Denis Vetchinov

In film August Eighth Vetchinov became a prototype of captain Ilya played by Khasan Baroyev.

Born 23 June 1976 in Stepnogorsk (now Kazakhstan), he graduated from the Omsk Officers' Academy in 1999.

On 9 August 2008, the second day of Russian involvement in the Battle of Tskhinvali, a column of Russian vehicles with a few journalists and 58th Army commander Anatoly Khrulyov onboard was ambushed by Georgian special forces in the outskirts of Tskhinvali.

Allegedly Vetchinov, armed with a trophy Georgian machine gun, organised defence but was wounded in both legs.

On 15 August Denis Vetchinov was posthumously awarded the Hero of the Russian Federation golden star "for courage and heroism while fulfilling his duty in the North Caucasus region".