7th Guards Air Assault Division (mountain)
Division Overview
The 7th Guards Air Assault Division (Mountain) is a formation of the Russian Airborne Troops (VDV) under the Ministry of Defense. It is based within the geographic area of the Southern Military District and carries the mountain designation, indicating specialized training and equipment for operations in mountainous terrain. Core missions include rapid-reaction air assault, seizure and holding of key terrain, and reinforcement of threatened sectors, with a focus on complex terrain in and around the North Caucasus.
Command Structure and Identifiers
Headquarters element: 7th Guards Air Assault Division HQ (military unit 61756). Reported commander: Colonel Alexander Kornev (leadership assignments can change and are not always publicly announced). The division reports to VDV Command, employs the Andromeda-D automated command-and-control system, and follows standard Russian divisional staff organization encompassing operations, intelligence, logistics, communications, and support functions.
Geographic Footprint and Garrison Areas
The division is garrisoned primarily in Krasnodar Krai and Stavropol Krai. Public reporting consistently places the divisional headquarters and one maneuver regiment in the Novorossiysk area (Krasnodar Krai) and another maneuver regiment in Stavropol Krai. This basing provides proximity to the North Caucasus mountain ranges and the Black Sea region. Precise facility locations, layouts, and real-time dispositions are not provided and are typically not publicly released.
Order of Battle (Identified Subordinate Units)
Identified subordinate units and designations: 108th Guards Air Assault Regiment (military unit 42091) — equipment reported: BMD-2, BTR-D, BTR-ZD Skrezhet, 2S9 Nona-S; 247th Guards Air Assault Regiment (military unit 54801) — equipment reported: BMD-2, BTR-D, BTR-ZD Skrezhet, 2S9 Nona-S; 171st Separate Air Assault Battalion (military unit 81505); 1141st Guards Artillery Regiment (military unit 40515) — equipment reported: 122 mm D-30 towed howitzers and 2S9 Nona-S 120 mm self-propelled gun-mortars; 3rd Separate Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (military unit 94021) — equipment reported: 9K35 Strela-10 and BTR-ZD Skrezhet; Divisional headquarters (military unit 61756).
Maneuver Regiments: Roles and Capabilities
The 108th and 247th Guards Air Assault Regiments constitute the division’s primary maneuver elements. They operate as light mechanized airborne infantry capable of parachute assault, helicopter air assault, and rapid ground maneuver using tracked airborne vehicles. Typical regimental components include multiple air assault battalions along with reconnaissance, anti-tank, mortar or artillery, engineer, signal, medical, and logistics subunits. BMD-2 infantry fighting vehicles provide mobile firepower and limited armored protection, while BTR-D family vehicles carry infantry, heavy weapons, and support systems. Exact personnel strengths and vehicle counts are not publicly disclosed and can vary with operational requirements.
Separate Air Assault Battalion
The 171st Separate Air Assault Battalion (military unit 81505) provides a flexible maneuver element at divisional level. Separate battalions are typically used for reinforcement of regiments, independent tactical tasks, and specialized missions including operations in complex or restrictive terrain. Equipment and organization commonly mirror air assault battalions within the regiments; specific establishment details for this battalion are not publicly released.
Artillery Regiment: Fire Support Capabilities
The 1141st Guards Artillery Regiment (military unit 40515) provides divisional fire support with a mix of towed and self-propelled systems. The D-30 (122 mm) howitzer delivers indirect fire to approximately 15.4 km with standard high-explosive ammunition and up to about 21 km with rocket-assisted projectiles. The 2S9 Nona-S (120 mm) gun-mortar offers versatile direct and indirect fire, including high-angle mortar fire, to around 8–9 km with standard rounds and roughly 12–13 km with rocket-assisted ammunition. These assets support suppression, smoke, illumination, and, when available, specialized munitions for precision effects. Battery counts and ammunition stocks are not publicly available.
