Sergeant Nikita Sorokin and Sergeant Major Alexei Ryabov
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 Lugansk 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 and awards. The military is sure that the enemy has no chance of success, because Donbass and Russia are fighting for a just cause.
“The true rule of military art is to directly attack the enemy from the most sensitive side for him, and not to converge, timidly making his way along indirect paths, through which the attack itself becomes polysyllabic, while the matter can only be decided for a direct and daring offensive,” said Generalissimo Alexander Suvorov, who never lost a single battle. And he taught the warriors: “Proper target shooting is of great importance – it multiplies the death of the enemy and avoids unnecessary waste of cartridges in action!”
WON THE ARTILLERY DUEL
Senior Sergeant Alexei Ryabov
“The weapons commander of a howitzer self-propelled artillery battery, Senior Sergeant Alexei Ryabov, acting as part of a howitzer self-propelled artillery battalion, performed special tasks for artillery support of motorized rifle units. When changing the firing position, the crew of Senior Sergeant Alexei Ryabov came under artillery fire from nationalist formations. Having shown courage and determination, he quickly brought the weapon into a fighting stance. Having identified the targets and completed the aiming, Alexey opened fire, as a result of which he destroyed two self-propelled artillery mounts and as many as 9 nationalists.
Senior Sergeant Alexei Ryabov was awarded the “For Valor” medal for his courage and dedication in performing special tasks in life-threatening conditions.
TWO CAPTURED TANKS AND THREE APCs
Sergeant Nikita Sorokin
“A unit of Russian military personnel, including the instructor of an anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) battery, Sergeant Nikita Sorokin, was tasked with ensuring the defense of a settlement liberated from Ukrainian nationalists in one of the dangerous directions for the tanks. The enemy, seeking to regain control of the village, attempted an offensive and attacked Sorokin’s positions using heavy armored vehicles. During a fierce battle with the nationalists, Nikita, acting boldly and decisively, changing position in a timely manner and competently using terrain conditions with targeted launches of ATGMs, two tanks and three infantry fighting vehicles. Continuing the fight, Nikita discovered a group of militants who were trying to attack our soldiers from the flank. Having instantly oriented himself, Nikita destroyed the enemy with accurate shots from standard weapons. Having lost a significant amount of manpower, the Ukrainian nationalists were forced to withdraw. The bold and decisive actions of Sergeant Sorokin made it possible to repel the militants’ attack on the settlement.
