The story of one tragic landing
(to the question of the exercises of the 106th Airborne Division in Mongolia at the beginning of 1979)

In the history of the Soviet Airborne Forces, there were and still are many non-
the issues studied. And, of course, there are reasons for this. Od-
one of the poorly illuminated problems of the historiography of the Winged Guard
are the facts of the tragic death of Soviet paratroopers during the training
niy in peacetime.
Such an almost unexplored page in the annals of the Soviet landing
that is the history of the exercises of the 106th (Tula) airborne division
zii on the Mongolian-Chinese border in February 1979, when
more than 40 airborne troops were injured. This tragedy, hidden by the
the USSR from the Soviet people, could obviously not have happened,
if the top leadership of these major teachings abstained
from the ill-conceived order to drop the guards on the Mongol
land in completely unacceptable conditions.
Our version of this story is as follows. The beginning of 1979 was marked by
a new aggravation of Soviet-Chinese relations. This process is trained
captured by geopolitical and other factors, has become
bed after the death of the famous Chinese leader Mao Tse Tung in
1976, when China's new political leadership, led by Deng Xiao
Ping began to revise some of the previous principles of external
PRC policies. XI Congress of the CPC proclaimed openly anti-Soviet
well. Moreover, the Constitution of the PRC was then introduced (in accordance with
decisions of the XI Congress of the CPC) a major amendment, in accordance with which
the swarm of the USSR was proclaimed the first enemy of China. At the same time,
long-suffering Vietnam was also proclaimed as China.
who died in the war with the American invaders. Vietnam turned
moving towards this moment in a single social republic, sought
conduct an independent foreign policy aimed at friendship
with the countries of the socialist camp. Vietnam's leadership also
begins to pursue a course of rapprochement with neighboring Laos, a small
country (3.4 million people), which chose socialism.
China's envious and malicious leaders are in such a position
affairs haunted, which ultimately led to the war. 17 February 1979
China carried out aggression against Vietnam.

