shukhevych, but the heroes in these textbooks were Kornilov and Kolchak, Denikin and Wrangel, Yudenich and Kappel. Well, the most odious “historians” tried to make heroes of such outright traitors as Vlasov and Krasnov.

AND ALL THIS IS STILL CONTINUING. It is from the named six White Guards, who, with the active help of Western countries, unleashed a bloody Civil War against their people, but were defeated by the Red Army, that a certain military historical society invites us to choose the name of Victory by May 9 of this year. How can the defeated enemies of their own people be named after Victory? What could be more blasphemous?

And why did the list of 55 commanders from which we are asked to choose the name of Victory not include the real winners, the truly talented commanders who defeated the troops of these leaders of the White movement: Vladimir Aleksandrovich Olderogge - Major General of the Tsarist Army and the “Red Baron”, commander of the Eastern Front of the Reds , who defeated Kolchak’s troops and eliminated Kolchakism;

Vladimir Nikolaevich Egoryev - lieutenant general of the tsarist army, commander of the Southern Front, which defeated Denikin’s troops rushing to Moscow; Sergei Dmitrievich Kharlamov - colonel of the tsarist army, commander of the 7th Red Army, which defeated Yudenich’s troops; Dmitry Nikolaevich Nadezhny - lieutenant general of the tsarist army, commander of the Northern Front, whose troops threw out the Anglo-American-French interventionists from the Russian North; Dmitry Pavlovich Parsky - Lieutenant General of the Tsarist Army, who led the Red Army detachments in February 1918 and defeated German troops near Pskov and Narva, largely thanks to him we celebrate February 23 as the birthday of the Red Army, the current Defender of the Fatherland Day;

Sergei Sergeevich Kamenev - Colonel of the Tsarist Army, from the beginning of 1919 until the end of the Civil War, Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed Forces of the Soviet Republic. By the way, all of them are hereditary nobles, which is important for modern “historians”.

Why is this list not including Generalissimo Stalin, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the USSR, which defeated fascism, since he is included in the list of 100 great commanders of Russia?

What kind of military-historical society is this that distorts our history so much?

And modern films about the war, such as “Penal Battalion” or “Bastards” - what can they teach our youth and what kind of patriotism can they instill?

AT THE TIME the US Embassy in Ukraine became the main headquarters for coordinating the actions of all anti-Russian forces and organizations, our Foreign Ministry took a principled position of non-interference in the affairs of Ukraine, and our embassy in Kyiv was headed by V.S. Chernomyrdin is the founder and one of the main shareholders of our “national treasure” - Gazprom, which saw its main task in constantly waging “gas wars” with Ukraine. What national interests and geopolitical objectives are there! The commercial interests of Gazprom and their own personal pocket - and this is at best, and at worst - an outright betrayal of the national interests of Russia.

In general, V.S. Chernomyrdin has more than once played his sinister role in the modern history of Russia. After all, it was he, together with B.N. Yeltsin decided to shoot the Supreme Council in 1993; it is his signature under the “nuclear deal”, according to which Russia transferred for next to nothing to the United States 500 tons of weapons-grade uranium, accumulated during the years of Soviet power by the labor of millions of Soviet people - workers, engineers, scientists who forged the country’s nuclear shield; it was he, the special envoy of President Yeltsin, who “surrendered” Yugoslavia to the Americans for one billion dollars; He also played his anti-Russian role in Ukraine. Well, then he was replaced in this post by one of the most “effective managers” in our government - M.Yu. Zurabov. His deputies were put behind bars, and the “minister” himself was sent to defend our national interests in Kyiv. So we now have in Ukraine what we deserve.

Meanwhile, the “Ukrainian game” on the “great chessboard,” according to Brzezinski, is just beginning. I don’t want to draw such a conclusion, but it seems to me that the loss of Crimea for the United States in this “chess game” is a “pawn sacrifice.” They will try not to miss all of Ukraine or some part of it, and the chances in this “game” are too unequal. In the modern world, force plays the main role, and it is clearly not on our side. In fact, B. Obama is right: Russia, if we do not take into account our nuclear weapons, today is an ordinary regional power with a dilapidated industry, a damaged agriculture and a collapsed army.

As a military man, I want to dwell in more detail on the state of our Armed Forces. Firstly, I remind those who have forgotten, and ordinary people who were convinced through TV that in our army, unlike the Ukrainian one, everything is fine: “As a result of the radical reforms carried out by A. Serdyukov - N. Makarov, the army Russia has transformed from an army capable of repelling the aggression of serious geopolitical opponents into an army capable of fighting armed militant groups.” This is not my opinion, this is the conclusion of serious military analysts - both ours and foreign ones, who summed up the results of Serdyukov’s activities after his resignation. It should be noted that this was the goal of the reforms, and the country’s leadership represented by V.V. Putin and D.A. Medvedev showed unprecedented political will.

However, the reformers somewhat overdid it. By destroying or significantly reducing the command and control bodies responsible for maintaining combat readiness in the troops, destroying the systems of military education, logistics and technical support, reducing the service life in the army and navy to one year, they actually made even those brigades that remained in the army after reduction of regiments and divisions.

THE STEALING A. Serdyukov, having completed his dirty deed, resigned. The most experienced minister of modern Russia, S.K., was appointed in his place. Shoigu, the permanent head of the Ministry of Civil Defense, Emergency Situations and Disaster Relief created after the collapse of the USSR.

Some digression.

