247th Guards Air Assault Regiment

The 247th Guards Air Assault Regiment is a regiment of the Russian Airborne Troops, currently part of the 7th Guards Mountain Air Assault Division. It was first formed in 1973 as the 21st Air Assault Brigade and was transferred to the Soviet Airborne Troops in 1990, becoming the 21st Airborne Brigade. The brigade was renamed the 247th Air Assault Regiment in 1998. In 1998, it also gained the title 'Caucasian Cossack', although it is not all composed of Cossacks. In 2013 it became a Guards regiment. The unit fought in the First Chechen War, the War of Dagestan, the Second Chechen War, the Russo-Georgian War, the War in Donbas, and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

History

Soviet Union

The regiment was first formed on 19 February 1973 as the 21st Air Assault Brigade in Kutaisi, part of the Transcaucasus Military District. It included personnel from the 337th Guards Airborne Regiment. The brigade was initially composed of the 802nd, 803rd, and 804th Air Assault Battalions. Along with the 11th and 13th Separate Airborne Brigades, the brigade served as a test unit for the Soviet airmobile concept.Feskov et al 2013, p. 244 In 1973, the brigade participated in the exercise "Snowy Pass" (). The brigade conducted advanced tactical exercises under the supervision of the Chief of the General Staff in 1974.

In September 1977, the brigade's 1059th Artillery Battalion was disbanded and replaced by an artillery battery and an anti-aircraft battery. Around the same time, the brigade's 1171st Aviation Group became the 325th Transport-Combat and 395th Combat Helicopter Regiments.

The brigade participated in the " West-81" exercises in 1981. It was involved in the exercise "Caucasus-85". Elements of the brigade participated in the cleanup operations after the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. The brigade participated in exercise "Caucasus-87" in the following year. Its 292nd and 325th Helicopter Regiments were detached in 1988. In 1989, the brigade received a Red Banner from the Transcaucasus Military District Military Council. The brigade air-assaulted Yerevan Airport in July 1989 after it was occupied by armed Armenians. On 12 July, it landed at Leninakan to assist in rescue after the 1988 Armenian earthquake. In 1990, it received the Minister of Defense's Pennant "For Courage and Valor". On 1 June 1990, it was transferred to the Soviet airborne and renamed as the 21st Airborne Brigade.

Russia

In 1992, the brigade relocated to Stavropol. In 1994, the brigade received the honorific "Stavropol Cossack". From 11 December 1994 to November 1996, the brigade fought in the First Chechen War. Colonel Yury Em became brigade commander in 1995. On 1 May 1998, it was renamed the 247th Air Assault Regiment and became part of the 7th Guards Airborne Division. On 12 September, it received the title "Caucasian Cossack", despite not being all composed of Cossacks.

From August 1999, the regiment fought in the War of Dagestan. It fought in the Battle for Donkey's Ear Height. From October 1999 to January 2000, the regiment fought in the Second Chechen War. The regiment fought in the battles for Shelkovskaya, Gudermes, Shali, and Argun. On 25 November 1999, the regiment captured Novogroznensky, reportedly killing more than 50 Chechen militants. Regimental commander Em received the title Hero of the Russian Federation for his leadership.

Colonel Alexey Naumets became the regiment's commander on 2 June 2007. In 2008, the regiment invaded Georgia with the rest of the division. It fought in the Battle of Kodori Gorge. The regiment was assigned the title 'Guards' on 3 June 2013. The regiment contributed a battalion tactical group to participate in the August 2014 Russian military intervention in the War in Donbas. A group took part in the battle of Ilovaisk, where a column of regiments' fighting vehicles was photographed by regiment's soldier in front of destroyed R-149BMR command vehicle of the Ukrainian 121st Signal Brigade. In March 2015, the regiment opened its museum in Stavropol.

In the context of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, as of December 2021, the Regiment was deployed in Crimea. It took part in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and its commander Guard Colonel Konstantin Zizevsky was killed in action in February 2022. The regiment is being investigated in connection with the war crimes committed in Bucha. An ammunition depot and a command post of the 247th Guards Air Assault Regiment was destroyed by Ukrainian forces on 22 August 2022 during the 2022 Chornobaivka attacks. On September 9th, 2022, multiple news agencies reported the complete destruction of the unit during the Ukrainian counter-attack in the Kherson region.

Commanders

The following officers commanded the 21st Air Assault Brigade, the 21st Airborne Brigade, the 247th Air Assault Regiment, and the 247th Guards Air Assault Regiment:
* Colonel Viktor Fyodorovich Pugachev (19731975)
* Colonel Viktor Musiyenko (19751980)
* Colonel Nikolai Pletnev (19801983)
* Colonel Albert Bondar (19831984)
* Colonel Ivan Kolesnikov (19841986)
* Colonel Vitaly Zababurin (19861989)
* Colonel Valentin Vasilyevich Marin (19891995)
* Colonel Yury Em (19952001)
* Colonel Alexander Yevgenyevich Medvedev (20012003)
* Colonel Alexei Ragozin (20032007)
* Colonel Alexei Naumets (20072009)
* Colonel Dmitry Ovcharov (2009April 2011)
* Colonel Alexander Valitov (April 20112013)
* Colonel Sergei Maximov (2013)
* Colonel Roman Yuvakayev (??)
* Colonel Konstantin Zizevsky (2020 – 2022), killed during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

References

Sources

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Military units and formations established in 1998
Airborne units and formations of Russia
Airborne infantry regiments
Regiments of the Russian Airborne Troops
Military units and formations of Russia in the war in Donbas