Formation
106th Guards Airborne Division
The Tula airborne division; long service in the Donbas including the Bakhmut sector.
Moscow-alignedLandDivisionAirborne division
Broad area of activity
The Bakhmut sector and adjacent Donbas axes.
Notable history
The Tula airborne division, publicly documented holding the Bakhmut flanks after Wagner's 2023 withdrawal and through the subsequent Ukrainian counterattacks.
Strengths
VDV cohesion and priority manning applied to a long defensive commitment.
Limitations
The Bakhmut flank fighting of 2023 was among the most attritional defensive assignments of the war.
Sensitivity: Public · structuralAssessment confidence: moderateStatus as of 2026-07Reviewed 2026-07Sources: ISW campaign assessments · Established international media reporting · IISS Military BalanceMethodology