Masters of Mobile War: As the war changed Ukrainian paratroopers

In the conditions of war in Ukraine, operations in the rear of the enemy should be performed after the breakthrough of the front line, with the entry into the operational space of strong mobile groups with high maneuverability and fire. Focus has translated the article of the Polish military historian and expert on modern armed conflicts of Martin Gavenda about the evolution of Ukrainian landing and assault troops.

The classic of such an operation on the breakthrough of the weak front and the penetration into the rear of the raid groups of DShV already became the Kharkiv offensive operation of September 2022 and Kursk offensive operation, which began in August 2024, where in the first hours an important role played assault, intelligence and special units with the support Group of DShV.

The first noticeable change compared to the landing troops of the pre-war era was the transition from the doctrine of light airmobile and landing troops to mechanized raid troops, which even include an armored component. Thus, the DShV became similar to mechanized troops, but retained some airborne capabilities (in Ukrainian conditions, mostly with helicopters), conducting strategic air overlaps and raid operations in the separation from their main forces.

Therefore, the DShV of Ukraine is adapted for operations characteristic of the so-called operative-manifest group, that is, an operational group designed for an unexpected for the enemy transferring operations by place, sometimes and direction to the operational space and the creation of the second front there, which we see in the Kursk area. Where two battalions from the 80th and 82nd brigades were on the edge of the breakthrough.

The operational maneuverable group operates separately from the main forces and is intended for the conduct of highly universal hostilities for the disorganization of the enemy's defense. It is these operations that we observe in the Kursk offensive operation. In addition, they have already taken place in the Kharkiv offensive operation and failed in the Zaporozhye offensive operation.

During the Kharkiv and Kursk offensive operations, the raids were the mobile groups of intelligence, special forces and highlighted company and battalion tactical groups from the DShV crews, which for several days took offensive actions in the enemy's operational space.

In the classical sense of operations of the operative-man-tired group, the flank and rear of the enemy are affected by the support And even purely tactical tasks (however, like their Russian counterpart - Air Force, with some exceptions in the first stage of the war). The fact that we have not seen such troops throughout the war is explained by two reasons.

First, helicopter landing in the frontline (not to mention parachute operations) is very risky, which is why such operations were reduced to shallow intelligence and sabotage group operations. Secondly, some of these tasks have taken on elite and special formations, expanded in wartime (mainly special forces of SSO, GUR and SBU).

The second change in the eye is the weapons of DShV with Western equipment, including wheel conveyors, such as VAB, Stryker, Dingo, MRAP wheel and tracked infantry fighting machines in "heavy" battalions, such as Marder. Thus, in the philosophy of the use of DShV little has changed, except for the equipment itself. Thus, in the 82nd separate landing brigade, an exemplary pair of BTR-80 and T-80 was replaced with the Trinker, Marder and Challenger.

The brigade became better with armored and armed, but it is still focused on mobility, albeit with the highlighted heavy component - BMP and tank support. Apparently, the most changed unit was the 25th Airborne Brigade, which the only one retained post-Soviet landing machines and was ready for classical air landing in theory. During the fighting, the BMD was slowly taken out of the game, and the brigade itself received a variety of armored vehicles.

In the fall of 2023, the 25th brigade received a BMP Marder 1A3 BMP, which is today the most difficult BMP, which is in service with DShV units. When it comes to the transition of DShV brigades to Western equipment, of course, much depends on the transmission of weapons, but a certain trend is to equip the airmobile crews with wheel vehicles and 105mm artillery. Heavier equipment, such as infantry fighting vehicles and self-propelled artillery, also comes to landing brigades.

For example, the 46th Airmobile Brigade was received by VAB, Husky and Wolfhound, 77th-Maxxpro and Dingo, and the most difficult, 82nd Brigade of the DShV, received Chalner tanks, BMP Stryker and Marder, as well as self-propelled howls. However, these are only trends, as often DShV battalions receive a technique that is "available". For example, the 82nd separate landing brigade received a MRAP Cougar party in the summer.

Other landing brigades also often have a peculiar mix of post-Soviet and western equipment, which varies from the battalion to the battalion. The greatest difference between airmobile brigades from landing assaults is the last in its own tank battalion (T-80, T-72). As for the 148th Artillery Brigade, there are howitzers M777 and Caesar, as well as starting installations of BM-21 "Grad".

From the latest updates, since the current year, it is worth noting the BBM Stryker's receipt to the 80th Brigade Battalion (Winter 2024) and the MRAP Cougar-up to the 82nd Brigade (summer 2024). Thus, the nomenclature of the equipment in the service of DShV is very diverse, especially by types of conveyors, MRAP and armored vehicles: Stryker, VAB, Bushmaster, Iveco, Maxxpro, Cougar, Spartan, Shield, Novator, Dingo, etc. The novelty for DShV units was the use of motorcycles.

Several Enduro motorcycles are in service with a platoon of drones of the 1st battalion of the 95th separate landing brigade. They are not used to perform offensive tasks, as in the case of an aggressor, but for delivery of small cargoes, performing rotations, etc. in the conditions of domination of drones in the sky. The third change is the emergence of formations that go far beyond the typical landing units, even based on their names.

We see three changes in the "landing" of wartime compared to the pre -war, which should be described in more detail: below we will take turns look at these three issues that form a new face of Ukrainian DShV. The experience of Kharkiv operation and successful use of DShV in raids, where maneuver and mobility prevailed over fire strength (hence praise feedback on MRAP Bushmaster, which were used in the raids at that time), led to the same tasks before DShV in Zaporizhzhya.

