38th Separate Guards Air Assault Brigade

Last updated
38th Separate Guards Air Assault Brigade
(2 August 2016–present)

38th Separate Guards Mobile Brigade
(1 September 1995–2 August 2016)

Contents

38th Separate Guards Airborne Brigade
(1 June 1990–1 September 1995)

38th Separate Guards Air Assault Brigade
(October 1979–1 June 1990)
38-a asobna gvardzeiska mabil'na brygada.jpg
Active1979–present
CountryFlag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union (1979–1992)
Flag of Belarus.svg  Belarus (1992–present)
Branch Soviet Ground Forces (1979–1990)
Soviet Airborne Forces (1990–1992)
Spetsnaz of Belarus (2003–present)
TypeAirborne
SizeBrigade
Garrison/HQ Brest
Decorations Order of Red Banner.svg   Order of the Red Banner
Honorifics
Commanders
Current
commander		Colonel Dmitry Ptashnik
Notable
commanders		 Vadim Denisenko

The 38th Separate Guards Air Assault Brigade is a Special forces brigade of the Armed Forces of Belarus. It is currently based in Brest. [1] The brigade was originally formed from the elements of the disbanded 105th Guards Vienna Airborne Division in 1979 as the 38th Separate Guards Air Assault Brigade. [2] In 1990, it was transferred to the Soviet airborne and renamed the 38th Separate Guards Airborne Brigade. In January 1992, it was taken over by Belarus [3] and was later renamed the 38th Guards Mobile Brigade. The brigade was renamed the 38th Guards Air Assault Brigade in 2016.

History

The 38th Separate Guards Air Assault Brigade was formed in October 1979 from the headquarters of the 105th Guards Airborne Division [4] in Brest, part of the Belorussian Military District. [5] The official day of formation is considered to be 10 November. [6] The brigade was composed of three airborne battalions, an air assault battalion, an artillery battalion and an antiaircraft artillery battalion. From 4 to 12 September 1981, the brigade participated in the exercise "West-81". [6] Between August 1987 and June 1989, the brigade was commanded by Vitaly Raevsky. [7] Due to the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, the brigade was deployed to Baku in January 1990. On 1 June 1990, the brigade was transferred to the Soviet Airborne Forces and renamed the 38th Separate Guards Airborne Brigade. Its air assault battalion was disbanded and the antiaircraft artillery battalion became a battery. After the Dissolution of the Soviet Union, the brigade was transferred to the Armed Forces of Belarus. [3]

On 1 September 1995, the brigade transferred to the Mobile Forces of the Republic of Belarus and was renamed the 38th Separate Guards Mobile Brigade. [8] From 2002 to 31 January 2003, the brigade was part of the Ground Forces. On 1 February, it moved to the Belarusian Army Spetsnatz.

Between 2008 and 2011, the brigade was commanded by Vadim Denisenko, who later became commander of the Special Forces of Belarus. [9]

On 3 June 2015, it was reported that the brigade had been brought to full combat readiness on the Ukrainian border. [10] Between 15 and 27 June, it was announced by China and Belarus that the two countries would stage Exercise Dashing Eagle 2015 with PLA paratroopers and the 38th's 382nd Mobile Battalion participating. [11]

The brigade at the 2017 Minsk Independence Day Parade. Parad po sluchaiu Dnia nezavisimosti Belorussii pri uchastii aviatsii ZVO (8).jpg
The brigade at the 2017 Minsk Independence Day Parade.

On 2 August 2016, the brigade was renamed the 38th Separate Guards Air Assault Brigade, restoring its original name. [12] The brigade received the honorific Brest after its base location on 14 January 2020. [13] The brigade was used to suppress the 2020 Belarusian protests in Brest in August of that year.[ citation needed ]

Commanders

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armed Forces of Belarus</span> Combined military forces of Belarus

The Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus consist of the Ground Forces and the Air Force and Air Defence Forces, all under the command of the Ministry of Defence of Belarus. As a landlocked country, Belarus has no navy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russian Airborne Forces</span> Branch of the Russian armed forces

The Russian Airborne Forces are the airborne forces branch of the Russian Armed Forces. It was formed in 1992 from units of the Soviet Airborne Forces that came under Russian control following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soviet Airborne Forces</span> Branch of the Soviet armed forces

The Soviet Airborne Forces or VDV was a separate troops branch of the Soviet Armed Forces. First formed before the Second World War, the force undertook two significant airborne operations and a number of smaller jumps during the war and for many years after 1945 was the largest airborne force in the world. The force was split after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, with the core becoming the Russian Airborne Forces, losing divisions to Belarus and Ukraine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">31st Guards Air Assault Brigade</span> Russian Airborne Troops formation