On the same day, 12 China
military divisions on a front of 1200 km invaded Vietnamese territory.
The Soviet Union, bound by allied obligations with friendly
military Vietnam, could not indifferently react to this event.
Already on February 19 in the government newspaper Pravda it was published
the statement of the leadership of the USSR was made. This statement stated,
“That China's attack on Vietnam once again testifies to
how irresponsible are the fate of the world in Beijing, with what
with a criminal lightness, the Chinese leadership is using weapons. " The statement also referred to the assurance of the USSR to fulfill
the obligations assumed by the Soviet side under the treaty of friendship and co-
cooperation between the USSR and Vietnam.
What was the practical support of the Soviet demarche?
According to the official version of Soviet historiography, the USSR rendered
additional aid to friendly Vietnam in the form of supplies,
providing military advisors, etc. In the second volume of "History
foreign policy of the USSR "(M., 1986) on this occasion says:" One
At the same time, the Soviet Union took measures to provide additional
additional aid to Vietnam, the supply of everything it needed
to repel the aggressor ".
Already on February 19, 1979, a group of advisers (20 people), headed by
General of the Army G. Obaturov arrived in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam.
After assessing the situation on the spot and listening to the reports of the Vietnamese leadership
of the General Staff, Soviet specialists convinced the Vietnamese leader
Le Duan to transfer the army corps from Kampuchea to Langshonskoe
direction, as well as redeploy in the same direction re-
active division BM-21.
A group of different councils participated in repelling the Chinese aggression.
specialists (pilots, signalmen, missilemen, etc.). Unfortunately not
there were no casualties among Soviet officers. In March 1979, under
Da Nangom (port in South Vietnam) crashed during landing
Vietnamese airliner AN-24, on board which were the Air Force General Malykh
and five training officers. They all died.
However, the USSR took another action to put pressure on China.
thai. To intimidate the aggressive neighbor, it was decided to hold on
the Mongol-Chinese border, a demonstration of military power, figuratively
whistling, shake your weapons and flex your muscles. Few people today
knows that in Mongolia, a vassal state of the USSR at that time (since
1967) there was a group of thousands of Soviet troops in the same
becoming the 39th combined arms army stationed on the Mongolian land
le. It consisted of several motorized rifle and tank divisions,
subordinate to the Trans-Baikal Military District. At the beginning
1979 three divisions were transferred to Mongolia from Siberia and Zabay
kalya. In this situation, it was decided to use advanced
parts of the 39th Army as a political club against the aggressor -
China. In February-March 1979, large combined-arms
exercises in the military districts bordering China in Mongolia and
The Far East. These unprecedented maneuvers were attracted
about 200 thousand people. From Ukraine and Belarus was transferred
combat aviation. In the demonstration of forces, it was also decided to engage
and a whole unit of Soviet airborne forces.
Logically, it was reasonable in this demonstration to involve
vat those parts of the Airborne Forces that were stationed in the Far East. Od-
However, the main forces of the Airborne Forces were located on the western borders of the USSR, and
also in Transcaucasia and Central Asia. On the Far Eastern borders with
China only 11th separate DShB, stationed in Mogocha, near
Cheats. This one of the first airborne assault brigades was created in 1968 and was located
in the operational subordination of the Trans-Baikal Military District. But this
they decided not to touch the brigade.
The choice of the top military leadership fell on the 106th Guards
Airborne Red Banner Order of Kutuzov, 2nd degree
division. Why was it decided to use this airborne unit?
106th (Tula) Airborne Division was rightfully considered one of the best formations
Winged Guard. It is no coincidence that this particular division took part in
repeatedly in responsible and experimental exercises, as well as
performed high government assignments. Here are some examples
moat.
In 1957, the Tula paratroopers ensured the landing of the first
space shells with four-legged astronauts - dogs Bel-
ka, Arrow, Chernushka. A few years later, the guardsmen of the 106th Airborne Division
were honored to meet the landing site of cosmonaut Yuri
Gagarin.
In the late 50s. (already under V.F.Margelov) soldiers of the Tula division
The Airborne Forces participated in the extreme climatic landing in
open spaces of the Arctic. In the midst of Margelov's reforms of the Airborne Forces in the early 70s
x years. Tula paratroopers were among the first to begin to master the new de-
santy armored vehicles BMD-1 and armored personnel carriers. The reward was the pennant of the USSR Ministry of Defense
“For courage and military valor”. Tula division repeatedly
was involved in extinguishing forest fires in the Moscow region and in the Central
tralnoe Non-Black Earth Region.
The question arises: why exactly the 106th Airborne Division was decided to airborne
on the Mongolian-Chinese border? After all, this division was
stationed near Moscow and, obviously, was aimed at European
sky theater of military operations. Why did not they choose the airborne divisions, deployed
cited in the Transcaucasia (104th Kirovbad Airborne Division) and Central Asia
(105th Fergana Airborne Division)? These units of the Winged Guard were trained
chen to fight in a mountainous desert area. Obviously,
the reasons are to be found in the political realm. At the beginning of 1979 in
Iran was uneasy. Iranian discontent with the Shah's despotism
regime threatened to turn into a revolutionary explosion, which happened
November 10-11, 1979 The monarchical regime in Iran was overthrown, and by
the Muslim clergy came to power, led by Ayatollah R. Kha-
me. It was also restless in neighboring Afghanistan, where in April
1978, overthrowing the Daoud regime, the PDPA communists came to power. V
this, then still friendly country, a civil war flared up,
a threat was created that Soviet troops would be drawn into the DRA civil strife.
Therefore, the 105th and 104th Airborne Forces were on the alert.
106th Airborne Division, although it was considered a "forest" division, nevertheless
had the experience of landing in a mountainous desert area. Back in 1966
The 137th Guards Airborne Regiment took part in the large
exercises on the territory of the Transcaucasus and successfully landed on
mountainous firmament. In 1978, the same 137th regiment, as part of the experiment, de-
was sent to a mountain-desert territory.
So the choice was made. The 106th Airborne Division was transferred to Mongolia.
It is difficult to determine precisely from fragmentary sources that the
Is the full complement of the Tula division headed for exercises in a distant
Mongolia.
The book "Russian Airborne Forces" states: "In
1979, the division was alerted and a few days later
participation in exercises on the territory of Mongolia ”.
Armada of military transport aircraft with Tula paratroopers
and armored vehicles on board went to the East. It was almost un-
an approximate airborne campaign of several
thousand kilometers. The landing craft flew at high altitude. For
Several landings were made during refueling of aviation fuel.
The researcher cannot determine the exact location of the exercise.
succeeded. It is only known that the landing took place in the desert.
Gobi in a few kilometers of the Mongolian-Chinese border. In our
disposal is a valuable memoir
reproduce a dramatic picture of what happened. This is remembered
air force officer (helicopter pilot) V.G. Domracheva included in the collection
nickname “Scorched by Afgan. Participants of the Afghan War are speaking. "
At the beginning of 1979, this officer served in a squadron of transport helicopters.
years, providing transportation of goods throughout Mongolia, on the territory
the theory of which many Soviet military units were deployed.
As is clear from the memoirs of V.G. Domrachev and some others
sources, the exercises were led by a group of high-ranking officers
ditch, led by the First Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR, a march
scrap by Sergei Leonidovich Sokolov, on whom now depended
the fate of the landing, for it was this man who had to give the command
for landing in frosty and very windy weather.
V.G. Domrachev recalls: “A piercing wind blew. Blades
the helicopter flapped like the wings of a bird. “If the wind does not calm down, then you-
there will be no landing cages, ”I thought.
Forty minutes later, a messenger from the head of the field came to us.
tov and told us to prepare for the meeting of the main group of the helicopter
comrade with the leadership of the teachings. We had to show to sit down
landing site helicopters.
Ten minutes later, a real pandemonium began -
one after another, helicopters with officers of a high
rank.
The village of 10 helicopters, but the Main was not, and a place near the stand
remained free. The officers went to the podium, and immediately appeared
helicopter with the Chief. When Marshal Sokolov appears, the situation
perked up, the officers ran around, fussed. After short talks
seats were taken on the podium, and one after the other at intervals of one
a minute from the north, IL landing aircraft began to appear
76.
An onboard technician approached me and asked: “Commander, is it possible
will such a wind throw the paratroopers? "
"They shouldn't," I replied, "it's murder!"
The movement of the generals began in the stands, he approached Sokolov
the commander of the Airborne Forces and reported that a strong wind and a drop should be carried out
it is impossible (it is highlighted by us - D.S.). He lowered his head, shook her and said
hall: “Let's make a trial landing - from one plane of people,
of the two - technique. " No one objected, everyone began to silently watch
impending tragedy.
From the side of the leader of the drop, the words were heard:
I allow! "
So, the order was received. Military transport liners one by one
Gim soared into the sky. In the belly of the planes were personnel of 137
1st regiment of the 106th Airborne Division with standard armored landing equipment. At the forefront
divisional landing were soldiers of the reconnaissance regiment. Besides times
there were BMD-1 driver mechanics in one plane, and
also the officers of the regiment. In the second plane IL-76 there were three
bathrooms "beemdeshki".
The advance detachment of the Tula paratroopers, as already noted,
had to land with equipment in truly extreme conditions
in the months of the Mongolian winter. Who served in the Airborne Forces, maybe, probably,
put what the guardsmen felt in those minutes, some of whom
it was, alas, destined to live the last minutes. The angel of sorrow was already expecting
souls of warriors who were prepared for a terrible death in the Mongol
earth.
The landing began. At this moment, the wind strength reached 40
meters per second - a crazy figure for a landing. Che-
several minutes after the start of the drop, several paratroopers (according to
some reports more than 10 people) crashed to death on the
the unbroken desert firmament. Several dozen guardsmen from the terrible
On contact with the ground, they were injured and mutilated. Crashed and
all three BMD. The release of the main forces of the airborne regiment was immediately canceled.
whether.
Here is how the mentioned eyewitness describes the death of the landing: “Under one
two points appeared from the flying planes, under the next
two more, which after a few seconds grew into a canopy of a parachute
comrade with equipment.
The parachuted technique was rapidly approaching
to the ground, increasing before our eyes. The surrounding people were carried away by what is happening
they did not even notice how the landing force “rained down” from the next plane.
nicknames.
Two kilometers from the stands, amphibious equipment began to land.
ka. Braking systems where worked, and somewhere did not work. I AM
for the first time I saw how the towers fly off from the BMD when they hit the ground. "Good
sho that there are no people there, "- said someone from behind. These words became like
a signal: everyone remembered that the paratroopers had also been thrown out. Again, not
conspiring, raised their heads and saw how the whole sky was dotted with
parachute floors.
The paratroopers bravely fought the wind, trying to land-
Xia as close as possible to the landing equipment, but, having touched the ground, somehow
helplessly hung on the straps and, without getting to their feet, dragged along
filled with canopies of their parachutes across the desert.
For the first moment, there was silence in the stands. Everyone understood that
happens, but no one could say a word.
Suddenly someone shouted in a loud voice: “Pilots, urgently launch
helicopters and collect the wounded. " We rushed to the helicopters, launched
them and flew to the victims. Had to fly through the desert
further the paratroopers, release the onboard equipment and the right
pilot, so that they extinguish parachutes and bring the paratroopers into the cockpit
helicopter. Each helicopter had five or six casualties. Pe-
dust, blood, snow mixed. Moans, screams. There were also the dead.
We transported them to a field hospital and flew away to carry out our
tasks. Later we learned that of the 108 paratroopers, exactly half of the
guilt, but the teachings continued, the losses too. "
Of course, the drop of the main landing force was canceled, thereby
the life and health of paratroopers from other units was saved
shelf. Airborne assault planes already in the air, deploying
shis, they began to return.
The exercises were completed, units and subdivisions of the 106th Airborne Division at
transport aviation returned to the "winter quarters". Warriors of the 137th
the regiment returned to Tula by railroad communications.

