During a working trip to the troops, the commander of the Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation, Colonel General Andrei Serdyukov checked the arrangement of the military infrastructure of the Novorossiysk 7th Guards Airborne Assault (Mountain) Division. In addition, he appreciated the readiness of the connection for the new school year.

“In the military towns, the facilities of the barracks fund, parks and storage areas were inspected. A review of armaments and military equipment, educational and material base, range equipment was carried out and its readiness for combat training classes in winter was assessed, ”the press service of the Ministry of Defense said.

During the visit, the commander of the Airborne Forces also opened a new training complex on the territory of the division. It includes boxing and wrestling rooms, exercise rooms and the Atlant pool, where paratroopers can practice overcoming water obstacles with small arms.

  • The paratroopers practice overcoming the water barrier in the Atlant pool
  • © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

According to experts interviewed by RT, the 7th Airborne Assault Division plays a special role in ensuring Russia's security. The area of ​​responsibility of the compound is Crimea and the North Caucasus region. Also, paratroopers with mountain training, if necessary, can perform tasks in Central Asia and the Middle East.

“The Novorossiysk airborne formation consists of fighters capable of operating effectively in mountainous areas. The Russian command pays the most serious attention to their preparation. Such servicemen are necessary for Russia mainly to counter terrorism. Given the current situation, they can be transferred to almost any geographical point, if such a need arises, of course, ”explained retired colonel Viktor Litovkin.

On the defense of the southern borders

The 7th Airborne Division was formed in October 1948 on the basis of the 322nd Guards Parachute Regiment, which received baptism of fire in the battles for Hungary and Czechoslovakia in the last months of World War II. The compound participated in the Afghan campaign, in 1993-1996. paratroopers carried out a peacekeeping mission in Abkhazia, and from 1995 to 2004 they fought with terrorists in Chechnya. For the successful fulfillment of combat missions, courage, courage and heroism, 18 soldiers of the division were awarded the title of Hero of Russia.

The materials of the Ministry of Defense noted that at present the 7th Guards Airborne Assault Division is equipped with the most modern weapons, military equipment, airborne assault and communications equipment.

Analysts called joint exercises with military transport aviation units this summer in Crimea an indicator of the high professionalism of the Novorossiysk Airborne Division. In the first half of July, more than 2.4 thousand soldiers of the compound landed on the peninsula. Such large-scale maneuvers were carried out for the first time.

The landing of the military was provided by 40 Il-76 aircraft that rose from the Ivanovo-Severny and Ulyanovsk-Vostochny airfields. Landing was carried out from low altitudes (from 600 to 900 m), and at the same time from all machines. After landing, fighters of the 7th division destroyed objects of the conditional enemy and illegal armed groups, and also took control of the field airfield.

“The fact that the landing sites on which the landing was carried out is one of the most difficult, since they are close to the sea, and the fact that the landing from the aircraft was carried out in two parallel streams of 20 aircraft each, at the minimum distances between them, demanded that the commanders and personnel be more thoroughly trained in working out the airborne landing issues in these conditions, ”said Major General Alexei Naumets, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Airborne Forces.

  • The military personnel of the Russian Federation carry out landing
  • RIA News
  • © Evgeny Biyatov

According to the commander of the Military Transport Aviation, Lieutenant General Vladimir Benediktov, the use of this tactical technique "can significantly reduce the landing time."

Also, paratroopers regularly perform tasks as part of the maneuvers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).

"War in the mountains"

In 2005, the structure of the Airborne Forces was divided into three components: airborne (main), air assault and mountain, which is precisely the 7th Guards Air Assault Division. According to experts, the Afghan campaign and military operations in the North Caucasus influenced this decision of the Ministry of Defense. In these conflicts, the military experienced difficulties due to the lack of orientation experience in the mountains, the lack of special weapons and ammunition.

In Afghanistan, paratroopers mainly covered the movement of Soviet columns, occupying the dominant heights. According to the memoirs of the commander of the 40th Army (1987-1989), Colonel General Boris Gromov, military personnel had to storm mountain peaks in equipment weighing 40-60 kg. Heavily paratroopers tolerated temperature extremes. On the Afghan highlands, air temperature could vary from +50 ° C during the day to -20 ° C at night.

As RT columnist for the Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine Dmitry Drozdenko explained to RT, military operations are complicated by a huge number of natural climatic factors that limit the ability to use aircraft, artillery, tanks, armored vehicles and communications equipment. Often in high altitude conditions, a less technological adversary, who knows the surrounding area, gets a certain advantage.

“The war in the mountains is an incredibly complex event that requires special training and the availability of a wide range of special weapons: from shoes and clothes to complex technical complexes. In the mountains, there is virtually no front line, so it’s very difficult to conduct reconnaissance, deliver goods, cover the advancing and retreating troops, ”said Drozdenko.

In turn, Viktor Litovkin called the ability to conduct military operations in the mountains an indicator of the high quality of training of military personnel. According to him, the difficult terrain often deprives the troops of their advantages in mobility and means of fire destruction.

“Very strict requirements are imposed on the personnel. It should be hardy, physically strong guys, able to overcome passes and endure difficult weather conditions. It is quite natural that the Ministry of Defense opted for the Airborne Forces - one of the most combat-ready units in our Armed Forces, ”says Litovkin.

  • New Russian paratroopers in Crimea
  • RIA News
  • © Mikhail Voskresensky

A similar point of view is shared by Vadim Kozyulin, professor at the Academy of Military Sciences and senior researcher at the Center for Political Studies of Russia. In a commentary on RT, he also noted that the creation of mountain units was primarily affected by the experience of the Afghan war and anti-terrorism campaigns in the North Caucasus.

“Reforming the army in the 1990s due to general anarchy and lack of money was unrealistic. The lack of units trained to fight in the mountains negatively affected the effectiveness of both Chechen campaigns. The conflict in South Ossetia in 2008 once again demonstrated the need for highly mobile mountain troops, ”said Kozyulin.

The analyst believes that the “mountain specialization” of the 7th Airborne Division allows fulfilling the antiterrorist tasks set and protecting Russia's national interests in different regions of the world.

“The formation of the“ winged infantry ”mountain division in Novorossiysk was justified by the nature of the threats to the south. First of all, it is terrorism, sabotage, aggressive actions of unfriendly states. The acquired experience allowed us to create a specialized mountain formation in the structure of the Airborne Troops, ”concluded Kozyulin.