The 31st Separate Guards Order of Kutuzov 2nd class Air Assault Brigade is an airborne infantry brigade of the Russian Airborne Troops, based in Ulyanovsk. The brigade was formed in 1998 from the 104th Guards Airborne Division. The brigade fought in the Second Chechen War and the Russo-Georgian War. During the Crimean crisis 2014 elements of the brigade entered Ukraine's Crimean peninsula. In August 2014 brigade's units participated in the war in Donbas. The brigade fought in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, beginning with the Battle of Antonov Airport in which they suffered heavy losses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">103rd Separate Guards Airborne Brigade</span> Belarusian Special Forces unit

The 103rd Separate Guards Airborne Brigade is an airborne brigade of the Belarusian Special Forces. Its predecessor unit was the 103rd Guards Airborne Division, which was a division of the Soviet Airborne Troops. It was established in 1946 and disbanded in 1993, a year after its transfer to the Armed Forces of Belarus. The division was formed from the 103rd Guards Rifle Division, which fought as infantry during the final months of World War II in the Vienna Offensive following its formation in late 1944.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tajik Mobile Forces</span> Military unit

The Mobile Forces are the paratroopers of the armed forces of Tajikistan. They are similar to the Russian Airborne Troops, whom they often train with. The Mobile Forces act as an elite special forces unit, subservient to the Defense Ministry and separate from the ground forces. Although they are called paratroopers, the Mobile Forces often deployed out of helicopters, as the Tajik Air Force has few fixed wing aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">5th Spetsnaz Brigade</span> Belarusian special forces brigade

The 5th Spetsnaz Brigade is a special forces brigade of the Armed Forces of Belarus, formerly part of the Soviet Spetsnaz GRU.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">56th Guards Air Assault Regiment</span> Military unit

The 56th Guards Air Assault Regiment is an airborne regiment of the Russian Airborne Troops. Based at Feodosia in Crimea, the regiment is part of the 7th Guards Mountain Air Assault Division. It was formed in 2021 from the 56th Guards Airborne Brigade, based at Kamyshin. The brigade was first formed in 1979 and fought in the Soviet–Afghan War, the First Chechen War and the Second Chechen War.

The 105th Guards Airborne Division was an airborne division of the Soviet Airborne Troops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Kazankin</span>

Alexander Fyodorovich Kazankin was a Red Army Lieutenant general who commanded the Soviet airborne. He fought in the Russian Civil War and graduated from the Frunze Military Academy in 1934. Kazankin led the 4th Airborne Corps during the Vyazma airborne operation. He later commanded the 1st Guards Airborne Division, 16th Guards Airborne Division, 12th Guards Rifle Corps and 39th Guards Rifle Corps. Kazankin became the Soviet airborne commander in October 1947, but was demoted to deputy commander in December 1948. After briefly becoming airborne forces commander again between January and March 1950, Kazankin successively became inspector general of the airborne forces and then deputy airborne forces inspector general before his death on 20 March 1955.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dmitri Sukhorukov</span>

Dmitri Semyonovich Sukhorukov was a Red Army General of the army who commanded the Soviet airborne between 1979 and 1987, during the Soviet–Afghan War. Sukhorukov fought as company commander in the 104th Guards Rifle Division during World War II and served in the 7th Guards Airborne Division postwar. In September 1962, he became the commander of the 98th Guards Airborne Division. He commanded the 2nd Army Corps from July 1968. After graduating from the Military Academy of the General Staff, Sukhorukov commanded the Central Group of Forces in November 1976. From January 1979 to July 1987, he was the commander of the Soviet airborne, overseeing its operations in Afghanistan. In July 1987, he became the deputy defence minister for personnel and in 1990 was in the Group of Inspectors General. After retiring in 1992, Sukhorokov died on 8 July 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">35th Guards Air Assault Brigade</span> Military unit

The 35th Guards Air Assault Brigade is an airmobile brigade of the Kazakh Air Assault Forces. It is currently based in Kapchagay. The brigade traces its history back to the Soviet Union as the 111th Guards Airborne Regiment, formed in 1948 as part of the 11th Guards Airborne Division. After the 11th Guards Airborne Division was disbanded in April 1955, the regiment became part of the 105th Guards Vienna Airborne Division. The 105th Guards Airborne Division was broken up in the fall of 1979 and the regiment became the 35th Separate Guards Air Assault Brigade. After the Dissolution of the Soviet Union, the brigade became part of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan and was renamed to the 35th Separate Guards Air Assault Brigade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">36th Air Assault Brigade (Kazakhstan)</span> Military unit

The 36th Air Assault Brigade is an air assault brigade of the Kazakh Air Assault Forces. It is based in Astana.

