Airborne Assault Troops [VDV] - Post Cold War
From 1988 to 1992, the troops constantly carried out various special tasks to resolve interethnic conflicts in the territory of the USSR and the republics of the former Union. Thanks to the high professionalism, the paratroopers managed to prevent large-scale conflicts with unpredictable consequences on a vast territory and save lives for thousands of people.
An example of courage and courage are the actions of paratroopers in the evacuation in August 1992 from the Russian citizens and foreign mission personnel caught in the fire of Kabul (Democratic Republic of Afghanistan). Since 1992, for eight years, the paratroopers performed responsible tasks to separate the opposing sides in the zone of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict. With their determined and thoughtful actions, they preserved peace in this region. From 1992 to 1998 the airborne regiment ran peacekeeping missions in the Republic of Abkhazia.
On the basis of the Airborne Forces in 1992, the first Russian battalion of UN peacekeeping forces in Yugoslavia was formed. In 1995, on the basis of formations of the VDV the peacekeeping contingents in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as in 1999 in Kosovo and Metohiya (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) were formed.
In June 1999, the regiment also formed and sent to Kosovo the 2nd Airborne Battalion to be included into the multinational peacekeeping forces. A raid from the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, unprecedented in its audacity, impetuosity and air assault, was undertaken across Serbia to the autonomous province of Kosovo and a strategically important area, the Slatina airfield, was taken.
British and Russian paratroopers raced each other to reach and seize for themselves the airport at the Kosovan capital, Priština. Arriving at the same time, the two groups indulged in an uneasy stand-off. Lieutenant-General Mike Jackson, the overall commander of the British forces and an ex-paratrooper himself, was ordered by his superior, General Wesley Clark, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) Supreme Allied Commander Europe, to block the runway in order to prevent the arrival of more airborne troops from Russia. General Jackson demurred, famously stating: “Sir, I’m not starting World War III for you. . . .”
Until 2001, the paratroopers carried out complex and responsible peacekeeping missions in the republics of the former Yugoslavia. The 10th anniversary of an air assault battalion’s unprecedented forced march was marked in 2009.
In 1994-1996 and 1999-2004 all the formations and military units of the VDV were involved in the fighting in the territory of the Chechen Republic. In May 1995 paratroopers from the 106th Guards Airborne Division, who had recently returned to their Tula garrison from Chechnya, were arrested when they attempted to sell plastic explosives, grenade launchers, and ammunition to Chechen fighters. The famous 331st Guards Regiment of the 98th Guards Airborne Division took part in combat operations in Chechnya between 17 September 1999 and 20 March 2000. For courage and heroism 89 airborne warriors were awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation.
In carrying out peacekeeping missions, the paratroopers showed the highest restraint and self-control, an understanding of the situation, which led to the cessation of open armed confrontation on ethnic grounds and created the prerequisites for the transition to a peaceful life.
Between 1994 and 1996 and from 1999 to 2004, the troops participated in a counter-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus region, displaying examples of courage and self-sacrifice. For the courage and heroism displayed in the performance of the official duty of the title of Hero of the Russian Federation, more than one hundred paratroopers were awarded.
Forever in the memory of the people will live the heroic feat of the paratroopers of the 6th Parachute Company of the 104th Parachute Regiment. When the task was accomplished, despite the multiple superiority of the enemy, the paratroopers did not flinch, bravely repelled the attacks of the bandits and prevented them from reaching peaceful cities and villages. The feat of paratroopers of the company is a clear example of their strength of spirit, courage and courage.
On the basis of the 76th Airborne Division in the period from 2002 to 2003, the first time in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation was conducted an experiment on the manning of military units mainly by servicemen who are on military service under a contract. As a result of the work, all parts of the division were manned on a contract basis. From 2005 to 2007, similar work was carried out in all units and units of the troops.
From 2005 subdivisions of formations and units of the VDV took an active part in joint exercises with units of the Armed Forces of Armenia, Belarus’, Germany, India, China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan. In August, 2008 military units of the Airborne Forces took part in the operation to force Georgia to peace, acting along the Ossetian and Abkhazian directions.
Two airborne formations (the 98th Guards ABD and the 31st Guards SAABR) were part of the Collective Rapid Reaction Forces of the Collective Security Treaty Ortganisation (CSTO’s CRRF).
On the basis of separate anti-aircraft missile artillery battalions at the end of 2009 separate anti-aircraft missile regiments were formed within each airborne division. At the initial stage air defence systems of the Land Force entered the inventory. Later they will be replaced by landed systems.
One of the main priorities of the reform is the rearmament of the new landing equipment. And armed with a 100 mm gun BMD-4, and a 125-mm self-propelled antitank "Sprut", and multi-purpose basic armored personnel carrier "Rakushka" impress with their combat capabilities.
Already, paratroopers can be called a rapid reaction force: deployed to the state of wartime and having the high combat potential of the Airborne Forces are in constant combat readiness for the fulfillment of the combat mission. And when the spring of 2010 in the Kyrgyz Republic threatened the security of the Russian Federation and Russian citizens, the paratroopers of the 45th separate special regiment and the 31st separate airborne brigade arrived to protect and defend them.
On May 9, 2010, the country solemnly celebrated the 65th anniversary of the Great Victory. In many cities of Russia and the CIS, parades of troops dedicated to this significant anniversary were held. Russia was represented at the parade in Kiev by paratroopers of the 45th separate special regiment, and in Minsk and Brest - paratroopers of the 76th Airborne Assault Division. By 2012 divisions were planned to form the third airborne regiments.
Rod Thornton noted in 2011 that "The VDV, a force much admired in the Russian news media and society, has, in fact, escaped fairly unscathed during the comprehensive reform of the Russian army more generally over the last few years. In large part this has been because of the personality of the current head of the VDV, LieutenantGeneral Vladimir Shamanov. Close to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Shamanov—a “‘maverick”—has used his political connections to help ward off many of the cuts and reforms that the rest of the army has been subject to. He has managed to keep the basic structure of the VDV intact, while also dealing with a number of problematic issues related to manning, equipment, and training regimes within his organization."
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