The UK’s Defence Intelligence has released an update on the situation in Ukraine, revealing that one of Russia’s most prestigious airborne regiments has suffered heavy losses and high turnover since the invasion began in February 2022.
According to the update, the 247th Guards Air Assault Landing Regiment, which is part of the elite 7th Guards Airborne Division, has lost three successive commanders in less than two years. The latest commander, Colonel Vasily Popov, was likely killed in the heavily contested Orikhiv sector in early September 2023. His predecessor, Colonel Pytor Popov, likely resigned his command in August 2023, reportedly in protest over the military’s failure to recover the bodies of Russian casualties. Independent Russian media sources have confirmed that many families of fallen soldiers have been denied proper burial rites and compensation.
The update also states that the first commander of the 247th during the invasion, Colonel Konstantin Zizevsky, was killed near Mykolaiv in the early weeks of the conflict. The 247th was one of the first units to cross the border into Ukraine, and faced fierce resistance from Ukrainian forces and local militias. The regiment has been involved in some of the most intense battles in the war, such as the siege of Mariupol, the assault on Zaporizhia, and the defense of Melitopol.
The experience of the 247th highlights the extreme attrition and high turnover in Russia’s deployed military, even amongst relatively senior ranks.
The update comes as diplomatic efforts to end the war have stalled, and as tensions between Russia and NATO have escalated. The US and its allies have imposed sanctions on Russia and increased their military presence and support for Ukraine. Russia has responded by deploying more troops and weapons to the border regions and threatening to use nuclear weapons if NATO intervenes militarily. The UN Security Council has failed to adopt a resolution to address the crisis, due to Russia’s veto power.
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