And the city did not know that the exercises were going

Arif Janov

June 1, 2002

The bombings of residential buildings in Moscow in September 1999 and today echo somewhere in
the subconscious. The feelings that gripped people then did not fit into the framework of ordinary
fear. That was the horror before something inevitable and unpredictable. Against this background,
events in Ryazan followed: residents of a multi-storey building had to hurry to leave the apartments
because of the bags with the alleged explosives found in the basement. Why people were forced to
survive a terrible night? And what was that? Prevented terrorist attack? Provocation? Assumptions
and speculations still abound.
The editor-in-chief of Versiya Rustam ARIFDZHANOV had the opportunity to get acquainted with
the real documents on this case and conduct his own investigation of some of the tragic events of the
past few years. The result was a book that the publishing house "Top Secret" is preparing to
publish. The chapter from the manuscript under the conditional name "New FSB" we present to the
readers.
In any investigation, the most important thing is the details. Sometimes, the way the suspect or the
protagonist was dressed, what he did during the half hour that had fallen out of sight, where he slept or
dined, depends on the confirmation or denial of the seemingly logical version.
The version, for example, of the authors of the book “Attempt on Russia” by Yuri Felshtinsky and
Alexander Litvinenko, two former KGB and FSB officers who left the country respectively in 1978 and
recently, is known. They accuse of organizing apartment bombings in Moscow in September 1999 and
of preparing terrorist attacks in Ryazan - the FSB. However, the authorship of such an interpretation of
the events is attributed to Boris Berezovsky, who is now marginalized from big Russian politics.
Our task was not to fit the facts for one version or another, but to find primary sources: documents and
genuine performers, to understand the background of the events, the motivation of the participants and
to provide the reader with the most conclusions.
As always, we used a lot of sources in Top Secret. As always, we don’t have the right to disclose some
of them for reasons of secrecy and by virtue of the obligations assumed. It was important for us to
understand what really happened in Ryazan. With the help of the participants of the events, it was
possible to restore a detailed picture of the stay of the FSB special group in this city. So, before you is a
chronology of those several days, which became the source of so many conjectures, emotions and
mutual accusations. Names, events, time and place of action - everything is checked and, in our
opinion, accurate. Some of the assumptions we allowed ourselves, only slightly “combing” the
dialogues and describing the sensations of the direct actors.
“The laying of bags in a residential building in Ryazan could not be a training for a number of formal
circumstances. When conducting exercises, a pre-planned exercise plan must be in place. It must be
defined: the head of the exercise, his deputy, observers, and those being checked, that is, those who are
being checked (residents of Ryazan, UFSB officers in the Ryazan Region, etc.). The plan should list the
questions to be checked. The plan must have a so-called legend, a peculiar scenario of the play being
played. In the case of Ryazan, the scenario of laying sugar bags in the basement of a residential
building. The plan should specify the material support of the exercises: vehicles, funds (for example, to
buy three bags of sugar 50 kg each), food (if a large number of people participate in the exercises),
weapons, communications, code communication system (code tables ).
After all this, the plan is approved by the higher management, and only then, on the basis of the
approved plan, is a written (and only written) order for the exercise ... "issued
From the book of Y. Felshtinsky and A. Litvinenko “Attempt on Russia”

