Russian Airborne Troops
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The Russian Airborne Forces () is the airborne separate combat arm of the
Russian Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military of Russia. They are organized into three service branches—the Russian Ground Forces, Ground Forces, Russian Navy, Navy, and Russi ...
. It is a rapid response force and strategic reserve that is under the
President of Russia The president of Russia, officially the president of the Russian Federation (), is the executive head of state of Russia. The president is the chair of the State Council (Russia), Federal State Council and the President of Russia#Commander-in-ch ...
, reporting directly to the Chief of the General Staff, and is organized into airborne and
air assault Air assault is the movement of ground-based military forces by vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, such as helicopters, to seize and hold key terrain that has not been fully secured, and to directly engage enemy forces behind enemy l ...
units. It was formed in 1992 from divisions of the Soviet Airborne Forces that came under Russian control following the
dissolution of the Soviet Union The Soviet Union was formally dissolved as a sovereign state and subject of international law on 26 December 1991 by Declaration No. 142-N of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. Declaration No. 142-Н of ...
. Troops of the Russian Airborne Forces have traditionally worn a
blue beret A blue beret is a blue-colored beret used by various (usually special) military and other organizations. United Nations Peacekeeping, United Nations peacekeepers are often referred to as Blue Berets or Blue Helmets because of their light blue be ...
and blue-striped '' telnyashka'' undershirt and are called ''desant'' (Russian: Десант), from the French ''Descente''. The Russian Airborne Forces utilizes a range of specialist airborne warfare vehicles and are fully mechanized. Traditionally they have had a larger complement of heavy weaponry than most contemporary airborne forces.


Mission

According to an order of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation in 1997, the Airborne Forces form the strategic reserve of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, under the direct command of the Chief of the General Staff, and as a rapid response force may be tasked with carrying out operations either independently or within larger
army group An army group is a military organization consisting of several field army, field armies, which is self-sufficient for indefinite periods. It is usually responsible for a particular geographic area. An army group is the largest field organizatio ...
s alongside units of the Ground Forces. The Airborne Forces can also participate in peacekeeping missions under the mandate of the
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(UN) or the
Collective Security Treaty Organization The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO, ) is an Intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental military alliance in Eurasia consisting of six post-Soviet states: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. Th ...
(CSTO). The Airborne Forces are organized into three types of units, consisting of Airborne, Air Assault, and Mountain Air Assault. The airborne units can be parachuted into a combat zone, while the air assault units are airlifted there by aircraft or helicopter. Specifically designated mountain units were created after the Airborne Forces were frequently used in conflicts in the
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region in the immediate post-Soviet years. The structure of the Airborne Forces uses airborne or air assault divisions for the operational level, airborne or air assault brigades for the operational-tactical level, and regiments for the tactical level. This structure can be augmented with the addition of Ground Forces motorized rifle, artillery, aviation, or other units, depending on the situation. After studying airborne operations during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the Soviet leadership concluded they were largely unsuccessful, with only a few exceptions. They recognized the potential for an airborne force to attack targets behind enemy lines, but the main problems that were identified included a lack of firepower. An effort to resolve this was the introduction of the BMD series of armored vehicles in 1970, which were eventually issued to every regiment of an airborne division. Up to the present, the Russian Airborne Forces are more heavily armed than their Western counterparts, with the usage of
armored personnel carrier An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...
s.


History


Founding and reorganization

The
dissolution of the Soviet Union The Soviet Union was formally dissolved as a sovereign state and subject of international law on 26 December 1991 by Declaration No. 142-N of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. Declaration No. 142-Н of ...
led to the dividing up of the former
Soviet Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, also known as the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union, the Red Army (1918–1946) and the Soviet Army (1946–1991), were the armed forces of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republi ...
by the newly independent states. The Russian Airborne Forces were established on 7 May 1992 by a decree from the
