Elite members of the Russian airborne infantry conduct massive drill designed to test their battle readiness and resolve.
An elite Russian airborne division began large-scale exercises Tuesday amid the conflict in Ukraine.
The drills, one of the largest of its kind in Russia will include a massive simultaneous paradrop involving 3,500 servicemen, the Russian Defense ministry said.
Over four thousand elite troops, 36 military transport aircraft and an unspecified number of combat vehicles are taking part in the exercises, which will run until March 14.
The Russian Airborne Troops or VDV (from “Vozdushno-desantnye voyska”, Russian: Воздушно-десантные войска, ВДВ; Air-landing Forces) is a military branch of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. They are an elite force, on par with the Strategic Rocket Forces and the Russian Space Forces.
The drills come in the wake of a number of military exercises in Russia’s western regions in the past days, including air defense drills, combat readiness snap checks and a launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.
One Russian office, who requested we not identify his name or unit location for operational security considerations described it as “one of the largest airborne operations in Russian history.” Asked if this exercise was designed to send a message to the west or NATO, the official said “Без комментариев” roughly translated “no comment.”