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The battle for Tskhinvali: tank battle of Major Yakovlev for peacekeepers base

The battle for Tskhinvali: tank battle of Major Yakovlev for peacekeepers base

The battle for the base of peacekeepers lasted almost two days. Only the tank company of Major Yakovlev managed to save the Russian soldiers at the fatal moment..

Late evening 7 August 2008 the tank company of Major Yakovlev returned to the location of the 58th Combined Arms Army. The fighters put the cars in order, when the first reports appeared in the media about the invasion of Georgian troops into South Ossetia. A few hours later, the 58th Army received an order to form armored columns and advance to the aid of Russian peacekeepers besieged in Tskhinval.

Senior Sergeant Sergei Mylnikov, one of the tank commanders from Yakovlev's company, will tell later, that he was numb, when he heard about the beginning of the war, although I expected such a turn of events. He was pulled into reality by the order of the commander of Mylnikov, by car!». So for Major Yakovlev and his subordinates, the operation began to force Georgia to peace.

Yakovlev's company was one of the first to advance to the Roki tunnel as part of the 19th division. in the evening 8 August tanks crossed the Russian border and immediately engaged in battle with the enemy, who did not expect the intervention of the Russian army.

Command ordered Russian tanks not to enter Tskhinvali at dusk, and clean up the suburbs first. So, forces of the 19th division stormed one of the forward bases of the Georgian army near the village of Khetagurovo. Right there the fighters spent the night, getting enough sleep before the upcoming urban battles in Tskhinval.

morning 9 August column advanced to the besieged Tskhinvali, but almost immediately came under enemy fire. At night, Georgian artillery and tanks took control of the flat section of the highway., blocking Russian tanks and motorized infantry from moving forward safely. Then Yakovlev's company for the first time entered into a serious battle with the enemy..

The major's four cars turned around in a chain and drove out onto the plain.. The officer’s calculation for the disgusting training of the Georgian army turned out to be correct. Despite the complete superiority in firepower, the enemy never hit Russian tanks. But only Yakovlev's crew destroyed seven Georgian tanks and infantry fighting vehicles. Three more armored vehicles chalked up Mylnikov's crew. Having suffered such serious losses, the enemy retreated, and the column moved on.

When the 19th division came close to Tskhinval, It revealed, that the city is already almost completely occupied by Georgian troops. It was decided to wait for the approach of the main forces and even then begin the cleansing of the Ossetian capital.. But not me, the Russian base of peacekeepers still held out, but she needed urgent support. It was decided to send Yakovlev's company into the breakthrough.

The tanks arrived just in time, Georgian artillery has already destroyed the barracks, field hospital, gaping holes in several sections of the concrete fence. The enemy flanked the peacekeepers, they also had only one 82-mm mortar and several grenade launchers from heavy weapons.

The battle for Tskhinvali: tank battle of Major Yakovlev for peacekeepers base

Source photo: wikipedia.com

The arrived company immediately closed the weak points of defense, but she could not plug all the holes. So, T-72 Yakovleva stood in front of the main gate, to which the Georgians pulled the main forces. Another tank covered the rear, the third one was already damaged by that time, the explosion of a high-explosive projectile jammed the tower, and left it in stock. For the fourth crew, commanded by senior sergeant Mylnikov, assigned the role of mobile reserve. It was his tank that was supposed to close the flank holes in the defense.

Two hours later, Mylnikov's tank used up all its ammunition.. During this time, the vehicle received several hits from the enemy's 100-mm BMP cannon., as well as two shots from RPG-7. But the armor survived, although several secondary systems failed.

The battle for Tskhinvali: tank battle of Major Yakovlev for peacekeepers base

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Then the crew of Mylnikov moved to the "rear" car. This decision was dictated by, that in two hours the fighters managed to study the battlefield and oriented themselves perfectly on it. Soon the second tank also ran out of shells.. For the entire battle, Mylnikov's fighters destroyed two tanks., one BMP and several SUVs. Yakovlev's tank was also left without ammunition. Major knocked out two Georgian tanks and several infantry fighting vehicles, who tried to break through the main entrance.

It was decided to use those two wrecked tanks, to block the entrance. But for this it was necessary to hook the cars with their tanks and pull them up to the gate. It was impossible to do this without cover..

The battle for Tskhinvali: tank battle of Major Yakovlev for peacekeepers base

Source photo: wikipedia.com

This is how the commander of the base recalls subsequent events, Colonel Konstantin Timmerman: «”Yura! Punch them with your tank”. He gets into the tank, without ammunition, opens the gate - and there! We hear, there is a roar, he drives them on a tank, I thought - well, all. I told him to just drive, fly out, so that they run away and immediately - back. And he pinched them there for minutes 15. I thought, perish. I hear a roar, rushing tank, everyone yells - like, our! We open the gate, our tattered tank flies in ... ".

For these 15 minutes, Mylnikov pulled the wrecked Georgian tanks to the gate and blocked the entrance, when the major's car came back. But there were no reinforcements. As time went, and the enemy managed to regroup and began to prepare a decisive assault. Then Mylnikov volunteered to repeat the feat of the commander.

Georgians, probably, just couldn't believe, that the Russians will turn the "trick" with the tank twice, otherwise it is difficult to explain the fact, that the enemy, many times superior in number and armament, decided to retreat at the sight of a battered Russian tank.

Mylnikov managed to win some more time, and reinforcements from the 58th Army began to arrive on the territory of the base. Several Georgian units still remained in Tskhinval, but the siege was broken and the Russian troops advanced on all fronts.

At the end of the operation to force Georgia to peace, Major Yakovlev and Senior Sergeant Mylnikov were presented with the titles of Heroes of Russia.

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