76th Guards Air-Assault Divsion
Division Overview
The 76th Guards Air Assault Division (VDV) is a Russian Airborne Troops formation headquartered in Pskov, Pskov Oblast (military unit 07264). Its mission set centers on rapid air-mobile and air assault operations to seize and hold key terrain, airfields, and crossings, and to conduct light mechanized operations after air-landing. Subordinate combat and support units listed include the 104th, 234th, and 237th Guards Air Assault Regiments; the 1140th Guards Artillery Regiment; the 4th Guards Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment; and divisional-level reconnaissance, engineer-sapper, communications, material support, medical elements, plus an attached tank battalion.
Command and Key Personnel
According to the provided data, the division headquarters (military unit 07264) is commanded by Colonel Denis Shishov. Regimental commanders identified are: 104th Guards Air Assault Regiment—Colonel Alexei Tolmachev; 234th Guards Air Assault Regiment—Lieutenant Colonel Artyom Gorodilov; 237th Guards Air Assault Regiment—Colonel Mikhail Tkachev. Command assignments are time-sensitive and may change; official current rosters are not continuously published in open sources.
Garrison and Location Analysis
Headquartered in Pskov, the division is positioned in Russia’s northwest near the borders with Estonia and Latvia, enabling rapid deployment along the western strategic direction. The area includes the Pskov (Kresty) airfield used by Russia’s military transport aviation (Il-76 family) and mainline rail links, supporting air-landing and rail mobility for light and heavy equipment. Pskov Oblast hosts established training ranges used by VDV units, facilitating year-round collective training.
Air Assault Regiments—Structure and Equipment
Per the provided listing, the 104th Guards Air Assault Regiment (military unit 32515) fields BMD-3/BMD-4M infantry fighting vehicles, BTR-D airborne APCs, 2S9 Nona-S gun-mortars, and 1V119 Rheostat artillery command/observation vehicles. The 234th Guards Air Assault Regiment (military unit 74268) fields BMD-3/4, BTR-D, 2S9 Nona-S, and 1V119 Rheostat. The 237th Guards Air Assault Regiment (military unit 57264) is identified without an equipment list; as an air assault regiment it typically operates the same airdroppable light armored family. These regiments constitute the division’s maneuver core for air assault and light mechanized operations.
Artillery and Fire Support
The 1140th Guards Artillery Regiment (military unit 45377) is reported with 122 mm D-30 towed howitzers and 120 mm 2S9 Nona-S self-propelled gun-mortars. The D-30 provides indirect fire to approximately 15.4 km with standard HE and up to around 21 km with rocket-assisted projectiles, while the tracked, amphibious 2S9 combines mortar and howitzer functions with typical ranges of roughly 8.8 km (HE) and up to 12–13 km with rocket-assisted ammunition. The regiment’s fires are coordinated with forward observers and 1V119 Rheostat vehicles organic to the air assault regiments.
Air Defense Coverage
The 4th Guards Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (military unit 81430) is listed with 9K35 Strela-10 short-range air defense systems and BTR-D carriers. The Strela-10 (IR-guided, typically MT-LB based) engages low-flying aircraft, helicopters, and some UAVs at up to approximately 5 km in range and about 3.5 km in altitude under favorable conditions. BTR-D vehicles are commonly used to carry MANPADS teams and command elements, providing mobile, airdroppable air defense for maneuver units.
Reconnaissance and Target Acquisition
The 175th Separate Guards Reconnaissance Battalion (military unit 54399) provides divisional intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR), including route and objective reconnaissance to support air assault operations. VDV reconnaissance units commonly integrate ground reconnaissance teams, light armored mobility, and small unmanned aerial systems; specific UAV inventories for this battalion are not publicly disclosed.
Engineer Support
The 656th Separate Guards Engineer-Sapper Battalion (military unit 45293) supplies mobility, countermobility, and survivability support—route clearance, demining, obstacle breaching, field fortification, and limited expedient bridging compatible with airborne logistics. Equipment in VDV engineer units is tailored to the weight and lift constraints of air transport and airdrop; detailed tables of equipment are not publicly released.
