MOSCOW, February 18. /TASS/. A battalion of Russian airborne forces will be deployed on a permanent basis in Crimea in 2017-2018 and will be reorganized into a regiment in 2020, a source in Russia’s Armed Forces General Staff said on Thursday.

"A decision has been taken to deploy an air assault battalion of the 7th division in Crimea within two years - 2017-2018. On its basis, a third regiment will be created after 2020," the source said.

The battalion will be stationed in the town of Dzhankoy, in the north of the Crimean Republic near an aviation regiment.

Commander in Chief of Russia’s Airborne Troops Vladimir Shamanov earlier said an air assault regiment could be deployed in the peninsula.