Salute to Yuri Viktorovich Redkin -22 yrs old Soviet Naval officer died for Mine clearing for Bangladesh-Sumi Khan

 My heartfelt Salute to Yuri Viktorovich Redkin -22 yrs old Soviet Naval officer died in 1973. People should be allowed to enter the Redkin Point in Chattogram. My Salute, Tribute for a true Soldier, a true Friend of Bangladesh!

On April, 02, 1972, the advance team of 100 seamen, led by Rear Admiral Sergey Pavlovich Zuenko, a veteran of 36 years in the Soviet Navy, as Commander of the “Rescue Expedition”, arrived at Chittagong. He immediately went to work with the seamen and equipment at his disposal. By May 4, the main flotilla of 22 vessels and 700 seamen, from the Soviet “Pacific Fleet” were already at Chittagong Port.

The 800- member Soviet team, under the able leadership of Rear Admiral Zuenko, faced a very formidable and daunting task. The Port was very badly damaged. At least 30 ships, of all description, had sunk in the Port area and outer anchorage (mostly from heavy Indian air strikes). At the close of the War, the Pakistani occupation forces had placed numerous mines to render the Port useless to Bangladesh.

Mine clearing / sweeping is a complicated and potentially dangerous operation. Salvaging sunken ships are difficult under “normal” conditions. But, in the case of Chittagong Port, these procedures proved to be even more difficult and dangerous. Underwater visibility was almost zero, in the muddy, polluted water of Karnaphuli River. Strong currents in the fast flowing River prevented the divers from going down more than four times a day, and each time for no longer than 40 / 45 minutes. The Soviet seamen had to endure difficult climatic and living conditions. The salvage team could not employ the effective and efficient “underwater blasting” method, of sunken wrecks, as the Karnaphuli River was too narrow and blasting could endanger vessels within the Port. Moreover, considerable fish and marine resources would be destroyed as well. Therefore, they had to employ the older “sunken pontoons” method. Pontoons would be attached to the ship wrecks, which would then be floated with compressed air, thus bringing the wrecks to the surface. This method turned out to be extremely time consuming, labour intensive and difficult.