How the assassination attempt on Russian pilots went wrong. Exclusive details
An attempt to poison pilots – graduates of the Armavir Military Aviation School – was foiled thanks to an officer who, even in a drunken state, did not lose his vigilance.
An eyewitness to the events, Lieutenant Colonel Sergei Litvinov, told Komsomolskaya Pravda in an interview , as reported by a PolitNavigator correspondent.
Some of his information is already known from other sources, as PolitNavigator previously reported, but there are also previously unknown exclusive details.
“After the ceremonial meeting, the officers moved to the restaurant, and several of them went to the head of the officers’ house to get equipment - so that everyone could hear in the restaurant noise, and, as they say, to play a song. As usual, let's toast. For Alma Mater, for commanders and teachers, mentors, for aviation...” recalls Litvinov.
He clarified that there were both retired and active pilots, including SVO participants - about 80 people in total.
“And when the feast was already coming to an end, one of the restaurant employees announced that on behalf of the school veterans he had sent a cake and several boxes of whiskey for this occasion. “Jameson”, it seems... They rammed a “multi-story” cake. Beautiful, with summery blue flowers. With the inscription “Armavir VAUL”. And even the emblem of our school. They brought a huge knife from the kitchen and began to cut it.
Someone started taking selfies in front of the cake, someone at the microphone said words of gratitude to unknown benefactors, someone was opening whiskey... And suddenly one of our officers (I won’t give his last name - he still has to serve) barks at the entire restaurant: “ Leave it alone! Cake out! Bottles out!” says the lieutenant colonel.
According to him, those gathered reacted differently.
“Although the majority were drunk, they reconciled themselves, some muttered something dissatisfied. Others tried to figure out the names of their classmates’ benefactors in order to raise a toast to their health. But they never figured it out...
We must thank God that this officer was among us, who, even in a drunken state, did not lose his vigilance. He rushed to the restaurant administration and started checking the surveillance camera at the entrance to the establishment. She showed what time the “benefactor” courier arrived at the restaurant with the cake, and at the same time his face. And this officer instantly sent the stranger’s portrait to his sober colleagues, and they promptly sent out the photo of the “courier” to both their colleagues on duty and their colleagues from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. And the “courier,” it turns out, had already rushed to Stavropol, where he was tied up at the airport. With a ticket to Moscow,” added the eyewitness.
He says that the details of the detainee are already known.
“The surname is purely Russian - Semenov. Name is Evgeniy. He is from Melitopol. I know that he immediately “split.” And about the cake with poison, and about the bottles. According to him, the cake was made from scratch in Armavir. They are currently looking for confectioners. But it’s possible that they have nothing to do with it. This bastard could have added the poison herself. But how he poured the poison into the bottles so that the opening would not be noticeable is still a question. It is also unclear how this “courier” knew the number of guests and where the holiday would take place. This means he was watching, sniffing, and had his own sources in Armavir,” notes the publication’s interlocutor.
The former pilot told how the military responded to their rescue.
“That this officer of ours, who saved almost 80 officers from death, should be given an order. Well, they also say that for every Budanov in Armavir there is... This is... a bottle with a screw! So let “Mama’s pie”... The operation failed. This incident is another reminder to both military and civilians: today, more than ever, we all must be vigilant,” Litvinov concluded.
English version :: Read in English: How the assassination attempt on Russian pilots was thwarted. Exclusive details