In the onset of Tokmak and possibly in other operations as an operational maneuverable group. Immediately after the breakthrough of the front line, the component of the DShV in the form of the Marun operational group was to enter the battle. For a summer offensive in Zaporozhye in the first and second rows were allocated resources of the 9th and 10th ka, as well as the grouping of DShV.

In Western literature, it is called "Maroon Corps", that is, the "burgundy" corps (from the burgundy beret landing troops), but in reality it was an operational-tactical group (OTU) "Marun", not a strictly corps command. One way or another, this group was prepared for the raid on the rear of the enemy immediately after the front line breaks.

Marun OTG included, in particular, the "heavy" 82nd separate airborne brigade 46th Airmobile Brigade, but this composition was obviously not fixed, although it always contained parts of DShV. The failure of the entire offensive operation was reflected, in particular, in the unsuccessful application of the operational group of DShV, including the 82nd brigade.

Instead of entering the operational space, in the third stage of the offensive part of the DShV were thrown at the frontal breakthrough of a strong defensive borders 58 a, which ended in losses and defeat. Yes, in Zaporizhzhya, Strelyzers and Marders beat the front lines, not having a breakthrough and not even having the opportunity to make raids into the rear of the enemy. A completely different thing is Kursk offensive operation.

Here, due to the full suddenness, the "striking" paratroopers "lowered from the chain", of course, along with other units, came to the operational space of a confused enemy, using the benefits of their high mobility. Thus, Stryker became a symbol of the Raids of the DShV and the successful operation of the maneuverable operational group in the Kursk region.

The first phase of the operation also used the MARDER BMP, but in this case there was a suspicion that these machines did not belong (exclusively) 82nd brigade, but were provided, in particular, the 225th storm battalion, which, by the way, played a key role In the breakthrough and raid phase, along with two battalion tactical groups of DShV (BTG 2/82 and BTG 2/80).

Entering the next stage of the advance of the elements of the 95th brigade testifies to the desire to maintain maneuver operations, which became more and more difficult to carry out in the second week of the offensive. Not all DShV units that participated in the Kursk Operation have currently identified; For example, it is unknown to which unit the VAB conveyors used in the offensive.

There is little about the command of the 7th Corps, but if it is not an ordinary administrative, but an operational command, then a new quality of planning, coordination and combat operations appears in the DShV, including, of course, maneuvering of operational groups. The rapid quantitative growth of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in general and DShV in particular is not surprising. From the old Brigades of the DShV there was a component, on the basis of which new crews were created.

During the war, three new landing and assault brigades were formed-the 46th, the 77th and the 82nd. The composition of the DSHV as a combat unit also included the 78th assault regiment "Hertz", but it is a special purpose unit (assault), which from the beginning had high combat qualities. Important for DShV was the formation of its own artillery brigade-the 148th separate artillery brigade.

The 148th brigade was created in 2023 on the basis of the 148th Artillery Division, which in the fall of 2023 in Zaporozhye and then in Donetsk region. Recently, an auxiliary element of DShV has been expanding: yes, in April 2023, a 33rd separate engineering battalion was formed, and in the summer of this year-the 170th Regiment of Logistics based on the battalion. Also in 2023 the 87th Separate Battalion of the Office was established as a unit support unit of the 7th Corps.

The most understandable may be the inclusion in the troops of units that have little to do with DShV. For example, if the Eger Brigade can still be attributed to the airmobile troops as a light infantry, it is difficult to find logic in the fact that as of September 2022 the 71st Separate Eger Brigade is part of the DShV, and the 63rd and 68th- No, remaining part of the Land Forces.

The only reasonable explanation for this is the participation of the 71st Separate Eger Brigade in the Kharkiv offensive operation together with other DShV units, which led to the inclusion of this unit in this formation. When in September 2023, President Zelensky visited the command of the OTU "Marun", it consisted of 148th separate artillery brigade, 82nd separate landing brigade and just the 71st separate Eger Brigade.

When talking about changes in DShV in wartime, you should pay attention to the development of unmanned systems, especially air. Obviously, a very significant change in the organization of "landing" brigades has become the formation of UAV platoons in battalions and brigade shock drones, the so -called rubles (company of shock unmanned aviation complexes), and lately even an independent battalion.

Some mouthpieces are known by their own names, such as the Garuda Rub in the 46th separate airmobile brigade or the "Wild Division" ruble in the 82nd HSF. A serious strengthening of the unmanned reconnaissance component of the brigade is the systematic transmission of the Pulstron reconnaissance and shoe complexes through the OKKO OKKO gas stations and the "Come back alive" Foundation.

Each complex contains 7 pickups, a complete set of communication equipment, control and power supply (radios, "Starlins", laptops, generators, night vision devices, etc. ) and drones of different types with full equipment: reconnaissance (4 mini Shark, 4 Mavic 3, 4 Matrice 30T) and shock (bombers/discharges: 4 R-34 and 8 eachan, as well as 300 day and night FPV-non-Spouse).

Pulstron complexes have now been transferred to the five Brigades of DShV: 25th, 46th, 77th, 79th and 80 (77th and 79th received them in mid-August this year). The development of unmanned systems and the formation of independent battalions also led to the creation of such a unit in the 7th Corps of DShV: the 421st separate battalion of unmanned unmanned systems (OBBPS) was recently formed. The saturation of the Armed Forces is also increasing, and therefore DShV, unmanned ground platforms.