Russian airborne troops (VDV) have begun deploying the recently formed 104th Guards Airborne Assault Division (104 GAD) in Ukraine. The division is likely to be stationed in the Kherson region.
This information is reported by the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom on Twitter.
As stated in the summary, in August 2023, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced plans to re-establish the 104th division, which was downsized to a smaller formation, a brigade, in 1998.
According to British intelligence, the division likely includes the 337th regiment, an additional maneuver regiment, and the 52nd artillery brigade. With the addition of the 104th GAD, the number of divisions in the VDV combat order will increase to five.
"The division will likely be poorly trained and is unlikely to meet the erstwhile elite standards of the VDV," the statement says.
At the same time, the brigade will be closely monitored by the Russian general responsible for Kherson, Lieutenant General Mikhail Teplinsky, who is the commander of the VDV, according to the Ministry of Defense of Britain.