Is it possible to raise the question of personal responsibility at that time
commander of the Airborne Forces, General D. Sukhorukov, for the tragic events
tia in Mongolia at the beginning of 1979? To answer this unequivocally, of course,
hard. Probably, the posing of this question is fair and historically
appropriate. After all, we are talking about the man who commanded our
Winged guard and could influence in one way or another the described
my events. But D. Sukhorukov is not V.F. Margelov. Willpower and bold-
the status of these historical subjects is unequal. Of course, Sukhorukov and
as a commander, and as a veteran of the Airborne Forces, and as a person, mentally
shaft for the tragedy that happened on the Mongolian-Chinese border. This and
clear. But it seems that he felt inside his being
guilt for the deaths of the paratroopers, although he had a hard time openly admitting this
but. Therefore, it is no coincidence that in his memoirs (“Records of the commander-
go-paratrooper ") about the tragic landing D. Sukhorukov writes in passing:
“It was necessary to land on a naked stone, gray as cement,
desert. On the day of the landing, a strong wind rose. The first
the reconnaissance company was going to jump. It was a leap to hell.
The main force drop was canceled. Aircraft located
already in the air, turned around and began to return to their airfields.
Soon, the division was transported by military transport aircraft
aviation and partly by rail to places of permanent
dislocation.
The exercise showed the real possibility of military transport
aviation to carry out in a short time a transfer over long distances -
an airborne division in full force with military equipment.
The paratroopers gained experience in preparing for landing on strangers
airfields, but at the same time, some questions of the rear
security and a number of others, on which decisions were later made "
.
And that's all. About the tragedy that happened on this territory, about the death and
mutilation of almost 50 paratroopers from the Tula division, ex-commander
The Airborne Forces chose not to write.
Why? Perhaps because I felt my share of guilt in
what's happened? Who knows…
What did the "Iron Man" feel, V.F. Margelov, when he
became aware of what happened in Mongolia? It is clear that. Newly minted
the retired inspector, of course, felt pain with all his heart and
Renne mourned the dead guardsmen. There is no doubt that the "landing
Dad "then asked the question more than once: who gave, in fact, a crime
ny order to start the landing?
Indeed, who? Available source materials,
Unfortunately, there are no people at our disposal to answer the question. Logically
things, the decisive word, obviously, was for the person who commanded
then gave teachings. And it was Marshal S.L. Sokolov, a longtime mischief
parent V.F. Margelova. According to the recollections mentioned
eyewitness, helicopter pilot V.G. Domrachev, the order came from
Marshal S.L. Sokolov. Answer exactly the question posed
The then commander of the 106th Airborne Division, E.N. Podkolzin, but
his soul has long since ascended to pro patria.
Thus, 1979 turned out to be a landmark for the fate of the Soviet
Airborne Forces. Resigned from the post of commander of the Winged Guard V.F. Margelov,
the Margelov era has also gone into oblivion. And, probably, it is symbolic that this
the event was marked by the fact of the tragic landing of the Tula de
santnikov in Mongolia. According to an ancient philosophical maxim, nothing
there is no accident in our life. Several months will pass, and in
the same 1979, in the history of the Airborne Forces, the era of a nine-year war will begin in
Afghanistan, in which our paratroopers will have to fight
present with a daring enemy, to fight in Margelov style, while maintaining the
me of the elite of the Soviet Army. 106th Airborne Division until the end of the XX century. to this day co-
kept a reputation for being an excellent airborne unit.
In this division, not only glorious traditions are preserved,
wives of the great V.F. Margelov, but a modern
combat experience gained in local wars and conflicts.
It is believed, for example, that in the 80s 70% of the officers and warrant officers of Tul-
divisions fought in Afghanistan.
A third of a century has passed since the tragedy in February
1979 in Mongolia. The ashes of the dead soldiers have long decayed in zinc
coffins.
Marshal S.L. Sokolov, who became after Marshal D.S. Ustinova Mi-
Minister of Defense of the USSR, lived a long, dignified life. He passed away-
Xia recently, in 2012, at 102 years of age. Did he remember before leaving
to another world about the paratroopers who were killed and crippled by those unfortunate
training exercises? God will judge him. Undoubtedly, future historians of the Airborne Forces more than once
return to coverage of the events in question in Mongolia. Let it go
they will be able to restore and publish the names and titles of those soldiers
Winged Guards, who heroically carried out the order, in a peaceful
time that doomed some of them to destruction.
Tragic landing
(to the blessed memory of the guardsmen of the 137th Airborne Regiment,
killed in exercises in Mongolia in February 1979)

Troopers have been thrown into the mouth of death
And the fates of the warriors have come true;
Keeps track of a karmic guarantor
So that the gates to Paradise for the warriors are opened.
* * *
The wind raged over the desert,
Domes crack and tear
And the marshal is intoxicated with pride,
He is silent, and God will judge him.
* * *
The frozen ground is hard as stone,
Our landing is fighting against this firmament.
Death came for 10 soldiers;
Oh, how many tears of relatives will be shed.
* * *
Blood sprinkled on the landing field
The wounded soldiers are dragged by the domes.
And many in that nightmare will be saved;
Fate saved them from fierce death.
* * *
Who is to blame for the landing tragedy?
That proud marshal who gave the order
Doom people to death? He is not worthy
To be understood, justified among us?

Probably every adult man and most women in the country knows well that the 345th (Airborne) regiment is legendary. Fame became wide after the release of the cult feature film by F. Bondarchuk "9th Company", which shrillly told about the battle near Khost, where the Ninth Airborne Company of this regiment heroically died.

Start

The regiment was finally formed on New Year's Eve, December 30, when there was still almost six months left before the Great Victory. Forty-fourth, the town of Lapichi near Mogilev in the liberated, tormented by the Nazis Belarus. It was from here that regiment 345 (Airborne Forces) went along the roads of war. The regiment was initially a rifle regiment - based on the Fourteenth Guards Airborne Brigade.

The final renaming took place in June 1946. From July of the same year to 1960, the 345th (Airborne) regiment was stationed in Kostroma, after, until December 1979, in Fergana, joining the 105th Guards Airborne Division.

Continuation

Already in 1946, the regimental banner with honor carried until the end of the victorious year, the regiment guarded the peace of Hungary. For the high level of military training, the Minister of Defense of the USSR awarded regiment 345 (Airborne Forces) with a pennant "For Courage and Military Valor". The regiment practically did not see this world, constantly being in the hottest spots of the country and the planet.

In total, from 1979 to 1998, the regiment, without interruption for a single day, participated in various armed conflicts and wars, and so eighteen years and five months passed. Then, on December 14, 1979, no one knew about this yet. With the receipt of the "separate" status, the 345th regiment of the Airborne Forces - Bagram, also received a new appointment.

Afghanistan

Soviet troops had not yet been brought into this neighboring country, and the second battalion had already helped the 110th Guards Parachute Regiment to guard the Bagram airfield. Our military transport helicopters and aircraft were based there. The ninth company of eighty people at the end of December 1979 had already stormed Amin's palace (as part of the Fortieth Army). In 1980, unparalleled heroism and courage earned another award - the Order of the Red Banner.

Retrofitting

In the spring of 1982, new equipment came to 3 Bagram. Afghanistan did not conquer until our troops left the country. In 2002, the Americans began to use the built airfield and our largest military base by powerful Soviet efforts.

The new amphibious equipment of the early eighties was more adapted to partisan operations in the mountains. BMD landing) did not interfere with mines, and the standard BTR-70 and BMP-2 well protected the airborne troops sitting inside. The 345th Airborne Regiment in Afghanistan was pleased with the new equipment, despite the fact that he was very fond of the old car - powerful, maneuverable and fast.

No longer parachute

The regular structure of the unit also changed for the better: the regimental armament received an effective means of firepower - a howitzer division (D-30) and a tank company (T-62). It was almost impossible to land with parachutes here - the mountainous terrain was too difficult, so the landing support in the form of airborne service units was removed as unnecessary.

