Russian Airborne Forces | |
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Воздушно-десантные войска России Vozdushno-desantnye voyska Rossii | |
Founded | 7 May 1992 |
Country | Russia |
Branch | Russian Armed Forces |
Type | Airborne forces |
Role | |
Size | 45,000 (2023)[1] |
Nickname(s) | Blue Berets, Winged Infantry, Troops of Uncle Vasya, Angels of Death |
Motto(s) | Никто, кроме нас! (Nobody, but us!) |
Color of Beret | Sky Blue |
Anniversaries | Paratroopers' Day (2 August) |
Engagements | |
Website | Official website |
Commanders | |
Commander | Colonel General Mikhail Teplinsky |
Chief of Staff and First Deputy commander | Colonel General Evgeniy Ustinov |
Notable commanders | General Georgy Shpak |
Insignia | |
Flag | |
Patch | |
Medium emblem | |
Insignia |
Russian Armed Forces |
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Staff |
Services (vid) |
Independent troops (rod) |
Special operations force (sof) |
Other troops |
Military districts |
History of the Russian military |
The Russian Airborne Forces (Russian: Воздушно-десантные войска России, ВДВ, romanized: Vozdushno-desantnye voyska Rossii, VDV) is the airborne forces branch of the Russian Armed Forces. It was formed in 1992 from units of the Soviet Airborne Forces that came under Russian control following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Troops of the Russian Airborne Forces have traditionally worn a blue beret and blue-striped telnyashka undershirt and are called desant (Russian: Десант), from the French Descente.[3]
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.[4]