From 1999 to 2007, he made over 10 trips to Chechnya and participated in special operations in the areas of the cities of Gudermes and Argun, as well as in the suburbs of Grozny and the Vedeno region.

He refused to resign from the armed forces, his superior physical fitness allowing him to remain in service, to carry on parachuting (over 840 jumps) and still to do martial arts with the prosthesis.

[2] In a subsequent battle on January 24, 2005, he was injured by multiple fragment wounds in the back while shielding his men from the blast of a rocket-propelled grenade.

Even wounded, he personally neutralised the enemy rocket and machine gun post, before continuing leading the patrol, resulting in the capture and destruction of a terrorist base.

[2] He was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation on April 6, 2005, by presidential decree citing "courage and heroism in the performance of military duties in the North Caucasus".