A victim of a land mine became a Russian General
Peter Melugin suffered from the attacks of the militants in Syria.
In the Main military clinical Burdenko hospital yesterday, “Kommersant” officially confirmed that the 56th ICU is the head of Department of combat training of the headquarters of the Western military district, major-General Peter Melugin. It was brought from Syria with severe wounds, which, according to “Kommersant”, received as a result of blasting of a radio-controlled bomb, planted by militants on the road from air base Ties in the city of HOMS.
General Melugin became the most senior Russian military suffered during the Syrian campaign of the Russian Federation
The first information about the wounding of a senior Russian officer in Syria appeared on the eve of February 23: while some military sources, “Kommersant” reported that the General is in critical condition and are fighting for his life to military doctors on base Hamim (province of Latakia). To reveal the circumstances of the incident and personal details of the victim interlocutors “” then refused, citing the prohibition emanating from the top management of the Department.
However, on Friday Russian media (in particular, portals Infox.ru “Fontanka”) reported that in the Main military clinical Burdenko hospital in Moscow is the head of Department of combat training of the headquarters of the Western military district, major-General Peter Melugin, who was wounded in Syria. Officially the Ministry of defence of the Russian Federation yesterday this information did not comment, but in the waiting room of the hospital, “Kommersant” have confirmed that a patient really is in 56th resuscitation unit: “Doctors can monitor his condition”.
As told “Kommersant” several sources close to the military Department, the incident, which injured Peter Melugin happened February 16 in the province of HOMS
He almost spent two months in Syria, subordinate to the commander of the Russian troops, Colonel-General Andrei Kartapolov. That day General Melugin along with five Russian servicemen were driving from the aerodrome Ties in the direction of the city of HOMS in the armored vehicle “Tiger” in the convoy.
He had to assess the status and training of fighters of the Syrian army who participated in the clashes with radical Islamists, and to convey to them a new opening of the General staff of the armed forces. However, in 4 km from Tias “Tiger” was undermined with the help of a powerful radio-controlled bomb, planted by militants near the road, the convoy opened fire.
Four of the six people who were in the armored vehicle were killed: their names in the defense Ministry did not disclose, however, was fatally wounded the senior Sergeant Vadim Magamadov and marine Paul Kozachenko. They were buried on February 19, Yekaterinburg, and Penza, respectively (see “Kommersant” on February 21). General Melugin were seriously injured: he lost both legs, one of the shards knocked the eye. In a matter of hours he was evacuated by special forces on the base Hamim, where military medics throughout the week, fought for his life. Kommersant’s sources claim that actually in the field they managed to stop the bleeding and stabilize him for transportation to the Moscow hospital named after Burdenko.
Now, according to the assurances of the doctors, “a direct threat to his life is missing.”
The General himself became the highest ranking Union officer to be wounded during the Syrian campaign. Just to recap, the defense Ministry officially acknowledged the deaths of 27 soldiers.
According to “Kommersant”, the situation in HOMS is quite complicated: near the airbase Ties heavy fighting with artillery, rocket launchers and armored vehicles. Individual successes are in neighboring Palmyra: in particular, as stated by the head of the main operations Directorate of the General staff of armed forces Colonel-General Sergey rudskoy, the militants left the territory of the ancient city. According to the Russian military, now in the Eastern part of the province the troops of Bashar al-Assad strengthens his positions, to prevent possible counterattacks of fighters are leading the offensive to the East.
Yesterday Andrey Kartapolov in an interview with TV channel “Russia 24” declared that a special role in the liberation of Palmyra played not only Russian aircraft, but fighters of special operations forces that conducted reconnaissance and was struck by the most important objects. According to “Kommersant”, in Palmyra and the adjacent city of Tadmor to ensure the order can be transferred to a military police unit of the Russian Federation.
Ivan Safronov, Alexander Djordjevic