Sergei Ashikhmin was an ordinary guy who chose the fate of a military man. He served at the border, then in "hot spots". Comprehended the wisdom of the complex, full of hardships and life hardships of the FSB special forces. And when he had to make a decisive choice, the major chose to save the lives of his comrades, protecting them from an explosion during an action to neutralize terrorists in peaceful Kazan.
From the biography of S. Ashikhmin
Sergey Ashikhmin was born on December 23, 1977. The place of his birth is the village of Malinovka (Ukraine, Kharkov region). As a child, Seryozha was engaged in creativity, he loved to draw. He willingly rode a bicycle and was an excellent skipper.
From an early age, Sergei dreamed of a military career. The family supported his aspirations. That is why he entered the missile and artillery cadet corps in St. Petersburg. Graduation from the educational institution took place in 1995. After that Ashikhmin graduated from the Moscow military institute of the Russian border service. Then he guarded the country's borders at the border posts of the North-West of the Russian Federation. The received military education became a help in his career.
Since 2002, S. Ashikhmin was enrolled in the staff of the FSB special forces, in the department in charge of special operations. The officer had a chance to visit the North Caucasus more than once, where he gained experience in countering terrorism. The courage and courage that Ashikhmin showed in those eventful years were awarded with departmental awards, as well as the medal "For Courage".
The last battle of a special forces officer
In October 2012, the special services received alarming information: radical Islamists are preparing a loud terrorist act in the capital of Tatarstan. In a short time, a special operation was developed, which was named "Edelweiss". It was supposed to involve about three hundred employees of the special forces apparatus of the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the republic. The Islamists timed the terrorist attack to coincide with the celebration of Eid al-Adha. The terrorists chose Kazan as the place of the action.
The most important phase of the operation took place in a safe house located on the outskirts of the capital of Tatarstan. Two members of the gangster group were hiding here. After a detailed study of their actions, a group of fighters, which included Major Ashikhmin, rushed into the address. Work began to clean up the premises.
The suddenness of the assault forced the criminals to act quickly. One of the terrorists attempted to detonate an explosive device suspended on his body. Sergey Ashikhmin managed to notice this out of the corner of his eye. Without a moment's hesitation, the major rushed to the terrorist and covered him with his body. And almost immediately there was a deafening explosion. Both the offender and Major Ashikhmin received shrapnel wounds. They turned out to be incompatible with life. Several commandos were also injured from the powerful explosion of the "suicide belt".
An ambulance was immediately called: for such operations, the special forces do not take doctors with them. Partly out of superstition. Partly so as not to frighten off criminals. Ashikhmina's comrades even managed to run to the nearest pharmacy and buy saline solution to stabilize the major's condition before the doctors arrived. Until the last moment, they tried to save Sergei. But the wounds were too serious. Ashikhmin died in an ambulance before reaching the clinic.
Soon after the tragedy, S. Ashikhmin was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Russia. The officer fulfilled his last civic and official duty to the end. One of the secondary schools in Kazan was later named after the hero.