1. Order
The information was short: “The FSB of Russia obtained data on the intention of the militant
group from the so-called Dagestan Liberation Army to conduct a series of explosions in the cities
of Kursk, Orel, Ivanovo, Ryazan. To do this, they plan to hold a bookmark explosives in
residential buildings in these cities.
The type and method of laying explosives are planned by terrorists according to the Moscow
scenario.
The most likely dates for the action are the end of September - the beginning of October of this
year.
In connection with the information received by the FSB directorates in the cities of Kursk, Orel,
Ivanovo, and Ryazan, additional operational search activities are being conducted. Enhanced
throughput and control and inspection mode. The implementation of these activities in the
planned volume is entrusted to the ATC forces of these cities ... "
This is what the most dedicated people in the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs knew about.
But even they did not know this. On September 20, the head of the Special Purpose Center, Major-
General Tikhonov, set a combat training task: to check the status of the livelihoods and assess the
effectiveness of the operational-search and security measures undertaken by law enforcement agencies
to send a group of A and B administrations of the Center for Special Purpose three people in each.
Purpose: to prevent a probable strike and check the real readiness of these cities for a terrorist attack.
Group number 1 was sent to Ryazan.
The legend they came up with this - we go for groceries. The season ends: it's time to make jam.
Tatiana came in a leather jacket and sweatpants, like a market trader. In the afternoon in this jacket she
would have worn out - only the third week of September, and the earth has not yet cooled off from the
hot August, unaccustomed to Moscow, and the sun is still quite summer. But only it gets dark, and
already you feel - autumn. At night, even chilly. And it was almost night.
On September 20, 1999, almost at night, at 10.30 pm, three FSB officers - Tatiana Ivanovna, Vasily
Anatolyevich and Pyotr Dmitrievich (original names and patronymic names), respectively, the captain
and two major, one of whom, Vasily, was appointed senior group - left from the capital. They, the
officers of the Center of Special Purpose of the FSB of the Russian Federation, and their immediate
superior, Major-General Tikhonov, prescribed the following in the plan-assignment of September 20:
“First. In the role of conditional terrorists go to the city of Ryazan. The second. Examine the
operational situation and assess the state of the measures taken to strengthen counter-terrorism
on the part of law enforcement agencies. Identify the facts contributing to the commission of
sabotage in the places of the task. Third. To carry out basing of the group in the specified
settlements. Fourth. In the places of alleged "sabotage" (apartments of the 1st and 2nd floors of
apartment buildings, basements in residential buildings, etc.) conduct a study of the situation.
The fifth. Carry out activities for the purchase of 3 to 5 bags of sugar, hiring vehicles for its
transportation and storage in a pre-prepared place. The sixth. When laying sugar bags, install an
explosive device simulator and carry out photo documentation ... "
Finally, in one of the last points of the plan-task, it was prescribed to follow these measures, but not
later than September 27, 1999, to leave for the city of Moscow to the place of permanent deployment.
Travel back and forth - at the discretion of the senior group.
Then the bureaucracy began: “The head of the motor transport department should ensure the
group’s delivery to the place of departure from Moscow and back ... The First Deputy Head of
Department "B" to organize a briefing of personnel on the operational situation in the areas of
combat training tasks ... After returning from the commander In a three-day period, submit a
report on the work done to the headquarters of the Center. In a ten-day period, submit to the
VEO Center a report on expenditures on the item: operating expenses ... ”
There was another item. It seems the ninth. "When preparing and holding events, strictly follow the
laws of the Russian Federation on security and the procedure for relations with law enforcement
officials." But they always write like that.

2. Machine
“Are we going to drive in your car, sing? All together? ”Asked Tatyana. She was younger than men in
rank, but slightly older than she was, so — so it seemed to her — it allowed her to keep on equal
footing. Peter shrugged his shoulders and nodded at Basil, saying that it was recorded that the fare was
at the discretion of the elder. In general, it became clear - the gallant majors didn’t want to mess around
especially. Because ideally, it would be necessary to get to this Ryazan one by one and in different
ways. The real terrorists, without need, do not sit down in one car with the whole battle group. Okay,
but once they decided to go three together, they tried at least to look for someone else's car, and not to
go on a mission on the white Petina “seven” with Moscow numbers. This means that at any traffic
police post you need to show real Petins driver’s license, real technical passport. I, too, "saboteurs."
Just what - the cops will calculate in two seconds. Although a little something - point nine: "Strictly
guided by the laws ... about security and the order of relations with law enforcement agencies."
In general, after a short Tanina grunts went. For four and a half hours, the roads never stopped them.
No traffic police post on the outskirts of Moscow, nor traffic cops at the entrance to Ryazan. We got to
three nights.
“I want to sleep!” Peter yawned. Though they took turns at the wheel, it’s still a weary of night riding.

3. City
But Vasily commanded: "To study the situation in the city in order to find a place to stay." The strange
manner of switching to the deliberately clumsy official language of the plan-task has always caused
Tatyana not only a smile, but also internal resistance. It seems to be clear that the joke, like even the
irony is felt, but it is necessary to perform. As a result, up to five in the morning we drove around
Ryazan. The city at this time is empty, there are practically no cars, there are reinforced police patrols
on the streets. Driving past them, Tatiana compressed herself internally: “Well, they will stop. Ask for
documents. Just in case they check the car for theft. Will fix. Start asking questions. It's okay, of course.
The legend is simple: come for agricultural products, looking for where to stay. But it will be
remembered. Will be recorded. Pops up. Here and fail through the fault of Vasily secret mission. Is he
going to creep on purpose? ”
At 5.00, they finally put the car into paid parking on Pervomayskaya Street. “Next to the SIZO,”
Tatyana said irritably to herself.
Only six settled in the hotel "Pervomayskaya." That is still a hotel. Yes, and they still have a
conspiracy! At six in the morning three people who arrived from Moscow, are arranged in the hotel.
Any normal person simply must be surprised. Moscow is four hours away. You could have slept in
Moscow, got into the car at six, and at ten o'clock already be in Ryazan. People who come in the
morning from Moscow to the Ryazan hotel, can not but cause suspicion. The administrator will call
where to.
I had to sleep no more than three hours. At ten in the morning were already back in the car. When
leaving the hotel, the receptionist did not even pay attention to the strange three Muscovites. So she
didn't call. Tatiana began to understand Basil. It seems they deliberately tease others with their strange
actions.
Out on the street - fresh. Doctors say that sleep should last at least three hours - this is a full cycle, and
then the number of hours spent in a dream should be a multiple of three - six hours, nine. Tatiana would
prefer twelve now.
But three, they just slept. Because in a dream did not drive. After a short orientation on the terrain, it
was decided to separate. Peter goes to the neighborhood Dashkovo-Pesochinskoe. Vasily and Tatiana -
in the neighborhood of Moscow. It was time to decide where to prepare the imitation of sabotage.
The meeting of the group was scheduled for 6:00 pm in the cafe "Visit" on the same Pervomaiskaya
street. Flickering so flickering. And fled.

“The car on which the terrorists arrived is the only evidence remaining after the explosion of a
residential building. The only trace that can lead to criminals. A car is the weakest link in the
preparation and conduct of any terrorist act. It was impossible to blow up a house in Ryazan as a stolen
car. ”
From the book of Y. Felshtinsky and A. Litvinenko “Attempt on Russia”

4. Objects
Peter, thoroughly wandering around unfamiliar terrain, found three unprotected objects for possible
sabotage. On the street of the Soviet Army, likely terrorists would certainly have attracted corner house
No. 1/34, a six-storey single-access block building with a walk-through entrance and an unclosed door
of the garbage disposal. The single-entrance nine-storey building No. 4 along the same street of the
Soviet Army also looked completely defenseless. The door to the entrance throughout the day was
open. Finally, on Novoselov Street in the house
No. 14/16 the basement door was broken. Near the house with might and main a diner worked, so it is
not surprising that the entrance was turned into a latrine. There was no light. It seems that a stranger
appears here - no one will notice.
He made a mistake. The appearance of a stranger caused a keen interest among residents. However, this
is also because people after the Moscow bombings were noticeably suspicious, and Peter tried to be
extremely sociable and pestered almost everyone with questions. Conversing with the tenants, he
quickly found out that none of the houses was guarded by the police. Oh well.
Then none of the residents will remember the curious forty-year-old man, circling that day around their
homes. People from the house on Novoselov Street will not compare the talkative stranger with the
events that they will have to survive the next night. But it was he who told them that they were ready, if
anything, to defend themselves up to the use of smooth-bore weapons. They will shoot if they notice
that someone else is going to open the basement and even more so if they try to bring something into it.

