One Soldiers War in Chechnya - Download free ebook

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LITERARY TRADITION [...] FOR SHOWING US THAT WAR, UP CLOSE, COULD BE AS APPALLING TOWARD THE END OF THE 20TH CENTURY AS IT WAS AT THE BEGINNING.’ Watt Street Journal ‘REMARKABLE - MY BOOK OF THE YEAR.’ Matthew Sweet, ‘Night Waves’, BBC Radio 3 ‘AR K A D Y BABCHENKO FOUGHT IN BOTH CHECHEN WARS. One Soldier’s War in Chechnya IS THE EXTRAORDINARY RESULT, AS DAMNING AS IT IS HARROWING. IT TELLS ALL THOSE STORIES THAT WERE NEVER ALLOWED TO APPEAR IN THE PRESS AT THE TIME... HIS ACCOUNT IS VIVID, STARK AND HORRIFYING. THE CRUELTY IS ALL THE MORE WRENCHING BECAUSE OF THE MOMENTS OF FLEETING, LYRICAL BEAUTY. BABCHENKO, LIKE THE BEST WAR REPORTERS, IS ABLE TO REPORT WAR
HOW IT IS, BUT ALSO REFLECT ON IT... BABCHENKO’S HONESTY IS UNBLINKING, HIS PROSE AT TIMES, UNBEARABLE. IT IS A TOUR DE FORCE. A GRIM TESTAMENT TO THE WORST OF WARS.’ New Humanist ‘RIGHT UP THERE WITH Catch-22 OR MI C H A E L HERR’S Dispatches.’ Tibor Fischer ‘I HAVE NOT READ A BOOK ABOUT WAR AND SOLDIERING LIKE IT SINCE ALL Quiet on the Western Front. BABCHENKO’S PROSE, LIKE REMARQUE’S, IS STARK BUT EVOCATIVE, ELOQUENT IN ITS SIMPLICITY, AND ABSOLUTELY UNFLINCHING IN ITS HONESTY. HE PRESENTS THE FACE OF WAR WITH ALL COSMETICS OFF, AN UTTERLY BRUTAL AND BRUTALIZING EXPERIENCE THAT DOES NOTHING
Page 2 and 3: ONE SOLDIER’S WAR IN CHECHNYA ARK
Page 4 and 5: WRITER, AND HIS REMARKABLE STORIES
Page 8 and 9: BUT KILL AND MAIM PEOPLE SPIRITUALL
Page 10 and 11: ONE SOLDIER’S WAR IN CHECHNYA ARK
Page 12 and 13: difficulty sorting out. The Chechny
Page 14 and 15: of the non-Chechen population was a
Page 16 and 17: General Grachyov’s announcement t
Page 18 and 19: at the frontline town of Mozdok, on
Page 20 and 21: he was therefore powerless as presi
Page 22 and 23: for sure. My experiences of the sec
Page 24 and 25: themselves. Many of them were hardg
Page 29 and 30: ONE
Page 31 and 32: ackpack. You need ammunition, so yo
Page 33 and 34: alongside. They are even worse off:
Page 35 and 36: and everything. They looked at us w
Page 37 and 38: sulphide was good for the kidneys.
Page 39 and 40: to the water barrel they brought to
Page 41 and 42: We spotted them by the greenish tin
Page 43 and 44: was standing on lookout at dawn, sa
Page 45 and 46: there was no-one closer or dearer t
Page 47 and 48: open the door, and wait. Silence. S
Page 49 and 50: forever, and in the time it takes t
Page 51 and 52: wait for cries, moans, point-blank
Page 53 and 54: attalion is a serious matter and th
Page 55 and 56: 06/ The Cow We inherited the cow fr
Page 57 and 58:
it like God’s nectar. We drank in
Page 59 and 60:
‘It’s only a cow.’ ‘I know.
Page 61 and 62:
puttees was soaked. And we were shi
Page 63 and 64:
into an animal I was summoned by th
Page 65 and 66:
08/ The Ninth Neighbourhood Before
Page 67 and 68:
we ask one of them, ‘Are you aliv
Page 69 and 70:
having taken the houses so easily.
