About the Author

Original: Об авторе

A military journalist, 'Combat Veteran,' and laureate of the Moscow Union of Journalists Prize for coverage of events in the Balkans, Chechnya, and Russia's defense-industrial complex, Colonel (Retired) Alexander Babakin, after completing the Severodonetsk Chemical Engineering Technical School, worked at the Severodonetsk Chemical Plant (Luhansk region) as an operator in a particularly hazardous shop producing caprolactam. He then served as a radio telegraphist and radio technician on UHF radio stations at the command post of the Baku Air Defense District. After graduating from the Leningrad Higher Military-Political School of the Air Defense Forces, he served four years as an officer in a radar company of the 86th Separate Radio-Technical Battalion in the Northern Group of Forces in Poland. Subsequently, he worked as a journalist at divisional and several district newspapers of the Armed Forces of the USSR. After completing the editorial department of the Lenin Military-Political Academy, he served as a research officer in the editorial offices of the journal of the Main Political Directorate of the Soviet Army and Navy, 'Communist of the Armed Forces,' which was transformed in 1991 into the central journal of Russia's Ministry of Defense, 'Army,' as deputy editor of the section in the central newspaper of the Russian Ministry of Defense, 'Red Star,' and as a senior military correspondent in the special military correspondents' section at the press service of the Russian Ministry of Defense. After retirement from active service, he worked as a correspondent for 'Rossiyskaya Gazeta' and as a columnist for 'Independent Military Review,' the weekly supplement to 'Independent Newspaper.' He now works as an editor of a section in the newspaper 'Transport of Russia' of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation.

Author Alexander Babakin of the documentary investigative book 'Battle in the Ionosphere' and Zeughaus Publishing continue work on preparing investigative books about the life and activities of scientists, designers, leaders, representatives of various other professions, as well as organizations and enterprises of domestic industry, transport, and other sectors.