"Serious men," Peter decided. “They would cooperate with the police together.” But there
were no militia near the houses, although the militia and reinforced military patrols
traveled both on foot and in vehicles around the microdistrict.
Vasily and Tatiana at this time were studying the situation in the Moscow district. On the street
Combine photographed the house with an open entrance to the basement. The entrance to the basement
also turned out to be open on Yubileinaya Street - and this house was photographed. Both buildings
were the most common block twelve-story buildings. In the daytime, no one guarded them. There were
no reinforced police patrols during the entire observation period either. But at the entrance to each of
the houses there were always people.
As agreed, at six o'clock in the evening we met in a cafe for the exchange of information. We decided
to no longer shine in the hotel.
At 19 o'clock we left the Pervomayskaya hotel. “All the best!” The administrator muttered to them.
"Yeah," muttered Peter. He has already found where to stay - on the street of the Soviet Army he
surveyed in the dormitory of the Ryazan plant of automatic machines. Vasily and Tatiana found another
accommodation for themselves, but also in a hostel.
We agreed to make a night outing. Everyone in his area is like cafes and bars, talk to residents, estimate
the situation. Descends to the planned for the exercise houses to study the situation at night.
The next morning they decided. All houses were guarded by residents themselves. Starting from 22
o'clock, two people each went out on duty from the porch, and every three hours the watchmen
changed. The most convenient place for sabotage was elected to house number 1416 on the street
Novoselov. However, it was not possible to rent an apartment in this house or in nearby ones.

5. Fees
It was necessary to purchase everything necessary for the operation. Let's go to the market without a
car. She still continued to stand in a paid parking lot on Pervomayskaya Street.
The patrol police patrolled importantly on the market. “So,” Peter said to the seller of all electrical and
other trifles, “it means that I need. Batteries, aha, these batteries, a microswitch, wires ... ”He spoke
deliberately loud so that the policemen standing nearby could hear. They certainly heard. But they did
not pay attention to the fact that the purchased means are quite suitable for the manufacture of an
explosive device. Did not cause suspicion.
However, in the Okhotnik shop on Podbelsky Street, where they bought 12-caliber hunting cartridges
(these cartridges were quite suitable as an imitator of a home-made detonator), they were treated
without suspicion. The seller did not even ask to submit the relevant documents for the right to acquire
hunting weapons.
Sugar in three bags of 50 kg was purchased here, on the market in the area of Pochtovaya Street. For
the transport of sugar from the market to Pervomayskaya street, a UAZ-452 truck was caught. Just in
case, Tatyana imperceptibly photographed him.
They brought the sand to Pervomayskaya Street, unloaded it on the ground next to the paid parking lot,
waited for the driver of the UAZ to drive off, and loaded it into their car. The car was put back in the
parking lot.
- Well, I went to do the "bomb"! - Peter made scary eyes.
- What is there to do? - Basil quipped, but still added: - You do this ... make a mocker convincingly, or
something. More terrible.
Peter went to his dorm. And Vasily and Tatiana went in the same direction, on Novoselov street.
Next to the entrance of the house and the door to the basement was the entrance to the pub. It was
good. If anything, you can always explain with reason what they are doing here. “Legendary,” as they
usually call it. But the fact that it was not possible to rent an apartment is bad. "Legendary" carry bags
will not succeed. “Okay, let's take Peter’s car,” Vassily decided.
- What are you doing? - Tatiana gasped from such defiant impudence.
No elementary trained terrorist will ever go to sabotage a car registered in his own name. And then she
gave up. Vasily is the eldest. Write him a report. Let them do what they want. Themselves and get a
frivolous attitude to the operation. Grown men, and everything is turned into a game. She did not know
what game these adult men would think of.

“... There are no indications that exercises were held in Ryazan, except for the unfounded statements of
the head of the FSB, Patrushev, Zdanovich and some other FSB officers. On the contrary, everything
speaks for the fact that a terrorist act was indeed prevented in Ryazan. It remains only for the
customers, organizers, perpetrators and accomplices of this crime to be judged and convicted. Since we
know their names, positions, office and home addresses, there will be no labor to detain suspected
criminals. ”
From the book of Y. Felshtinsky and A. Litvinenko “Attempt on Russia”