The enemy did not have aviation and armored vehicles, so the anti-aircraft missile and anti-tank batteries went where they were needed: to cover the columns on the marches from Bagram and to Bagram. The 345th regiment of the Airborne Forces, thus, became more like a motorized rifle.

Reviewing the album

The missions during the hostilities in Afghanistan were of a very different nature: the soldiers guarded the roads and convoys directly on the way, cleaned mountainous areas, set up ambushes, went on raids, both separately and in support of "Commandos" and "KhAD", helped units government police ... What can you see in the photo albums of those years? Here in the photo - 345 airborne regiment. Kunduz. The fighters smile, it would seem, serenely, but their weapons, if not in their hands, then close, close ...

Looking at the photographs, you understand how much dangerous work that requires all-round professionalism was carried out by the soldiers. Here's another page. Again the 345th Airborne Regiment. Bagram (Afghanistan). The photo does not convey even the smallest fraction of the dangers that every day the fighters were in wait every minute for the long and bloody nine years. Nine years of daily loss. It's so good that the 345th regiment of the Airborne Forces managed to take photos and managed to save them. Amazing inner composure in poses, at first glance, calm, even relaxed. Years later, many people want to figure out why victory did not come. Such strong people in the photographs. Self-confident and very, very beautiful. And high, dizzying mountains around.

Work

Any military operation in the highlands has a fifty-fifty chance of success. Frontal offensive is possible only in certain directions. Artillery, no matter how ironed the nearby mountains, rarely justifies the efforts. It is necessary to radically change both tactics and forms of maneuver. The main thing is to capture all the dominant heights. For this, there is a helicopter landing where there is little help from "bypassing" detachments, which most often do not reach the goal, because either sheer cliffs stand in their way, or insurmountable gorges gap.

It is long and dangerous to look for detours and paths. The mountaineering units would have helped, but they were not in the 345th Airborne Regiment. they checked the Soviet paratroopers in all respects: endurance, psychological stability, strength, endurance, mutual assistance - everything was in place. At altitudes of 3-4 thousand meters, reconnaissance was carried out for 2-3 weeks, on foot, with a load of 40 kilograms behind each of them, with complete ambiguity of the situation. When you do not know at what moment and where to expect an attack. For a week in the mountains, the paratroopers lost up to 10 kilograms of their own weight.

Whose war is this?

In April 1978, Afghanistan was rocked by a revolution that brought the PDPA to power, which immediately proclaimed socialism in the Soviet version. Naturally, the USA did not like this. Mohammad Taraki was elected leader of the country, and a seemingly associate of his, even his closest one, who graduated from a university in the United States, became the prime minister. Taraki asked L. Brezhnev to send troops. But the General Secretary of the CPSU was a kind, but cautious man. He refused.

Probably, one should have been bolder in defending one's interests in adjacent territories. The experience was acquired - hard and terrible. By order of Amin, Taraki, who was a great friend of Brezhnev, was first arrested, then strangled. By the way, immediately after he was arrested, the USSR General Secretary personally asked Amin to save Taraki's life. But Amin had already enlisted the support of the United States by that time and was not going to follow the lead of his closest neighbor.

Chagrin

Brezhnev was upset to the core. Therefore, on December 12, 1979, at a meeting of the Politburo, the question of the situation in Afghanistan was raised. The decision to use the Soviet armed forces in this war was supported by Gromyko, Ustinov and Andropov. Agarkov and Kosygin opposed it. With a majority of votes, the beginning of the war was laid.

Here, as if in parentheses, that is, in a whisper, one must admit that since July 1979, troops have been imperceptibly deployed to Afghanistan: special forces of the KGB and the Airborne Forces, for example, including the Alpha, Zenit, and Thunder units .. And even the "Muslim Battalion" began to explore Afghanistan by the fall.

The 345th Airborne Regiment was sent there by one of the first airborne units. And on December 25, 1979, the troops of the USSR have already openly crossed the state border into Afghanistan. Literally two days later, Amin's residence was taken by storm, and he himself was killed. In these battles, the regiment suffered its first losses. Eight guardsmen of the 345th Airborne Regiment will never hug their relatives. These losses were not the last ...

Sanctions

As the Olympics in our country, so the war in the neighborhood is traditional. Already on January 2, 1980, the United States began sanctions over the war in Afghanistan. One of them was the refusal to participate in the 1980 Olympics. One hundred and four UN member states supported the sanctions. Only eighteen - no.

And in Afghanistan, a leader loyal to the USSR appeared - the United States, of course, did not leave it that way. Already in February, uprisings against the PDPA broke out in Afghanistan one after another. Money (and more often promises) plus an insane herd - that is the uprising is ready. And then the carnage began. Bloody nine years and two months. Only on the eleventh of February 1989, the 345th (Airborne) regiment left Afghanistan.

Phoenix rising from the ashes

On April 13, 1998, by order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, the 345th (Airborne Forces) regiment was disbanded. The battle banner and awards are kept in the Central Armed Forces Museum. Copies were handed over to Nowhere, and who never dropped the honor of the Soviet army, who observed all military traditions and faithfully, regardless of life and death, who carried out all combat missions, fanned with glory, the 345th Airborne Regiment was disbanded, not even allowing him to set foot on his native land. Sixty-four kilometers remained to Russia.

The memory will never fade away. In many cities, veterans of the Airborne Forces have created organizations to prevent this from happening. The 345th Airborne Regiment of Novosibirsk, Ryazan, Moscow, many cities of Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, all territories of the former Soviet Union are honored.

More recently, V. Shamanov confirmed that the airborne assault forces will receive a newly formed separate assault brigade, which received the number 345 - in honor of the legendary parachute regiment, which has more than seventy years of history. Formation will end in 2016 in Voronezh.

Russian paratroopers are revered not only in their own country. The whole world respects them. There is a well-known statement by one American general that if he had a company of Russian paratroopers, he would have conquered the entire planet. Among the legendary formations of the Russian army is the 45th Airborne Regiment. It has an interesting history, the central part of which is occupied by heroic deeds.

We are proud of our paratroopers, we honor their courage, valor and readiness to defend the interests of the Motherland at any cost. Glorious pages of the military history of the USSR, and then Russia, appeared, largely due to the heroic deeds of the paratroopers. The soldiers serving in the Airborne Forces fearlessly carried out the most difficult tasks and special operations. The airborne troops are among the most prestigious formations of the Russian army. The soldiers strive to get there, wanting to feel themselves involved in the creation of the glorious military history of their country.

45th Airborne Regiment: Basic Facts

The 45th Airborne Special Forces Regiment was formed in early 1994. Its base was separate battalions number 218 and 901. By the middle of the year, the regiment was equipped with weapons and soldiers. The 45th regiment began its first military operation in December 1994 in Chechnya. The paratroopers participated in battles until February 1995, and then returned to the Moscow region, to their base of deployment on a permanent basis. In 2005, the regiment received the Battle Banner of the Guards Regiment number 119

From that moment of its foundation, the military formation became known as the 45th reconnaissance regiment of the Airborne Forces. But at the beginning of 2008, it was renamed the Special Forces Regiment. In August of the same year, it participated in a special operation to force Georgia to peace. In 2010, the tactical group of regiment number 45 ensured the safety of Russian citizens during the riots in Kyrgyzstan.

Background

The basis for the formation of the 45th separate guards regiment was the 218th and 901st special forces battalions. The fighters of the first battalion by that time took part in three military operations. In the summer of 1992, the battalion served in Transnistria, in September - in the territories where the conflict between Ossetian and Ingush military groups took place, in December - in Abkhazia.

Battalion number 901 since 1979 was part of Soviet troops on the territory of Czechoslovakia, in 1989 it was redeployed to Latvia and transferred to the structure of the Baltic Military District. In 1991, the 901st special forces battalion was redeployed to the Abkhaz ASSR. In 1992, it was renamed the Airborne Battalion. In 1993, the formation carried out tasks related to the protection of state and military facilities. In the fall of 1993, the battalion was redeployed to the Moscow region. Then the 45th regiment of the Russian Airborne Forces appeared.

Awards

In 1995, the 45th regiment of the Airborne Forces received the Diploma of the President of Russia for services to the country. In July 1997, the formation was awarded the Banner of the Airborne Regiment No. 5, which took part in hostilities during the Great Patriotic War. In 2001, the regiment received the Pennant from the Minister of Defense of Russia - for courage, high combat training and real valor when participating in hostilities on the territory of Chechnya. The 45th Guards Regiment of the Airborne Forces owns the Order of Kutuzov - the corresponding decree was signed by the President of Russia. The military formation was awarded this award for success in the heroic performance of military operations, heroism and courage shown by soldiers and command. The regiment became the first carrier in the modern history of our country. In July 2009, the formation received the St. George Banner.

The title of Hero of Russia was received by ten soldiers, whose place of service was the 45th Airborne Regiment. 79 paratroopers were awarded the Order of Courage. Ten servicemen of the regiment were awarded the medal of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, second degree. Orders "For Military Merit", as well as "For Merit to the Fatherland" were received, respectively, seventeen and three paratroopers. Medals "For Courage" were received by 174 servicemen, the Suvorov medal - 166. Seven people were awarded the Zhukov medal.

Anniversary

Moscow Region Kubinka - the 45th Airborne Regiment is based there - in July 2014 was the place where the anniversary celebrations dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the formation took place. The event was held in an open-door format - the paratroopers showed their combat skills to the guests, parachute units launched the flag of the Airborne Forces from the sky, and the famous pilots from the Russian Knights team showed the wonders of aerobatics in fighters.

Legendary regiment as part of the Airborne Forces

Which includes the 45th regiment - the Airborne Forces (airborne troops) of Russia. Their history dates back to August 2, 1930. Then, the first paratroopers of the Air Force of the Moscow District made a parachute landing in our country. It was a kind of experiment that showed military theorists how promising the landing of parachute units can be from the point of view of military operations. The first official unit of the USSR airborne troops appeared only the following year in the Leningrad military district. The formation consisted of 164 people, all of which were servicemen of the airborne squadron. By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the USSR had five corps of the Airborne Forces, each of which served 10 thousand soldiers.

Airborne forces during the Great Patriotic War

With the beginning of the war, all Soviet corps of the Airborne Forces entered the battles taking place on the territory of the Ukrainian, Belarusian, Lithuanian Republics. The largest operation involving paratroopers during the war years is considered to be the battle with a group of Germans near Moscow in early 1942. Then 10 thousand paratroopers won the most important victory for the front. Airborne units were also involved in the battles at Stalingrad.

The paratroopers of the Soviet army honorably fulfilled their duty to defend the city. The airborne forces of the USSR army also took part in the battles after the defeat of Nazi Germany - in August 1945 they fought in the Far East against the imperial armed forces of Japan. Over 4 thousand paratroopers helped the Soviet troops to win the most important victories in this front line.

After the war

According to the observation of military analysts, in the post-war development strategy of the USSR Airborne Forces, special attention was paid to organizing hostilities behind enemy lines, increasing the combat capability of soldiers, interacting with army units, subject to the possible use of atomic weapons. The troops began to be equipped with new aircraft such as "AN-12" and "AN-22", which, due to their high carrying capacity, could deliver vehicles, armored vehicles, artillery and other means of warfare to the rear of the enemy.

Every year, an increasing number of military exercises were held with the participation of soldiers of the Airborne Forces. Among the largest is the one that took place in the spring of 1970 in the Belarusian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. As part of the Dvina exercises, more than 7 thousand soldiers and more than 150 guns were parachuted. In 1971, the Yug exercise was held on a comparable scale. In the late 1970s, the use of new Il-76 aircraft in landing operations was first tested. Until the collapse of the USSR, the soldiers of the Airborne Forces at each of the exercises repeatedly showed the highest combat skills.

Airborne troops of the Russian Federation today

Now the Airborne Forces are considered to be a structure that is called upon to independently (or as part of a part to carry out combat missions in conflicts of various scales - from local to global. About 95% of the Airborne Forces are in a state of constant combat readiness. Airborne formations are considered one of the most mobile combat arms of Russia. They are also called upon to perform the functions of conducting combat operations behind enemy lines.

The Russian Airborne Forces includes four divisions, its own training center, an institute, as well as a large number of structures that perform work on provision, supply and maintenance.

The motto of the Russian Airborne Forces is "Nobody but us!" The service of a paratrooper is considered by many to be one of the most prestigious and at the same time difficult. As of 2010, 4,000 officers, 7,000 contract soldiers, 24,000 conscripts served in the Airborne Forces. Another 28,000 people are civilian personnel of the formation.

Paratroopers and the operation in Afghanistan

The most large-scale participation of the Airborne Forces in hostilities after the Great Patriotic War took place in Afghanistan. The 103 division, the 345th airborne regiment, two battalions, and motorized rifle brigades took part in the battles. A number of military analysts believe that the specifics of the conduct of hostilities in Afghanistan did not imply the expediency of using parachute landing as a method of transferring the army's combat strength. This, according to analysts, is due to the mountainous relief of the country, as well as the high level of costs for such operations. The personnel of the Airborne Forces, as a rule, were transferred by helicopters.

The largest operation of the USSR Airborne Forces in Afghanistan was the Battle of Panjer in 1982. More than 4 thousand paratroopers took part in it (with the total number of soldiers involved in the operation at 12 thousand people). As a result of the fighting, she was able to take control of the main part of the Panjir Gorge.

Military operations of the Airborne Forces after the collapse of the USSR

The paratroopers, despite the difficult times that followed the collapse of the superpower, continued to defend the interests of their country. They were often peacekeepers in the territories of the former Soviet republics. Russian paratroopers made a name for themselves to the whole world during the conflict in Yugoslavia in 1999. The Russian Airborne Troops made the famous attack on Pristina, having managed to get ahead of the NATO military.

Throw on Pristina

On the night of June 11-12, 1999, Russian paratroopers appeared on the territory of Yugoslavia, starting from neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina. They managed to occupy an airfield located near the city of Pristina. There, a few hours later, NATO soldiers appeared. Some details of those events are known. In particular, General of the US Army Clarke ordered his colleague in the British Armed Forces to prevent the Russians from taking over the airfield. He replied that he did not want to provoke a third world war. However, the main part of the information on the essence of the operation in Pristina is missing - all of it is classified.

Russian paratroopers in Chechnya

Russian Airborne Troops took part in both Chechen wars. Regarding the first, most of the data is still classified. It is known, for example, that the Argun battle is among the most famous operations of the second campaign with the participation of the Airborne Forces. The Russian army received the task of blocking a strategically important section of transport routes passing through the Argun Gorge. According to it, the separatists received food, weapons and medicine. The paratroopers joined the operation in December as part of the 56th Airborne Regiment.

