Russia has lost at least 50 pct of its paratroopers in Ukraine: UK

Fifty percent of the thousands of paratroopers Russia deployed to Ukraine have been killed or were too seriously wounded to return to duty, a UK intelligence assessment revealed on Sunday.

“The annual celebrations of Russia’s Airborne Forces (VDV) Day on 2 August 2023 have been overshadowed by an apparently unsanctioned disclosure of the scope of the casualties the elite force has suffered in Ukraine,” the British ministry of defense said in its war intelligence update.

It added: “In a recorded address for VDV Day, the VDV’s Commander-in-Chief General Colonel Mikhail Teplinsky said that 8500 paratroopers had been wounded and later returned to duty or had refused to leave the front line at all.”

“The video was quickly deleted from the Russian Ministry of Defense’s official channels. He did not comment on how many troops had been killed or were too seriously wounded to return to duty.”

The UK intelligence assessment stated: “However, extrapolating Teplinksy’s figures endorses the assessment that at least 50 per cent of the 30,000 paratroopers who deployed to Ukraine in 2022 have been killed or wounded.”

Paratroopers, also known as airborne forces, play a crucial role in modern armies around the world. These highly trained and specialized soldiers are trained to be deployed into combat zones by aircraft, using parachutes for their insertion. Paratroopers are known for their rapid deployment capabilities, which allow them to quickly reach the battlefield from the air, bypassing traditional ground routes.

This makes them particularly valuable for conducting surprise attacks, capturing key objectives, and conducting special operations behind enemy lines. Their ability to operate in diverse and challenging environments makes them a versatile force, capable of conducting a wide range of military missions, including reconnaissance, seizing airfields, and providing support to conventional ground forces. Paratroopers often undergo intensive training in airborne assault tactics, fieldcraft, and combat skills, making them an elite and formidable component of modern armies.

Losing 50 percent of an army's paratroopers would significantly hamper its operational capabilities. The army's capacity to conduct airborne operations and benefit from the element of surprise would be severely limited, affecting its overall expertise in specialized areas. The remaining paratroopers would face increased risks and have to take on more extensive tasks, potentially impacting their morale. Reorganizing the unit and training new paratroopers would be time-consuming, and the army may struggle to cover multiple areas simultaneously. To regain its full operational effectiveness, the army would need to adapt its strategies, prioritize missions, and invest in rebuilding its paratrooper units.

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