State of emergency in the village Zasłonava, Lepiel district occurred on February 16 but the local people are still in shock. In conversations with reporters, some did not want to tell the details, while others are willing to remember the events of a week ago.
The village is in the Belarusian province. Peaceful afternoon weekday. Mother-in-law drove up from your porch. Son-in unloads from the trunk of a sack of potatoes. A mother-in-law is going back home. And then suddenly – bang! – 50 meters from their house falling projectile. Explosion. The house rattle windows, a sack of potatoes falls, a man casts aside. At Tiffany's ringing in my ears, her first thought is: "Is this war?!" Five minutes later, the relatives see it as the scene from all sides running up the military – some by as much as jumping fly over the fence.
Ammunition according Zasłonava residents exploded in the heart of the former military camp, where deployed tanks and combat engineers. It happened allegedly during exercise.
"Accustomed to shooting. But here exploded seriously!"
Eyewitnesses claim that the shell fell into a ravine in a residential area, near the bridge over the creek. Local why some call it "marsh" or "small lake". At 50 meters away – the barracks of the military unit. At the same distance, if not less, – house number 634. At 100-150 meters from the crash site – a school.
– It was about 12: 45-12: 50. I hear: the explosion. It is very clear, – says Natalia, a resident of the first entrance of the house number 634.
According to her, she could see out the window, as a neighbor took out a sack of potatoes from the trunk, and then dropped him, and he flew off to the side.
– A neighbor said that it was a blast. Another resident of our entrance says that they have already jumped television – continues to Natalia. – Witnesses said that the projectile flew through the infirmary, barracks. And then here, in the swamp, I fell. Immediately people said that it was the usual shell. Now on Zasłonava rumor that – anti-tank missile. What are allegedly impossible to experience on our site.
"A shell fell somewhere near the bridge, maybe a little higher," – describe the local inhabitants. On the opposite side of the ravine – the barracks.
Zasłonava residents admit that if the country, God forbid, a war broke out, they would not have realized it real or not.
– We are constantly on the firing range. Especially when the Gunners come. The landfill is located in Zasłonava, about a mile from our house. And we always shudder glass. We are accustomed. But here exploded seriously! – Natalia says. – My little daughter is very scared. Therefore, once people do not understand what happened. But after an hour or two already buzzing all Zasłonava. Frankly, it is terrible! Imagine something explodes near your home. We have also small children live in the house. And on the streets moms with strollers walking. Just the evening that day on TV showed the story about the explosion in Yaroslavl. It exploded gas entrance is not at home. When exploded, many people thought that we had a gas explosion. And if the shell hit our house? Here in this corner, where our entrance?
Children playing near the school in Zasłonava. The school is situated in 100-150 meters from the ravine, where the shell fell.
"We were defended by ditch"
Another resident of the entrance – Maria, the one whose son-threw the blast, – arguing with a neighbor:
– Natasha, so he could fly in the corner, and the corner, and wherever you go. Near school, nearby – kindergarten. One shudders to think what might have been! We were just lucky that he fell into a ditch. This ditch us and defended. And so the wave was not as strong. But if you saw how exploded snow from the balconies!
When the explosion occurred, Maria went from machine to its entrance.
– Flopped! Very loud. And the smoke! He was not black, but a dark blue. I ask Jyrki in-law: "What is it?". He said: "The projectile fell." I rise to our fifth floor and calling Galka, another familiar. Five minutes later, I look out the window and into the ditch and around it has the military, some parts jumped over the fence and ran here. Machines began to drive up, UAZ ... After 15 minutes, there was already full of soldiers. I went out, started yelling at them: "How is this so? After all, it is your good may get into the house! ". And they told me: "It's not our fault." And one stands and smiles. I told him: "I would look as if you smiled, if the shell hit your family, to your parents."
According to the women, the ravine between the barracks and the house – a place crowded and popular among the local population: "There are children playing constantly. Fortunately, at the time they were in school. This bridge summer women wash carpets. And here is where the logs, like peasants "to think".
A day or two after the incident, according to residents of the house, came to them "responsible persons": "Whether the prosecutor's office, or the investigators. Asked what happened, for the record. "
A spokesman for the Defense Ministry of Belarus Vladimir Makarov, in turn, said:
– Anti-tank shells fell on the outskirts of Zasłonava landfill. And that, by definition, could not create any threat. No one was injured, there is no destruction.
In Zasłonava stationed 19th separate Guards Nikolaev-Budapest Red Banner Order of Suvorov 2nd degree Mechanized Brigade and the 52nd separate specialized search battalion.
Monument tankman in Zasłonava.
The first military unit formed in 1941 – as an Infantry Division. Its soldiers have been through the war, participated in the battles for Moscow, Leningrad, Stalingrad, liberated Czechoslovakia and Hungary. Until 1990, the division was based in Hungary, after more than 300 tanks and hundreds of other military vehicles were transferred to Zasłonava. He grew up a military town. In Soviet times it was considered prestigious to serve here. But in 1993, Panzer Division was reduced to a mechanized brigade. In 2009, a military town attributed to the rural communities. Simply put, it became a village. Besides the kindergarten and school, in Zasłonava there are shops, post office, bank.
Tatiana Matveeva / photo: Igor Matveev, tut.by