President of the Russian Federation The president of Russia, officially the president of the Russian Federation (), is the executive head of state of Russia. The president is the chair of the Federal State Council and the supreme commander-in-chief of the Russian Armed Forces. I ...
,
Boris Yeltsin Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin (1 February 1931 – 23 April 2007) was a Soviet and Russian politician and statesman who served as President of Russia from 1991 to 1999. He was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) from 1961 to ...
. He held a meeting with the heads of state of
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,
Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains, Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Kyrgyzstan, largest city. Kyrgyz ...
, and
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to determine the distribution of former Soviet military assets. During 1992 and 1993 many of the airborne units were transferred to the territory of Russia, as only two of the seven Soviet airborne divisions had been located in the former
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...
. During this process the Russian General Staff wanted to prioritize maintaining control over the strategic assets of the Soviet military, which besides the
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also included the Airborne Forces. There was initially an attempt to keep them under the joint command of the
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(CIS), but the concept of the CIS unified forces fell apart by the summer of 1993, as the independent states took control over the units on their territories. The Russian Federation kept six of the seven divisions, which as of 1993 included: * 7th Guards Airborne Division – moved from
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to Novorossiysk. * 44th Training Airborne Division – moved from Lithuania to
Omsk Omsk (; , ) is the administrative center and largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Omsk Oblast, Russia. It is situated in southwestern Siberia and has a population of over one million. Omsk is the third List of cities and tow ...
. * 76th Guards Airborne Division (
Pskov Oblast Pskov Oblast () is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in the west of the country. Its administrative center is the Classification of inhabited localities in Russia, city of Pskov. As of the Russian Census ...
) * 98th Guards Airborne Division – moved from
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to
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. Part of it stayed and became the nucleus of the 1st Airmobile Division, Ukrainian Airmobile Forces. * 104th Guards Airborne Division – moved from
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to
Ulyanovsk Ulyanovsk,, , known as Simbirsk until 1924, is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Ulyanovsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Volga River east of Moscow. Ulyanovsk has been the only Russian UNESCO Ci ...
. * 106th Guards Airborne Division ( Tula and
Ryazan Ryazan (, ; also Riazan) is the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and administrative center of Ryazan Oblast, Russia. The city is located on the banks of the Oka River in Central Russia, southeast of Moscow. As of the 2010 C ...
) The remaining division, the 103rd Guards Airborne Division, became part of the Belarusian Ground Forces. Russia also received seven of the sixteen Soviet airborne and air assault brigades, and some additional units, which included: * 11th Guards Air Assault Brigade (
Ulan-Ude Ulan-Ude (; , ; , ) is the capital city of Buryatia, Russia, located about southeast of Lake Baikal on the Uda River, Buryatia, Uda River at its confluence with the Selenga River, Selenga. According to the Russian Census (2021), 2021 Census, 43 ...
) * 13th Air Assault Brigade ( Magdagachi and Zavitinsk) * 21st Air Assault Brigade (
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) * 36th Air Assault Brigade (Garbolovo) * 37th Airborne Brigade (
Chernyakhovsk Chernyakhovsk (; German: Insterburg) is a town in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, and the administrative center of Chernyakhovsky District. Located at the confluence of the Instruch and Angrapa rivers, which unite to become the Pregolya river bel ...
) * 56th Guards Air Assault Brigade (
Kamyshin Kamyshin ( rus, Камышин, p=kɐˈmɨʂɨn) is a city in Volgograd Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Volgograd Reservoir of the Volga River, in the estuary of the Kamyshinka River. Its population was Past populations for Kam ...
) * 83rd Guards Air Assault Brigade (
Ussuriysk Ussuriysk () is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in Primorsky Krai, Russia, in the valley of the Razdolnaya River. The city is north of Vladivostok, the administrative center of the krai, and about from both the China–Russia bo ...
) * 345th Guards Airborne Regiment ( Gudauta,
Abkhazia Abkhazia, officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a List of states with limited recognition, partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It cover ...
) * 196th Communications Regiment (
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) In the early 1990s the active Russian Airborne Forces had five divisions and eight brigades, and a total strength of 64,300 personnel. Each division had a strength of 6,000 men. The two main training establishments of the VDV were in Ryazan and Omsk: the Ryazan Guards Higher Airborne Command School and the 242nd Training Center of the Airborne Forces, which was formed in Omsk on the basis of the training division.


