Gen. Polko: Russian paratroopers are not an elite. “China was fooled by the second army of the world”

Russia provides China equipment and trains their airborne troops, which can be used to take Taiwan, London's Think Tank Royal United Services Institute (Rus) said. Gen. Roman Polko told PAP that Beijing believed in the myth of the “Second Army of the World”, and Russian paratroopers are not an elite.

The documents stolen by hackers, which was reached by the British Royal United Institute of Defense and Security Services (Rus), shows that Russia provides China equipment and trains airborne troops, preparing them for a possible operation of Taiwan seizure. President XI Jinping appointed the People's Army of the People's Liberation Army to achieve readiness for such activities until 2027.

Russia has committed to conducting individual courses at Russian bases and collective landing training at training grounds in China. They are to include Landing procedures, fire management and command and control of airborne forces.

The former GROM commander, General Roman Polko, emphasized that Russian paratroopers are not a symbol of great training, equipment or effectiveness. – China fell into this trap of faith into the second army of the world. They bought Russian armament systems, adopted the Russian training model, tactics of conducting operations as those on which it is worth modeling – explained General Polko and added that now the Chinese use the experience of the Russian army, because this, conducting combat activities in Ukraine, has experience from the fighting field. “We learn from Ukrainians the same way,” he added.

As early as in 2023, Russia agreed to provide China, a complete set of weapons and equipment for the airborne battalion, as well as other specialized equipment necessary for infiltration by special forces, along with the full cycle of training of operators and technical staff. China has also received access to technologies, thanks to which they will be able to produce such equipment themselves.

In addition, Russia sold China: 37 light-like BDM-4M landing vehicles, 11 self-propelled anti-tank departments of SpruT-SDM1, 11 armored transporters of the BTR-MDM “Rakuszka” air-handed air landing tank, as well as several observation and checking vehicles “Rubin” and KSHM-E command vehicles. At the same time, this equipment, according to contracts, is to be equipped with Chinese communication and command systems.

“Although areas in which Russia exceeds China in terms of military potential, decrease, Russia has practical experience and abilities in the field of air maneuvers, which are lacking China,” wrote the British Think Tank.

As Grzegorz Kuczyński, a journalist specializing in the subject of Russian services, reminded in an interview with PAP, the author of the books “How Russians kill” and “Wagnerists. Putin's war”, airborne army has long been considered the elite of the Russian armed forces. It is enough to mention the 76th Assault and Division of the Guard, i.e. Pskova Parachute Division, or 98 Guard Airborne Division with the main base in Iwanów.

– This formation dominates over other degrees of training. Anyway, it is not a coincidence that during the war with Ukraine, where the Russians had some problems or wanted to increase pressure on the Ukrainian side, airborne units were thrown into the fight – Kuczyński pointed out and added that this was the case, e.g. during the displacement of Ukrainians from the Kursk region, and earlier, in the summer of 2023, during the offensive in the proximal circuit.

According to the expert, these units are part of the Soviet heritage. During the Soviet Union, it was a very extensive formation, which also participated in open armed conflicts, such as in Afghanistan. Soviet leaders attached great importance and took care of this type of land forces.

– In the armed forces of each country there are individuals that are more than other than others and invests more in, and also selects staff more carefully. In the case of Russia, it was parachutists-Kuczyński pointed out and added that from the time of Afghanistan soldiers in blue-white transverse stripes are a symbol. In a sense, one can talk about the cult of this kind of troops in Russia.

However, according to General, Polish women in Ukraine showed that even Russian parachute units use tactics “for extinction”. – It is a diagnosis of battle with small groups in order to hit the opposite side soldiers with the help of drones and artillery – Roman Polko clarified.

The Soviet Union, and then Russia, used their airborne units-referred to as WDW (Przyguszo-Desantnyje Army)-including During the intervention in Afghanistan in 1979-1989 and both Chechen wars in 1994-2009. In 2008, during the war with Georgia, the Pskova Parachute Division was used to seize sensitive objects in South Ossetia. The Russian airborne forces were also involved in operations during the intervention in Syria in 2015-2020, where they fought, among others in the area of ​​Idlib and Hama. (PAP)

Gru/ BST/ MHR/