Talk:Viktor Karpukhin (Soviet Major general)

1991 Soviet Coup Attempt

On 20 August, during the events of the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, Major General Viktor Karpukhin, Alpha Group's commanding officer and decorated Hero of the Soviet Union was, by the oral command of KGB Chairman Vladimir Kryuchkov, tasked with forcibly entering the White House, Russia's acting parliament at the time, after a planned assault on the entrance by paratroopers, in order to kill Boris Yeltsin and various other leaders assembled there. In addition to Alpha Group, General Karpukhin was also given authority of Vega Group (Vympel), elements of the Soviet Airborne, internal security units of the Dzerzhinsky Division (OMSDON), mobilized units of the Moscow OMON, three tank companies, and a squadron of helicopters. On-site analysis of the area was conducted by General Karapuhkin, Airborne deputy commander General Alexander Lebed, and other senior officers who mingled with the crowds nearest to the White House. There seems to be a general consensus among the military officials who gathered that day, as evidenced by their statements some months after the botched coup attempt, that had they followed through on their endeavor it would have succeeded. The stated mission objectives could have been reached in no more than half-an-hour, but it would have come at a terrible human cost. Shortly after their assessment was made, General Karpukhin and Colonel Beskov, the commanders of Alpha and Vega Groups respectively, tried to convince KGB General Ageyev that such a massive undertaking should be cancelled, as it would result in unnecessary loss-of-life.

see Alpha Group in wikipedia Rvallimont (talk) 19:30, 7 June 2012 (UTC)