Early developments and wars

In 1992, during the fall of Kabul to the mujahadeen, elements of the 106th Guards Airborne Division carried out the successful evacuation of the former Soviet embassy staff from
Kabul Kabul is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province. The city is divided for administration into #Districts, 22 municipal districts. A ...
,
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
, along with the Chinese and Mongolian embassy staffs. A paratrooper of the VDV who was involved in the mission became one of the first recipients of the title Hero of Russia. Several units of the VDV were also used to maintain order in
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after the Transnistria War, and the former Soviet forces in that country were commanded by General Alexander Lebed, an airborne officer. Before the withdrawal of the 104th GAD from Azerbaijan in 1993, its members had been involved in skirmishes with the local Azeri population, and some members of another VDV unit joined Armenian militias that fought in the
First Nagorno-Karabakh War The First Nagorno-Karabakh War was an ethnic conflict, ethnic and territorial conflict that took place from February 1988 to May 1994, in the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in southwestern Azerbaijan, between the majority ethnic Armenians of Nag ...
. One airborne battalion in
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fought off an attack by local nationalists during the Georgian Civil War, and other airborne units were involved in helping maintain ceasefires during and after the Georgian-Ossetian and Georgian-Abkhazian wars between 1992 and 1993. In the early 1990s, General Pavel Grachev, an Airborne Forces general who served as the first Russian Defence Minister from 1992 to 1996, planned for the VDV to form the core of the planned Mobile Forces. This was announced in '' Krasnaya Zvezda'', the
Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...
's daily newspaper, in July 1992. From December 1993, the Mobile Forces were to consist of an Immediate Reaction Force that could be deployed in 4-10 hours, and a Rapid Response Force that could be deployed in three days. It was expected that the VDV, which Grachev saw as the reliable core of the Russian military, would provide 60 percent of these forces. However, the Mobile Forces plan was never enacted. The number of formations available for the force was far less than anticipated, since much of the Airborne Forces had been 'nationalised' by the republics their units had been previously based in, and other arms of service, such as the GRU and Military Transport Aviation, who were to provide the airlift component, were adamantly opposed to ceding control of their forces.Baev, Pavel (1996). ''The Russian Army in a Time of Troubles'', Oslo: International Peace Research Institute, pp. 127–135. The end of the
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brought up questions about the continued role and purpose of the Airborne Forces. With the possibility of large airborne operations unlikely (the VDV had not carried out a parachute assault since
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
), there were proposals to disband it or absorb its units into other service branches. As a strategic reserve, the VDV was also outside the control of military district commanders. It did provide a rapid response force that could quickly be deployed to conflict zones by aircraft faster than regular Ground Forces units. Another role of the VDV in the 1990s was also peacekeeping. In 1992 the 554th Separate Russian Battalion was formed from the 137th Guards Airborne Regiment and underwent training in Ryazan before being deployed to eastern
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as a peacekeeping unit with the UN mission during the
Croatian War of Independence The Croatian War of Independence) and (rarely) "War in Krajina" ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Рат у Крајини, Rat u Krajini) are used. was an armed conflict fought in Croatia from 1991 to 1995 between Croats, Croat forces loyal to the Governmen ...
. It became the first Russian unit created for peacekeeping operations and consisted entirely of contract soldiers rather than conscripts. A new VDV formation was also established in 1994, the 45th Spetsnaz Regiment. The Airborne Forces took part in the
First Chechen War The First Chechen War, also referred to as the First Russo-Chechen War, was a struggle for independence waged by the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria against the invading Russia, Russian Federation from 1994 to 1996. After a mutually agreed on treaty ...
from December 1994 to August 1996. The joint army groups that carried out the ground campaign in the Battle of Grozny at the start of the war had elements of the 76th, 98th, 104th, and 106th GAD. They and the other Russian forces took significant casualties in the urban combat. One of the groups was commanded by the VDV general Nikolai Staskov, who was nearly killed by a grenade during the fighting in Grozny. The Battle of Vedeno, in late May and early June 1995, saw an airborne assault that was deployed by helicopter, and resulted in the capture of positions held by Chechen militants. In August 1999 a group of rebels led by the Chechen commander
Shamil Basayev Shamil Salmanovich Basayev (; ; 14 January 1965 – 10 July 2006), also known by his '' kunya'' Abu Idris, was a Chechen guerrilla leader who served as a senior military commander in the breakaway Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. He held the rank ...
attempted to invade neighboring
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, but Interior Ministry troops supported by the Ministry of Defense, with VDV units being the first to arrive, repelled the attack. The
Second Chechen War Names The Second Chechen War is also known as the Second Chechen Campaign () or the Second Russian Invasion of Chechnya from the Chechens, Chechen insurgents' point of view.Федеральный закон № 5-ФЗ от 12 января 19 ...
from September 1999 to August 2000 also involved the VDV and was much more successful than the first war. On this occasion, all of the airborne troops involved were part their own army group. At the end of the Bosnian War in late 1995 the United States wanted Russia to participate in the NATO Implementation Force (IFOR) that was deployed to ensure that the Dayton Accord was followed. The 1st Separate Airborne Brigade was established for this purpose, from units of the 76th and 98th GAD, and arrived in Bosnia in January 1996, to be part of Multi-National Division North. The Russian brigade, led by Colonel Alexander Lentsov, was under the tactical control of William L. Nash, U.S. 1st Armored Division commander, and the operational control of NATO supreme commander George Joulwan through a Russian general, Leonty Shevtsov, his deputy for Russian forces. Russian and American soldiers worked alongside each other in the first joint operation between Russia and the countries of NATO since World War II. The brigade participate in the NATO mission, which became the Stabilization Force (SFOR), until 2003. Although during Pavel Grachev's tenure as Minister of Defense the Russian armed forces had been reduced by 1.1 million troops, these changes initially had no effect on the VDV. But in December 1995 he ordered two airborne divisions and four air assault brigades to be put under the command of military districts, and when Grachev was replaced by Igor Rodionov in 1996, a Ground Forces officer, he continued to reduce the size of the VDV. In the end the decision was made to reduce the VDV to about one-third of its strength at the time. After Rodionov's reforms, as of 1997, the Airborne Forces headquarters had under its command four divisions, while all of the brigades were either reorganized into smaller units or transferred to the command of the Ground Forces. The four divisions that remained were the 7th, 76th, 98th, and 106th. In 1998 the 104th Division was reorganized as the 31st Guards Air Assault Brigade. The 76th Division was converted into an air assault from an airborne division in 1998, and the 7th Division also was made an air assault division in 2006, in addition to getting a "mountain" designation. Several brigades were disbanded: the 13th, 36th, and 37th Brigades in 1996 and the 21st and 56th Brigades in 1997. The remaining brigades – 11th, 31st, 83rd – were transferred to the command of the Ground Forces from 1996 until 2013. In 2009 the 56th Brigade was restored. The reforms in the second half of the 1990s brought the total strength of the VDV from 64,300 to 48,500, and by the late 2000s it was down to 35,000. However, Georgy Shpak, who was the commander of the Russian Airborne Forces from 1996 to 2003, prevented the Chief of the General Staff, Anatoly Kvashnin, from making the VDV part of the Ground Forces. One of his successors, Valery Yevtukhovich, the commander from 2007 to 2009, was forced to retire early over his disagreement with the Chief at that time, Nikolai Makarov, about the Airborne Forces. During the
Russo-Georgian War The August 2008 Russo-Georgian War, also known as the Russian invasion of Georgia,Occasionally, the war is also referred to by other names, such as the Five-Day War and August War. was a war waged against Georgia by the Russian Federation and the ...
in 2008, two regiments of the 76th GAAD and one from the 98th GAD were involved. The 76th was rapidly deployed into Georgia's
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region ahead of the Russian main force, the 58th Army of the Ground Forces, along with the 45th Spetsnaz Regiment. Elements of the 7th Division entered
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. Despite some problems with their equipment, the VDV achieved its objectives.


