On October 17 and 18, 2020, with assistance of the Russian Ministry of Defense, a delegation headed by Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan – Plenipotentiary Representative of the Republic of Tatarstan in the Russian Federation Ravil Akhmetshin visited the Syrian Arab Republic.
It also included representatives of the Officers’ Club created at the Plenipotentiary of Tatarstan, Heroes of Russia, military pilots – Vladimir Alimov, Marat Alykov and Rafik Ikhsanov, members of the Tatarstan Community in Moscow – Mars Gainutdinov, Fuad Sultanov, Rafael Faizov.
They arrived to honor the memory of their colleague, Hero of Russia, Colonel Ryafagat Makhmutovich Khabibullin.
The guests were greeted by those who are now protecting the sky over the Arab Republic.
Thanks to the efforts of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, a monument to Ryafagat Khabibullin was recently unveiled on the territory of the Russian airbase Khmeimim, on the fifth anniversary of the start of the military operation in Syria.
The delegation laid flowers at his monument and at the vertical, named after Hero of Russia.
He died on July 8, 2016 while performing a combat mission in the province of Homs near Palmyra, and was in charge of the crew of a helicopter shot down by militants.
Among the Russian servicemen performing tasks in Syria to protect civilians, there are many natives of Tatarstan – graduates of the Kazan military schools (about 50 people), ethnic Tatars. They serve in various military units.
Unfortunately, there are not a few among them who, while performing special tasks, gave the most valuable thing – their lives.
People’s Artist of Russia and Tatarstan Renat Ibragimov, Honored Artist of Russia Vladimir Kudashev and Honored Artist of Tatarstan Lyaysan Mingazova visited Syria, Khmeimim airport, as part of the delegation. They performed a concert program in front of the military.
The delegation also met with Russian servicemen – natives of the republic, presented them with awards and gifts.
tatmsk.tatarstan.ru
