VDV

VDV or Vozdushno-desantnye vojska (romanized from ВДВ or Воздушно-десантные войска) is the name of the Russian airborne troops. Formed before WW2 and expanded after the 2nd World War. It has been the largest Airborn force in the world for many years. They saw combat for the first time in WW2, during operation Barbarossa. Since then the VDV has taken part in every major Soviet and Russian conflict, most notably the Soviet war in Afghanistan.

Units
These are the today active parts of the VDV.
 * 7th Guards Air Assault Red Banner Order of Kutuzov Division - Novorossiysk
 * 76th Guards Air Assault Chernigov Red Banner Division - Pskov
 * 98th Guards Airborne Svir Red Banner Order of Kutuzov Division - Ivanovo
 * 106th Guards Airborne Red Banner Order of Kutuzov Division - Tula
 * 31st Independent Guards Air Assault Order of Kutuzov Brigade - Ulyanovsk
 * 242nd Training Centre, Omsk
 * 45th Independent Guards Reconnaissance Order of Alexander Nevsky Regiment of Special Forces, Kubinka, near Moscow

Links

 * VDV @ Wikipedia
 * Russian Airborne troops day 2007 pictures By Vitaly V. Kuzmin
 * 90th anniversary of RVVDKU By Vitaly V. Kuzmin
 * 38th Airborne Independant Signal regiment celebration of 60th anniversary By Vitaly V. Kuzmin