Post-2008 reform

In May 2009 Lieutenant General Vladimir Shamanov became the commander of the VDV. He was a veteran of the Soviet-Afghan War and had overseen the successful second Chechen campaign. Under the 2008 reform programme, the four existing two-regiment divisions should have been transformed into 7–8 air-assault brigades. However, once General Shamanov became commander of the Airborne Forces, it was decided to keep the original structure. The divisions were strengthened, becoming four independent airborne/air-assault brigades, one for each military district. In 2010, the VDV deputy commander, Major General Alexander Lentsov, said that the service would remain a separate combat arm, but there was a possibility that it would become part of the
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after 2016. In October 2013 it was reported that the three airborne brigades under military district control (apparently the 11th and 83rd (Ulan-Ude and Ussuriysk) in the Eastern Military District and the 56th at
Kamyshin Kamyshin ( rus, Камышин, p=kɐˈmɨʂɨn) is a city in Volgograd Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Volgograd Reservoir of the Volga River, in the estuary of the Kamyshinka River. Its population was Past populations for Kam ...
in the Southern Military District) would be returned to VDV command. The process was completed by July 2015. In October 2013, Commander of the VDV Vladimir Shamanov announced that a new air assault brigade would be formed in
Voronezh Voronezh ( ; , ) is a city and the administrative centre of Voronezh Oblast in southwestern Russia straddling the Voronezh River, located from where it flows into the Don River. The city sits on the Southeastern Railway, which connects wes ...
in 2016 with the number of the 345th Guards Airborne Regiment. The establishment of the brigade was postponed to 2017–18, according to a June 2015 announcement. It was announced in July 2015 that plans called for the 31st Airborne Brigade to be expanded into the 104th Guards Airborne Division by 2023, and for an additional airborne regiment to be attached to each division. In the mid-2010s, the Russian Airborne Forces consisted of four divisions and six brigades, including: *7th Guards Mountain Air Assault Division *76th Guards Air Assault Division *98th Guards Airborne Division *106th Guards Airborne Division *11th Guards Air Assault Brigade *31st Guards Air Assault Brigade *56th Guards Air Assault Brigade *83rd Guards Air Assault Brigade * 45th Guards Spetsnaz Brigade * 38th Guards Communications Brigade By 2021 the total personnel of the VDV was 45,000. Elements of the 76th Guards Air Assault Division's 104th Guards Air Assault Regiment allegedly participated in the
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. These units allegedly were used as spearhead forces during the August 2014 DPR and LPR counteroffensive. During the August 2014 counteroffensive, battalion tactical groups of the 7th Guards Airborne Division's 247th Guards Air Assault Regiment, the 98th Guards Airborne Division's 331st Guards Airborne Regiment, the 106th Guards Airborne Division's 137th Guards Airborne Regiment, and the 31st Guards Air Assault Brigade allegedly were sent into Ukraine. Reconnaissance teams from the 45th Guards Spetznaz Brigade and the 106th's 173rd Guards Separate Reconnaissance Company were previously deployed to Ukraine alongside Ground Forces units. In February 2016, it was reported that an airborne battalion would be permanently deployed to Dzhankoy,
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, in 2017–18, and upgraded to a regiment in 2020. In May 2017, Shamanov announced that the battalion would be formed at Feodosiya by 1 December 2017 as part of the 7th Guards Mountain Air Assault Division, and would be expanded into the 97th Air Assault Regiment with three battalions by late 2019. Since the 2014 annexation, the status of Crimea is under dispute between Russia and Ukraine; Ukraine and the majority of the international community considers Crimea an integral part of Ukraine, while Russia considers Crimea to be an integral part of Russia. In August 2016, Russian paratroopers placed 1st place in the Airborne Platoon competition during the International Army Games in Russia, defeating teams from China, Iran, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. On 4 October 2016, Colonel General Andrey Serdyukov was appointed commander of the Russian Airborne Forces, replacing Shamanov, who became chief of the
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Committee on Defense. State tests of a new Bakhcha-U-PDS parachute platform for the BMD-4M and BTR-MDM vehicles were completed in May 2018. Deliveries of new 'heavy drop' systems PBS-950U and PBS-955 began in 2020. In 2019, two battalion sets of BMD-4M airborne combat vehicles and BTR-MDM Rakushka armored personnel carriers, more than 200 units of various automotive equipment, including special armored vehicles, army snowmobiles, four-wheelers and buggies and more than 9,000 parachute systems D-10 and "Arbalet-2" were delivered to the troops. In April 2020, military personnel from the Russian Airborne Forces, performed the world's first HALO paradrop from the lower border of the
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. The Russian commando group used "next-generation special-purpose parachute system", military-tested oxygen equipment, navigation devices, special equipment, and uniforms. This was the first high-altitude landing in the Arctic latitudes over 10 km in the history of Russian aviation. As part of its mission in the Arctic region, the aircrew provided landing of airborne units from altitudes of between 10 and 1.8 kilometres, as well as landing of cargo with a total weight of about 18 tons. After conducting practical combat training, the
Il-76 The Ilyushin Il-76 (; NATO reporting name: Candid) is a multi-purpose, fixed-wing, four-engine turbofan strategic airlifter designed by the Soviet Union's Ilyushin design bureau as a commercial freighter in 1967, to replace the Antonov An-12. ...
aircrews landed at the Nagurskoe airfield in the northern part of the island of
Franz Josef Land Franz Josef Land () is a Russian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. It is inhabited only by military personnel. It constitutes the northernmost part of Arkhangelsk Oblast and consists of 192 islands, which cover an area of , stretching from east ...
. The high-altitude landing was dedicated to the 75th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic war of 1941–1945, and the 90th anniversary of the formation of the Airborne troops. In 2020, the VDV continued to modernize and re-equip its command posts, started to receive the Stayer high-altitude parachute system which enable airdrops from up to 10 km altitude, and completed receiving special-purpose controllable parachute systems. Two air assault regiments were set up in Pskov and Crimea as part of air assault divisions in 2021. The Russian Defense Ministry also accepted the Zavet-D artillery fire control vehicle for the Airborne Forces. In 2021-2022, the Airborne Forces received about 30,000 sets of landing equipment and parachute systems.
Sergey Shoigu Sergei Kuzhugetovich Shoigu; , . (born 21 May 1955) is a Russian politician and military officer who has served as secretary of the Security Council since 2024. He served as Minister of Defence of Russia from 2012 to 2024. Shoigu has served ...
claimed in September 2023 that VDV have received more than 2,000 hardware units and 5,500 landing means and also a new airborne regiment formed since the beginning of the year. The Russian Ministry of Defense said on 1 January 2024 that the VDV received during the past year over 2,500 units of weapons, military and special equipment, including more than 780 samples of "newest and contemporary ones". Among the newest samples were
T-90 The T-90 is a third-generation Russian main battle tank developed from, and designed to replace the T-72. It uses a 125mm 2A46 smoothbore main gun, the 1A45T fire-control system, an upgraded engine, and gunner's thermal sight. Standard p ...
M tanks and BMD-4M IFVs as well as BTR-MDM "Rakushka" and BTR-82A APCs. It was also reported on 3 January that 20 military units were created in 2023, including the Ulyanovsk air assault division. About 16,000 landing means were also reportedly delivered and 1,000 more in the first quarter of 2024.


