Aleksey Galkin

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Aleksey Viktorovich Galkin is a former GRU ("Гла́вное Разве́дывательное Управле́ние" (Glavnoje Razvedyvatel'noje Upravlenije - Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation)) officer who became well known in connection with Russian apartment bombings. A senior lieutenant of the GRU, Alexei Galkin confessed, while being captured by Chechen separatists, that apartment bombing in Buynaksk was organized by a team of twelve GRU officers and ordered by GRU director Valentin Korabelnikov ^[1] ^[2]^[3] The interview of Galkin was conducted by journalist Robert Young Pelton who wrote about it in his book Three Worlds Gone Mad ^[4]. Galkin later escaped from Chechen rebels and said that he was tortured to produce this confession, although he did not tell anything about his alleged involvement in the bombings ^[5]

1 Capture by Chechen rebels
2 Alleged torture
3 The interview by Robert Young Pelton
4 Escape and publications in Novaya Gazeta
5 References

[edit] Capture by Chechen rebels

Galkin was captured during the Second Chechen military campaign by Chechen separatists near Mozdok on October 3rd, 1999.^[5] Together with Colonel Ivanov Zariko Amiranovich and senior lieutenant Vladimir Pachomov they were trying to evacuate the relatives of Chechen Russian Army collaborator Visani, who asked Russian Army to evacuate his junior brother.^[5] After crossing the border their car was surrounded by separatists and they were repeatedly beaten, among all with rifle butts. Together with Pachomov they were driven on a car to Grozny.^[2]^[5]

[edit] Alleged torture

Galkin said that he was kept by militants without food and water in the dark building cellar. He was regularly beaten by militants. ^[5] Arms of Galkin were handcuffed and wrapped with barbed wire and fastened to metallic pipe.^[5] Galkin head was beaten so severely, that he had flares in his eyes.^[5] His captors prohibited him to raise bleeding head and were beating him when he was raising it.^[5] The bleeding was so severe, that militants gave him a rag to stop the bleeding afterwards.^[5]

A month later, two man introduced themselves to him, the first is Hasan - a commander of Shamil Basaev's secret security service and the second - Abu Movsaev - director of state security department of self-proclaimed Ichkerian Republic.^[5] Both were interrogating Galkin by asking questions like: "What Putin does think? What plans does he have on the war in the Chechen Republic?" When Galkin was answering, that he doesn't know, he was severely beaten.^[5]

[edit] The interview by Robert Young Pelton

No traces of Galkin's torture was evident when he was interviewed by Robert Young Pelton.He was thin, emaciated and his wrists hurt from being bound before brought into the bunker in Grozny. Pelton questioned Galkin against the wishes of Abu Musayev, Galkin's captor and also asked if he had been tortured or mistreated. Galkin was nervous and when Pelton asked him why. He said with humor that he had never been on CNN before. In his book Pelton notes that after the interview Galkin was watching a Chuck Norris movie with the rest of the rebels in the Grozny bunker. At the videotape he was repeating that bombings at Moscow were committed by Russian security services - FSB and GRU.^[2]^[5] Movsaev interrupted Galkin when Pelton asked whether Galkin voluntarily confessed, saying that "You don't need to answer on this question".^[2]

[edit] Escape and publications in Novaya Gazeta

On January, after the New Year, Galkin and Pachomov, succefully escaped their captors.^[5] They found weapons wandering alone. While on the run they met a group of militants and exchanged fire with them. Galkin had his two arms shooted through. They were discovered by Ryazan airborne regiment. Doctors diagnosed Galkin with four broken ribs, ribs fragments had entered into his lungs, his jaw was broken in three points, he had a brain trauma, and shooted through arms.^[5] Galkin retired from the Army due to his health condition in summer 2002 after rehabilitation course. ^[5]

An interview with Alexey Galkin was shown on First TV Channel show "A man and a law", where Galkin told about his captivity and confessions. He said nothing about his alleged involvement in the bombings.