Communications and Command-and-Control
The 728th Separate Guards Communications Battalion (military unit 24538) provides divisional communications, establishing HF/VHF tactical radio networks, data links, and command post infrastructure to support maneuver, fires, and air-ground coordination. Russian VDV units employ secure digital radios and deployable command posts to maintain C2 during dispersed air assault operations.
Logistics and Medical Support
The 1682nd Separate Guards Material Support Battalion (military unit 42689) sustains the division with supply, transport, maintenance, and field services, enabling forward refuel/rearm points and repair under expeditionary conditions. The 35th Separate Medical Detachment (military unit 64833) provides Role 1/2 level care, triage, stabilization, and medical evacuation coordination; exact bed/holding capacities are not published in open sources.
Armor Augmentation
The 124th Separate Tank Battalion is identified with T-72B3 main battle tanks. The T-72B3 is a modernization of the T-72B with a 125 mm 2A46M-series smoothbore gun, autoloader, improved fire-control (including a thermal imaging sight on many B3 variants), and explosive reactive armor. These tanks are not airdroppable and are moved by rail/road; they provide the division with heavier direct-fire support and increased survivability compared to BMD-family vehicles.
Mobility and Airlift Integration
Division equipment such as BMD-3, BMD-4M, BTR-D, and 2S9 Nona-S is designed for air transport in Il-76 aircraft and, where applicable, for parachute airdrop using multi-canopy platforms. Heavy assets like T-72B3 and most towed artillery and support stocks are normally air-landed or moved by rail. Proximity to the Pskov airfield and rail network supports rapid concentration or redeployment.
Key Equipment Capabilities
BMD-3 is a light, amphibious airborne IFV typically armed with a 30 mm 2A42 cannon, coaxial 7.62 mm MG, and an automatic grenade launcher; BMD-4M mounts the Bakhcha-U turret with a 100 mm 2A70 gun/launcher (capable of firing guided munitions) paired with a 30 mm 2A72 cannon and 7.62 mm MG, improving firepower over earlier models. BTR-D is an airborne APC used for troop transport and specialist variants. The 1V119 Rheostat is an airborne artillery reconnaissance and fire direction vehicle used to observe, range, and adjust fires for systems such as the 2S9 and D-30.
Operational Context (publicly reported)
Open-source reporting has repeatedly associated the 76th Guards Air Assault Division with expeditionary and combat deployments, including operations in Chechnya (1990s–2000s), the 2008 Russia–Georgia war, the 2014 seizure of Crimea, and operations in Ukraine from February 2022 onward. Specific orders of battle and current dispositions are dynamic in wartime and are not comprehensively disclosed by official sources.
Capability Assessment—Strengths and Constraints
Based on the listed structure and equipment, the division fields high-mobility, airdroppable light armor with organic fires and short-range air defense, enabling rapid seizure of key terrain and airheads. Strengths include integral artillery (2S9, D-30), armored mobility (BMD-3/BMD-4M), and divisional enablers (reconnaissance, engineers, communications, logistics, medical). Constraints inherent to VDV formations include lighter protection compared to heavy mechanized forces, limited organic air defense range compared to medium-/long-range systems, and reliance on airlift or rail for the movement of non-airdroppable heavy equipment (e.g., T-72B3).
Unit Identifiers (v/ch) Summary
Identifiers provided: Division HQ—military unit 07264 (Pskov); 104th Guards Air Assault Regiment—military unit 32515; 234th Guards Air Assault Regiment—military unit 74268; 237th Guards Air Assault Regiment—military unit 57264; 1140th Guards Artillery Regiment—military unit 45377; 4th Guards Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment—military unit 81430; 175th Separate Guards Reconnaissance Battalion—military unit 54399; 656th Separate Guards Engineer-Sapper Battalion—military unit 45293; 728th Separate Guards Communications Battalion—military unit 24538; 1682nd Separate Guards Material Support Battalion—military unit 42689; 35th Separate Medical Detachment—military unit 64833; 124th Separate Tank Battalion—T-72B3 (unit number not specified in the provided data).