Crew of the tank that killed two Ukrainian tanks and eight armoured vehicles last week
>The crew of the Alyosha tank was presented by the Minister of Defense to the title of Hero of Russia.
>The crew of the tank under the command of Senior Lieutenant Rasim Baksikov came under massive artillery fire, as a result of which the driver was injured. Crew commander Baksikov evacuated the wounded serviceman from the combat vehicle and gave him first aid. Transferring the driver to the advanced medical group, Rasim decided to take his place in the battle. Lieutenant Alexander Levakov, having assessed the situation, decided to replace the wounded crew member and took the workplace of the tank commander and advanced in the direction of the positions of our motorized rifle regiment to provide support to the defenders. On the way to one of the settlements, Lieutenant Levakov found 8 pieces of enemy equipment, including two tanks, located in one of the nearest forest belts. After assessing the situation, Senior Lieutenant Baksikov made a decision and immediately entered into battle with superior enemy forces.
> Thanks to the skillful control of the combat vehicle and the competent use of terrain conditions for covert movement, the entry of a Russian tank into the firing line came as a surprise to the enemy. Being in the place of the driver, Rasim Baksikov skillfully maneuvered on the battlefield and supervised the work of the crew. Lieutenant Alexander Levakov, being in the place of the commander, promptly and competently transmitted target designation to the gunner and directed the fire of the tank. In the first minutes of the battle, gunner-operator Alexei Neustroev destroyed both enemy T-72B tanks with well-aimed fire. In the next 30 minutes, one M113 armored personnel carrier and five American-made MaxxPro armored personnel carriers were destroyed along with the landing force. After the destruction of the last enemy combat vehicle, the tank crew continued to cover the motorized rifle units deploying in battle formations for about 40 minutes. When the combat vehicle ran out of ammunition, the crew commander Rasim Baksikov decided to go to reload, and another tank was sent to the battlefield. Firing three shots at the advancing infantry, the second tank was damaged by enemy artillery fire. Having quickly oriented himself in the situation and realizing that the crew of the wrecked combat vehicle needed immediate help, Senior Lieutenant Rasim Baksikov, together with his crew, decided to evacuate the damaged tank from the line of contact to a safe place.Towing the tank was carried out under the incessant shelling of the enemy. Thanks to the decisive actions of the military, the crew of the wrecked tank was saved.