Ukrainian security services were hunting for Mikhail Tolstoy (call Givi) for a long time – the bullet went closer and closer. The last shot of the flamethrower left no chances to the famous commander of the battalion “Somalia” is really a folk hero of Donbass, who stood in the first rank of the defenders of the independence of the DNI.
Recognize this serious loss, primarily a psychological one: after the murder of 16 October 2016, another popular leader, Motorola (Arseny Pavlov), iconic names of the militia was much less.
Hot on the heels of a murder investigation Givi still not given. We can definitely say that they acted reconnaissance and sabotage groups (RDG) that tracked every step of the famous battalion and carefully prepared to attack. The time and place of the assassination was a professionally selected to six in the morning, the vigilance of the sentinels after a night reduced, although the pre-dawn twilight still allow outsiders to move quickly and to reach the line of fire. It seems that the location of the headquarters the attackers knew the ropes, at least the location of the battalion commander.
Knew and the time spent in this the Givi – tracked the arrival, waited when he walked in the room and is already guaranteed to be fired. Properly selected and weapons of destruction – reactive flamethrower “bumblebee”, which works most effectively in an enclosed space (during the Afghan war, Soviet soldiers smoked them Mujahideen from caves). In General, the chances of survival in such a situation, Givi almost was not.
The activity of Ukrainian RDG in the Donbass intensified from the moment of offensive attempts the APU across the dividing line. Saboteurs prefer to work selectively and with guaranteed success. The fourth of February they blew up the car with the head of the people’s militia of Lugansk Oleg Anashchenko, killing the Colonel and his driver.
Naturally, the security mode in the LC was increased, and now a new campaign is already in Donetsk, where the object of assassination chosen such an iconic individual. Not to say that the battalion commander Givi was unprofessional security, rather the opposite, but this successful attempt shows that quality training of Ukrainian terrorists.
Here, in the Donbass, spies is familiar with the region, customs and usages, it is easy to get lost among the local population, and to find undercover informants too simple. In recent time, the Ukrainian saboteurs, as have informed in the ministries of state security of LPR – DPR, actively using the symbols of the staff of the OSCE mission, until exact copies of cars, they dress in the form of employees of the Ministry of emergencies of Ukraine, which operate on both sides of the front.
And in most missions, than believe in the intelligence services, military APU perform the tasks of the SBU, including the tracing of the commanders of the armed formations of Donbass. So the hunt for Givi was conducted using all available and unavailable methods.
The militiaman with the Callsign Givi has become one of the most skilful commanders of the DPR and a true living legend. It Givi with his battalion fought at the Donetsk airport. A native of Ilovaysk Mikhail Tolstoy became one of the organizers of “ilovaisky boiler”, when with his company for two weeks held the city from the daily attempts of a breakthrough.
About the fearlessness of this man who took the Callsign Givi in honor of his grandfather, who fought in the great Patriotic war (Georgian roots Givi – great-grandfather), was legendary. He didn’t duck under the shots, was desperate and, at first glance, crazy operations and consistently achieve military success. The journalists called this young Colonel (on the day of the death of Mikhail Tolstykh was 36 years old) Georgian reincarnation of the famous General of the war of 1812 Peter Bagration.
When Kiev authorities launched a war in the Donbas, he went to defend his home, his home. Joined the militia in Slavyansk during the fiercest fighting. Military education Givi – school in the Ukrainian army where he served in the military and received a military specialty “tank commander” and “gunner”. In the army of the DNI, as the commander created the volunteer battalion “Somalia”, was promoted to the rank of Colonel, was awarded many orders and medals, including the highest – order “Hero of the DPR”.
Mikhail Tolstoy, Givi, really became a hero in the eyes of the whole population of Donbass. When the local news reported about another provocation from the APU and nationalist battalions, and that the invaders are opposed by units of the Givi or Motorola (they were friendly with each other and communicate not only on duty), the people exhaled with peace of mind: “Through these Natsik just will not work”. It seemed that the very presence in the ranks of the militia of such iconic figures guarantees invincibility. Now they are gone. Killed Motorola, killed today and “last of the Mohicans” – Givi.
Mikhail Tolstoy himself, whose image of the front of the battalion was associated with a greater degree of advanced, explosions of shells, the iconic victories, courage and heroism, did not like inspirational estimates. “I’m no hero. See, heroes are my people, who are fighting on the front lines. I’m just their commander, that’s all. The victory is done by my artillery, my soldiers on the front lines, my infantry. Understand, I am a regular soldier of the Donetsk people’s Republic”, – said Givi even after the release of the Donetsk airport, for which he fought.
The current death of the Givi and the preceding death of Motorola, of course, will not destroy the people’s confidence in the rightness of their struggle for the independence of Donbass. Grew new commanders, professionally trained, courageous and brave. It is to them to continue the work begun by the legendary combat in 2014, which then with one machine for two could stop a well-equipped aggressor. And with the current equipment of the Armed forces of new Russia and acquired combat experience of the new battalion commanders also still happen to be legends of Donbass.
Author: Viktor Sokirko