«IN THE CIRCLE OF KUNDUZ» Page #11

NALETOV:

(loudly)

Private Streltsov, get out of the row!

STRELA:

(clearly)

Yes, to get out of the row!

Strela comes out, turns to face the formation.

ZAKHAROV:

(with pathos)

Private Streltsov,

(the lieutenant colonel puts his hand on the Strela's shoulder)

for timely detection of enemy forces, endurance, composure and bravery during the liquidation of the caravan, I order you to submit to the Order of the "Red Star"!

Upon arrival from the operation — a reward sheet for my signature!

NALETOV:

I obey to submit the award list for signature!

ZAKHAROV:

Fellow scouts!

I bring to your attention: in the destroyed caravan belonging to the Islamic Society of Afghanistan (IOA) party, Afghan lapis lazuli extracted from the depths of Sar-e-Sang was transported. I note: the best in quality in the world!

From here, from the Jarm district of the Afghan Badakhshan province, the detachments of Ahmad Shah Massoud and Abdul Khalid Basir, who control the development of raw materials, transport it through the Dora Pass to the Chitral Valley in Pakistan.

There lapis lazuli is extracted from the rock and sent to Peshawar. From there it spreads all over the world.

The leaders of the Islamic Society of Afghanistan party, Burhanuddin Rabbani and Ahmad Shah Massoud, direct the proceeds from the sale to purchase weapons, equipping their group in the Panjshir Gorge and the regions adjacent to the valley with them. Thus, the situation in Afghanistan is being destabilized.

Lieutenant Colonel Zakharov ends his speech, Naletov is dissolving the formation. The old-serving scouts immediately disperse, proudly evading the congratulations of the young warrior. Kapusta approaches Strela first.

KAPUSTA:

(with joy)

Well done!

(claps in handshake)

Respect!

Strela is warmly congratulated by Kostyan, Sidor, Rust, Mongol, Koster. Sidor looks at the blushing Strela with a smile.

SIDOR:

(with joy)

"Like Christ — both calm and quiet!"

57. EXT. THE ROUTE "FAIZABAD-KUNDUZ - DAY.

TITLE:
AFGHANISTAN. JARM AND KISHIM COUNTIES OF AFGHAN BADAKHSHAN PROVINCE. THE ROUTE "FAIZABAD-KUNDUZ"

The armor column of the reconnaissance company is rapidly moving along the Faizabad-Kunduz highway. The first, raising clouds of dust, is the commander's BRM-1 of Lieutenant Boris Naletov with 3 crew members, 5 scouts sitting on top of the armor. Among them Senior Lieutenant Petrov, company foreman Ensign Gennady Kiselyov, 3 old—time sergeants. On the armor of the young - Sidor, Koster, Rust, the rest of the armored vehicles of the company are moving behind them.

The column passes the village of Kishim. An explosion is heard, the commander's BRM-1 is blown up by a land mine. The warriors sitting on the armor of the BMP-2 (second car) are stunned, they are pelted with fragments of human bodies, pieces of cloth, faces and uniforms are flooded with blood, a prolonged hum hangs in their ears. A tall black mushroom rose above the BRM-1 car engulfed in flames.

Dense fire opens on the column from 2 sides. Gunners’ operators of armored vehicles dive into hatches, respond from turret guns, machine guns. The scouts sitting on the armor jump off, join the fire. Captain Prokhorov is requesting aviation support via communication.

A pair of Mi-24 helicopters fly to the site of the explosion, beginning to process with jet missiles the abandoned mud-brick buildings adjacent to the highway, from where the rebels are firing. The shooting stops.

Sidor, Mongol, Strela, Koster, Rust, Kostyan are in a depressing impression, they collect torn body parts thrown many meters away, personal weapons of the dead, in a tent cloak, put in Mi-8MT helicopters. 8 scouts were killed – Senior Lieutenant Naletov, Senior Lieutenant Petrov, Ensign Kiselyov, 5 scout soldiers.

58. EXT. RECONNAISSANCE TENT — DAY.

Kapusta, Sidor, Koster, Kostyan, Rust, Mongol and Strela are unloading from several sanitary UAZ-452 8 zinc coffins with the dead scouts. A fine rain is pounding on the coffins installed in a row on stools, flooding the frames of their glass windows with water.

The reconnaissance company is built to say goodbye to comrades and is waiting for the approach of the regiment's command. Senior Lieutenant Khromov, platoon commanders, Senior Lieutenant Demichev, Lieutenant Vikulov are standing in front of the formation and talking quietly. Someone shouted from the line - They're coming! The officers are alarmed, hurriedly correcting their uniforms, turn in the direction from which the regimental commander, Lieutenant Colonel OSTROUMOV, and the chief of intelligence of the regiment, Captain Prokhorov, are approaching.

KHROMOV:

(loudly)

Company! Straighten up, attention! Alignment to the left!

Marching towards the commander of the regiment.

KHROMOV:

Comrade Lieutenant Colonel!

The personnel of the reconnaissance company have been built to say goodbye to the dead!

Khromov takes to the right and, turning around, stands sideways to Lieutenant Colonel Ostroumov, facing the formation.

OSTROUMOV:

At ease!

KHROMOV:

At ease!

OSTROUMOV:

(mournfully, bitterly)

Fellow scouts!

We are seeing off our comrades-in-arms on their last journey: senior lieutenants Naletov and Petrov, the foreman of the company of ensign Kiselyov, five valiant soldiers-scouts.

They fulfilled their military and international duty with honor, sacrificing their lives. For them to be in our hearts forever!

Captain Prokhorov speaks, his eyes are filled with moisture, a lump has risen to his throat.

PROKHOROV:

Fellow scouts!

(with a tremor in his voice)

Today we have a heavy loss, we grieve for our comrades who died. Eternal memory to them!

The scouts lift 8 zinc coffins on their shoulders, carry them to the airfield to the waiting cargo-200 "Black Tulip".

59. EXT. MOUNTAIN RANGE — DAY.

TITLE:
JARIY-AB. PANJSHIR GORGE, JUNE 1985.

Reconnaissance groups with Koster, Strela, Kostyan, Mongol, Sidor, Rust on Mi-8MT helicopters land at a height in the lower reaches of the Panjshir Valley. Since ancient times, there have been abandoned silver mines in the rock, they are equipped with powerful support and observation posts of Panjsherites.

Combat reconnaissance patrol: Kapusta, Strela, Sidor and a machine-gunner-Koster in the closure, lead the main group: company commander сaptain Sereda, interpreter of the regiment from the Dari language, lieutenant Abdullo Kodirov, attached to the reconnaissance company, Lepecha, Mongol, Rust, tarjimons Akhmedov and Kurbanov, platoon commanders Demichev, Vikulov, the rest part of the reconnaissance company. The machine gunner Kostyan is in closure.

The company is moving along the ravine encircling the steep slope of the mountain. The patrol comes across a storage cave.

60. INT. MOUNTAIN RANGE. CAVE — DAY.

The reconnaissance company enters a mountain cave, there are smoldering embers of the hearth, a hot kettle, cooked food. In the depths of the cave, Kostyan and Strela see two dozen English "Lee Enfield" & "Lee Metford" rifles from the Anglo-Boer Wars of 1880-1881, 1899-1892 with a large number of boxes of 7.74 caliber cartridges; 2 large-caliber “DShK” machine guns, several boxes with loaded belts to them.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes