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Russia’s top brass to set up new paratroop regiment in Crimea

According to the statement, by December 1 this year work will be completed to transform the Kamyshin Separate Guards Air Assault Unit into an air assault regiment that will make part of the Novorossiysk Guards Mountain Air Assault Division

MOSCOW, November 17. /TASS/. The third air assault regiment of the Novorossiysk Airborne Division will be set up in Crimea by December 1 this year, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday, following a meeting of the Airborne Force Military Council held in Kubinka outside Moscow.

"In the 2021 training year [December 1, 2020 - October 30, 2021], the third air assault regiment of the Pskov Guards Air Assault Division was set up and by December 1 this year work will be completed to transform the Kamyshin Separate Guards Air Assault Unit into an air assault regiment that will make part of the Novorossiysk Guards Mountain Air Assault Division," the statement says.

Prior to that, the 76th Air Assault Division (Pskov) and the 7th Mountain Air Assault Division (Novorossiysk) had two regiments each.

According to the Defense Ministry’s data, work will be completed by late December this year to set up drone units in military formations and parachute (air assault) regiments and transform radio control platoons into electronic warfare companies of divisions and radio direction finding platoons of Airborne Force brigades.

While opening the meeting of the Military Council, Airborne Force Commander Colonel-General Andrei Serdyukov informed about new appointments in the paratroops. Thus, by a decree of the Russian president and an order of the defense minister, Novorossiysk Mountain Air Assault Division Commander Major General Andrei Sukhovetsky was appointed as the deputy commander of the 41st Combined Arms Army of the Central Military District while Colonel Alexander Kornev who commanded the Ussuriysk Separate Guards Air Assault Unit was appointed as the Novorossiysk Division’s new commander.

The Russian Airborne Force accomplished its 2021 training plan in full, implementing over 2,000 operational and combat training measures, with the Zapad-2021 joint strategic drills as the major event, the commander said.

The Russian paratroopers conducted over 184,000 parachute jumps, prepared and airdropped over 320 items of armament, military and special hardware and cargoes. Seven joint drills were held as part of international military cooperation, he specified.

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