25th Airborne Brigade
The DShV's only parachute-designated brigade; in continuous heavy fighting from the 2022 Donbas battles onward.
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.
Assessed as of2026-07Last reviewed2026-07
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