A Brave Man
Young Russian Officer calls in an airstrike upon himself and ISIS scum who had him surrounded and were closing in.
It is believed President Vladimir Putin will personally present his his family with a posthumous Hero of Russia award, the country’s highest honour.
When he left home for his final mission two months ago, Ekaterina believed he was going to serve in Russia’s Caucasus region, not an ISIS stronghold where he was identifying targets for bombing raids.
Alexander said he felt like ‘the happiest man in the world’ when the two wed 18 months ago, according to one account.
‘His voice trembled as he said that everything he wished for was coming to him,’ according to one account.
‘He wanted to serve in the army and became a military, he wanted to have the best wife in the world, and there she was for him.’
Having dreamed of a military career, Prokhorenko enlisted in the Military Academy of Air Defence of the Armed Forces of Russian Federation immediately after leaving school.
His two brothers were also in the Russian military and he is believed to have served in the special forces, although Moscow is yet to confirm this.
Below is the transcript of his last radio call as it was posted on the pro Kremlin semiofficial website Pravda.ru .
Prokhorenko : command I am compromised, I repeat I am compromised.
Command: Please say again and confirm.
Prokhorenko : They have spotted me, there are shooting everywhere, I am pinned, requesting immediate extraction.
Command: Extraction request acknowledged.
Prokhorenko : Please hurry I am low on ammo, they seem to [be]everywhere, I can’t hold them for too long please hurry.
Command: Confirmed, hold them off, continue returning fire, retreat to a safe position, air support is monitoring, state your coordinates
Prokhorenko : [gives coordinates which are blurred in the transcript]
Command: [command repeats coordinates which are blurred.]Confirm
Prokhorenko : Confirmed, please hurry I am low on ammo, they are surroundig me, bastards!
Command: ETA on evacuation 12 minutes, return to the green line, I repeat return to the green line.
Prokhorenko : They are close, I am surrounded, this may be the end, tell my family I love them dearly.
Command: Return to the green line, continue returning fire, help is on the way, followed by air support.
Prokhorenko : Negative, I am surrounded, they are so many of these bastards!
Command: Extract ETA 10 minutes, return to the green line.
Prokhorenko : I can’t they have surrounded me and are closing in, please hurry.
Command: return to the green line, I repeat return to the green line.
Prokhorenko : They are outside, conduct the airstrike now please hurry, this is the end, tell my family I love them and i died fighting for my motherland.
Command: Negative, return to the green line.
Prokhorenko : Unable command, I am surrounded, they are outside, I don’t want them to take me and parade me, conduct the airstrike, they will make a mockery of me and this uniform. I want to die with dignity and take all these bastards with me. please my last wish, conduct the airstrike, they will kill me either way.
Command: Please confirm your request.
Prokhorenko : They [are] outside, this is the end commander, thank you, tell my family and my country I love them. Tell them I was brave and I fought until I could no longer. Please take care of my family, avenge my death, good bye commander, tell my family I love them!
Command: [No response, orders the airstrike]
Lieutenant Prokhorenko could have been our enemy yesterday or tomorrow, but as soldiers we respect the valor he displayed as a soldier himself on the battlefield and will raise a drink tonight in his honor.