6. “terrorist attack”
At 20.00, Vasily and Tatiana, taking the car from the parking lot on Pervomayskaya Street, arrived at
the site of the “sabotage”. The car was placed next to the house, parked on the back side of the
entrance. In 15–20 minutes, Peter was to take her from here.
- What's this? - Tatyana asked when she saw a piece of paper stuck to the car number. On the number
M-534 RT 77, having covered the last two sevens, we attached the handwritten numbers “62”. - This is
a kindergarten. Are you not tired of constantly provoking them foolishly?
Vasily shrugged. He precisely understood his task: to provoke. People, police, special services ...
Anyone. Just to pay attention.
- Vasily Anatolyevich! You understand, real terrorists will not play in giveaway. And we play.
The elder once again shrugged and walked away to the police post, which was located fifty meters from
the house. Then he spun around the neighboring houses.
Tatiana was almost at the entrance, ready to descend to the basement at any convenient moment.
At 21.20 Peter got into the car, drove it to the entrance and put it at the door to the basement. One
militia officer remained at the police post, there was no patrol car. It's time.
The whole operation took 4 minutes 30 seconds. Opening the trunk, Vasily and Peter quickly unloaded
the bags, Tanya was already in the basement. Her task was to photograph the bookmark. After lowering
the sacks into the basement, Peter set up a more dreadful model, especially did not stint on the
insulating tape and jumped out of the basement. Tanya snapped the shutter of the camera. The last left
the basement Basil.
At 21.27 the group left the site of the "sabotage". Peter parked the car in the courtyard courtyard and
got rid of things that compromised him. At 23.31 the three of them arrived at the site of the operation
and found that the place was cordoned off by a police squad. Nobody recognized them. There was no
particular panic, although it was felt that people were alarmed and scared. There were those who
reassured themselves and their neighbors: “Everything. Nothing to worry about. Explosive discovered,
it means that the explosion will not. "
Residents of three more houses on Novoselov Street were taken to a safe place. They looked depressed.
They were sorry.
One of the men was more excited than the others. “I saw them,” he said excitedly. “They bastards, what
did they do?” They took and stuck the car number. And the piece of paper got stuck like that. I call the
police, and there they almost send. Oh, if the police had arrived earlier, we would have caught them
exactly ... ”
“They would have caught you,” Vasily grinned. - Yes, I do not attach this paper with numbers ... "
- What happened? - in the meantime Tatyana was anxiously asking people.
The answers were confused, but it was possible to find out from them that in the house number 14 they
found three bags with a crystal mixture and an explosive device, and at the place of the operation there
were officers from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Federal Security Service, a demining team and a
fire engine. By the way, after the first bell, the police didn’t actually leave the scene, but appeared here
only an hour later. After the second call ...
What happened next, the readers already know. All the newspapers wrote about this, each having
expressed his own version, all the TV channels reported. On this topic, finally, by order of Berezovsky,
French filmmakers shot the film, and Felshtinsky and Litvinenko formed a book.
... On September 23, after calling the Center, Vasily received instructions to immediately arrive at the
place of permanent deployment. Vasily, Peter and Tatiana in different ways at different times left the
city of Ryazan.
On September 24, in the morning, the senior group of OPG-1 Major Vasily M-v (his name, as well as
the names of the other participants in the operation, is known to us, but I gave the word not to name
them) wrote a report to the Center. Earlier than expected. Significantly ahead of the three-day period.
The report immediately went to Major General Tikhonov. He reported to the director of the FSB. On
September 24 at noon, Nikolai Patrushev reported that exercises were held in Ryazan. There was a
noise.
On the same days, other groups of employees of the Center for Special Purpose gradually returned
from Ivanovo, Kursk, and Orel. No one noticed them, they did not provoke anyone: they did not go
demonstratively for an operation on their own cars, did not settle in the hotel at night, did not seal the
car’s numbers with a roughly worked fake. They provoked no one, simply imperceptibly laid down
their sacks of sugar and dummies and left quietly and imperceptibly. If these were not teachings, but
real terrorists, an explosion would have struck.
А город не знал, что учения идут - Sovershenno Sekretno 6 (2002)

URL [14 Dec, 2018] https://www.sovsekretno.ru/articles/id/830/