The TV channel “Zvezda”, controlled by the Ministry of Defense, was removed from site and from telegram channel congratulations on Airborne Forces Day from the commander of the troops, Mikhail Teplinsky. In it, he revealed the number of wounded paratroopers (8.5 thousand people) and announced the creation of new formations. The news was saved in Google Web Archivein reposts and reprints of small media, and a deleted message from a telegram channel – in archive TGStat service.
Details. On Airborne Forces Day, August 2, the Zvezda TV channel released a video congratulation from the Airborne Forces commander, Colonel General Mikhail Teplinsky. In it, the military leader said that during the war in Ukraine, more than 5 thousand wounded paratroopers returned to the front after treatment, and over 3.5 thousand wounded refused to leave the front line at all.
▪️Teplinsky did not name the number of irretrievable losses. But based on data on the wounded, OSINT analyst Kirill Mikhailov, in a conversation with the Agency, suggested that the number of dead paratroopers should be several thousand people. Before this, “Mediazona” and “BBC Russian Service” reportedthat by July 30 at least 1,832 paratroopers had died.
▪️In addition, the commander of the Airborne Forces said that during the war they managed to form an artillery brigade near Novorossiysk and send it to the front. And by the end of 2023, he promised to create two more parachute regiments and revive the 104th Guards Airborne Division.
▪️The division that Teplinsky spoke about was created after World War II and was stationed in Azerbaijan until 1993, and then was relocated to Ulyanovsk. She participated in several military campaigns, including in Chechnya. In 2007, the 104th Division was reorganized into a brigade and continues to operate today as the 31st Separate Air Assault Brigade. TASS reported twice about the revival of the division in the spring, including with link former commander of the Airborne Forces, Colonel General Vladimir Shamanov. Shamanov did not specify when this would happen.
▪️After being removed from the resources of the Ministry of Defense, Teplinsky’s video was preserved in other pro-government sources, in particular in the Telegram channel of TV presenter Vladimir Solovyov. Among major media outlets, the news was quoted only by “Moskovsky Komsomolets” and aggregator “Rambler/news”.
Context. The deletion of the message with Teplinsky may indicate that it disclosed information that the Ministry of Defense did not want to make public.
▪️Previously, there had already been complaints against Teplinsky from the military department. In January, pro-Russian military telegram channels, including military correspondents Alexander Sladkov and Yuri Kotenok, reported the resignation of Mikhail Teplinsky from the post of commander of the Airborne Forces. The kitten called him “one of the most popular generals in the troops” and demanded that Vladimir Putin intervene in the situation. TASS citing a high-ranking source in the Ministry of Defense refuted information about resignation. In April, during Putin’s visit to the headquarters of the Dnepr group of troops, Teplinsky was among the officers who met the president.
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⚡️ The legendary 104th Airborne Division will be revived as part of the Airborne Forces by the end of 2023
This was announced by Airborne Forces Commander Mikhail Teplinsky.
“By the end of the year we will form two parachute regiments and revive the famous 104th division. So Airy…
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