Page 71 and 72:
hitting our guys. Infantrymen pour
Page 73 and 74:
At last the bombardment dies down a
Page 75 and 76:
When the lads get back, Sigai comes
Page 77 and 78:
gnawed on corpses in the ruins. Thi
Page 79 and 80:
our feet and listened to us discuss
Page 81 and 82:
10/ The Apartment I had an apartmen
Page 83 and 84:
anyone. I didn’t want some strang
Page 85 and 86:
ests on my rough, dirty, cracked an
Page 87 and 88:
I’ll take it with me. I might nee
Page 89 and 90:
TWO
Page 91 and 92:
spread out on top to dry as we soak
Page 93 and 94:
lipped and small, the smallest sold
Page 95 and 96:
to get the hell out of here faster.
Page 97 and 98:
ottle of lemonade and a kilo of cho
Page 99 and 100:
‘As far as I'm concerned, it’s
Page 101 and 102:
smelled so appetizingly of wild str
Page 103 and 104:
hundred blokes uniformly expressed
Page 105 and 106:
to escape from the bombardments. Th
Page 107 and 108:
een waiting almost a week, and buil
Page 109 and 110:
grabbed them by the corners and whe
Page 111 and 112:
But now I sense he will spill the b
Page 113 and 114:
her, she never pulled another stunt
Page 115 and 116:
up like foetuses, and if we had eat
Page 117 and 118:
with transparent slices of salted p
Page 119 and 120:
‘What makes you think the planes
Page 121 and 122:
wounded, put them on stretchers and
Page 123 and 124:
unway piled up with corpses, and tw
Page 125 and 126:
and probably more than a month. ‘
Page 127 and 128:
others will stay here. Maybe not fo
Page 129 and 130:
inside the Arctic Circle where life
Page 131 and 132:
ecome brothers, where we experience
Page 133 and 134:
‘Well, Kisel, see you then,’ I
Page 135 and 136:
his head he barks: ‘A team of fiv
Page 137 and 138:
the middle of this field. They are
Page 139 and 140:
‘It’s the same Ural,’ says Lo
Page 141 and 142:
no more war. I have left it all beh
Page 143 and 144:
the dark tarpaulin and we didn’t
Page 145 and 146:
‘Bloody hell, what is this place?
Page 147 and 148:
a sling is trying to find out somet
Page 149 and 150:
lock since the captain brought us h
Page 151 and 152:
faster and faster along the strip,
Page 153 and 154:
are now barefoot and the soldiers s
Page 155 and 156:
‘Shall we go for a quick march to
Page 157 and 158:
my home in the Taganka district, an
Page 159 and 160:
We leap to our feet like madmen and
Page 161 and 162:
porch, smoking and watching the att
Page 163 and 164:
slaves and do what the hell they li
Page 165 and 166:
no way I can leave here; I have ano
Page 167 and 168:
warm and sticky. I lick the blood f
Page 169 and 170:
me to get a cloth and clean up the
Page 171 and 172:
tell me I’m a snitch and that thi
Page 173 and 174:
never to end so that there is alway
Page 175 and 176:
factory, and it’s dirt cheap. Eve
Page 177 and 178:
for breakfast. And me. Well, are yo
Page 179 and 180:
But I have no right to complain, I
Page 181 and 182:
only you and me left. Kisel’s gon
Page 183 and 184:
twig. The afternoon sentry muster i
Page 185 and 186:
‘Listen, maybe Sanya has some in
Page 187 and 188:
get up to. We walk along the street
Page 189 and 190:
Chechnya but home, to the north. We
Page 191 and 192:
Today Timokha doesn’t kick me out
Page 193 and 194:
duty soldier. No officer ever comes
Page 195 and 196:
the barracks. Only Timokha and I ar
Page 197 and 198:
carried their bag of stuff into Moz
Page 199 and 200:
Now Khariton and Smiler are sitting
Page 201 and 202:
down you,’ says Timokha. He’s a
Page 203 and 204:
waking every time we hear shouts co
Page 205 and 206:
threads from blue legs, mouths gapi
Page 207 and 208:
that he’s done for. ‘You are su
Page 209 and 210:
some; they were just in Chechnya an
Page 211 and 212:
He gets off the windowsill and plop
Page 213 and 214:
Well, I imagine you’ve already go
Page 215 and 216:
major starts to dictate: ‘On 7 Ju
Page 217 and 218:
with it by towing the carrier into
Page 219 and 220:
the jar with his fingers. He pushes
Page 221 and 222:
sentry musters and our company just
Page 223 and 224:
there all night long. Whenever I he
Page 225 and 226:
