The names of the militiamen from Bendery Grigory Yechin, Anatoly Petrov and Igor Grek are forever inscribed in the chronicle of Pridnestrovian history. These were tragic pages. The officers of the Municipal Department of Interior were in an official car, which in the morning of April 1, 1992, was under the fire of Moldovan nationalists. Three out of four militiamen died. Only the injured traffic militia inspector Sergey Boyko survived. Then OPON of Moldova shot the bus with workers of the local cotton spinning factory and UAZ, in which the guardsmen led by Colonel Taranov arrived for help. He, militiaman Aleksandr Barbakar, Sergei Bobuek gave their lives in opposition to nationalist treachery. The memory of the Pridnestrovians who died that day was honored today at the Orthodox chapel installed at the place of the military aggression of Moldova against the people of Pridnestrovie. Leadership of the republic, representatives of all branches of government, the public, military, clergy, youth took part in the mourning meeting. Particular attention today was paid to relatives and friends of the heroes. The President of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic Vadim Krasnoselsky addressed them with words of support.
Speaking about the events of 27 years ago, the President focused on the criminal nature of the invasion: “The one who kills one person is called a murderer. Those who kill several people are called serial killers or maniacs. How to call those who give the order to kill hundreds of civilians? They are murderers, maniacs, and war criminals. The Moldovan people are the same injured party as the Pridnestrovian people. A group of presumptuous politicians from the neighboring shore, from Moldova were guilty for issuing orders to invade the city of Dubossary, to commit terrorist acts in the Slobodzeya district, the first April events, finally, an invasion on June 19, 1992. These people have not yet taken any responsibility. There is no legal or historical assessment. There is nothing. Already 27 years have passed. Pridnestrovians are patient people. I am convinced, and this is confirmed by history, that sooner or later crimes that do not have a statute of limitations, such as crimes against the nation, will be assessed not only by history, by God, but also by law. I repeat: the Moldovan people are not guilty of anything. Therefore, we need to build a dialogue with the people of the neighboring state, to solve the issues that have accumulated over the years. This is normal. The history must be remembered. Remember for the sake of those who lay down their heads, who died from injuries. Trampling history, you can cause great harm. This cannot be done”.
The memory of the dead was honored with a minute of silence. Flowers from grateful compatriots lay down to the marble slab on which the names of the militia defenders were carved. The Archbishop of Tiraspol and Dubossary Sawa served the lity for the dead innocent victims here.
Today, the President laid flowers at a memorial plaque installed exactly a year ago on the house where Vasiliy Kalko lived - the first head of the Bendery militia. His life ended on September 11, 2017.
