ISW analysts: Russia is restoring a military transport aviation regiment that previously operated in Lithuania

Kremlin-linked Izvestia, citing an unnamed Russian Defense Ministry official, said the defense had decided to create and deploy four new regiments to operate in the strategic directions of the north, south and west, and had already created the first of these regiments in the Russian Far East.

ISW: 1965 the regiment was transferred to Lithuania

“Izvestija” stated that on December 1 In Ulan-Ude, in the Republic of Buryatia, Russian officials held an event celebrating the re-establishment of the 600th Regiment. in 1963 The Soviet Union initially formed the 600th Regiment, which was stationed in Shadrinsk, Kurgan Region, and in 1965 the regiment was transferred to Lithuania. Russia disbanded the 600th Regiment in 1998, merging the regiment with the 8th Guards Military Transport Aviation Regiment along with other formations.

The revival of the unit suggests that Russia’s Defense Ministry is reshaping its existing military transport aviation force more along the Soviet-era model, ISW analysts say.

“Izvestia” added that the Ministry of Defense of Russia plans by 2023. to deploy another regiment in Tambov, Tambov Region, by the end of the year, and is also expanding the infrastructure of the local airfield to accommodate it.

A Russian ministry source said the military transport aviation command would task the new regiments with transporting personnel, weapons and military equipment, as well as supporting the landings of paratroopers and reconnaissance units.

A Russian defense source also said the new regiments will receive new and upgraded Il-76 jets, An-26 transport planes and possibly Mi-26 helicopters to help improve Russian logistics.

The Izvestia daily reported that the Russian Ministry of Defense has started creating new military transport aviation regiments in 2021. and aims to provide more than 100 new and modernized Il-76 aircraft to new regiments by the end of the decade. This is a goal that Russia’s defense industrial base may struggle to achieve, ISW analysts claim.

The Izvestia newspaper also said that Russian An-124 and Il-76 aircraft have flown more than 10,000 sorties since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.