est of us, Loop, Andy and I have de
Page 227 and 228:
Zyuzik and I scrubbed those crapper
Page 229 and 230:
Timokha takes the news surprisingly
Page 231 and 232:
my hands in my pockets I’d also g
Page 233 and 234:
granddad and then there are conflic
Page 235 and 236:
dembels, with three months service
Page 237 and 238:
have any right to live at all, and
Page 239 and 240:
separately in a different barracks,
Page 241 and 242:
‘Now that’s a shitty place they
Page 243 and 244:
‘Take it easy, I’ve had my fair
Page 245 and 246:
orchard where we can hide without a
Page 247 and 248:
Lenochka, how I’d love to...' Loo
Page 249 and 250:
offended. ‘Natasha, who I was at
Page 251 and 252:
him. Andy spits over his shoulder t
Page 253 and 254:
stuff. We don’t even know how to
Page 255 and 256:
Andy. ‘No, not all of them, Vital
Page 257 and 258:
effective, blood everywhere, and mo
Page 259 and 260:
guts and I fancy a sleep. We laze a
Page 261 and 262:
day, then you regard it as a day wa
Page 263 and 264:
triumphantly, as if he has uncovere
Page 265 and 266:
from Russia just for the asking,’
Page 267 and 268:
‘No-one can explain the whys and
Page 269 and 270:
eating the pulp out of each other o
Page 271 and 272:
somewhere. After we hear this we lo
Page 273 and 274:
They start kicking him and make him
Page 275 and 276:
these things, soldiers of the radio
Page 277 and 278:
Chechnya. We don’t care any more,
Page 279 and 280:
callers. For example, the phone rin
Page 281 and 282:
successes and we are starting to ge
Page 283 and 284:
flight of stairs, open the door and
Page 285 and 286:
split the proceeds, and even our Mo
Page 287 and 288:
flares or thunder-flashes, but that
Page 289 and 290:
fitted with a siren that, when acti
Page 291 and 292:
that’s not what he’s after. He
Page 293 and 294:
‘Why?’ Said says with surprisin
Page 295 and 296:
ecause he knows that will be more p
Page 297 and 298:
‘Listen lads, let’s take him do
Page 299 and 300:
me get out of bed. This isn’t eve
Page 301 and 302:
Something in my right side has swol
Page 303 and 304:
and I rock backwards and forwards,
Page 305 and 306:
know that I am now in total shit. W
Page 307 and 308:
charred and swollen, are brought to
Page 309 and 310:
tormented by lice and filth, be bea
Page 311 and 312:
I can’t tear my eyes away from th
Page 313 and 314:
These two are crazed way beyond any
Page 315 and 316:
a helicopter in a forty-degree heat
Page 317 and 318:
egiment, used to the beatings and t
Page 319 and 320:
cynicism, and it can never be cross
Page 321 and 322:
left to waste away. These tents con
Page 323 and 324:
with a stool. They say a fair bit o
Page 325 and 326:
all right. What if I manage to hang
Page 327 and 328:
‘Great girl, isn’t she? Everyon
Page 329 and 330:
us more than the commanders and the
Page 331 and 332:
and cling onto me from all sides, m
Page 333 and 334:
itch.’ He splits my lower lip wit
Page 335 and 336:
have the strength to change anythin
Page 337 and 338:
the level crossing, townsfolk waiti
Page 339 and 340:
Her name is Aunt Lusya. There were
Page 341 and 342:
downwards, entering his chest and e
Page 343 and 344:
Everything that happens here should
Page 345 and 346:
look at my busted face to realize t
Page 347 and 348:
forming columns here and sending th
Page 349 and 350:
mean they’ve already sent more th
Page 351 and 352:
Kotenochkin, jumping up onto his ca
Page 353 and 354:
lagging behind.’ The column stops
Page 355 and 356:
dumped concrete blocks. On both sid
Page 357 and 358:
the other side of that barrier at t
Page 359 and 360:
‘Defensive positions!’ We all j
Page 361 and 362:
It’s the carriers firing, aiming
Page 363 and 364:
armour. His knee is warm. The sun i
Page 365 and 366:
The plains of Chechnya are surround
Page 367 and 368:
these to the top every day, which i
Page 369 and 370:
appears. You can smell the stale al
Page 371 and 372:
answer. The skinny one brushes his
Page 373 and 374:
a long way off, making the carrier
Page 375 and 376:
let their guys run errands for them
Page 377 and 378:
‘Where are you from, Tall Boy?’
