Death version of paratrooper in Chechnya raises doubts

The name of the paratrooper, Mikhail Bezelt, who, according to the official data, blew himself up on a mine in Chechnya, has appeared in the list of Donbass casualties. On the whole, the version of the contractor's death during exercises looks plausible, but it's strange that the exercise area had not been inspected by sappers, the law enforcers interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" have noted.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the Military Commandant Office (MCO) of Chechnya reported the death on August 21 of a paratrooper who blew himself up on a mine during exercises.

The name of Mikhail Bezelt, born in 1997, is on the list of 35 militias who perished in August in Donbass. The day of Bezelt's death is indicated as August 21, which coincides with the MCO's data.

There is nothing surprising in the trip of paratroopers to Chechnya in peacetime, Amir Kolov, a candidate of law and a retired police colonel, believes. "This is quite possible. Now, there are many units consisting of contractors; and they are often sent to exercises, trainings and service trips to other republics of Northern Caucasus," Mr Kolov told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Military servicemen should not move in the terrains not examined by sappers, said Ilyas, an employee of one of the units of the "Rosgvardia" (Russian National Guard) stationed in Chechnya. "Sappers are obligatory present at any operation, search and at other events. They move ahead and inspect the terrain; the rest of the group follows them. If someone gets blown up and dies, then the sapper and the commander are guilty," the law enforcer told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on September 14, 2019 at 03:49 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.