Russian invasion of Ukraine

The VDV participated heavily in the
Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
. In the opening hours of the invasion the VDV attempted to secure key airports and support assaults around Ukraine. These paratroopers were recognizable by the orange-and-black Saint George ribbons decorating their helmets and arms. The VDV attempted to paradrop and transport troops with Mi-8 and
Mi-17 The Mil Mi-17 (NATO reporting name: Hip) is a Soviet-designed Russian military helicopter family introduced in 1975 (Mi-8M), continuing in production at two factories in Russia, in Kazan and Ulan-Ude. It is known as the Mi-8M series in Russia ...
helicopters and take the Hostomel Airport in northern
Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...
, in order to use the airport to
airlift An airlift is the organized delivery of Materiel, supplies or personnel primarily via military transport aircraft. Airlifting consists of two distinct types: strategic and tactical. Typically, strategic airlifting involves moving material lo ...
more troops and heavy equipment to take Kyiv as a form of forward "air bridge" that would enable rapid deployment of Russian forces far in advance of the Russian land front, in an action that became known as the
Battle of Antonov Airport The battle of Antonov Airport, also known as the battle of Hostomel Airport, was a military engagement which occurred at the Hostomel Airport, Antonov Airport in Hostomel, Kyiv Oblast, during the Northern front of the Russian invasion of Ukrai ...
. The VDV troops at the airport then engaged the Ukrainian National Guard's 4th Rapid Reaction Brigade, which with the help of the Ukrainian Air Force encircled the unsupported VDV troops and recaptured the airport, with the Russians escaping to nearby woods. The next day battle resumed, and the VDV again attempted to land troops at the airport. Deploying around 200 helicopters and with support from the Ground Forces arriving from the north (Belarus and Chernobyl), they finally broke through the Ukrainian defenses and established Russian control over the airport. In the end, however, the Ukrainians claimed that the airport became too damaged from the battle to be used as an airstrip. 40 kilometers south of Kyiv in Vasylkiv, VDV paratroopers also dropped in an attempt to secure the Vasylkiv Air Base. Without any support from air or ground forces, the VDV troops in Vasylkiv were eventually encircled and were unsuccessful in achieving their objectives, giving victory in the Battle of Vasylkiv to the Ukrainians. On February 27, VDV troops with BMD-2s and BTR-Ds were seen advancing south of Hostomel in Bucha. The VDV and Ground Forces' units were hit on the same day by Bayraktar air strikes. The Ukrainian government claimed that "more than 100 units of enemy equipment were destroyed”. On the following weeks the VDV served as
mechanized infantry Mechanized infantry are infantry units equipped with Armoured personnel carrier, armored personnel carriers (APCs) or infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for transport and combat (see also armoured corps). As defined by the United States Army, me ...
and
light infantry Light infantry refers to certain types of lightly equipped infantry throughout history. They have a more mobile or fluid function than other types of infantry, such as heavy infantry or line infantry. Historically, light infantry often fought ...
during the Kyiv offensive. During the Battle of Kharkiv, VDV paratroopers landed in Kharkiv on March 2 in an attempt to capture the contested city. They attempted a raid on a local
military hospital A military hospital is a hospital owned or operated by a military. They are often reserved for the use of military personnel and their dependents, but in some countries are made available to civilians as well. They may or may not be located on a m ...
but were repelled by local Ukrainian forces. As of August 2022, according to Colonel General Mikhail Teplinsky, over 5,000 VDV paratroopers have been decorated for distinguished service during operations in Ukraine, and 17 of them became
Heroes of the Russian Federation Hero of the Russian Federation ( rus, Герой Российской Федерации, p=ɡʲɪˈroj rɐˈsʲijskəj fʲɪdʲɪˈratsɨɪ), also unofficially called Hero of Russia ( rus, Герой России, p=ɡʲɪˈroj rɐˈsʲiɪ), is ...
. According to the UK Ministry of Defence in June 2023, Russia was redeploying regular military units to the Bakhmut sector following withdrawal of Wagner forces. These included elements of the 76th and 106th VDV divisions and two additional brigades. The MoD added that the VDV was much degraded from its pre-invasion "elite" status.


Analysis of losses

On 3 March 2022, it was reported that Major General Andrei Sukhovetsky of the VDV's 7th Guards Mountain Air Assault Division, who was the appointed deputy commander of the 41st Combined Arms Army, was
killed in action Killed in action (KIA) is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their personnel at the hands of enemy or hostile forces at the moment of action. The United States Department of Defense, for example, ...
in Ukraine. His death is attributed to
sniper A sniper is a military or paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with telescopic si ...
fire either near
Mariupol Mariupol is a city in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It is situated on the northern coast (Pryazovia) of the Sea of Azov, at the mouth of the Kalmius, Kalmius River. Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it was the tenth-largest city in the coun ...
(which was besieged by Russian forces) or
Hostomel Hostomel (, ) is a Rural settlement#Ukraine, rural settlement in Bucha Raion, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine. It is located northwest of the capital Kyiv. It hosts the administration of Hostomel settlement hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Populatio ...
during the Kyiv offensive. Ukrainian sources said he was killed on 2 March and his death was first confirmed on
VKontakte (short for its original name ''VKontakte''; , meaning ''InContact'') is a Russian online social media and social networking service based in Saint Petersburg. VK is available in multiple languages but it is predominantly used by Russian speake ...
by "Combat Brotherhood", a Russian veterans group, and later by
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...
. The VDV suffered similar losses in Bucha and Irpin with poor command and control being cited. The VDV also joined the assault on the city of
Mykolaiv Mykolaiv ( ), also known as Nikolaev ( ) is a List of cities in Ukraine, city and a hromada (municipality) in southern Ukraine. Mykolaiv is the Administrative centre, administrative center of Mykolaiv Raion (Raions of Ukraine, district) and Myk ...
during the Battle of Mykolaiv, but were pushed back by a Ukrainian counter-offensive. On 18 March it was reported that Colonel Sergei Sukharev along with deputy Major Sergei Krylov of the 331st Guards Airborne Regiment had been killed during fighting in Mariupol. In late April, Bellingcat journalist Christo Grozev claimed that he "personally checked" and that Russia had lost "almost 90% of its best paratroopers" in the first echelon of the invasion. Many helicopters were shot down by Ukrainian defenses, and the paratroopers were stranded without armored vehicles or air support. In early May, the UK MoD stated that the VDV units and other elite forces had suffered high losses and that it would "probably take years for Russia to reconstitute these forces." On 19 June 2022, it was reported by
Odesa Odesa, also spelled Odessa, is the third most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern ...
military-civilian spokesperson Serhiy Bratchuk that Putin had sacked Serdyukov for his doomed bid to take Hostomel airfield, which few of the invading soldiers survived. This was confirmed by Russian media reports. He was replaced by Colonel General Mikhail Teplinsky. According to BBC News Russian and the Mediazona news website, 1,937 VDV deaths had been documented by the end of August 2023, which included 340 officers, accounting for 6% of the 31,665 Russian fatalities who had been identified by name, and 8% of those who could identified by both name and service branch. UK intelligence estimate that around 30,000 paratroop forces were deployed to Ukraine in 2022 and that 50% of those have been killed or wounded by summer 2023. A Russian General in August 2023 stated that 3,500 wounded paratroopers had refused to leave the front for treatment and 5,000 had returned to the front after treatment. As of 8 May 2025, at least 401 BMD-2, 171 BMD-4M, 105 BTR-D, and 12 unknown BTR-D/BMD-2 have been lost in the invasion.