Page 379 and 380:
heading. ‘How about you go and ge
Page 381 and 382:
whole battalion is now sitting in t
Page 383 and 384:
people lived in the steppe a thousa
Page 385 and 386:
take in the dead city. There is sho
Page 387 and 388:
Two vehicles are knocked out but th
Page 389 and 390:
Fighting rages on in Grozny. No-one
Page 391 and 392:
odies. ‘Hold your fire!’ shouts
Page 393 and 394:
The next night our side brings up a
Page 395 and 396:
‘Bastards!’ says Murky, unable
Page 397 and 398:
you’ll see,’ Andy says. ‘Teet
Page 399 and 400:
we are willing to live in whatever
Page 401 and 402:
Then they melt the TNT from them. N
Page 403 and 404:
found it immediately. Just imagine
Page 405 and 406:
for it here. I can’t imagine a ra
Page 407 and 408:
used it to bump me up in my service
Page 409 and 410:
with a heavy army stool every day f
Page 411 and 412:
few rounds with each other, they co
Page 413 and 414:
square. They were thrown down in pi
Page 415 and 416:
Slav and Tom. Two more move along t
Page 417 and 418:
over. After the blast, we scooped t
Page 419 and 420:
Next to it there is a coil of wire
Page 421 and 422:
nowhere to withdraw to for a rest,
Page 423 and 424:
machines. Boys? We have the same ar
Page 425 and 426:
ground, with pieces of shrapnel fly
Page 427 and 428:
The next regiment lost fifteen men
Page 429 and 430:
In Grozny they set up joint command
Page 431 and 432:
We leave through streets that we to
Page 433 and 434:
watch our column in silence. Their
Page 435 and 436:
and looks at me again. They laugh.
Page 437 and 438:
We don’t know what we are fightin
Page 439 and 440:
anyone ever asks me, ‘What were y
Page 441 and 442:
sniper fire. They wrap them up in t
Page 443 and 444:
for the ‘special cargo’, cartin
Page 445 and 446:
work side by side with his subordin
Page 447 and 448:
I tried to push my feet under the c
Page 449 and 450:
although he was only nineteen like
Page 451 and 452:
usual tomfoolery I’d throw him ou
Page 453 and 454:
men. At least they are afraid of de
Page 455 and 456:
into my armpit to warm it up while
Page 457 and 458:
I was afraid that my frozen legs wo
Page 459 and 460:
look lively, they've already called
Page 461 and 462:
guilty in front of her, the guilt a
Page 463 and 464:
stand in her presence...’ I didn
Page 465 and 466:
that the major had slapped on us; t
Page 467 and 468:
‘Uh-huh.’ I curled up, pulled t
Page 469 and 470:
embrace. Such a date only happens o
Page 471 and 472:
spare second sleeping, and he can
Page 473 and 474:
double portion of pearl barley toda
Page 475 and 476:
‘Five to twelve,’ he answers. H
Page 477 and 478:
no light, no joy, no love, and no h
Page 479 and 480:
Everyone is firing ceaselessly, let
Page 481 and 482:
the commander and closer to the kit
Page 483 and 484:
idly poking at the fire with a clea
Page 485 and 486:
together with nature, concentrated
Page 487 and 488:
seemed to work out for him, or it w
Page 489 and 490:
to make a big song and dance out of
Page 491 and 492:
humps on the top of two of them, sh
Page 493 and 494:
ackside - the armour’s wet.’ Th
Page 495 and 496:
driver on the head and he let the c
Page 497 and 498:
adio to save the battery. Grey Chec
Page 499 and 500:
around on this armoured carrier, st
Page 501 and 502:
Alkhan-Yurt. They’ve got them hem
Page 503 and 504:
it had an imperious ring to it, lik
Page 505 and 506:
put and jumped down. I stood up, st
Page 507 and 508:
I followed him ‘OK, take it easy.
