At the cost of his life, this guy saved his colleagues. It happened not long ago, and the guys were opposed not to the fascist invaders, but to local bandits.
Today, in the homeland of the hero, his act is compared with the feat of Alexander Matrosov. People who knew him personally do not hesitate to talk about their pain of loss because they treated this guy with sincere love. His death was a tragedy for them.
Childhood
The village of Milgidun of the Chernyshevsky district of the Chita region is small. Valentina Epova lives here. In 1988, she gave birth to a son, whom she named Eugene. Soon the boy had a brother, Grisha. The presence of two children did not save this family - Zhenya's father filed for divorce and left the village. Valya got married again. The stepfather accepted the guys as family.
The brothers were very friendly. The elder was an example for the younger in everything. Mom and grandmother tried to pamper their first-born, however, they did not have the means for expensive gifts. Women were fond of the creativity of modern and classical composers, songwriters, and the baby was entertained with singing, which he loved very much. At school, Zhenya became interested in geography. The teacher of this subject believed that his student should get higher education and make a career as a teacher.
Choice of profession
The teenager was fond of boxing and football. The coaches praised him, but they did not promise an Olympic future. After graduating from the 9th grade of the school, Epov entered the Chernyshevsk Vocational Railway School No. 20. Having mastered the specialty of a locksmith for the repair and maintenance of rolling stock, he did not take up work because in 2006 he was drafted into the army.
The place of service of our hero was the Ozersk division of the internal troops. The conscript was distinguished by his heroic strength, excellent health and a responsible approach to performing any task. The command was satisfied with them and after the end of their military service they offered a contract. Evgeny Epov has already made a decision - he remains in the army to make his contribution to the country's security. In 2007, he became a special forces fighter of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. The young man was not going to leave his peaceful profession. He studied in absentia at the Chelyabinsk branch of the Ural State University of Railways.
Special Forces
In his unit, which was stationed in Chelyabinsk, the young soldier mastered the military craft. He started as a second number with a grenade launcher, then he mastered this weapon and a flamethrower himself. In 2009, Epov earned the right to wear the famous maroon beret. The competent sergeant was appointed commander of the 23rd special-purpose detachment "Amulet". The guy was proud of his successes. Upon learning that his younger brother was writing songs, he asked him to compose something about special forces.
In Chelyabinsk, Evgeny met Anastasia Vershinina. Young people were in no hurry to formalize their relationship. The young man's relatives preferred not to interfere with his personal life, but were very happy when, during his next visit home, Zhenya introduced his companion as his wife.
Combat missions
The guy in love had weighty motives to procrastinate with the wedding. His unit often entered into battle with a dangerous enemy, and he did not want to leave his beloved a widow. In a peaceful country, events periodically occurred that required the participation of special forces soldiers. Well-armed gangs harassed the southern regions of the Russian Federation.
Since 2007, Evgeny Epov has taken part in four counter-terrorist operations. The Siberians were sent to Chechnya and Dagestan, where local law enforcement officers could not cope with criminal groups on their own. What was the composition of the gangs - whether there were exclusively Russian citizens there, or whether there were guest performers from abroad, in the news, as a rule, they are silent. The special forces were also not interested in such details, their task was to prevent terrorist attacks and attacks on civilians.
The last task
In late autumn 2011, Sergeant Epov said goodbye to his wife and went on a business trip to the Republic of Dagestan. There, in the Kizlyar region, a gang settled, periodically making raids on villages. The wooded mountainous terrain made the search and liquidation of the criminal organization a difficult task, which was only up to the commandos.
By the beginning of 2012, the thugs were found and taken into a ring between the village of Chernyaevka and the Ukrainian farm. The terrorists made several attempts to break through the cordon and break out into the operational space. They did not succeed in this. The gang did not have enough men and weapons to attack head-on. Then their leader conceived a cunning maneuver. According to his plan, one of the dugouts turned into an ambush site. An unexpected battle could have saved the remnants of the gang, allowing it to leave.
Doom
On the eve of his death, Evgeny Epov called his mother. He asked the old woman if she kept his gifts. The woman assured her son that everything is completely safe, and she will be glad if he will visit relatives in the near future and please her with another souvenir. On January 27, 2012, a detachment of our hero was patrolling the area, when militants began to shoot from hiding.
When the enemy threw a grenade, the sergeant covered it with his body. He died, but saved his subordinates. Reinforcements arrived to the aid of the ambushed special forces, and the terrorist group was eliminated. Evgeny Epov was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Russia. In his native village, relatives, retelling the guy's biography, cannot hold back tears.
