“The collapse of the USSR took place against the background of a general economic, foreign policy and demographic crisis. In 1989, the beginning of the economic crisis in the USSR was officially announced for the first time. A number of interethnic conflicts flared up on the territory of the USSR. The Karabakh conflict, which began in 1988, was distinguished by the greatest severity. Mutual ethnic cleansing takes place, the exodus of Armenians from Azerbaijan and Azerbaijanis with Muslim Kurds from Armenia begins. In 1989, the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR announced the annexation of Nagorno-Karabakh. In the summer of the same year, the Armenian SSR introduced a blockade of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, and the Popular Front of Azerbaijan, as a retaliatory measure, announced an economic blockade of the whole of Armenia. In April 1991, a war actually breaks out between the two Soviet republics."
Wikopedia
A helicopter of the Azerbaijani army performed its regular flight in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. At the helm of the Mi-24 was a young Russian guy Andrei, who just a year and a half ago graduated from a military school and was assigned to a separate helicopter squadron of the Soviet, then still, army in the city of N Azerbaijan SSR.
Flying past a picturesque gorge along a small mountain road, along which a column of heavy equipment had recently passed, Andrey reflected on the events in his life of the last one and a half years:
“In 1991, two young lieutenants joined the squadron, both graduates of flight schools. Andrei was from a small provincial village, a typical provincial guy who, from childhood, dreamed of becoming a pilot and did everything possible to fulfill his dream: he went in for sports, went to the regional center to an aircraft modeling circle, studied aviation literature, and watched all films about military pilots. Andrey was an innocent, kind, but at the same time persistent and purposeful guy. In the last year of school, Andrei married, but he did not bring his wife to the squadron, he left her at home with his parents, as he was afraid to lead her into the unknown.
The second is Artem, a guy from the capital who was forced to enter the school by his father, a former military man. Artyom was very developed and gifted in every way. Studying was easy for him, he did not waste time cramming and devoted his free time to entertainment. Artyom was witty and cheerful, resourceful, liked the girls, often disappeared at discos.
The lieutenants arrived in the squadron in August 1991. The political events of that time at first did not affect the life of the squadron in any way, the service continued as usual. The young lieutenants were temporarily assigned to a vacant room in the bachelor's dormitory, and their service began. However, it did not last long.
From the very beginning, Artyom said that he did not want to serve "in this hole" and intended to quit by any means. Andrei, on the other hand, wanted to serve, but in the light of the latest political events in the country, the prospects were far from bright. It became clear that the troops would soon be withdrawn from the Transcaucasus to Russia, where it is likely that it would be a matter of a very distant prospect to get housing for the family Andrei.
Already in October, the so-called "recruiters" from the newly formed Azerbaijani army began to appear in the hostel. They offered the pilots to sign a contract for service in their army, for which they promised "mountains of gold": an apartment in Baku, a car and a very good salary, which would exceed the current monetary allowance several times.
After long and painful deliberation, Andrei decided to accept the recruiter's offer and conclude a contract. He reasoned that regular and frequent flights, which he dreamed of so much, an apartment where he can bring his wife, a good salary - all this in the Russian army now he will not see soon, but so much he wants.
Artem, on the other hand, did not want to serve in any army - neither in Russia, nor in Azerbaijan, nor in any other. In general, both wrote a letter of resignation in one day and began to wait for the order. At the same time, Artyom almost completely stopped going to the service and disappeared somewhere all the time. At the local market, he met traders who complained that after the aggravation of relations with Armenia, their shuttle business from Turkey was declining. Artem, quickly estimating the possible profit, offered them his services and went headlong into a semi-legal business. He traveled to the Armenian-Turkish border, where he bought various Turkish clothes in bulk, brought them to Azerbaijan, where he sold them profitably.
In March 1992, orders of dismissal came. Andrey left for Baku. And Artyom disappeared somewhere on the Armenian-Turkish border. There were rumors that he was engaged in some kind of business of his own."
Andrey's reflections were interrupted by the voice of the co-pilot-navigator:
- Directly on the course I see dust, a column.
- Turn on weapons. Prepare for the attack, - Andrei commanded without hesitation.
When approaching the Armenian convoy, the helicopter made a small “hill” and without a preliminary passage, unexpectedly fell from above, fired a series of volleys with unguided rockets at the convoy, then fired from a cannon the armored personnel carrier in front of it and, making a sharp turn, began to enter for a second strike.
Suddenly Andrey saw on the right a pair of twenty-fours walking towards him. He made a sharp turn to go beyond the nearest small skyscraper and reported to the checkpoint:
- 365th, the target is found, attacked, I observe the escort - a couple of "humpbacks", I move away.
Suddenly Andrey heard a painfully familiar voice on the air:
- Andryukha! Are you?
- Who is this? - Andrey answered with a question, directing his helicopter into a small valley at extremely low altitude.
- Didn't you know, brother, it's me Artyom!
- ?!… Well hello. What are you doing here?
- Debts brother, debts. Here I am working it out.
- And what will we do?
“I'm afraid you and I have no choice.
In this unequal aerial battle, both friends were killed.