Page 509 and 510:
‘No, some moron infantry. I mean,
Page 511 and 512:
headed back there too. ‘OK Vasya,
Page 513 and 514:
of the carrier and covered our rear
Page 515 and 516:
of them there, easy as anything, an
Page 517 and 518:
people. They survive but they lose
Page 519 and 520:
spreading out among the ditches and
Page 521 and 522:
undergrowth, vanished into the mars
Page 523 and 524:
washed clean of mud, grease and die
Page 525 and 526:
We poked around by the edge of the
Page 527 and 528:
were any in the lowland area, didn
Page 529 and 530:
I moved a little, trying to slip of
Page 531 and 532:
I stood up to my full height, bent
Page 533 and 534:
I remembered how I had once spotted
Page 535 and 536:
those dickheads in a minute.’ He
Page 537 and 538:
and a packet of raisins. Ventus onl
Page 539 and 540:
After we’d taken care of the tin,
Page 541 and 542:
‘We fancied a bit of hunting, so
Page 543 and 544:
minibus to our Moscow region unit,
Page 545 and 546:
johns. They had more lice than thre
Page 547 and 548:
like that wouldn’t simply give up
Page 549 and 550:
get it? Incurable. And now you are
Page 551 and 552:
get out of it for a day Heating, my
Page 553 and 554:
‘Right... And you call me a philo
Page 555 and 556:
state of delirium I’d jump around
Page 557 and 558:
Islands. I have a completely differ
Page 559 and 560:
ut who knows? Two days ago they did
Page 561 and 562:
cast a circle of pale light on the
Page 563 and 564:
on. The lads are pretty tired. Lay
Page 565 and 566:
where the tarpaulin should be. I pu
Page 567 and 568:
conserve warmth, and now I desperat
Page 569 and 570:
leak and light a fire. I raised mys
Page 571 and 572:
ground. The infantry sat about ten
Page 573 and 574:
Someone with his chin tucked into h
Page 575 and 576:
ebbs. Then war crawls out of you in
Page 577 and 578:
too rough.’ But after the hot dri
Page 579 and 580:
his dirty fingers picked off a coup
Page 581 and 582:
waited. Any moment now, one more st
Page 583 and 584:
emptiness of my stomach? I suddenly
Page 585 and 586:
juicy. I picked another, then a thi
Page 587 and 588:
tired ourselves. Everyone returned
Page 589 and 590:
They could at least send us water.
Page 591 and 592:
Alkhan-Kala seemed to vanish, swept
Page 593 and 594:
you and leaves you speechless. ‘N
Page 595 and 596:
couple of minutes. As the dust sett
Page 597 and 598:
usual arrogant pose, his arm restin
Page 599 and 600:
the Bee launcher from the carrier.
Page 601 and 602:
only a wet, eternally muddy dug-out
Page 603 and 604:
on top of the carrier and I was ama
Page 605 and 606:
very important, so much so that it
Page 607 and 608:
I started to sweat and my clothing
Page 609 and 610:
a centimetre above it. ‘I’ll bl
Page 611 and 612:
‘Comrade Major! Comrade Major!’
Page 613 and 614:
the barn to the village outskirts;
Page 615 and 616:
and waited until he’d reached the
Page 617 and 618:
tugged the foot of the nearest sold
Page 619 and 620:
the grass between the figures plast
Page 621 and 622:
I didn’t reply, so Sitnikov lower
Page 623 and 624:
escape. The house withered under th
Page 625 and 626:
head. My skull was ringing, I could
Page 627 and 628:
‘Call Armour, you dumb prick!’
