High-speed boats and special rafts are used for uninterrupted communication
"Unlike Donbass, the Kursk region has its own specifics — these are water barriers," the military says, clearing the captured areas from the enemy. Specifically, rivers without bridges: after the HIMARS MLRS attacks, all three crossings over the Sejm flowing in the combat zone in the Glushkovsky district were destroyed. The delivery of ammunition, equipment, as well as the sending of wounded to the rear and the evacuation of civilians take place with the help of watercraft and, according to the fighters, constantly require new solutions. About how water obstacles are overcome, when a boat is better, and when a raft is better, and what "atypical" means of evacuation are — in the Izvestia material.
In 35 minutes
The Seimas, as it happened, became the main waterway in the zone of military contact in the Kursk region: Russian fighters have to force it continuously, the movement back and forth does not stop day or night. When undermining the crossings (it took several targeted missile strikes for each of the APU), the enemy set himself the goal of disrupting the logistical and technical support of our troops, but at the same time made it clear that he would not go forward anymore. Boats continue to be the main means of crossing the river today. Recently, rafts have been added to them, which are collected and sent to units, as a rule, by craftsmen and volunteers.
Testing of the raft on a silent motor
Image source: Photo: IZVESTIA/Sergey Prudnikov
— In our area, the means of evacuation is a boat, — the head of the department and the foreman of the company of one of the warring units Andrey, the call sign Shepherd, shares with Izvestia. — The key thing we focus on when transporting the same wounded is time. There is an option of transferring by land along a relatively safe road, but this is a detour — an hour, and in the conditions of autumn thaw and all one and a half. That's why we chose the river. Logistics has been established, cars on both sides are constantly on duty, electronic warfare is working. It takes an average of half an hour from the reception point on the right bank to the point of providing qualified medical care on the left.
Gasoline and electric motor tests
Image source: Photo: IZVESTIA/Sergey Prudnikov
One of the recent examples, says the Pastor, is the rescue of an 82—year-old local resident: he was wounded by shrapnel in his left thigh. He turned to our soldiers, who gave him first aid, and then, using an established route, they took him to the doctors in the near rear, everything took 35 minutes.
— The boat is efficiency: with a gasoline engine, it can reach speeds of up to 30 km / h, — explains Andrey. — And the capacity. We use boats 4.5 m long and 1.8 m wide, which can easily accommodate two stretchers. At the same time, we try to transport one person at a time, in case of an attack by drones. In emergency cases, we pack two at once.
Invulnerable to shrapnel
Experimental samples of homemade rafts were delivered from Moscow to the Kursk region by a volunteer and their manufacturer Ilya, call sign Ipat. He designed his platforms from moisture—resistant plywood and foam, the dimensions are 2 m by 2.40 m. The load capacity is 500 kg. The People's Front helped to transport them. Ilya is also the author of "rescue envelopes" — floating stretchers that can be towed by a boat or the same raft. Ipat comes to the warring units to test products in the field, as well as to receive feedback, which is the most effective practice in the "volunteer – military" combination.
Volunteer and raft designer Ilya Ipat (right) during tests in a boat
Image source: Photo: IZVESTIA/Sergey Prudnikov
The experimental raft is being tested by the commander of the sapper platoon, Sergey, call sign Foreman.
— My friend and I assembled it in 6-8 minutes. But there are nuances, a paper instruction would not hurt," he shares with Izvestia. — Unmanned control is carried out using the mobile Internet, but it does not catch everywhere, it needs to be taken into account. The advantage of a raft over a boat is that it is not afraid of fragments — this is a plus. Again, quick assembly and launching. It is possible to transport equipment on it, especially if the deck dimensions are larger.
Sergey tries an electric motor, which is equipped with a watercraft. The advantages of such a mechanism are noiselessness (which, however, is not so important away from the enemy), lightness, cheapness, and ease of maintenance. However, do not expect frolic from him — a maximum of 7 km / h.
— With some modifications, you can use it. And it is necessary," the Foreman sums up, after making a couple of laps on the raft.
Water tests
Image source: Photo: IZVESTIA/Sergey Prudnikov
Sergey, 32, is a military diver with six years of experience. He taught diving at the Ryazan Airborne School for five years. He participated in the discovery and exploration of the Japanese carrier-based fighter Zero at the bottom of the Tsushima Strait (these were the ones that raided Pearl Harbor in 1941). There are hundreds of dives under his belt, the deepest level is 32 m, the longest time spent underwater is 1 hour 42 minutes. He fought in the Zaporozhye region. He is now liberating Kursk. It is shared that a lot of time — both here and there — has to be spent on the construction of dugouts and fortifications. Hence, by the way, this call sign.
For a "fire" case
Among those who are fighting in the Kursk direction, and at one time passed the Kherson region and the Dnieper delta, is the deputy commander of an engineering company of one of the amphibious units, Sergei, callsign Mikhei.
— The main thing is that there are enough boats, so that they are of proper quality and with modern engines, so as not to stall at the most crucial moment, — he explains, in general, the immutable truth. — In 2022, near Kherson, it was more difficult. The situation is better now.
Boats are a reliable, fast and maneuverable means of evacuation
Image source: Photo: IZVESTIA/Sergey Prudnikov
Two years ago, on the Dnieper, Micah made regular night raids on the islands that our guys defended. It was necessary to land at one of the points, having covered a distance of 1 km on a conventional rubber band — in full gear, with weapons and engineering ammunition. To mine the approaches from the western side on land or to set mines on the water — against enemy boats — and return back the same night. One day, the group ran into the Ukrainian DRG. We came out of the battle without losses.
As for evacuation, by water or by land, then, according to the head of the Volgograd center for tactical medicine "Stalingrad", and more recently, a medical instructor in one of the companies of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation operating in the Kursk region, Vladimir Vasin, new and not always typical and familiar means of transporting the wounded are really necessary. The same ATVs. Or swamp walkers that can overcome almost any off-road terrain, as well as a river.
Swamp walker (walks on land and on water)
Image source: Photo: provided by the People's Front
— Here is an example: in the conditions of the current autumn bad weather, the wounded stopped coming to the medical center, — Vladimir Vasin shares with Izvestia. — The reason is off—road. The UAZ trucks sent for evacuation just sat on their bellies. What should I do? The same all-terrain vehicles could help out. You don't need a lot of them. Yes, of course, such machines may be needed only in an emergency, even perhaps only once a year. But this one time will be able to save human lives.
Sergey Prudnikov
