The Russian military is using its elite VDV paratroopers in a desperate attempt to achieve some success in Ukraine.
On day 417 of the war in Ukraine, the Russian forces are pushing hard in the Donbas and the town of Bakhmut.
Russian Casualties in Ukraine
Russian forces continue to lose men on the ground. The push for the town of Bakhmut will increase the rate of casualties.
Overall, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense claimed that as of Sunday, Ukrainian forces have killed and wounded approximately 182,070 Russian troops.
Destroyed equipment includes: 308 fighter, attack, bomber, and transport jets, 293 attack and transport helicopters, 3,657 tanks, 2,795 artillery pieces, 7,083 armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles, 538 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS), 18 boats and cutters, 5,658 vehicles and fuel tanks, 284 anti-aircraft batteries, 2,239 tactical unmanned aerial systems, 326 special equipment platforms, such as bridging vehicles, and four mobile Iskander ballistic missile systems, and 911 cruise missiles shot down by the Ukrainian air defenses.
Russian Paratroopers
The VDV airborne forces are once more at the center of the Russian campaign in Ukraine.
Considered an elite organization within the Russian armed forces, the VDV airborne forces haven’t managed to distinguish themselves in the tragicomic Russian campaign.
The VDV airborne forces are a separate service within the Russian Armed Forces and are considered to be a strategic reserve.
In its daily intelligence assessment of the conflict, the British Military Intelligence assessed that Colonel General Mikhail Teplinsky, the overall commander of the Russian VDV airborne forces, “has likely returned to a major role in Ukraine.” The senior Russian military officer had been dismissed back in January.
It is likely that Teplinsky had argued for a different approach in the large-scale Russian offensive back in January and lost his position. With the Russian offensive falling apart, Teplinsky has likely been reinstated to pursue another operational approach.
“Teplinsky is likely one of the few senior Russian generals widely respected by the rank-and-file. His recent turbulent career suggests intense tensions between factions within the Russian General Staff about Russia’s military approach in Ukraine,” the British Military Intelligence assessed in its latest estimate of the war.
“It is unlikely Teplinsky’s remit will be limited to VDV units, but he is highly likely to promote the corps’ traditional role as an elite force,” the British Military Intelligence added.
The VDV airborne forces are once more playing a key part in the Russian campaign. Last week we covered the integration of the TOS-1A thermobaric multiple launch rocket launcher in VDV units to increase their lethality in ground combat. A highly destructive weapon system, the TOS-1A thermobaric launcher will make VDV units deadlier but also restrict their mobility as the weapon system isn’t designed for the mobile, flexible warfare one would normally associate airborne forces with.
But in the current slog in Ukraine, Russian forces can’t move fast anyway, so it makes sense for the Russian military to mix traditional roles with novel techniques in search of some success.
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Expert Biography: A 19FortyFive Defense and National Security Columnist, Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate. His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
