76th Guards Air Assault Division

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76th Guards Air Assault Division
76th Guards Air Assault Division shoulder sleeve insignia.
Active1 September 1939[1] – present
CountrySoviet Union Soviet Union
(1939 - 1991)
Russia Russian Federation
(1991 - present)
Branch Airborne Troops
TypeAirborne forces
RoleLight Infantry
Airborne Infantry
Airmobile infantry
Part of Russian Armed Forces
Garrison/HQPskov
Motto(s)Мы всюду там, где ждут победу!
Anniversaries1 September
Engagements
DecorationsOrder of the Red Banner Order of Kutuzov 2nd class
Battle honoursChernigov
Commanders
Current
commander		Guards Col. Andrei Naumets
Notable
commanders		Gen. Vasily Margelov

The 76th Guards Air Assault Division (Russian: 76-я гвардейская десантно-штурмовая Черниговская Краснознаменная дивизия) is a division of the Russian Airborne Troops based in Pskov.

History

The 76th Air Assault Division was originally established in 1939 as the 157th Rifle Division. On 1 March 1943 it became the 76th Guards Rifle Division. The Division fought in Chernigov, Odessa, Brest and Danzig with the 70th Army of the 2nd Belorussian Front in May 1945.

On 6 July 1946, it became the 76th Guards Airborne Division in Novgorod, directly subordinated to Airborne headquarters. In April 1947, it moved to Pskov and became part of the 15th Guards Airborne Corps in October 1948. It was composed of the 234th Guards Air-Landing Regiment, the 237th Guards Airborne Regiment and the 154th Guards Artillery Regiment. On 18 February 1949 the 234th became an airborne regiment. On 30 April 1955, the 104th Guards Airborne Regiment moved to the division after the 21st Guards Airborne Division was disbanded. On 6 January 1959, the 242nd Separate Military-Transport Aviation Squadron was activated with the division. It included 10 An-2 Colt transports. On 15 August 1960, the 154th Guards Artillery Regiment became the 819th Separate Guards Artillery Battalion. On 27 April 1962, the battalion was upgraded to the 1140th Guards Artillery Regiment.[2]

The 76th Division originally had three regiments: the 104th, 234th, and 237th, with the 237th Guards Airborne Regiment disbanded in 2002.

After an experimental period, the 104th Parachute Regiment of the 76th Airborne Division became the first Russian ground forces regiment that was fully composed of professional soldiers (and not of "srochniki" - the conscripted soldiers aged eighteen).

Elements of the 104th Regiment were ambushed in Chechnya in March 2000.[3]

In 2006, the 76th Airborne Division became an Air Assault Division.

In 2008 the 76th Air Assault Division was involved in the 2008 South Ossetia war, being deployed to South Ossetia and fought in the Battle of Tskhinvali.

Crimea and the War on the Donbass

In 2014 division units spearheaded the 2014 Russian military intervention in Ukraine, particularly used in operation on the Crimea Annexation.[4][5]

The 76th Guards Air Assault Division entered Ukrainian territory in August and engaged in a skirmish suffering 80 dead.[6]

On 18 August, the division was awarded the Order of Suvorov 2nd class.[7]

On 21 August 2014, the Ukrainian government claimed to have captured two BMD-2 armoured fighting vehicles and the map case of an officer from the division on Ukrainian territory.[6][8][9][10] Russia's defence ministry denied the claim.[11][12] Several members of the division died on 19–20 August, under circumstances their families would not reveal.[13] Later that month Vladimir Putin awarded the Division one of Russia's highest awards, the Order of Suvorov for the "successful completion of military missions" and "courage and heroism".[6][14]

A Pskov newspaper reported that nearly an entire company of paratroopers from the 76th Guards Air Assault Division was lost during combat in Ukraine as part of the War in Donbass.[15] Russian troops killed in Ukraine were reportedly being buried in Ukraine in order to avoid publicity.[16]

On 22 August, two Russian Army BMD-2s belonging to the 76th Guards Air Assault Division were captured by Ukrainian forces in Lutuhino in the Luhansk region.[17]

Subordinated units and fighting strength

As of 2010, the 76th Air Assault Division consisted of the following units:[18]

  • Division headquarters (Pskov, Leningrad Military District)
  • 23rd Air Assault Regiment
  • 104th Air Assault Regiment
  • 234th Air Assault Regiment
  • 1140th Artillery Regiment
  • 4th Air Defense Regiment
  • 656th Engineering Battalion
  • 728th Communications Battalion
  • 7th Maintenance Battalion
  • 1682nd Logistics Battalion

References

  1. ^ "1 сентября свою 69 годовщину отметит 76-я десантно-штурмовая дивизия". pskovgorod.ru (in Russian). 29 August 2008. Retrieved 29 November 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ Holm, Michael. "76th Guards Airborne Division". www.ww2.dk. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
  3. ^ "Airborne Troops: 76th Chernigov Airborne Division". Federation of American Scientists. 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  4. ^ "Депутат: Псковские десантники переброшены на Украину". pln-pskov.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 29 November 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ "Псковские десантники, побывавшие в Крыму во время недавних событий, получили госнаграды и благодарности от президента" [Pskov paratroopers who were in the Crimea during the recent events that have received state awards and commendations from the President]. pln-pskov.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  6. ^ a b c Sanderson, Bill (21 September 2014). "Leaked transcripts reveal Putin's secret Ukraine attack". New York Post. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  7. ^ "Указ о награждении 76-й гвардейской десантно-штурмовой Черниговской Краснознамённой дивизии орденом Суворова" [Decree on awarding the 76th Guards Air Assault Division Chernigov Red Banner Order of Suvorov]. President of Russia (in Russian). Retrieved 2016-02-23.
  8. ^ "Сили АТО активно наступають. Терористи-найманці несуть чималі втрати". Ukrainian Ministry of Defence (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  9. ^ "В СНБО подтвердили захват силами АТО 2 БМД Псковской дивизии" (in Russian). Interfax-Ukraine. 21 August 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  10. ^ "Evidence of Russia's 76th Guards Air Assault Division in Southeast Ukraine". The Interpreter. Institute of Modern Russia. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  11. ^ "Ukraine media reports about 'seizure' of Russian airborne combat vehicle false". ITAR TASS. 21 August 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  12. ^ "Photos from the Pskov Airborne". slon.ru (in Russian). 25 August 2014.
  13. ^ "В Воронежской области похоронили комвзвода "Псковской" дивизии". RIA Voronezh (in Russian). 26 August 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ "Ukase 571: From the Russian president to the 76th Airborne Division" (PDF). Kremlin News (in Russian). 18 August 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  15. ^ ""Псковская губерния" сообщила о гибели роты десантников в Украине". tvrain.ru (in Russian). 2 September 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ "Russian reporters 'attacked at secret soldier burials'". BBC News. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  17. ^ Falcon (22 August 2014). "Ukrainian army captured near Lutuhino a BMD-2 belonging to Russian army". UkraineTruth.com. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  18. ^ "Structure of Russian Airborne Troops". Russian Military Reform. 13 August 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2015.

External links

Further reading

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