Editing Russian Airborne Forces (section)

==== Wartime expansion ====
Despite claims of 'devastating' and 'crippling' losses, the VDV expanded during the war. After the invasion it was announced that the Airborne Forces would create two new divisions. Teplinsky announced on August 2, 2023 that the VDV is expanding the 31st Air Assault Brigade into the [[104th Guards Air Assault Division]]. The 299th and 119th Parachute Airborne Regiments were also reestablished, expanding two other divisions from two to three regiments.<ref name="Expansion">{{cite web|title=Russia's Military Restructuring and Expansion Hindered by the Ukraine War|url=https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russia%E2%80%99s-military-restructuring-and-expansion-hindered-ukraine-war|publisher=Institute for the Study of War|date=Nov 12, 2023|access-date=2024-05-26}}</ref>  

Also reported was the creation of a new [[52nd Artillery Brigade (Russia)|52nd Artillery Brigade]], the first unit of its type in the VDV, and the [[44th Air Assault Division]], created on the basis of the 111th and 387th Motor Rifle Regiments of the [[1st Army Corps (Russia)|1st Army Corps]] of the [[Donetsk People's Republic]]. The 44th Air Assault Division recalls the number of the Soviet-era 44th Training Airborne Division, but being from newly-formed motor rifle regiments, it was described as being an air assault unit "in name only" by military analysts.<ref name="RFERL">{{cite news |last=Bezruchko |first=Danilo |date=27 May 2024 |title=Еще один десант из Крыма? Что известно о новом «крымском» военном формировании россиян на Запорожье |trans-title=One more airborne from Crimea? What is known about the new "Crimean" military formation of Russians in Zaparozhye |lang=ru |newspaper=[[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty]] |url=https://ru.krymr.com/a/rossiyskiy-desant-krym-novoye-voyennoye-formirovaniye-zaporozhye/32965682.html }}</ref><ref name="CriticalThreats">{{Cite web |last=Hird |first=Karolina |title=Restructuring and Expansion of the Russian Ground Forces Hindered by Ukraine War Requirements |date=12 November 2023 |work=Critical Threats |publisher=[[American Enterprise Institute]] |url=https://www.criticalthreats.org/analysis/restructuring-and-expansion-of-the-russian-ground-forces-hindered-by-ukraine-war-requirements }}</ref>