In the Zone of Special Attention

In the Zone of Special Attention is a 1978 Soviet action movie, directorial debut of Andrei Malyukov. It achieved cult film status among several generations of the Soviet Airborne Forces and veterans, and, along with Hit Back, it became part of their popular culture. The Soviet audience was approximately 35.4 million. The film was made with the political support of Vasily Margelov, a Red Army general who was commanding officer of the Soviet airborne troops. Plot Somewhere in the Soviet Union, a huge military exercise is in preparation, between opponents designated as the "Northern" and "Southern" army groups. As manoeuvres begin, the commander of the "Southern" airborne regiment designates three reconnaissance groups to be dropped far behind "Northern" lines, to find and capture the rival "Hidden Command Center" (HCO) and to set up a radio beacon to show the location of the drop zone for the main assault. Two of the three groups are soon captured by "Northern" counter-reconnaissance units. The third, led by Lt. Tarasov (Boris Galkin), manages to dodge all the traps set by the enemy. "Northern" Mjr. Morozhkyn (Anatoly Kuznetsov), leading the pursuit, surrounds the place in the forest where the third reconnaissance group is expected, but the paratroopers manage to break through. Tarasov decides to split his group and sends his deputy, Praporshchik (Soviet Warrant Officer) Volentir (played by Mihai Volontir), to the arranged rendezvous. Meanwhile, a group of armed criminals has escaped from a nearby prison. Having killed and injured some locals, they are now hiding in the area to which Prap. Volentir is heading. He encounters the criminals at a forest warden's hut, where they ambush him, badly injuring him. But Volentir is skilled in martial arts and knocks them all down. He calls the local police authorities on his radio, thus unmasking himself as the rival counter-reconnaissance.