Formation
25th Airborne Brigade
The DShV's only parachute-designated brigade; in continuous heavy fighting from the 2022 Donbas battles onward.
Kyiv-alignedLandBrigadeAirborne (parachute) brigade
Broad area of activity
Donbas axes throughout the war; the Izium and Pokrovsk sectors are publicly documented.
Notable history
The DShV's only parachute-designated brigade, in service since the 1990s and through the 2014 war. In the full-scale war it has fought as elite line infantry — the airborne role itself being impractical in this air-defence environment.
Strengths
Selection and cohesion of a parachute formation; continuous employment has kept its cadres current.
Limitations
Light equipment against a fortified, artillery-dense front; the persistent misuse-as-line-infantry problem common to elite light formations on both sides.
Sensitivity: Public · structuralAssessment confidence: highStatus as of 2026-07Reviewed 2026-07Sources: Established international media reporting · Established historical record · ISW campaign assessments · MilitaryLand.net Ukrainian force-structure tracking · IISS Military BalanceMethodology