Death of a Hero - Russia Pays Last Tribute to General Killed in Syria
Today, in the Moscow suburbs, a funeral service was held for General Valery Asapov. He died in Syria, his location was shelled out from a mortar by ISIS terrorists. Valery Asapov received a high-rank government award, postmortem. The commander's colleagues and family came to pay their respect. My colleague Andrey Grigoryev reports from the Military Memorial Cemetery.
He died on the front line, shelled out by mortars, in Syria's Deir-ez-Zor, which is now being freed by the government forces. Major General Valery Asapov was senior to the military advisers in Syria.
He was young, only 51, his wife and two kids are crying on his grave. It looks like all the high-ranking officers of the Russian Army are here. General Headquarters Chief puts up flowers, Deputy Minister of Defense comforts the family. The ceremony has been going on for hours, and there are still people who want to say goodbye.
Ryazan Paratroop Academy. Platoon, troop, battalion, regiment, division, brigade, building, army. Asapov climbed the entire ladder of the Army hierarchy. Chechnya, Abkhazia, South Ossetia. The field General was badly injured during the Grozny storming, he returned to his troops, but had a limp until his death.
Then it was the Far East, from where he left for Syria, this trip was his last. In Ussuriysk, where Asapov was also the commander, mourning ceremonies were held as well.
Yuri Filatov: "He was a good officer, a General, everyone respected him. I've never heard anyone say anything bad or negative about him".
Only the most deserving, brave ones are buried on the main Military Memorial Cemetery in Mytishchi. Valery Asapov was seen off with all the military honors. Weapon cradle, General's service cap, military orchestra, honor guard with crepe mourning bands and a three-volley salute.
Andrey Grigoryev, Valery Kupri, Gennady Korneev, Vesti.