Vasil Shaykhraziev, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan and Chairman of the National Council of the World Congress of the Tatars, is on a working visit to Moscow. There, he met with Hero of Russia Rustam Saifullin, who presented him with his book.

Rustam Saifullin was born in the village of Vagay, Tyumen Region, in 1983. In 2000, he graduated from Karagay Secondary School with a gold medal and decided to enroll in the Tyumen Higher Military Engineering Command School, which he also completed with honors.

Choosing a military career, Rustam Saifullin went on to serve in various command positions. He was assigned to the Chechen Republic, specifically the village of Khankala.

In 2020, he was appointed commander of the newly formed 40th Engineer-Sapper Regiment of the 41st Combined Arms Army in Ishim, Tyumen Region.

Later, he served in a combat zone. Under his command, the regiment conducted engineering reconnaissance and mine-clearing operations.

On March 2, 2022, during a river crossing over the Desna River in northern Ukraine, Saifullin’s platoon came under mortar fire. Three soldiers were wounded, and Saifullin himself suffered a concussion and multiple shrapnel injuries. Despite his injuries, he successfully organized the group’s actions, ensuring the crossing was successfully completed.

However, the enemy launched artillery strikes on the crossing to prevent Russian troops from advancing further. As a result, Lieutenant Colonel Saifullin lost one leg and sustained a severe injury to the other but continued commanding his unit.

In the summer of 2022, for his courage and heroism in fulfilling his military duty, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation by presidential decree. While in the P.V. Mandryka Hospital, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu presented him with the Gold Star medal.