The new ministry was created on the basis of the Civil Defense Forces, which were previously part of the military department. The young minister, who went straight from reserve lieutenant to general, resolutely set about creating management bodies and structures that, in his opinion, would meet the tasks of the new ministry: he created rescue squads for various purposes, brought disaster medicine into the Ministry of Emergency Situations, acquired aviation, while reducing it to almost zero Civil Defense Troops themselves. As a result, the structure of the Ministry of Emergency Situations began to represent a huge management apparatus, where there were more generals than in the Ministry of Defense, with an almost complete absence of troops, a kind of “apiary without bees.” And then a brilliant solution was found: firefighters were transferred from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Reducing them is more expensive, even in peacetime. Only Serdyukov could decide to do this, reducing the fire brigades at military warehouses, bases and arsenals, as a result of which they constantly burned and exploded.

Therefore, one of the “achievements” of S.K. Shoigu's position as head of the new ministry led to the almost complete liquidation of the Civil Defense Troops, and currently civil defense as such does not exist in Russia.

Well, okay, the one who does nothing is not mistaken.

More than a year has passed since the Ministry of Defense was headed by a new minister, and the General Staff was headed by a new chief. What has changed for the better in the Russian Armed Forces? In matters of restoring the combat readiness and combat capability of the Russian Armed Forces, there is practically nothing.

To be fair, it should be noted that Sergei Kuzhugetovich is truly an experienced and very proactive leader. Tank biathlon, “scientific” companies, ostentatious video conferences, now, from April 1, the number of operational and strategic management bodies is increasing by more than 20 percent: the National Defense Management Center of the Russian Federation is being created in the Ministry of Defense, regional and territorial centers in districts and armies, respectively . But what do these minister’s initiatives have to do with restoring the combat readiness and combat effectiveness of the Armed Forces? All this is nothing more than PR.

As for the newly created centers for controlling the daily activities of the troops, their place and role are generally unclear. Management bodies at all levels during Serdyukov’s reforms were greatly reduced and are having difficulty fulfilling their tasks; they need to be restored by increasing staffing levels. Instead, as new control centers are created, they are further reduced. But the Armed Forces are not the Ministry of Emergency Situations. The basic principle of training troops and military command and control bodies is: “Teach them what is necessary in war.” What will the “crowd” (more than 20 percent) of captains, majors and lieutenant colonels in the operational and strategic management bodies do when transferring the Armed Forces from peacetime to wartime? After all, in peacetime they will be engaged exclusively in everyday “peaceful” activities.

AND ANOTHER initiative of the minister, which does not leave many people, including purely civilians, indifferent - a new “office” uniform. Of course, it has no direct relation to issues of combat readiness and combat capability of the Armed Forces, but this uniform is very similar to the overalls worn by janitors; the name tag on the soldier’s left chest is especially touching. So that no one confuses anything, if suddenly they do not know the military leader, including the minister, by sight or do not understand military ranks. Officers and generals of the Russian army have never worn such a uniform - neither in tsarist nor in Soviet times. It seems to me that even Serdyukov’s movement of the shoulder strap from shoulder to stomach did not cause such rejection as Shoigu’s “office” uniform.

Someone may object to me: what about regular sudden large-scale exercises with military districts? By and large, this is also more PR than teaching. Well, how can you conduct high-quality exercises with the current military district, which includes two or three combined arms armies, the Air Force and Air Defense Army and the Navy, in one week and at the same time work out the issues of combat readiness, combat training, including at the stages with live firing, the current formations - “brigades of constant combat readiness”, if these brigades are 50-70 percent staffed with personnel and serviceable military equipment and are capable of deploying from their composition for any action no more than one reinforced battalion, the training of which leaves much to be desired?

But the exercises are “large-scale”. The number of personnel involved in last year's exercises in the Eastern Military District was initially announced as 70 thousand people, then this figure seemed too small and was increased to 160 thousand. I wonder if the staffing level of the Eastern District corresponds to this number of participants in the exercises or is this its payroll strength?

On the other hand, at present it is practically impossible to conduct large-scale exercises over a long period of time: troops without logistical and technical support will not last more than one week in the field. And the subject of the exercises is strictly anti-terrorist. At the last of them, in the Western Military District, the special forces portrayed terrorists who had captured a populated area, and the paratroopers supposedly destroyed them, or vice versa. Children's games, and that's all, not district-wide exercises.

Some of the positive things that will at least somehow affect the combat readiness and combat effectiveness of the troops made by the new leadership of the Armed Forces include the recruitment of cadets and students to military universities, the increase in the duration of training in military academies to two years, the introduction of deputy commanders in battalions and brigades in terms of armament, the restoration of two divisions - Taman and Kantemirovskaya (only two), long-distance voyages of our ships, and, of course, conducting exercises, even if only anti-terrorist ones. Serdyukov did not do this either.

But all this is in the nature of a “cosmetic renovation” of Serdyukov’s legacy - an army capable of fighting armed militant groups. Russia now needs an army capable of repelling the aggression of any geopolitical enemy in any strategic direction. And recent events in Ukraine only confirm this. The West has actually already decided on direct confrontation with Russia and is preparing aggression directly at our borders. Quite recently, a decision was made to sharply strengthen the military component of NATO in the countries of Eastern Europe that are part of this bloc, including the Baltic states. There is nowhere to retreat further, Moscow is behind.

I am aware that it is almost impossible to restore the combat readiness and combat capability of the Armed Forces without reviving our industry and agriculture, science and culture, restoring the historical memory of our people, and without changing the entire socio-political course of the country. And if our government does not understand this, it should immediately resign. Otherwise we will lose the country.