Yevtyukhin told his parents that he desired to join the military, much to his mother's dismay, and he and his brother would often make the 70 kilometres (43 mi) trip, even during the winter, to the local aerodrome for skydiving.

[2][3] His younger brother Igor, an officer in the Russian Naval Infantry, also fought in the first Chechen War and was presumed killed in action, leading to his father having a heart attack, yet it was discovered three days later he had only been wounded.

On 9 February, Yetyukhin and his battalion took part in an operation which killed thirty Chechen insurgents and destroyed two of their motor vehicles.

[4] The General urged the paratroopers to hold on until dawn when reinforcements might be dispatched, but by that time the Chechens had already broken through the Russian lines.

Romanov, who had also lost both legs to a mortar round and was on the verge of losing consciousness, obeyed the order and shells began to hit their position, killing both men.

[5] The bodies of Yevtyukhin and his fallen comrades were taken to Pskov on 12 March 2000,[citation needed] and on the same day, President of Russia Vladimir Putin signed ukaz No.

"...courage and valour shown during the liquidation of the illegal armed formations in the North Caucasus region..."[3]At his funeral, Yevtyukhin was eulogised as a hero for pushing his comrades who were still alive to flee, before directing fire of artillery upon his position.