Wartime expansion

Despite claims of 'devastating' and 'crippling' losses, the VDV expanded during the war. After the invasion it was announced that the Airborne Forces would create two new divisions. Teplinsky announced on August 2, 2023 that the VDV is expanding the 31st Air Assault Brigade into the 104th Guards Air Assault Division. The 299th and 119th Parachute Airborne Regiments were also reestablished, expanding two other divisions from two to three regiments. Also reported was the creation of a new 52nd Artillery Brigade, the first unit of its type in the VDV, and the 44th Air Assault Division, created on the basis of the 111th and 387th Motor Rifle Regiments of the 1st Army Corps of the
Donetsk People's Republic The Donetsk People's Republic (DPR; , ) is Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, occupied territory in Ukraine that the Russian Federation has claimed to annex and declared as a Republics of Russia, republic of Russia, comprising parts o ...
. The 44th Air Assault Division recalls the number of the Soviet-era 44th Training Airborne Division, but being from newly-formed motor rifle regiments, it was described as being an air assault unit "in name only" by military analysts.


Structure

The Airborne Forces Command answers to the
General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation The General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation () is the military staff of the Russian Armed Forces. It is the central organ of the military command of the Armed Forces Administration and oversees operational command of the arme ...
and is responsible for the organization, development, training of the VDV, as well as the planning and implementation of operations involving VDV units. The Command includes the following senior officials, and the titles and the number of the deputy commanders have changed over the years, but as of June 2023 they include: * Commander Airborne Forces – Colonel-General Mikhail Teplinsky * Chief of Staff and First Deputy Commander Airborne Forces – Lieutenant-General Anatoly Kontsevoy * Deputy Commander Airborne Forces for Peacekeeping Operations and Collective Rapid Reaction Forces – Lieutenant-General Andrei Kholzakov * Deputy Commander Airborne Forces – Major-General Nikolai Choban * Deputy Commander Airborne Forces for Airborne Training – Major-General Alexander Vyaznikov * Deputy Commander Airborne Forces for Armaments – Major-General Alexei Ragozin * Deputy Commander Airborne Forces for Combat Training – Major-General Sergei Volyk * Deputy Commander Airborne Forces for Military-Political Work – Major-General Viktor Kupshichin * Deputy Commander Airborne Forces for Material-Technical Support - Major-General Nariman Timergazin * Deputy Commander Airborne Forces for Construction and Quartering – Major-General Leonid Shevchenko


Organization

The Air Landing Forces combine Parachute Landing (''парашютно-десантные'') and Landing Assault (''десантно-штурмовые'') units. The difference between the two is that while both were airborne qualified and mechanised with BMD, BTR-D, 2S9 Nona, the parachute landing units are lighter (only quarter mechanised) and play the role of entry element, while landing assault units were fully mechanised and were intended to develop the breach opened by the parachute landing forces.


Armament and equipment

Personal
firearms A firearm is any type of gun that uses an explosive charge and is designed to be readily carried and operated by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see legal definitions). The first firearms originated ...
and crew served weapons include: *
AK-74 The AK-74 ( Russian: , tr. ''Avtomat Kalashnikova obraztsa 1974 goda'', lit. 'Kalashnikov assault rifle model 1974') is an assault rifle designed by small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1974 as a successor to the AKM. While primarily ...
M (including upgraded variants with the KM-AK Obves modernization kit) and AKS-74 assault rifles, and AKS-74U special purpose and self-defence carbine (5.45×39mm) * AK-12 assault rifles (5.45×39mm) * RPK-74, light weight machinegun (5.45×39mm), now largely withdrawn from service and replaced by the PKM/PKP * PKM, general purpose machinegun (7.62×54mmR) * 6P41 "Pecheneg" (PKP) general purpose machine gun (7.62×54mmR), currently replacing the PKM as the general purpose machine gun throughout the
Russian Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military of Russia. They are organized into three service branches—the Russian Ground Forces, Ground Forces, Russian Navy, Navy, and Russi ...
* Dragunov SVDS, sniper rifle (7.62×54mmR) *
Dragunov SVU The OTs-03 SVU (, , Sniper Rifle Shortened) is a bullpup designated marksman rifle. The SVU was developed to meet the needs of the security forces of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, such as OMON. The SVU was first seen in use in the Fir ...
, modified SVD in bullpup configuration and its variants are in limited use * SV-98, main sniper rifle (7.62×54mmR) * ASVK-M Kord-M anti-materiel sniper rifle (12.7×108mm) * VSS Vintorez, silenced sniper rifle (9×39mm) *
AS Val The AS Val "Shaft" (Russian: АС «Вал»; Автома́т Специа́льный, Romanization of Russian, romanized: ''Avtomát Spetsiálny "Val"'', Literal translation, lit. 'Special Automatic') and VSS Vintorez "Thread Cutter" (Russi ...
special assault rifle * MP-443 Grach, semi-automatic pistol (9×19mm Parabellum) * Makarov, semi-automatic pistol (9×18mm Mak) & Glock 17, semi-automatic pistol (9x19 Parabellum) * GP-25, GP-30 and GP-34, under-barrel 40 mm grenade launchers for fragmentation and gas grenades * AGS-17 Plamya (Flame), 30 mm automatic grenade launcher * RPO-A Shmel (Bumblebee), infantry rocket flamethrower, currently replacing the older RPO Rys (Lynx) * RPG-7D anti-tank rocket launcher, or more modern systems such as the RPG-22 and RPG-26 * 2B14 Podnos 82 mm mortar or the 120 mm 2S12 Sani on UAZ vehicles * 9K38 Igla man-portable SAM system, or the more modern 9K338 Igla-S * 9K333 Verba man-portable SAM system, currently entering service * 9K111 Fagot, 9K115 Metis and 9M133 Kornet man-portable anti-tank systems * MTS-566 sniper rifle The VDV are fully equipped with Barmitsa and Ratnik infantry combat suits as of 2018. Andromeda-D, Barnaul-T and Dozor automated control systems, AS-1 snowmobiles, four wheelers, a specially-created uniform for hot climates and Nanuk Arctic gear, reconnaissance-control and planning modules and the REX-1 counter-unmanned aerial vehicle rifle-like, man-portable jammer developed by Kalashnikov Group subsidiary ZALA Aero Group are also being introduced into service. Portable versions of the Garmony air defence radar, modernized reconnaissance and artillery fire control posts and Aistyonok and Sobolyatnik radars are being supplied to the VDV. The Russian Airborne Forces have also received new special-purpose controlled wing-type parachutes. VDV servicemen performing tasks in
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
received VKPO 3.0 all-season field uniform kits in 2023. The automatic cargo parachute system Junker-DG-250 passed acceptance trials and began to be supplied in November 2023. VDV also reportedly use the Lesochek EW system.


