Russia loses most decorated serviceman

Sniper pilot Igor Rodobolsky, three time Hero of Russia, died in Yekaterinburg. He was 64.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org by Gowri Sankar, CC BY-SA 3.0

Rodobolsky was Russia's most decorated serviceman in terms of the number of awards. He served in Afghanistan and Chechnya and participated in other operations of both Soviet and Russian armies.

Rodobolsky passed away on September 8. Igor Rodobolsky's son Oleg said that his father died of heart failure.

Igor Rodobolsky was born on March 18, 1960 in Grodno. He was awarded two Orders of the Red Star, three Orders of Courage, the Order For Military Merit, the Order For Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces of the USSR, two medals For Military Valor and other awards. He was also nominated for the title of Hero of Russia three times.

He received the title of Hero of Russia in September 2003 "for heroism displayed in the performance of military duty in the North Caucasus region." In total, 12 episodes of courage and heroism were described in the nomination for the title.

In 1986-1989, he participated in military operations in Afghanistan, made about 200 combat sorties, served in various military districts. He served in Cambodia for eight months as part of the UN mission. He also served in the army aviation of the Southern Group of Forces in Hungary.

Rodobolsky also participated in military operations in Chechnya. In total, from 1995 to 2004, he made more than 1,700 combat sorties with a flight time of 4,800 hours. He evacuated more than 500 wounded soldiers and officers during various military operations.

In the summer of 2002, during a severe flood in Chechnya, he carried out 98 flights to the disaster area, delivered 35 tons of humanitarian supplies, and evacuated 170 people, including 50 sick and wounded. On July 15, 2002, he evacuated a seriously ill Chechen child and his mother from a high-mountain village in the Argun Gorge for an urgent operation. The evacuation was carried out in thick fog, in minimum visibility conditions.

Igor Rodobolsky personally trained 18 combat pilots to conduct operations in mountainous terrain with landing at altitudes of up to 3,000 meters.