Private Sergei Zotin and Senior Lieutenant Ivan Stepanov
We continue to acquaint you with the heroes of the special operation “Z” – participants in the hostilities in the Donbass. Soldiers, sergeants, corporals, and officers who demonstrated their professional experience, character, and completed combat missions. His determination, assertiveness and combat experience in the Ministry of Defense of Russia, in the police units of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, receive the highest marks.
Our heroes thwarted the attacks and prevented the counter-offensive of the nationalists, for which they received state awards. But they do not serve for the sake of praise. The military is sure that the enemy has no chance of success, because Donbass and Russia are fighting for a just cause.
“The enemy should not be given time, take advantage of his mistake as much as possible and boldly take everything from the weaker side,” said Generalissimo Alexander Suvorov, who did not lose a single battle. And he exclaimed: “The tirelessness of the soldiers and the determination of the officer – these are the leaders to glory!”
KEPT THE PRESSURE OF THE ENEMY
Senior Lieutenant Ivan Stepanov
“Senior Lieutenant Stepanov’s division received the task of defending one of the tank-dangerous directions, in which the enemy later tried to break through. One day, the Ukrainian nationalists, after a heavy artillery preparation, went on the offensive with superior forces supported by armored fighting vehicles, trying to encircle the Russian units on the flank. Ivan, together with his subordinates, heroically stopped the attack of the superior enemy forces. During the battle, Stepanov personally destroyed an enemy tank and dismounted enemy infantry with fire from a hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher. The enemy, having suffered serious losses, fled from the battlefield. Competently leading his subordinates, Ivan Stepanov, together with the unit, destroyed 3 enemy tanks, 2 armored personnel carriers, 6 infantry fighting vehicles, as well as more than 50 nationalists. For courage and heroism shown in the performance of military duty, Senior Lieutenant Ivan Stepanov was awarded the Order of Courage.
COVERED WITH COMPANION ARMOURS
Private Sergey Zotin
“The unit, which included a senior driver, Private Sergei Zotin, carried out a combat mission to liberate a strategically significant settlement, fighting with the defending nationalists. During the battle, Sergei’s combat vehicle came under fire. Skillfully maneuvering, Private Zotin, using the conditions of the terrain, took the car out of enemy fire. Advancing further, Zotin discovered a fortified point from where the nationalists fired machine guns. Instantly oriented to the situation, Sergey took up an advantageous firing position to defeat the Ukrainian militants, providing cover for dismounted personnel. As a result of the competent actions of Private Zotin, more than 15 nationalists were killed by the crew of an infantry fighting vehicle. Having decided to evacuate his comrades from the battlefield, Sergei covered his comrades with his combat vehicle and made possible the withdrawal of personnel, their regrouping and further development of the assault on the settlement. Thanks to the professional skills of Sergei Zotin, his competent command of the situation in difficult combat conditions, skillful control of the entrusted equipment, the crew of the infantry fighting vehicle inflicted a significant defeat in equipment and manpower on the defending enemy.
