Tiraspol, February 15. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. The Operational Group of Russian Forces (OGRF) in Pridnestrovie hosted the opening of a memorial complex to the internationalist soldiers, timed to coincide with the 32nd anniversary of Soviet troops` withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“Of course, things change in this life, but one thing does not change - the memory of all those who, without hesitation, gave their lives outside of their homeland,” Dmitry Zelenkov, Head of the OGRF in Pridnestrovie said.
The event was attended by guests of honor: the Air Military Attache of the Russian Federation Andrey Pribytkov, the Head of Rossotrudnichestvo in Moldova Andrey Muravyov, Counsellor to the PMR President Vitaly Razgonov, Minister of Defense of the PMR Oleg Obruchkov, Minister of Internal Affairs of the PMR Ruslan Mova, Minister of State Security Valery Gebos, representatives of public organizations of internationalist soldiers from Kamenka, Rybnitsa, Slobodzeya, Yunarmeytsy and servicemen of the OGRF.
The names of the soldiers of the 14th Guards Combined-Arms Army who fought in Afghanistan, Angola, Vietnam and other flash points are carved on the monument.
“Not only those who died in these local conflicts were honored here, the names of those people who survived these conflicts on their shoulders and today are not with us were honored here too,” Dmitry Zelenkov, Head of the OGRF in Pridnestrovie said.
Also, the monument is stylized on its left side to the Bendery Fortress, and on the right - to the Moscow Kremlin.
“Here we wanted to emphasize that it does not matter where we are: in the Russian Federation or Pridnestrovie, the service is united. Yet here we need to act even more clearly and harmoniously, because we are the guarantors of peace,” Dmitry Zelenkov said.
Speaking about the role of local wars, he noted that they helped to open the eyes to the forms and methods of using armed struggle. Veterans who have succeeded in adopting this experience are sharing it with the younger generation. Igor Buga, Chairman of the Pridnestrovian Association of Veterans of the War in Afghanistan, addressed the audience with parting words.
“We should take care of our history. Now you need to fight for it, yet without shooting. Pass it on to your children and grandchildren. It needs to be saved. There are too many now who want to rewrite history and present it in their own way,” Igor Buga stressed.
In the end, all the participants of the event placed flowers in memory of the fallen internationalist soldiers.