The 57th Airborne Brigade was an airborne brigade of the Soviet Airborne Forces, disbanded in 1991. It was based in Aktogay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Special Operations Forces (Belarus)</span> Military unit

The Special Operations Forces of Belarus (SSO) (Russian: Силы специальных операций Вооружённых сил Республики Беларусь; Belarusian: Cілы спецыяльных аперацый Узброеных Сіл Рэспублікі Беларусь) is a service branch of the Armed Forces of Belarus. Like all post-Soviet states, Belarus inherited its special forces units from the remnants of the Soviet armed forces, GRU and KGB units. The units of the Belarusian SSO, which include two airborne brigades and one Spetsnaz brigade, are the only fully manned ground combat units in the Armed Forces of Belarus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kazakh Air Assault Forces</span> Military unit

The Kazakh Air Assault Forces or the Airmobile Forces are the paratrooper branch of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It falls under the subordination of the Kazakh Ground Forces and is part of the Reserve of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

The 38th Guards Communications Brigade is a signals brigade in the Russian Airborne Forces. It is currently located near Bear Lake, Moscow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">152nd Independent Air Assault Battalion</span> Military unit

The 152nd Independent Air Assault Battalion, known simply as the Airborne Forces of Turkmenistan is the official paratrooper unit of the Armed Forces of Turkmenistan.

Valery Stepanovich Sakhashchyk is a former commander of the Belarusian 38th Separate Guards Air Assault Brigade. Following the 24 February 2022 full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Sakhashchyk launched video appeals calling for Belarusian forces to refuse to participate in any attack against Ukraine. On 9 August 2022, he was nominated as the effective defence minister of the Belarusian United Transitional Cabinet, a government-in-exile opposed to the de facto government of Alexander Lukashenko.

References

  1. ↑ "Силы специальных операций Военный информационный портал Министерства обороны Республики Беларусь" [Special Forces of Belarus]. www.mil.by (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2015-09-28. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  2. ↑ Zaloga, Steve (1995-01-01). Inside the Blue Berets: A Combat History of Soviet and Russian Airborne Forces, 1930–1995 . Presidio. ISBN   9780891413998.
  3. 1 2 "38th independent Guards Landing-Assault Brigade". www.ww2.dk. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  4. ↑ Selemenev, Vadim (3 September 2011). "Неизвестная дивизия. 105-я гвардейская воздушно-десантная Краснознамённая дивизия (горно-пустынная). — Десантура.ру – о десанте без границ" [Unknown Division. 105th Guards Airborne Red Banner (Mountain and Desert) – Desantura.ru – About landing without borders]. desantura.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  5. ↑ "Войны, истории, факты. Альманах" [Almanac War History]. www.almanacwhf.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2015-11-17. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  6. 1 2 "Брестский горисполком – 13 ноября пройдут торжественные мероприятия, посвящённые 35-летию 38-й отдельной гвардейской Краснознамённой Венской мобильной бригады" [November 13 will be held a solemn ceremony dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the 38th Guards Red Banner separate mobile brigade Vienna]. city-brest.gov.by (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  7. ↑ Raevsky, Vitaly A.; Kramarenko, Elena (23 November 2014). "В.А.Раевский: Между прошлым и будущим — Десантура.ру – о десанте без границ" [V.A. Raevsky: Between Past and Future]. desantura.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  8. ↑ Makarov, Alexander (6 November 2014). "С неба – в бой!" [From the sky into battle] (in Russian). Standing Committee of the Union State . Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  9. ↑ "Special Operations Forces". www.mil.by. Archived from the original on 2016-10-22. Retrieved 2016-03-11.
  10. ↑ "Белорусские десантники остаются на границе с Украиной Армия Беларуси" [Belarusian paratroopers on Ukrainian border]. belarmy.by (in Russian). Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  11. ↑ "Belarus, China militaries to joint hold counter-terrorism exercise – Xinhua English.news.cn". news.xinhuanet.com. Archived from the original on June 19, 2015. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  12. ↑ Tsapkov, Valery (2 August 2016). "38-я бригада – снова десантно-штурмовая" [38th Brigade again Air Assault]. Brestskiy Kurier (in Russian). Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  13. ↑ "Об изменении названия 103-й бригады" [On changing the name of the 103rd Brigade]. Vitebsk City Portal (in Russian). 29 January 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  14. ↑ "Сахащик Валерий Степанович". 7 March 2022.
  15. ↑ "ВРЕМЕНА МЕНЯЮТСЯ, ДЕСАНТНЫЙ ДУХ — ОСТАЕТСЯ! | Во славу Родины – Свежий выпуск" [Times are changing, airborne spirit – stay!]. vsr.mil.by (in Russian). Retrieved 2015-12-28.
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