234th Guards Air Assault Regiment

The 234th Guards Air Assault Regiment is a formation of the Russian Airborne Forces. It is part of the 76th Guards Air Assault Division.[1]

234th St. Aleksandr Nevsky Guards Black Sea Order of Kutuzov Air Assault Regiment
Russian: 234-й гвардейский десантно-штурмовой Черноморский ордена Кутузова 3-й степени полк имени Святого Александра Невского
234th Guards Air Assault Regiment shoulder sleeve insignia
Active1946–present
Country Soviet Union
(1946–1991)
 Russia
(1991–present)
Branch Russian Airborne Troops
SizeRegiment
Part of76th Guards Air Assault Division
Garrison/HQPskov
MUN 74268
EngagementsSecond Chechen War
Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
DecorationsOrder of Kutuzov
Commanders
Current
commander		Colonel Artyom “Uran” Gorodilov

History

The regiment was formed on 7 June 1946 in Novgorod as the 234th Guards Air-Landing Regiment of the 76th Guards Air Assault Division. In 1947, its garrison was moved to Pskov. In 1949 it was converted into an airborne regiment.[1] In 2014, the regiment was involved in the Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation.[2] It fought in the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.The unit has lost several of its senior leadership in the war including Regiment Chief of Staff Lieutenant Colonel Igor Zharov[3] and Regiment Deputy Commander Lieutenant Colonel Aleksey Afonin.[4]

Evidence suggests the unit participated in the Bucha massacre, specifically killing dozens of innocent civilians on Yablunska Street.[5][6]

In Literature

The regiment is referenced in Tom Clancy's novel Red Storm Rising, where it takes part in Operation Polar Glory, the Soviet invasion of Iceland. In the book, the regiment travels hidden in the cargo hold of the merchant ship MV Yulius Fuchik.[7]

References
  1. Holm, Michael. "234th Guards Parachute Regiment". www.ww2.dk. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  2. "Conscripts of Russian 234th Airborne Assault Regiment Awarded for Occupation of Crimea". 25 November 2018. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  3. "How the Russian officer elite is being decimated in Ukraine – 27 generals and commanders who were killed in action". 2022-05-01. Retrieved 2022-12-14.
  4. "Aleksey Afonin". www.topcargo200.com. 2022-09-04. Retrieved 2022-12-14.
  5. "As Evidence Of War Crimes In Bucha Mounts, A Hunt For Russian Military Units". 2022-04-06. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  6. "The Russian Military Unit That Killed Dozens in Bucha". 2022-12-22. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  7. Clancy, Tom. "Red Storm Rising, Chapter 13.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.