Moscow, September 6 (AVN) - Air Force Commander Anatoly Kornukov will fly to the Seshcha air force garrison in western European Russia on Friday to hand the defence minister's pendant to the commander of a local military transport regiment, a spokesman for the Air Force Staff told the Military News Agency.
The regiment led by Colonel Alexander Vinokurov is awarded for courage and high combat skills displayed by its personnel in accomplishment of combat missions, the spokesman said.
The Solnechnogorsk Red-Banner Kutuzov-Order military-transport regiment was established in September 1941. It took part in the defence of Moscow, breach of the Leningrad blockade, Bryansk and Zhizdra operations, liberation of Estonia and defeat of Fascist troops in Eastern Prussia. Ten of its servicemen received the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union, and Colonel Vasily Mykhlik got the Gold Star of the hero twice.
After World War II the regiment's pilots took part in other military conflicts, including those in Angola, Ethiopia, Iraq, Libya and Syria. They delivered heavy equipment and vehicles to the Extreme North and Far East. From 1979 to 1984 the pilots were involved in troops and cargo transportation to Afghanistan. In 1987 the regiment adopted AN-124 Ruslan (NATO designation Condor) planes. From 1998 to 1991 they delivered humanitarian cargo to Armenia badly affected by an earthquake.
Currently the regiment supports federal troops in the North Caucasus. It has accomplished over 90 special missions of the Russian government and Defence Ministry in the past 2.5 years, Lieutenant General Viktor Denisov, commander of the 61st air force army, told the Agency.