Battle for Height 776

The Battle of Hill 776, also known as the Battle of Ulus-Kert, was a controversial battle in the Second Chechen War that saw a company of Russian paratroopers wiped out near the Argun Gorge, over the course of several days. The unit in question was the 6th Company, part of 2nd Battalion, 104th Parachute Landing Regiment, 76th Guards Pskov Airborne Division. Uncertainty continues to surround many aspects of the engagement, both in terms of how many casualties the Russians themselves inflicted and why they received no reinforcements or air support during the course of the battle. Partially owing to these points of controversy, the battle has been seen in two ways: firstly, as a catastrophic defeat for the Russian military, and secondly, as a glorious last stand made by the paratroopers, confirming the VDV's reputation as an elite force in the same way that Camerone did for the French Foreign Legion.