Page 629 and 630:
time. The kid’s stunned, I though
Page 631 and 632:
to fight or to stand round scratchi
Page 633 and 634:
and froze, their barrels quivering
Page 635 and 636:
killing was different, on a lesser
Page 637 and 638:
Crouching, the infantry ran after u
Page 639 and 640:
knackered running through the woods
Page 641 and 642:
shaking and I cursed my ungainly fl
Page 643 and 644:
with just as much difficulty. The i
Page 645 and 646:
I groped my way down onto a small r
Page 647 and 648:
it all, I lowered my head to the la
Page 649 and 650:
had been a piece of cake this time,
Page 651 and 652:
were bullets going whack-whack in t
Page 653 and 654:
shrapnel, and I was entirely visibl
Page 655 and 656:
And dear God, do it right now, beca
Page 657 and 658:
his trousers, one by one, and dropp
Page 659 and 660:
heaving with laughter, unable to st
Page 661 and 662:
on her face as she listens to her f
Page 663 and 664:
this is all we get for our pains? I
Page 665 and 666:
The psychologist used to be a plato
Page 667 and 668:
happened to the driver and the esco
Page 669 and 670:
left. We stayed on the highway and
Page 671 and 672:
would run across the open ground. T
Page 673 and 674:
know where the driver is?’ ‘Gon
Page 675 and 676:
frilly edge of the pie, while this
Page 677 and 678:
all they could do is keep him pinne
Page 679 and 680:
sprouting wires from the burnt tire
Page 681 and 682:
again, this time with a mortar batt
Page 683 and 684:
and even happily. Now he stood by t
Page 685 and 686:
mortar guys raced around Chechnya d
Page 687 and 688:
He suddenly fell silent and turned
Page 689 and 690:
have field guns.’ The commander t
Page 691 and 692:
‘Just some locals,’ the infantr
Page 693 and 694:
others. And we had eagerly carried
Page 695 and 696:
stove. I only came to my senses whe
Page 697 and 698:
embraced us soldiers like babes in
Page 699 and 700:
night and snowfall had thrown a cle
Page 701 and 702:
opposite the cross-shaped hospital,
Page 703 and 704:
got blown up on a minefield. We too
Page 705 and 706:
and devouring our dry rations. We
Page 707 and 708:
here. I go out onto the porch and t
Page 709 and 710:
the sky. I go up to a platoon comma
Page 711 and 712:
operation, when he was pulling the
Page 713 and 714:
metres from our positions, sending
Page 715 and 716:
aren’t many of them, maybe a hund
Page 717 and 718:
and I am suddenly terrified, racked
Page 719 and 720:
eyes. The injured smoke agitatedly
Page 721 and 722:
without trouble - it’s dead groun
Page 723 and 724:
ow stretches about two hundred metr
Page 725 and 726:
way behind the enemy front line and
Page 727 and 728:
has any doubts about that. Only a t
Page 729 and 730:
the yard. There are no more tripwir
Page 731 and 732:
the Chechens can’t see us and are
Page 733 and 734:
pickles. Not a bad haul, I say to m
Page 735 and 736:
as we call the wounded guys, and it
Page 737 and 738:
a piece of shrapnel in the thigh du
Page 739 and 740:
and I wake. It’s ten to one. I ro
Page 741 and 742:
the lookout over in that house. One
Page 743 and 744:
apple tree quiver in the wind and i
Page 745 and 746:
fell asleep, their heads resting on
Page 747 and 748:
hurry - today we’ll have to advan
Page 749 and 750:
pieces that can take the edge off t
Page 751 and 752:
my mood a boost and I start to whis
Page 753 and 754:
18/ Argun We are halted for the fou
Page 755 and 756:
are, for there’s no-one in the wo
Page 757 and 758:
from the heels of a platoon.’ ‘
Page 759 and 760:
ibs. It turns out that some of them
Page 761 and 762:
Sundays. How are they supposed to h
Page 763 and 764:
from the river and use those. Each
Page 765 and 766:
We finish the ribs. We’ve gnawed
Page 767 and 768:
Sharo-Argun. What a terrible name.
