The Alpha members told what Vadim Krasikov, who returned from German dungeons, was remembered for

Fighter, marksman, likes to work alone

Photo : AP

President Putin spoke about what Khangovshvili was like in his interview with Tucker Carlson. During the second Chechen campaign, the militant commander brutally executed Russian prisoners of war. After the end of the war he fled to Germany. According to German investigators, Krasikov shot the militant three times in the Tiergarten park.

According to former colleagues of Krasikov, his biography is typical for a special forces soldier. In his school years, he was crazy about the Airborne Forces. He was engaged in wrestling, boxing, went to district and regional competitions, became a silver medalist of the Chimkent region in freestyle wrestling (he was born and spent his youth in the Uzbek SSR).

He did his military service in the Airborne Forces. While still in «quarantine», he was assigned to reconnaissance, from there he went to the special forces.

Graduated from a military school (presumably, Novosibirsk Combined Arms). Served in Transbaikalia. Every year he participated in the armed forces championship in hand-to-hand combat.

There, observers from Vympel noticed him and invited him to join them. He left without thinking. A good shooter. Every year he participated in the sniper competition for Alpha fighters from the CIS countries. The Russian team from Alpha invariably took first place. Only fighters from the Belarusian Alpha could provide them with more or less normal competition.

They also say about Krasikov that he is a professional terrorist liquidator, likes to work alone. He can track down a «target» for a long time.

In Afghanistan, he single-handedly pursued a spy for several kilometers in a gorge. He caught up with him and «packed» him up — until the helicopter arrived.

In Alpha they call people like him «clingy». He is happy with successful work, and feels satisfaction when a terrorist is eliminated. As his colleagues say, he «takes off into the clouds».

In addition, his colleagues say that Krasikov is a genius at disguise, and easily changes his appearance. He can transform into a hippie, a professor, a woman, or an old man. Smart, cunning, daring, creative.

Knows several languages: conversational German, English, Farsi.

It is also noted that the fighter's personal life did not work out, there are no details.

As for Khangovshvili, who was liquidated in Germany, it is known that he was Shamil Basayev's moneybags and his right hand.

Financed the operation in Budyonnovsk. A creature of the British special services. But he was eliminated not only for Budyonnovsk. At the instigation of his curators, he was preparing something else in Russia, like «Crocus Hall» or «Dubrovka». For this, he was cultivating Chechens who had settled in Germany and France. He was recruiting a team of thugs. Ours simply worked ahead of the curve — that's all. When Khangovshvili was eliminated, everything fell apart. And this is directly due to Krasikov.