98th Guards Airborne Division

98th Guards Airborne Division

98th Airborne Division patch
Active 1943 - present
Allegiance Soviet Union Soviet Union
(1943 - 1991)
Russia Russian Federation
(1991 - present)
Branch Airborne Troops
Type Airborne forces
Role Light Infantry
Airborne Infantry
Airmobile infantry
Part of Russian Armed Forces
Garrison/HQ Ivanovo
Motto Честь и Родина превыше всего!
(Honor and Fatherland above all!)
Anniversaries May 3rd
Engagements

Soviet-Finnish War
World War II

Soviet war in Afghanistan
First Chechen War
Second Chechen War
War in South Ossetia (2008)
Commanders
Current
commander		 Col. Sergey Volyk

The 98th Guards Airborne Division (98-я гвардейская воздушно-десантная Свирская Краснознаменная ордена Кутузова дивизия) is an airborne division of the Russian Airborne Troops, stationed in Ivanovo.

History

During the Second World War, the formation began its existence as the 98th Guards Rifle Division (ru:98-я гвардейская стрелковая дивизия). It incorporated 296th Guards Rifle Regiment (formerly the 18th Independent Guards Airborne Brigade), 299th GRR (fmr 19 IGAB), 302nd GRR (fmr 20 IGAB). Formed in December 1943-January 1944 at Demitrov in the Moscow Military District.[1] It was part of the 37th Guards Airborne Corps, 9th Guards Army on the Karelian front (May 1944), on the Svir river (June 1944) and near Budapest in February 1945. The division ended the war near Prague.

On February 27, 1968, for achievements in combat and political training, and in connection with the 50th anniversary of the USSR Armed Forces, the Division was awarded the Order of Kutuzov, 2nd degree. In 1969, units of the division relocated to the village Merry Kut Artsizkogo district, city Bolgrad Chisinau in the Odessa Military District.

The division became involved in the major exercises "South", "Spring 72 ", " 73 - Crimea ", " Ether -74 ", "Spring -75 ", " Shield -79 ", " Shield -82 "" Summer 90 ".

After the fall of the Soviet Union

The division was relocated from Bolgrad in Ukraine to Ivanovo after the fall of the Soviet Union. In doing so several of its constituent units stayed behind and became Ukrainian units, such as the 217th Guards Airborne Regiment.

Today, its two regiments, the 217th and 299th, are stationed near the Ivanovo Severny military-transport airfield.[2] However another source lists the two constituent regiments as the 217th and 331st, the later having transferred from 106th 'Tula' Guards Airborne Division in 1998.[3]

It took part in the 2008 South Ossetian War.

In August 2014, 10 members of the division were captured, amidst the War in Donbass,[4] near the Russia–Ukraine border; according to Ukraine while conducting operations in Ukraine, after having crossed the border illegally; according to Russia they had "crossed the border by accident on an unmarked section".[5] Russia has been accused of, and has denied, supporting the pro-Russian separatists who battle the Ukrainian army in the War in Donbass.[6][7][8][9]

Units 2009

98th Guards Airborne Division

At some point, it was planned that the 137th Guards Airborne Regiment in Ryazan would join from the 106th Guards Airborne Division, which was to disband. However the disbandment of the 106th Guards has now been rescinded.

References

  1. ↑ Axis History Forum • View topic - 9th Guards Army
  2. ↑ Moscow Moskovskiy Komsomolets in Russian 8 July 2003
  3. ↑ Baumgardner, Neil. "Russian Armed Forces Order of Battle". Archived from the original on 2009-10-23.
  4. ↑ Ukraine crisis: President calls snap vote amid fighting, BBC News (25 August 2014)
    Ukraine conflict: Donetsk rebels parade captured soldiers, BBC News (24 August 2014)
  5. ↑ Captured Russian troops 'in Ukraine by accident', BBC News (26 August 2014)
  6. ↑ Kramer, Andrew E. (9 June 2014). "Russians Yearning to Join Ukraine Battle Find Lots of Helping Hands". The New York Times.
  7. ↑ Putin Taunts US And Ukraine Leaders Ahead Of D-Day Anniversary Meeting, Business Insider', 4 June 2014.
  8. ↑ CNN, Ukraine: Photos show undercover Russian troops, by Arwa Damon, Michael Pearson and Ed Payne, 22 April 2014.
  9. ↑ The Guardian, Does US evidence prove Russian special forces are in eastern Ukraine?, by Ewen MacAskill, 22 April 2014.