Page 769 and 770:
hole.’ I shut my eyes, lie on my
Page 771 and 772:
Then he’ll lie in a puddle and st
Page 773 and 774:
‘Some businessmen we are, Fixa,
Page 775 and 776:
an straight into another group of f
Page 777 and 778:
abducted his sister and demanded a
Page 779 and 780:
manage to. Suddenly there’s a sin
Page 781 and 782:
oad by the fence. They’ll get us
Page 783 and 784:
a long scratch on his cheek. What b
Page 785 and 786:
The fighters could inflict far more
Page 787 and 788:
He knows it sounds unconvincing but
Page 789 and 790:
hooked the place up to the electric
Page 791 and 792:
We stand by the tents and bluntly s
Page 793 and 794:
eaking into the trailer wagon that
Page 795 and 796:
ground. The muzzle flash is invisib
Page 797 and 798:
children. To make matters worse the
Page 799 and 800:
shooting but the commotion is gradu
Page 801 and 802:
with my elbow and he bumps me back
Page 803 and 804:
well hidden in the ditch and there
Page 805 and 806:
Our raid has yielded eighteen cans
Page 807 and 808:
can’t get it past the fence and i
Page 809 and 810:
upon them and gave them a beating,
Page 811 and 812:
to his shoulder blades with a crack
Page 813 and 814:
and we have the right to bring it u
Page 815 and 816:
even greater rage. There’s someth
Page 817 and 818:
place. Thieving is both the foundat
Page 819 and 820:
luxurious houses for generals that
Page 821 and 822:
post as our commanders down more vo
Page 823 and 824:
army. And since we want nothing mor
Page 825 and 826:
own children? Competent, conscienti
Page 827 and 828:
unway and I would sleep with a blan
Page 829 and 830:
the elevator. Our 8th company is ho
Page 831 and 832:
orders, nodding to the two prostrat
Page 833 and 834:
ut fine for a rinse. A captured Mit
Page 835 and 836:
distinguished themselves. Medals ar
Page 837 and 838:
ass fanfare,’ he says. ‘Otherwi
Page 839 and 840:
February, Defenders of the Fatherla
Page 841 and 842:
taken prisoner. But generals are an
Page 843 and 844:
officers get posted there with thei
Page 845 and 846:
should never be any luxury there so
Page 847 and 848:
the rest of us in a cashier’s off
Page 849 and 850:
have to be bred, trained in the aca
Page 851 and 852:
that they have violent hazing even
Page 853 and 854:
in the ranks! After this he goes on
Page 855 and 856:
enemy were forced to abandon their
Page 857 and 858:
and fired on them at point-blank ra
Page 859 and 860:
‘Cooks, drivers, clerks, everyone
Page 861 and 862:
to receive a smack in the mouth fro
Page 863 and 864:
least bit shy and soon we forget ou
Page 865 and 866:
stand like orphaned children by the
Page 867 and 868:
food, scooping condensed milk into
Page 869 and 870:
he holds it in two fingers and read
Page 871 and 872:
postcard from a bunch of kids? Well
Page 873 and 874:
attalion. Our stomachs are unaccust
Page 875 and 876:
newspaper, and within two days only
Page 877 and 878:
smirking. ‘That’s prohibited we
Page 879 and 880:
attalion has flowers springing from
Page 881 and 882:
water. We keep our find a secret, b
Page 883 and 884:
officers is shot up near the villag
Page 885 and 886:
same rebel group that killed the of
Page 887 and 888:
give way and I sit down sharply on
Page 889 and 890:
and then did the same to two new gu
Page 891 and 892:
Sure enough, they’re already insi
Page 893 and 894:
position, climbing up the heap of r
Page 895 and 896:
ecome an obsession. That’s all I
Page 897 and 898:
the size of a baby’s palm. Smalle
Page 899 and 900:
Olga’s tender touch is so much li
Page 901 and 902:
jerk so Oleg grabs him by one arm a
Page 903 and 904:
muscles in his cheeks twitch. ‘Wh
Page 905 and 906:
here and they consider it an unacce
Page 907 and 908:
perimeter fence, and you can get lo
Page 909 and 910:
superfluous here in this place in t
Page 911 and 912:
een a hoot! Then they would know wh
Page 913 and 914:
dreadful crime, plain murder, slaug
Page 915 and 916:
‘Did you come here with the medic
Page 917 and 918:
the war is over. It starts to rain.
Page 919 and 920:
19/ A Soldier's Dream Snow fell the
Page 921 and 922:
Night-time means fear. As dusk fall
Page 923 and 924:
starting to beat down, warming my b
Page 925 and 926:
he falls silent, looks at me strang
Page 927 and 928:
sleep when they are dead tired. He
Page 929 and 930:
His face becomes grey, dead. His te
Page 931 and 932:
20/ Field Deception War always smel
Page 933 and 934:
then, the same tents, the tower, th
Page 935 and 936:
General Shamanov, flew in to inspec
Page 937 and 938:
us he was coming for. Turned out it
Page 939 and 940:
went right through him. ‘There wa
Page 941 and 942:
of barracks, green grass and white
Page 943 and 944:
there isn’t, they’ll go and rob
Page 945 and 946:
would happen as did after the Khasa
Page 947 and 948:
us.’ ‘It’s bearable now,’ h
Page 949 and 950:
soldier’s nose for lousy places h
Page 951 and 952:
people wonder why they drop out of
Page 953 and 954:
seven killed and sixteen wounded.
Page 955 and 956:
and children, to go to God knows wh
Page 957 and 958:
different and so similar, pass befo
Page 959 and 960:
colonel: ‘No smoking here!’ I s
Page 961 and 962:
different one. It’s very similar
Page 963 and 964:
close-range fire on three sides, sh
Page 965 and 966:
smile in mutual understanding. Some
Page 967 and 968:
22/ Lais At the base of the 45th re
Page 969 and 970:
he was just eighteen years old. Eve
Page 971 and 972:
quite happily. Sasha was one of tho
Page 973 and 974:
men heading in the direction of Kir
Page 975 and 976:
long before the column itself. Acco
Page 977 and 978:
missed the Chechens too and kept mo
Page 979 and 980:
paratroops had walked into a trap.
Page 981 and 982:
don’t you hurry up then, we’ll
Page 983 and 984:
‘I didn’t know what was going o
Page 985 and 986:
thinking that I can’t call him Al
Page 987 and 988:
he remembers that fight. Only his h
Page 989 and 990:
Regiment TV programme bring Sasha
Page 991 and 992:
someone. On 7 August he doesn’t m
Page 993 and 994:
When I first went to war in June 19
Page 995 and 996:
while all the time she was subconsc
Page 997 and 998:
yet seen anything of life. You’d
Page 999 and 1000:
myself to my hearing, which grew ra
Page 1001 and 1002:
kept creeping across the depression
Page 1003 and 1004:
was in pain and if the bandage was
Page 1005 and 1006:
instead. But Basayev made it throug
Page 1007 and 1008:
leader and his deputy supply office
Page 1009 and 1010:
torn-off arms, the white flesh of t
Page 1011 and 1012:
my stomach. The sense of death in t
Page 1013 and 1014:
feet now there was just plain, hone
Page 1015 and 1016:
at that moment her eyes acquired an
Page 1017 and 1018:
with, then it becomes stronger in w
Page 1019 and 1020:
ead them the criminal code and dwel
Page 1021 and 1022:
him Limon), the other was called Ru
Page 1023 and 1024:
could have stayed with the Russians
Page 1025 and 1026:
would be quiet and not shout. Beati
Page 1027 and 1028:
ecause he was a conscript himself.
Page 1029 and 1030:
guards. When the graves were ready,
Page 1031 and 1032:
The teacher didn’t make it in tim
Page 1033 and 1034:
forcefully turning him over to the
Page 1035 and 1036:
office of the North Caucasus milita
Page 1037 and 1038:
prisoner but killed them on the spo
Page 1039 and 1040:
no-one could count even now. It was
Page 1041 and 1042:
junk back home, drink away the mone
Page 1043 and 1044:
the camps had taught them the tough
Page 1045 and 1046:
has not evaded the investigation. S
Page 1047 and 1048:
them to the army, and their main ch
Page 1049 and 1050:
a little gang of others who had don
Page 1051 and 1052:
anyway, someone has to mop the latr
Page 1053 and 1054:
26/ Operation 'Life' Continues No-o
Page 1055 and 1056:
life again. You learn to walk witho
Page 1057 and 1058:
You now remember the war as some ca
Page 1059 and 1060:
pen and paper and produce the first
Page 1061 and 1062:
should die before they know what wa
Page 1063 and 1064:
when they return. Ave Caesar, morit
Page 1065 and 1066:
keep up with life any more. All the
Page 1067 and 1068:
told me about getting his leg torn
Page 1069 and 1070:
‘Did you ever think the Dubrovka
Page 1071 and 1072:
have fun, live, drink beer and earn
Page 1073 and 1074:
Military Abbreviations AGS automati
Page 1075 and 1076:
Table of Contents Preface 01 Mounta
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