Sun Burned Pilots Bring Back Their Aircraft From Syria to Snowy Russia
Russian soldiers are coming home after accomplishing combat missions in Syria. On Monday, Vladimir Putin ordered to withdraw our troops. The military transport aircraft An-72 arrived at the air base near Saratov.
Our correspondent Sergey Arsenichev is reporting on a warm welcome of our soldiers.
The landing on the icy runway was flawless because it is good to be home in any weather conditions. The anticipation ran over. Pilots had been on assignment for almost 3 months but the last days were the longest for those who had been waiting for them. The plane from Syria must have landed in the afternoon but suddenly the weather changed. The temperature rose from -3 degrees to +1 degrees and a strong side-wind has risen. But it's all over and our guys are back home.
It was warm where they came from. The crew members have tanned faces. They look tired. A brief report on the completed task and here it is, the most long-awaited moment. Finally, they can see their families, tears of joy are in the eyes. It's almost midnight. Pilots don't really need a solemn ceremony in the chilling wind. Wives and children are with them, everyone wants to go home. But the flag and anthem of Russia is something that cannot be neglected.
The An-72 military transport aircraft with a crew of 6 pilots carried cargo and personnel of the Russian group in the Syrian Arab Republic. For the crew, it was the first combat experience. It was hard, but very important.
Maxim Chistykh, An-72 aircraft commander: "For 2.5 months we had only four days off. The most important thing is that we accomplished all the tasks without accidents and admonitions".
They have something to remember. It was a great test for both pilots and their families. They didn’t have a chance to get in touch with each other every day and they had only five minutes.
- Did the children ask where their dad was?
Julia Liskovets, a pilot’s wife: Of course, they did. They missed him more than we.
- What do you want most of all now?
Mr.Liskovets: Fried Alaska pollock.
- When I asked him what to cook, he answered that any homemade food would be eaten with pleasure. And as I know that he can't live without meat I'll cook him some meat two big slabs of meat in foil with her husband's favorite sauce. His daughter 1.5-year-old Vika learned to talk while the Dad was away. Now she has someone to tell about her achievements.
Julia Liskovets: Every morning we watched the news, every morning started with the news to find out if everything was alright.
In the near future, pilots have a vacation. They can spend 20 days with the family to proceed to new missions. Given the experience gained, it will be easier to accomplish them.
Long-range bombers Tu-22M3 returned to the bases in the Murmansk region. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, they stationed at the airfields in North Ossetia during the operation in Syria. Over the last few months the pilots made more than 80 operational flights and made 14 group airstrikes on terrorists' objects in the Syrian Arab Republic.
In Russia, the relatives, colleagues, veterans, and Young Army Cadets welcomed the soldiers who brilliantly accomplished all the combat missions.
Sergey Arsenichev, Dmitry Cherkasov, Daniil Yakimov, Alexander Bazhenov, Mikhail Sitnikov for Vesti from Saratov region.