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How Were Russia’s Elite Paratroopers Destroyed So Quickly?
The annihilation of Russia’s elite VDV paratroopers in Ukraine, up to 50% lost, according to Newsweek, raises a larger question about the role of airborne forces on a modern battlefield — not just for Russia, but for all nations. After the events in Ukraine, even Russian experts are questioning whether airborne troops are worth the cost.
The role of paratroopers
The first extensive use of paratroopers (Fallschirmjäger) was by the Germans during World War II, but the more famous WWII airborne operations on D-Day and Operation Market Garden have been better enshrined in pop culture by the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and movies like A Bridge Too Far.
Great in concept, paratroopers are inserted well behind enemy lines as one of a country’s many “forced entry” capabilities to enter a theater of war.
Depending on the aircraft carrying them, airborne forces can strike much deeper inland than amphibious forces or helicopter-mounted infantry (air assault).
The soldiers themselves are sometimes called “double volunteers” because they volunteered for the infantry, and then again for the airborne. This makes them more ‘elite light infantry’ in the eyes of many, including the Russian VDV.