The heroic feat of the paratroopers participating in the battles for 776 heights not far from the Chechen Ulus-Kert is known. In February 2000, the 6th company of the Airborne Forces from Pskov entered the battle with the grouping of Khattab and Basayev, ten times larger in number. During the day, the militants were blocked inside the Argun gorge. Fulfilling the task, the soldiers of the Pskov Airborne Forces company did not spare themselves. 6 fighters remained alive.

Russian paratroopers and the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict

In the 90s, units of the RF Airborne Forces performed mainly peacekeeping functions in the territories where the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict took place. But in 2008, the paratroopers took part in military operations. When the Georgian army attacked South Ossetia, units of the Russian army, including the 76th division of the Russian Airborne Forces from Pskov, were sent to the war area. According to a number of military analysts, there were no large amphibious landings in this special operation. However, as experts believe, the participation of Russian paratroopers had a psychological effect - primarily on the political leadership of Georgia.

Forty-fifth regiment: renaming

Recently, there have been reports that the 45th Airborne Regiment may receive the honorary name of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. A military formation with this name was founded by Peter the Great and became legendary. There is a version that the initiative regarding the fact that the 45th Airborne Regiment of the Russian Federation should be renamed comes from a statement by the President of Russia, who expressed the opinion that formations named after famous regiments such as Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky should appear in the Russian army. At one of the military councils of the Russian Airborne Forces, as indicated in some sources, the President's proposal was considered, and as a result, the responsible persons were tasked to prepare information on the start of work on the creation of historical army regiments. It is quite possible that the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Russian Airborne Forces will receive the title of Preobrazhensky.

The village of Medvezhye Ozera is not only a good option for recreational and active recreation in the Moscow region, but also the location of the 38th separate guards communications regiment of the Russian airborne forces, or military unit 54164. Currently, it consists of a command battalion and several communications battalions. Among the tasks currently performed by military unit 54164 are establishing communications in military field conditions, during exercises, landing aircraft with groups of paratroopers and establishing navigation of aviation equipment.

Other parts of Moscow and the region, you can see in our list

History

The 38th separate communications regiment of the Airborne Forces began to form back in August 1947 in the city of Polotsk (Byelorussian SSR). True, at that time it consisted of a signal unit of the Neman Airborne Corps (8th Guards Airborne Regiment) and the 13th Guards Separate Signal Company (103rd Guards Airborne Division). In September 1947, the two units became known as the 191st Separate Signal Battalion and became part of the 8th Guards Airborne Corps.
In June 1956, the unit was reorganized into the 691st communications battalion of the Airborne Forces, and already in December 1972 several companies from the 879th communications center joined it. The new formation was named the 196th Airborne Communications Regiment.
In December 1992, the 196th regiment became the 171st separate communications brigade of the Airborne Forces. 5 years later, in 1997, the brigade was reorganized - it became the 38th separate communications regiment of the Airborne Forces.

The regiment's soldiers were part of the peacekeeping troops in the resolution of armed conflicts in Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and also participated in the fight against criminal groups on the territory of Chechnya. Today, servicemen of military unit 54164 are leading in international exercises and helping to organize the work of teenage military clubs in Moscow. For example, since 1996, the officers of the communications regiment have been working with the Poisk, Paratrooper and Courage clubs.

Eyewitness impressions

Most of those, whose place of service was military unit 54164, note that the material and living conditions in the unit are good. The soldiers live in barracks, and some contract employees rent housing in the village of Medvezhye or in Balashikha. Civilians work in the canteen, and so do the infirmary. The barracks have showers, a recreation room and classrooms.
All infrastructure is concentrated in the village of Medvezhye Ozera. These are shops, and the House of Culture, and a cafe, and even a sanatorium.
A sufficient amount of time is devoted to the physical training of the paratroopers. Classes are held in shooting, skydiving and shooting, but most of the time is devoted to training signalmen. Employees of military unit 54164 are learning to recognize and send messages both in Morse code and in modern communication or navigation systems. Field exercises are also being conducted.

The oath, that is, its official part, begins at 10 am, and the unit is allowed to enter from 9.40. It is noteworthy that at the checkpoint they simply open the gates and do not limit the number of those present. You just need to find the oath table and the fighter's platoon in the lists on the checkpoint wall. During the taking of the oath, the parents of the soldier are allowed to take video and photographs. After this event, employees are allowed leave until 21.00 Sunday - relatives write applications to the commander of military unit 54164 and leave their passport as a deposit. The rest of the time, leave is allowed once every two weeks, but you can visit the soldiers at the checkpoint on Sundays from 15.00 to 19.00, except for those days when they are on exercises.
Calls to relatives are allowed only on Sundays, from 19.00 to 21.00. Phones with Internet support, photo and video messages are prohibited. All domestic telecom operators operate in Medvezhye Ozyory with tariffs for Moscow and the Moscow region.
Employees receive cash grants once a month. After taking the oath, they are given cards of the Savings Bank of Russia. Parents can make transfers to the same card. There is only one Sberbank ATM in Medvezhye Lakes. It is located at st. Jubilee, 13 and works around the clock.

Mom's instruction

Parcels and letters:

Unit address: 141143, Moscow region, Shchelkovsky district, Medvezhye Ozera village, military unit 54164, name of the soldier, his platoon (check the number or letter of the soldier).
Parcels can be sent to the post office address: 141143, Moscow region, Shchelkovsky district, Medvezhye Ozera village, st. Jubilee, 8. The department works from 8.00 to 20.00, except Sundays. Break from 13.00 to 14.00.

Letters are delivered to the unit, and the parcels are picked up once a week by the company officer on duty. Among the programs, medicines are prohibited, but allowed:

• Sweets and fruits;
• Gloves and a warm hat;
• Shoe polish (black) and collars;
• Felt shoe insoles;
• Personal hygiene items;
• Stationery.

Contact phone numbers:

Telephone headquarters of military unit 54164: 8 (496-56) 9-31-82;
Company duty phone: 8-496-671-64-58
Post office phone: 8 (496-56) 9-32-49
Medvezhye-Ozersk ambulance station: 8 (496-56) 9-32-84 (hospital); 8 (496-56) 9-32-57 (registry).

Your visit

There are several ways to get to Bear Lakes:

1. From the Shchelkovskaya metro station in Moscow: by buses 349, 360, 321 and minibus 506.
2. From Monino metro station: by bus 362;
3. From the Chkalovskaya metro station: by bus 378k, 320, 321, 360, 371, 380, 429.
4. From the Novy Gorodok stop you can take a taxi or a ride.
5. By car from Balashikha go to Shchelkovskoe highway, and then turn towards Shchelkovo. After the New Town, turn left and follow the road sign.

Where to stay

Since Bear Lakes is a recreational and sanatorium village, there is a sufficient choice of housing. Cottage houses, hotels, the private sector should be booked in advance and do not forget that the price of accommodation depends on the season.

The airborne forces of Russia are designed to perform various combat missions behind enemy lines, destroy combat points, cover various units and many other tasks. Airborne divisions in peacetime often play the role of rapid reaction forces in the event of emergency situations requiring military intervention. The Russian Airborne Forces perform their tasks immediately after the landing, for which helicopters or airplanes are used.

