| 76th Guards Chernigov Airborne Division | |
|---|---|
76th Airborne Division shoulder sleeve insignia. |
|
| Active | September 1, 1939[1] - present |
| Country | Soviet Union Russia |
| Branch | Airborne Troops |
| Type | Paratroopers |
| Role | Parachute Infantry |
| Size | 6,000-8,000 |
| Garrison/HQ | Pskov |
| Engagements | World War II Soviet-Afghan War First Chechen War Second Chechen War 2008 South Ossetia war |
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.
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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. Soon after the war it became the 76th Airborne Division, by 1946 as part of the 15th Airborne Corps.
The 76th Division originally had three regiments: the 104th, 234th, and 237th, with the 237th Guards Airborne Regiment disbanded circa 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.[2]
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.
As of 2009, the 76th Air Assault Division consisted of the following units: