Damir Nazirovich
Islamov
1996-2022
Damir Nazirovich Islamov served as the commander of the 3rd tank platoon, 1st tank battalion, of the 163rd Guards Tank Regiment, 150th Motor Rifle Division, 8th Guards Combined Arms Army, Southern Military District. He held the rank of Guards Senior Lieutenant and was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation. He was born on October 13, 1996, in the city of Leninogorsk, the Republic of Tatarstan. Islamov was the youngest child in a large family. After completing his studies at Leninogorsk Secondary School № 6 in 2014, he entered Kazan Higher Tank Command School, graduating in 2018. Upon graduation, he was assigned to the 163rd Guards Nizhyn Red Banner Tank Regiment in Persianovsky, the Rostov Region, as part of the 150th Motor Rifle Division, 8th Guards Combined Arms Army. In the same year, he participated in the Tank Biathlon Championship at the 4th International Army Games. Since February 24, 2022, Islamov’s unit took part in the special military operation in support of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics. On March 7, 2022, Islamov led his crew, including gunner Damir Gilemkhanov and driver Ivan Tsevun, in a T-72B1 tank during an assault on a fortified position near Zolote, the Severodonetsk District, LPR. The tank’s precise fire inflicted significant damage on Ukrainian forces, neutralizing a fortified firing point and up to ten enemy soldiers. During the battle, their tank was set alight by incendiary rounds, but the crew managed to extinguish the flames and resumed their mission. Then they were engaged in an uneven battle with five enemy tanks, successfully destroying four. However, their T-72B1 was ultimately hit by the fifth tank, resulting in the death of the entire crew. On March 25, 2022, President of the Russian Federation posthumously awarded Senior Lieutenant Damir Nazirovich Islamov the title of Hero of the Russian Federation for his courage and heroism in the line of duty. His Golden Star Medal was presented to his family during a farewell ceremony in Leninogorsk. In 2022, busts of Islamov were unveiled on the Heroes’ Alley in Leninogorsk, at Secondary School № 6 (which now bears his name), and at Kazan Higher Tank Command School. A commemorative plaque was also placed on the building where he once lived.
Address: Moscow, Victory Park