The history of the appearance of the airborne troops of Russia

The history of the Airborne Forces began at the end of 1930. It was then, on the basis of the 11th Infantry Division, that a fundamentally new type of detachment was created - the airborne landing force. This detachment was the prototype of the first Soviet airborne unit. In 1932, this detachment became known as the Special Purpose Aviation Brigade. With this name, units of the Airborne Forces existed until 1938, in which they were renamed the 201st Airborne Brigade.

The first use of an assault force in a combat operation in the USSR took place in 1929 (after which it was decided to create such units). Then the Soviet Red Army soldiers were parachuted in the area of ​​the Tajik city of Garm, which was captured by a gang of Basmachi bandits who came to Tajikistan from abroad. Despite the superior numbers of the enemy, acting decisively and boldly, the Red Army men completely defeated the gang.

Many argue whether this operation should be considered a full-fledged landing, since the Red Army detachment was landed after the plane landed, and not parachuted. One way or another, the day of the Airborne Forces is not timed to this date, but is celebrated in honor of the first full-fledged landing of the group near the Klochkovo farm near Voronezh, which was carried out as part of the military exercises.

In 1931, by special order number 18, an experienced airborne detachment was created, whose task was to find out the scope and purpose of the airborne troops. This freelance detachment consisted of 164 personnel and included:

• One rifle company;
• Several separate platoons (communications, engineer and a platoon of light vehicles);
• Heavy bomber squadrons;
• One corps aviation detachment.

Already in 1932, all such units were deployed into special battalions, and by the end of 1933 there were 29 such battalions and brigades. The task of training aviation instructors and the development of special standards was entrusted to the Leningrad military district.

In the pre-war period, the landing troops were used by the high command to strike at the rear of the enemy, to help soldiers who were surrounded, and so on. In the 30s, the Red Army took the practical training of paratroopers very seriously. In 1935, a total of 2,500 troops landed on maneuvers along with military equipment. The following year, the number of airborne troops was increased more than threefold, which made a huge impression on the military delegations of foreign states who were invited to the maneuvers.

The first real battle with the participation of Soviet paratroopers took place in 1939. Although the incident is described by Soviet historians as a common military conflict, Japanese historians consider it to be a real local war. In the battles for Khalkhin Gol, 212 airborne brigades took part. Since the use of a fundamentally new tactics of paratroopers was a complete surprise for the Japanese, the Airborne Forces brilliantly proved what they are capable of.

Participation of the Airborne Forces in the Great Patriotic War

Before the outbreak of World War II, all airborne brigades were deployed into corps. Each corps had more than 10,000 people, the weapons of which were the most advanced at the time. On September 4, 1941, all parts of the Airborne Forces were transferred to the direct subordination of the Commander of the Airborne Forces (the first commander of the Airborne Forces was Lieutenant General Glazunov, who remained in this position until 1943). After that, the following were formed:

• 10 airborne corps;
• 5 maneuverable airborne brigades of the Airborne Forces;
• Spare airborne regiments;
• Airborne School.

Before the beginning of the Second World War, the airborne troops were an independent branch of the troops that were capable of solving a wide range of tasks.

Airborne regiments were widely used in the counteroffensive, as well as in various combat operations, including assistance and support for other types of troops. Throughout the years of the Great Patriotic War, the Airborne Forces proved their effectiveness.

In 1944, the Airborne Forces were reorganized into the Guards Airborne Army. She became part of the long-range aviation. On December 18 of the same year, this army was renamed the 9th Guards Army, it included all brigades, divisions and regiments of the Airborne Forces. At the same time, a separate directorate of the Airborne Forces was created, which was subordinate to the commander of the air force.

Airborne troops in the post-war period

In 1946, all brigades and divisions of the Airborne Forces were transferred to the ground forces. They were subordinate to the Ministry of Defense, being the reserve type of troops of the Supreme Commander.

In 1956, the Airborne Forces again had to take part in an armed skirmish. Together with other types of troops, the paratroopers were thrown into the suppression of the Hungarian uprising against the pro-Soviet regime.

In 1968, two airborne divisions took part in the events in Czechoslovakia, where they provided full support to all formations and units of this operation.

After the war, all units and brigades of the airborne troops received the latest models of firearms and many pieces of military equipment made specifically for the Airborne Forces. Over the years, samples of airborne equipment have been created:

• Tracked armored vehicles BTR-D and BMD;
• TPK and GAZ-66 vehicles;
• Self-propelled guns ASU-57, ASU-85.

In addition, the most complex systems for parachute landing of all of the above equipment were created. Since the new technology needed large transport aircraft for landing, new models of large-fuselage aircraft were created that could carry out parachute landing of armored vehicles and cars.

The airborne troops of the USSR were the first in the world to receive their own armored vehicles, which were developed specifically for them. At all major exercises, troops were dropped along with armored vehicles, which constantly amazed the representatives of foreign states present at the exercises. The number of specialized transport aircraft capable of landing was so great that in just one combat sortie it was possible to drop all equipment and 75 percent of the personnel of an entire division.

In the fall of 1979, the 105th Airborne Division was disbanded. This division was trained to fight in the mountains and deserts, and was stationed in the Uzbek and Kyrgyz SSR. In the same year, Soviet troops were brought into the territory of Afghanistan. Since the 105th division was disbanded, the 103rd division was sent instead, the personnel of which did not have the slightest idea and training for conducting hostilities in the mountainous and desert regions. Numerous losses among the paratroopers showed what a huge mistake the command made by recklessly deciding to disband the 105th Airborne Division.

Airborne troops during the Afghan war

The following divisions and brigades of the Airborne Forces and airborne assault formations went through the Afghan war:

• Airborne Division 103 (which was sent to Afghanistan to replace the disbanded 103 division);
• 56 OGRDSHBR (separate airborne assault brigade);
• Airborne Regiment;
• 2 battalions of the DShB, which were part of the motorized rifle brigades.

In total, about 20 percent of the paratroopers took part in the Afghan war. Due to the peculiarity of the relief of Afghanistan, the use of parachute landing in mountainous terrain was unjustified, therefore the delivery of paratroopers was carried out using the landing method. Deaf mountain areas were often inaccessible to armored vehicles, so the entire blow of the Afghan militants had to be taken over by the personnel of the Airborne Forces.

Despite the division of the Airborne Forces into airborne assault and airborne assault units, all units had to act according to the same scheme, and they had to fight in an unfamiliar area, with the enemy, for whom these mountains were home.

About half of the airborne troops were dispersed across various outposts and control points of the country, which was to be done by other parts of the army. Although this constrained the movement of the enemy, it was unwise to misuse elite troops trained in a completely different manner of combat. The paratroopers had to perform the functions of ordinary motorized rifle units.

The largest operation with the participation of Soviet airborne units (after the operation during the Second World War) is considered the 5th Panjshir Operation, which was carried out from May to June 1982. During this operation, about 4,000 paratroopers of the 103rd Guards Airborne Division were landed from helicopters. In three days, Soviet troops (of which there were about 12,000, including paratroopers), almost completely established control over the Panjshir gorge, although the losses were enormous.

