Changes

''Novoaleksandrovska must be brought to readiness and Khomutovo.  The border guards and KGB are at Khomutovo.''

''Novoaleksandrovska must be brought to readiness and Khomutovo.  The border guards and KGB are at Khomutovo.''

“Chaika” is the call sign of the Far East Military District (FEMD) Air Force Command Post.  Consequently, this first documented rescue mission could only be effected by order of the FEMD, which was second in jurisdiction to the Soviet Far East Military Theatre of Operations.  Neither the shooting down nor the rescue of Flight 007 was, therefore, of local decision.

'''“Chaika” is the call sign of the Far East Military District (FEMD) Air Force Command Post.  Consequently, this first documented rescue mission could only be effected by order of the FEMD, which was second in jurisdiction to the Soviet Far East Military Theatre of Operations.  Neither the shooting down nor the rescue of Flight 007 was, therefore, of local decision.

Apparently, neither Smirnykh Air Force Base in central Sakhalin (under the Tactical Air Command and from where the MiG23 ordered to guarantee destruction of KAL 007 was based) and Sokol Air Force base in southern Sakhalin (under the Air Defense Command where Osipovich and his SU-15 were based) had any available rescue helicopters.  Therefore, the jurisdictional step up to the Far East Military District Air Force was required to bring the out-of-jurisdiction Khomutovo Air Base into action.  Khomutovo was the civilian and military airbase at Yuzhno (Southern) Sakhalinsk City.

'''Apparently, neither Smirnykh Air Force Base in central Sakhalin (under the Tactical Air Command and from where the MiG23 ordered to guarantee destruction of KAL 007 was based) and Sokol Air Force base in southern Sakhalin (under the Air Defense Command where Osipovich and his SU-15 were based) had any available rescue helicopters.  Therefore, the jurisdictional step up to the Far East Military District Air Force was required to bring the out-of-jurisdiction Khomutovo Air Base into action.  Khomutovo was the civilian and military airbase at Yuzhno (Southern) Sakhalinsk City.'''

The second mission involved the civilian ships in the vicinity of Moneron as well as the border guards.  This mission was ordered at 18:55; just 29 minutes after missile impact and 17 minutes after KAL 007 had reached "point zero altitude" (1,000 feet above sea level and the point and which Soviet radar on the Siberian Maritime could no longer track KAL 007 because of the curvature of the earth).  

'''The second mission involved the civilian ships in the vicinity of Moneron as well as the border guards.  This mission was ordered at 18:55; just 29 minutes after missile impact and 17 minutes after KAL 007 had reached "point zero altitude" (1,000 feet above sea level and the point and which Soviet radar on the Siberian Maritime could no longer track KAL 007 because of the curvature of the earth).'''

(That at least one Soviet naval rescue mission had been ordered even before KAL007 had reached the surface of the waters off Moneron is attested by the following - taken from the Izvestia testimony of a Soviet Naval Specialist who had been involved in the rescue mission:  "When we learned that the aircraft had been attacked, and that weapons had been used, we began to analyse when it might possibly come down.  Ships were ordered to the ''anticipated'' [emphasis added] area.  Several ships headed there at once at full speed...")

(That at least one Soviet naval rescue mission had been ordered even before KAL007 had reached the surface of the waters off Moneron is attested by the following - taken from the Izvestia testimony of a Soviet Naval Specialist who had been involved in the rescue mission:  "When we learned that the aircraft had been attacked, and that weapons had been used, we began to analyse when it might possibly come down.  Ships were ordered to the ''anticipated'' [emphasis added] area.  Several ships headed there at once at full speed...")'''

'''Gen. Strogov: (18:54)'''''Hello…  Hello, Titovnin…  You s... [obscenities]  I’ll lock you up in the guard house.  Why don’t you pick up the phone?''

'''Gen. Strogov: (18:54)'''''Hello…  Hello, Titovnin…  You s... [obscenities]  I’ll lock you up in the guard house.  Why don’t you pick up the phone?''

''The border guards. What ships do we now have near Moneron Island, if they are civilians, send [them] there immediately.''

''The border guards. What ships do we now have near Moneron Island, if they are civilians, send [them] there immediately.''

There is consistency of Strogov’s site identification with Kornukov’s.  Both generals simply specify it as “Moneron.”  Ships that are already “near Moneron” are sent to Moneron itself.  This transcript puts the lie to the Soviet claims, from Day One and on, that they did not know where the plane went down, as well as exposing the Soviet deception in staging their search and rescue operations in various parts of international waters. Among the first proponents of this lie was Marshal Nicolay Ogarkov, U.S.S.R. Chief of General Staff, when he stated on September 9, 1983, at a press conference, "We could not give the precise answer about the spot where it [KAL 007] fell because we ourselves did not know the spot in the first place."  The United States (and the rest of the world for the matter) had been effectively and tragically duped!

'''There is consistency of Strogov’s site identification with Kornukov’s.  Both generals simply specify it as “Moneron.”  Ships that are already “near Moneron” are sent to Moneron itself.  This transcript puts the lie to the Soviet claims, from Day One and on, that they did not know where the plane went down, as well as exposing the Soviet deception in staging their search and rescue operations in various parts of international waters. Among the first proponents of this lie was Marshal Nicolay Ogarkov, U.S.S.R. Chief of General Staff, when he stated on September 9, 1983, at a press conference, "We could not give the precise answer about the spot where it [KAL 007] fell because we ourselves did not know the spot in the first place."  The United States (and the rest of the world for the matter) had been effectively and tragically duped!'''

From V. Chebrikov, KGB head, and D. Ustinov, Defense Minister, to Yuri Andropov, General Secretary of USSR, December 1983 (see fuller text below):

From V. Chebrikov, KGB head, and D. Ustinov, Defense Minister, to Yuri Andropov, General Secretary of USSR, December 1983 (see fuller text below):