Vladimir Shamanov: This date means the whole life to me

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On the eve of the Airborne Forces Day, Vladimir Shamanov, Chairman of the Coordination Council of Chairpersons of Committees on Defence and Security of the Parliaments of the CSTO Member States under the CSTO PA Council and Chairman of the Russian State Duma Defence Committee, congratulated all those for whom this day means something.

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“This date means the whole life to me,” said Vladimir Shamanov. “I am proud to have served in the Airborne Forces, I am proud to have graduated from the Ryazan Guards Higher Airborne Command School.”

“Ninety years ago, on August 2, 1930, the Soviet Union launched this type of troops whose main manoeuvre – airborne envelopment – gave it an advantage over the enemy,” he said.

“Today, all CSTO states have these troops. Some have fewer troops, while others, like the Republic of Kazakhstan, have large Airborne Force units. This is no accident. Today the Airborne Forces are a quality mark of the Armed Forces: the presence of the Airborne Forces means that the army is modern.

That is why, said Vladimir Shamanov, the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Force includes the Ivanovo Airborne Division and the Ulyanovsk Airborne Assault Brigade. They are Russia’s Best Airborne Forces.

As a State Duma deputy and Chairman of the Coordination Council of Chairpersons of Committees on Defence and Security of the parliaments of the CSTO Member States, I can say that the Coordination Council of parliamentary bodies is constantly paying attention to the development of this component of the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Force. Not a single exercise of the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Force has passed without airborne and helicopterborne forces,” said Vladimir Shamanov.

“I would like to congratulate all paratroopers of the Soviet Union and all CSTO Member States on the 90th anniversary of the Airborne Forces. I wish them health, prosperity, peaceful sky above our heads and strong military brotherhood of ours. In this challenging time, we need to close in our ranks.”

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