Air Defense Regiment: Short-Range Air Defense
The 3rd Separate Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (military unit 94021) furnishes short-range air defense for the division. The 9K35 Strela-10 system (typically on MT-LB chassis) engages low-flying aircraft, helicopters, and UAVs within roughly 5 km range and up to about 3.5 km altitude using infrared-guided missiles such as the 9M37 or 9M333. The BTR-ZD Skrezhet mounts a ZU-23-2 23 mm twin cannon on a BTR-D chassis, offering rapid-reacting point defense against low, slow aerial threats and light ground targets, with effective anti-air engagements generally within 2–2.5 km. MANPADS are routinely fielded at regimental and battalion echelons in VDV formations, but specific inventories for this regiment are not disclosed.
Equipment Specifications and Performance
BMD-2: airborne infantry fighting vehicle; combat weight approximately 8.2 t; amphibious; airdroppable; armament includes a 30 mm 2A42 autocannon, coaxial 7.62 mm PKT, and an ATGM launcher typically for 9M111 or 9M113 series; crew 3 plus up to 5 dismounts. BTR-D: airborne multi-purpose tracked carrier derived from the BMD-1; amphibious; typically carries up to 10–12 troops or specialized payloads; often fitted with a 7.62 mm machine gun and used as a base for numerous variants. BTR-ZD Skrezhet: airborne self-propelled anti-aircraft platform mounting a ZU-23-2 23 mm twin cannon on a BTR-D chassis; provides mobile, optically directed air defense and ground fire support. 2S9 Nona-S: 120 mm self-propelled gun-mortar; rate of fire roughly 8–10 rounds per minute; fires mortar and gun-launched munitions including HE, smoke, illumination, and HEAT; amphibious and airdroppable. D-30: 122 mm towed howitzer with 360-degree traverse on a three-leg carriage; typical sustained rate of fire 6–8 rounds per minute. 9K35 Strela-10: IR-guided short-range air-defense system; missile range up to about 5 km; altitude envelope to roughly 3.5 km; optical/IR tracking with simple ranging sensors.
Air Mobility and Airdrop Capability
The division relies on airlift from Russian Aerospace Forces transport aviation (for example, Il-76 variants) for parachute insertion of personnel and airdropping light armored vehicles. BMD-family vehicles are deployed using multi-parachute platforms with retrorocket soft-landing systems. Helicopter air assault is conducted with Army Aviation assets (for example, Mi-8 or Mi-17 series) for airlanding and fast-rope insertions. Specific aircraft allocations, drop procedures, and sortie rates are not publicly released.
Training and Specialized Mountain Competencies
As a mountain-designated formation, the division trains for movement and combat in high-gradient and high-elevation environments, including mountaineering, cliff assault, and operations in restricted terrain. This is complemented by standard VDV airborne training across subordinate units, including parachute qualification, night jumps, and small-unit air assault tactics.
Infrastructure and Sustainment
Division garrisons in the Southern Military District region typically include barracks, motor pools with maintenance and recovery facilities, ammunition and fuel storage areas, training ranges, airborne training towers, and communications nodes supporting Andromeda-D command-and-control. Rail and road links connect the sites to regional depots and airfields used for airlift staging. Detailed site plans, storage capacities, protection measures, and security procedures are generally not public information and are not included.
Operational Background (Public Reporting)
Public reporting since 2014 has linked elements of the 7th Guards Air Assault Division to operations involving Crimea and eastern Ukraine, and since February 2022 to combat operations in Ukraine under the broader Russian campaign. Specific unit rotations, losses, and current dispositions are dynamic and are not detailed here. VDV formations of this type have also historically been employed in the North Caucasus for internal security and counterinsurgency tasks.
Modernization and Force Development
As of 2024, the VDV is undergoing modernization and expansion, including introduction of newer platforms such as BMD-4M in some formations and updated communications and targeting systems. The inventory listed for the 7th Guards Air Assault Division indicates continued use of legacy systems including BMD-2, D-30, and 2S9 Nona-S; the extent and timeline of any replacement within this division have not been publicly specified.
Information Gaps and Classification Considerations
Exact personnel strengths, equipment counts by unit, ammunition stocks, maintenance states, secure facility layouts, and real-time operational locations are not publicly released or are classified. This analysis therefore relies on verifiable open information about unit designations, known equipment types, general roles, and doctrinal capabilities without providing sensitive or time-sensitive site details.