Armoured vehicles

There are over 1,800 armored fighting vehicles, mostly BMD-1 (since 1969), of which all but around 100 are in storage, and at least several hundred BMD-2 (since 1985). There are over 100 BMD-3 (1990) that were partially upgraded to BMD-4 level. All of them are amphibious, moving at around 10 km/h in water. The BMD-4 is capable of full, continuous fire while in deep water, unlike any other vehicle with such heavy weaponry (100 mm gun and 30 mm auto cannon). However, some units (such as those who served on peacekeeping duties in the Balkans) are known to have used BTR armored personnel carriers rather than BMD's. T-72B3 tanks supplied to the Russian Airborne Forces in 2018 have been upgraded and are equipped with Andromeda automatic control system and some of them with top-attack defence screens. As of 2021, the Russian Airborne Forces have 150 T-72B3 and 10 T-72B3 mod. 2016.
T-90 The T-90 is a third-generation Russian main battle tank developed from, and designed to replace the T-72. It uses a 125mm 2A46 smoothbore main gun, the 1A45T fire-control system, an upgraded engine, and gunner's thermal sight. Standard p ...
M tanks are also attached to VDV units as of August 2023. There is a turret-less variant of the BMD-1, the BTR-D, which is used as troop carrier and serves as the basis for specialised versions such as anti-tank, command and signals. The BTR-D will be partially replaced by the new multi-purpose APC BTR-MD "Rakushka" that will also come in several different versions. Approximately 280 vehicles in all BTR-D configurations are in service. As part of the 2011 state defence order (GOZ), 10 BMD-4M and 10 "Rakushka's" have been ordered, but according to the VDV's CinC General Colonel Shamanov, Kurganmashzavod did not give a guarantee it would produce them. The Russian Defense Ministry adopted the BMD-4M in April 2016. The first production batch of the new armored vehicles BMD-4M and BTR-MDM "Shell" in the amount of 24 units (12 each) transferred to the Russian Airborne Forces in 2015. The VDV equipped the first regiment with BMD-4Ms and BTR-MDMs in 2016. In 2017, they received two battalion sets of BMD-4M combat airborne vehicles and BTR-MDM APCs, over 80 Rys’ and UAZ Pickup armored automobiles. Russian airborne brigade-level units have received SPM-2 GAZ-233036 Tigr armored cars. They have ordered Kamaz Typhoon armored infantry transports, following modifications to meet the demands of the airborne troops and accepted them for supply in August 2021. The Russian Airborne Forces have received about 100 Tigr and Rys special armored vehicles, 200 Snegohod A-1 snow-going and AM-1 all-terrain vehicles, UAZ Patriot light motor vehicles, Toros 4x4 armored vehicles and Kamaz trucks that can be air-dropped. The VDV currently receives Berkyt protected snowmobiles for personnel transportation and fire support in arctic conditions. Infauna and Leer-2 EW systems alongside Aileron-3SV UAVs and P-230T command vehicles are also received. The RKhM-6 chemical reconnaissance vehicle based on the BTR-80 armored personnel carrier, the BTR-D airborne assault armored personnel carrier with a ZU-23 anti-aircraft gun and the R-149MA1 and the R-142DA command and staff vehicles were demonstrated in August 2021. The Sarmat-2 light tactical buggy participated in the Zapad-2021 drill. On 1 August 2013, it was reported that the Russian Airborne Forces will develop a hybrid combat vehicle that combines features of an airborne infantry fighting vehicle and a helicopter. To meet the demands of future armed conflicts, a combat module that combines a light combat vehicle and an attack helicopter is being considered, with a crew of three-four people. The vehicle will be developed for the VDV by 2030.


Artillery

The airborne self-propelled artillery guns
ASU-57 The ASU-57 was a small, lightly constructed Soviet Union, Soviet assault gun specifically designed for use by Soviet Airborne Forces, Soviet airborne divisions. From 1960 onwards, it was gradually phased out in favour of the ASU-85. Development ...
and
ASU-85 The ASU-85 ( – airborne self-propelled mount) is a Soviet Union, Soviet-designed Airborne forces, airborne Self-propelled artillery, self-propelled gun of the Cold War era. From 1959, it began to replace the open-topped ASU-57 in service. It wa ...
have been withdrawn. They had light armour and limited anti-tank capability, but provided invaluable fire support for paratroopers behind enemy lines (the caliber of the gun in mm is the number next to the ASU designation). Also withdrawn were the multiple rocket launch systems RPU-14 (8U38) of 140 mm and the BM-21V "Grad-V" (9P125) of 122 mm on GAZ-66, as well as the 85 mm gun SD-44. Today the VDV operates the following systems: * 2S9 Nona and modernized 2S9M 120 mm self-propelled gun-mortar. Currently being replaced by the 2B23 Nona-M1 120 mm towed mortar and 2S31 Vena 120 mm self-propelled gun-mortar/ 2S12A modernized 120 mm self-propelled mortar * 2S25 Sprut-SD 125 mm self-propelled artillery/anti-tank gun based on BMD-3 hull * D-30 (2A18) 122 mm howitzer and anti-tank weapon, towed by truck, not amphibious, able to make 360 degree turns as it is deployed on a tripod * ZU-23-2 23 mm air-defence gun, is either mounted on the BTR-D, or can be towed by a jeep or truck as it has wheels. Since 2011, some ZU-23s are being replaced by the Strela-10M3/MN and since 2016 by the newest versions of the
Buk missile system The Buk (; "beech" (tree), ) is a family of self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon, self-propelled, medium-range surface-to-air missile systems developed by the Soviet Union and its successor state, the Russian Federation, and designed to counter ...
. * TOS-1A 220 mm self-propelled 24-barrel thermobaric/incendiary unguided rocket launcher since 2022. * 2S36 Zauralets-D – future 120 mm self-propelled gun-howitzer based on the BMD-4 * 2S37 – future 152 mm self-propelled gun-howitzer based on the BMD-4 The VDV is equipped with numerous types of airborne capable trucks and jeeps, for example the Ural-4320, the GAZ-66V and the GAZ-2975 "Tigr" for transporting cargo, specialist crews and equipment (e.g. mortars, ammunitions), but not infantry (all fighting paratroopers are transported in armoured vehicles). Currently, the GAZ-66 is being replaced by the KamAZ-43501.


