209th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment

The 209th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment was a regiment of the Russian Air Force from 1992 to 2001.

The regiment was formed on 21 October 1941 from personnel of the Chelyabinsk School of Gunners and Bombardiers as the 688th Night Light Bomber Aviation Regiment.[1] Less than a month later, just after completing training, the regiment left for the front. In December and January 1942 it fought in the destruction of the Rzhev enemy group, and in the summer in the Battle of Stalingrad. For its actions at Stalingrad, the regiment became the 59th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment on 8 February 1943. On 2 September 1943 received the Order of the Red Banner. Fought in Orel-Kursk operation [Battle of Kursk], battles for liberation of Belarus, and Warsaw offensive [likely Warsaw-Poznan Offensive in Jan 1945, but could also be the Lublin-Brest Offensive in summer 1944]. For actions in liberating Baranovichi it received the Baranovichi honorific 27 June 1944, awarded Order of Suvorov 3rd class for actions in Berlin Offensive 16 April 1945.

From 1949 to 1956 the regiment was the 725th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment, flying from Altes-Lager, Dallgow, Dessau, Brandis, and Finsterwalde in Germany.[2]

In August 1956, relocated to Astrakhan, became part of PVO, and renamed 393rd GvIAP. December 1992 became 209th GvIAP, part of 12th Air Defence Corps, Russian Air Defence Forces. 12th Air Defence Corps became 51st Air Defence Corps in 1998, and soon afterwards became part of the 4th Air and Air Defence Forces Army.

On 1 September 2001 the regiment absorbed the 562nd Fighter Aviation Regiment at Krymsk and became 3rd GvIAP with transfer of battle flag and honorifics of 209th GvIAP and moved to Krymsk.[3] On 24 August 2009 3rd GvIAP and 178th Separate Helicopter-Rescue Detachment became 6972nd Guards Baranovichi Red Banner Order of Suvorov 3rd class Air Base of the 1st category at Krymsk. On 11 November 2013 reformed to 1st Guards Mixed Aviation Division with transfer of the 6972nd's honorifics and flag. Col. Tagir Gadzhiyev was the division commander in 2016.