Realizing that the special armored vehicles of the Airborne Forces are ineffective in Afghanistan, since most of the operations had to be performed together with motorized rifle battalions, BMD-1 and BTR-D began to be systematically replaced with standard equipment of motorized rifle units. Light armor and a low resource of lightweight equipment did not bring any advantages in the Afghan war. This replacement took place from 1982 to 1986. Along with this, the landing units were reinforced with artillery and tank units.

Airborne assault formations, their differences from paratrooper units

Along with the airborne units, the air force also had airborne assault units, which were directly subordinate to the commanders of the military districts. Their difference consisted in the performance of various tasks, subordination and organizational structure. The uniform, armament, training of personnel did not differ in any way from the paratrooper units.

The main reason for the creation of airborne assault formations in the second half of the 60s of the 20th century was the development of a new strategy and tactics for conducting a full-scale war with the alleged enemy.

This strategy was based on the use of massive airborne assaults in the rear of the enemy, with the aim of disorganizing the defense and introducing panic into the enemy's ranks. Since the army's fleet was by this time equipped with a sufficient number of transport helicopters, it became possible to carry out large-scale operations using large groups of paratroopers.

In the 1980s, 14 brigades, 2 regiments and 20 battalions of air assault battalions were deployed throughout the USSR. One brigade of the DShB was assigned to one military district. The main difference between airborne and airborne assault units was as follows:

• The paratrooper formations were provided with specialized airborne equipment for 100 percent, and the airborne assault formations had only 25 percent of the complement of such armored vehicles. This can be explained by the various combat missions that these formations were supposed to carry out;
• Parts of the airborne troops were subordinate only directly to the command of the Airborne Forces, in contrast to the airborne assault units, which were subordinate to the command of the military districts. This was done for greater mobility and efficiency in the event of a sudden drop of troops;
• The assigned tasks of these formations also significantly differed from each other. The airborne assault units were to be used for operations in the immediate rear of the enemy or in the territory occupied by the front-line units of the enemy, in order to panic and disrupt the enemy's plans with their actions, while the main parts of the army were to strike at him. Airborne subunits were intended to land deep behind enemy lines, and their landing was to be carried out by a non-stop method. At the same time, the military training of both formations was practically no different, although the supposed tasks of the airborne units were much more complicated;
• The airborne units of the Airborne Forces have always been deployed to their full state and equipped with cars and armored vehicles by 100 percent. Many airborne assault brigades were incomplete and did not carry the title of "Guards". The only exceptions were three brigades, which were formed on the basis of parachute regiments and bore the name "Guards".

The difference between regiments and brigades consisted in the presence of only two battalions in the regiment. In addition, the composition of the regimental kit in the regiments was often reduced.

Until now, disputes about whether there were special-purpose units in the Soviet army, or whether this function was performed by the Airborne Forces, does not subside. The fact is that in the USSR (as well as in modern Russia) there have never been separate special forces. Instead, there were special forces units of the GRU General Staff.

Although these parts have existed since 1950, their existence remained secret until the late 1980s. Since the form of special-purpose units was no different from the form of other units of the Airborne Forces, often not only the townsfolk did not know about their existence, but even conscripts learned about it only at the time of admission to the personnel.

Since the main tasks of special-purpose units were reconnaissance and sabotage activities, they were united with the Airborne Forces only by uniform, airborne training of personnel and the possibility of using special-purpose units for operations behind enemy lines.

Vasily Filippovich Margelov - "father" of the Airborne Forces

A huge role in the development of the airborne forces, the development of the theory of their use and the development of weapons belongs to the commander of the Airborne Forces from 1954 to 1979 - Vasily Filippovich Margelov. It is in his honor that the Airborne Forces are jokingly called "Uncle Vasya's troops." Margelov laid the foundation for the positioning of the airborne troops as highly mobile units with high firepower and covered with reliable armor. It was this kind of troops that were supposed to deliver quick and unexpected strikes against the enemy in a nuclear war. At the same time, the task of the Airborne Forces in no case should have included the long-term retention of captured objects or positions, since in this case the landing would certainly be destroyed by regular units of the enemy army.

Under the influence of Margelov, special models of small arms were developed for the Airborne Forces units, allowing them to effectively fire even at the time of landing, special models of cars and armored vehicles, the creation of new transport aircraft intended for landing and armored vehicles.

It was on the initiative of Margelov that the special symbols of the Airborne Forces were created, familiar to all modern Russians - the vest and the blue beret, which are the pride of every paratrooper.

There are several interesting facts in the history of the airborne forces that few know:

• Specialized airborne units, which were the forerunners of the Airborne Forces, appeared during the Second World War. No other army in the world had such units at that time. The airborne army was supposed to carry out operations in the German rear. Seeing that the Soviet command created a fundamentally new type of troops, the Anglo-American command also created its own airborne army in 1944. However, this army did not manage to participate in hostilities during the Second World War;
• During the Second World War, several tens of thousands of people who served in the airborne units received many orders and medals of various degrees, and 12 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union;
• After the end of the Second World War, the airborne troops of the USSR were the most numerous among such units in the whole world. Moreover, according to the official version, the airborne troops of the Russian Federation are the most numerous in the whole world, to this day;
• Soviet paratroopers are the only ones who managed to land in full combat gear at the North Pole, and this operation was carried out back in the late 40s;
• Only in the practice of Soviet paratroopers was the landing from a height of many kilometers in combat vehicles.

Day of the Airborne Forces is the main holiday of the airborne troops of Russia

On August 2, the day of the Russian airborne forces is celebrated, or as it is also called, the day of the Airborne Forces. This holiday is celebrated on the basis of the decree of the President of the Russian Federation and is very popular among all paratroopers who have served or are serving in the airborne troops. On the day of the Airborne Forces, demonstrations, processions, concerts, sporting events and festive festivities are held.

Unfortunately, the day of the Airborne Forces is considered the most unpredictable and scandalous holiday in Russia. Often paratroopers arrange riots, pogroms and fights. As a rule, these are the people who have served in the army for a long time, but they want to diversify their civil life, therefore, on the day of the airborne troops, the patrol detachments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are traditionally reinforced, which keep order in public places in Russian cities. In recent years, there has been a steady trend towards a decrease in the number of fights and pogroms on the day of the Airborne Forces. The paratroopers learn to celebrate their holiday in a civilized manner, because riots and pogroms dishonor the name of the defender of the Motherland.

Flag and emblem of the Airborne Forces

The flag of the Airborne Forces, along with the emblem, is the symbol of the Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation. The Airborne Forces emblem is of three types:

• The small emblem of the Airborne Forces is a golden fiery grenada with wings;
• The middle emblem of the Airborne Forces is a two-headed eagle with spread wings. He has a sword in one paw, and a grenada with wings in the other. The eagle's chest covers a shield with the image of St. George the Victorious slaying the dragon;
• The large emblem of the Airborne Forces is a copy of the grenada on the small emblem, only it is in a heraldic shield, which is bordered by a round wreath of oak leaves, while the upper part of the wreath is decorated with the emblem of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

The flag of the Russian Airborne Forces was established on June 14, 2004 by order of the Ministry of Defense. The flag of the Airborne Forces is a rectangular blue cloth. There is a green stripe at its bottom. The center of the flag of the airborne troops is decorated with the image of a golden parachute with a parachutist. Airplanes are on both sides of the parachute.

Despite all the difficulties that the Russian army experienced in the 90s, it managed to preserve the glorious traditions of the Airborne Forces, the structure of which today is an example for many armies of the world.