UAVs

* Compact recon complex "Iskatel" (The Seeker) with 2 UAVs * UAV complex Orlan-10 * UAV complex Granat * UAV complex Takhion * Kamikaze FPV drone Boomerang * ZALA Lancet kamikaze drone * Albatross M5 reconnaissance drone


Ranks and rank insignia

;Officer ranks ;Other ranks


Commanders of the Russian Airborne Forces


Traditions


Symbols

*Nickname(s): Blue Berets, Winged Infantry *Patron: Saint Elijah the Prophet *Motto(s): Никто, кроме нас! (Nobody, but us!) *Beret Color:
Sky Blue Sky blue refers to a collection of shades comparable to that of a clear daytime sky. Typically it is a shade of cyan or light teal, though some iterations are closer to light Azure (color), azure or light blue. The term (as "sky blew") is atte ...
As late as 1999 many members of the Airborne Forces still wore the old patch of the Soviet VDV on their uniform, either by itself or along with the Russian Armed Forces patch, which had been issued in 1994.


Paratroopers' Day celebrations

Russian airborne troops had their own holiday during the Soviet era, which continues to be celebrated on 2 August. Their most emblematic mark of distinction is a blue beret. VDV soldiers are often called "blue berets". Each year, current and former paratroopers, often in an inebriated state, celebrate by meeting up and wandering city streets and parks. The day is notorious for two common sights: paratroopers frolicking in fountains and picking fights with hapless passers-by. On Airborne Forces Day in many Russian cities, it is customary to turn off the fountains and hold veteran reunions near those fountains.


Bands

The Combined Military Band of the Airborne Forces is an integral part of all the solemn events of the Airborne Forces. Every year, the band's personnel take part in the Victory Parade on
Red Square Red Square ( rus, Красная площадь, Krasnaya ploshchad', p=ˈkrasnəjə ˈploɕːɪtʲ) is one of the oldest and largest town square, squares in Moscow, Russia. It is located in Moscow's historic centre, along the eastern walls of ...
, as well as the opening ceremony of the International Army Games. In the ranks of the combined band were musicians of the military bands of the airborne and assault formations of the Airborne Forces. There were six other
military band A military band is a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind instrument, wind and percussion instruments. The conducting, conductor of a ...
s in the airborne forces. The Song and Dance Ensemble of the Airborne Forces is the theatrical troupe of the VDV. It began its creative activity in 1937, as the Red Army Song and Dance Ensemble of the
Kiev Military District The Kiev Military District (; , abbreviated ) was a military district of the Imperial Russian Army and subsequently of the Red Army and Soviet Armed Forces. It was first formed in 1862, and was headquartered in Kiev (Kyiv) for most of its exist ...
, numbering only 18 people. On 3 May 1945, three days after the signing of the German armistice, the ensemble gave a concert on the steps of the destroyed Reichstag. During the Cold War, the unit was known as the Song and Dance Ensemble of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany. During this time, it had participated in concerts in the cities of
East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...
,
Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
, and
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
. It gained its current status in 1994. The Song and Dance Ensemble also contains the Blue Berets musical group.


Gallery

File:Ryazan BMD4M-1200-7.jpg, The 137th Guards Airborne Regiment troops in front of the BMD-4M vehicle. File:Inspection2018-08.jpg, The 31st Guards Air Assault Brigade during inspection. File:Iveco LMV Lynx of the Russian Airborne Troops 10.jpg, Scout of the 106th Guards Airborne Division File:FinalCheck2018-18.jpg, Final check of the 56th Guards Air Assault Regiment File:83AABAirborneExercise2017-45.jpg, Paratroopers of the 83rd Guards Air Assault Brigade during an exercise.


See also

*
Special Operations Forces (Russia) The Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, commonly known as the Special Operations Forces ( SOF; ), are strategic-level special forces under the Special Operations Forces Command () of the General Staff of the A ...
* Ukrainian Air Assault Forces * List of Russian military bases


Notes


References


Sources

* * * *


Further reading

* * * * * * Glantz, David, ''The Soviet Airborne Experience'', Research Survey No. 4, Combat Studies Institute, November 1984. * Isby, David C., ''Weapons and tactics of the Soviet Army'', Jane's Publishing Company, London 1988 * Schofield, Carey, ''The Russian Elite: Inside Spetsnaz and the Airborne Forces'', Stackpole/Greenhill, 1993 * Simpkin, Richard, ''Red Armour: An examination of the Soviet Mobile Force Concept'', Brassey's Defence Publishers, London, 1984 * Staskov, Lt. Gen. N.V., ''1943 Dnepr Airborne Operation: Lessons and Conclusions'', Military Thought, Vol. 12, No.4, 2003 (in Russian)


External links


Official web site of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

"Desantura"


{{Armed Forces of the Russian Federation 01 Military parachuting in Russia Paratroopers Rapid reaction force units and formations Russian Armed Forces