CSTO PA representatives took part in the opening ceremony of a sambo championship dedicated to the memory of the heroic deed of the paratroopers of the 6th Company.

On March 3, the Yubileyny Sports Complex in St Petersburg hosted the grand opening of the 20th All-Russian Traditional Youth Sambo Tournament dedicated to the memory of the heroic deed of the paratroopers of the 6th Company of the 104th Guards Airborne Regiment of the 76th Guards Chernigov Red Banner Airborne Division.

Representatives of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly attended the ceremony. Athletes and guests observed a minute of silence in memory of paratroopers of the 6th Company who died in action.

“The heroic deed of the 6th Company is forever inscribed in the history of the Russian Armed Forces. Their sense of duty, courage, valour and selflessness set an example for every defender of the Fatherland,” said Vyacheslav MAKAROV, Chairman of the St Petersburg Legislative Assembly.

On the night of March 1, 2000, the 6th Company of the 104th Regiment of the 76th Guards Airborne Division under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Mark Yevtyukhin engaged in an unequal fight in the Argun Gorge in Chechnya, at Height 776.

90 paratroopers held back the onslaught of over 2,000 fighters led by Basayev and Khattab. In the battle, 84 Russian servicemen died a valiant death. Only six survived. But at the cost of their lives they prevented a large group of terrorists from breaking through and getting room for maneuver.

For their heroism and persistence, 22 servicemen were awarded the title of the Hero of Russia, 21 of them posthumously. 68 were awarded the Order of Courage, 63 of them posthumously.

The year 2020 marks the 20th anniversary of the heroic deed of Pskov paratroopers.

The main commemorative events took place on March 1, 2020 in the Pskov oblast’ and were visited by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir PUTIN.

These days the heroism of the fighters of the 6th Company is commemorated in many home regions of the fallen paratroopers. Among the dead were different nationals, including from the CSTO countries; this is another testament that the fight against terrorism has neither nationality nor borders.