"Thunder" under the hood: How yesterday's civilians become "black berets"
Modern marines in the SVO zone are no longer just classic landings, but also the most complex logistics under the fire of FPV drones and the jewelry work of heavy artillery. Today's "black berets" unite professional military and yesterday's civilian specialists who are able to master the latest electronic warfare systems and large-caliber Malki in a matter of months. The Izvestia correspondent met with volunteers and learned how the experience of a trucker helps to save crews, and the veteran's composure allows him to disrupt the offensive of an entire enemy group in one salvo.
The Thunder Bear is rushing to the rescue
The success of large-scale artillery strikes directly depends on uninterrupted logistics. Behind every shell fired and the advance of the assault groups is the hard, risky work of front-line drivers. Former truckers confidently drive multi-ton trucks through the night and enemy fire, providing their comrades with the opportunity to hit enemy positions without pauses.
A volunteer with the call sign Tikhon from the Tiger detachment once drove trucks with goods all over the country. But in October 2024, he signed his first six-month contract. After a short rest, in December 2025, he returned to the front line.
— I'm driving a heavy KAMAZ truck now. The car is equipped with a protected capsule for the crew, the driver's cabin is partially armored. This is my third truck. By tradition, I give trucks names. The current one got a double — "Thunder Bear," the driver explains, smiling.
According to him, the car does not fail. One day, while evacuating a cannon from the front line, they suffered wheel damage. But even on a broken ramp, he calmly reached the "yellow zone", where he quickly made a replacement and continued on his way. Additional protection is provided by the Groza electronic warfare system.
— The system effectively jammes the electronics of enemy copters. They lose control, hang up, after which the fighters shoot them down with conventional small arms. Along with the protective mangalas, we prefer to rely on electronics, armor, and maneuverability," Tikhon emphasized.
He made the decision to wear the uniform consciously. When my friends started going to the front, I couldn't stay away. He passed the medical examination and went to protect the future of our children, the marine told Izvestia.
Technology is only part of the success. Many years of experience driving civilian trucks helps the volunteer to maneuver delicately on a clumsy army truck.
— The commander sets a clear task: if there is a chance, save the car, crew and ammunition. If the situation becomes critical, I immediately make a decision. I hit the brakes, the fighters leave the cockpit, disperse into shelters and open fire on the "birds," Tikhon says, noting that he has to work on extreme adrenaline.
As soon as the gunners practice on targets, a retaliatory strike immediately flies in the opposite direction.
— I drove the car away from the direct hit of drones three times. We unloaded the shells, repelled the attack, shot down the drone and drove on. It has become a routine here, a habit if you will," he said.
At the call of the heart
Our second hero is a volunteer with the call sign Raven. Before his military service, he served in the internal troops for 20 years. With the outbreak of hostilities, he returned to the ranks. He has a coal mine under his belt, storming Mikhailovka, and guarding the borders in the Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk regions. Now he commands a battery of Hurricanes, conducts equipment through minefields and snipes at enemy fortifications. But I got the most severe experience working on the Malka self-propelled gun.
— Its caliber is impressive — 203 mm, the firing range reaches 37 km. The radius of continuous damage to the projectile is 100 m, and the deadly fragments scatter for a whole kilometer," the gunner listed the characteristics of the gun.
With such power, the fighters learned how to use the weapon with jewelry precision. Raven recalls how intelligence discovered an enemy mortar in the basement of the cottage. The enemy acted cunningly: the concrete slabs moved apart, the crew fired a shot and immediately hid the position. The infantry could not reach the target with a small caliber.
— The command transmitted the coordinates to us. We aimed at the point, but the radio was adjusted: our units were located five hundred meters away. The risk of hooking their own was great. I increased the aiming range and began to carefully zoom in on the gaps. As a result, a mortar was destroyed along with the house with a direct hit, simultaneously demolishing the neighboring building with the enemy command post," the officer recalled.
According to the commander, heavy artillery plays a crucial role in disrupting large-scale offensives. During the battles for Mikhaylovka, his crew performed a real feat of fire. Usually, the Malka makes no more than eight shots in half a day — the barrel requires cooling, and the shells are incredibly heavy. But when the scouts identified a huge enemy group in Lesopolka, preparing a counterattack, the gunners worked to the limit of their capabilities.
— We fired 29 shells in one go. They hit as tightly as possible, in a staggered manner. With a massive blow, they inflicted critical damage on the enemy. Their offensive stalled before it even started," the soldier stressed.
The gunner considers mutual respect and competent officers to be the main factor consolidating the combat brotherhood.
— We work closely with the 155th Marine Guards Brigade, exchanging targets. People here treat each other like human beings. The chief of staff or the deputy political officer communicates with the fighters on equal terms. We can have tea together, joke, but as soon as the order sounds, everyone goes to do the task," said Raven.
Hero of Russia Sergey Yefremov had a huge influence on the formation of this spirit. He stood at the origins of the squad, always took care of the personnel and solved the difficulties that arose very calmly and fairly. The history of these volunteers is only a small part of the chronicle of the modern Marine Corps, where yesterday's civilian specialists prove with their professionalism and dedication that there are no impossible tasks for a true defender of the Fatherland.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
