A memorial plaque to Afghan war veteran L. Belitsky will be unveiled today in Vitebsk

May 19, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. A memorial plaque to Afghan war veteran Leonid Belitsky will be unveiled today in Vitebsk, the Ideological Work Department of the Vitebsk City Executive Committee informed a BELTA correspondent. The Vitebsk Regional Council of the Public Association "Belarusian Union of Afghan War Veterans" came up with the initiative to perpetuate the memory of the hero. The memorial sign depicting the pilot is installed on the building of Secondary School No. 3 (Lyudnikov Avenue, 2), where Leonid Belitsky studied and graduated in 1987. Representatives of local authorities, youth, Belitsky's combat comrades, and his mother will take part in the solemn ceremony. Deputy Commander of the helicopter squadron for political affairs, Leonid Belitsky, was born on May 2, 1956, in Vitebsk. He performed his combat duty in Afghanistan from September 1983. He demonstrated flying skills, composure, and endurance, making 1008 combat sorties to support ground troops' combat operations, including 15 to high-altitude, hard-to-reach landing sites. By his personal example, he inspired his subordinates to complete combat missions. On August 27, 1984, during the landing of a tactical airborne assault force, his helicopter was shot down by rebels, crashed, and exploded. For his courage and heroism, he was awarded the Order of the Red Star and the Order of Lenin (posthumously). He is buried in the Mazurino city cemetery in Vitebsk. One of the city streets is named after him. -0-