In his inaugural year in office, Putin introduced a new military celebration known as Russian Guards Day, celebrated on September 2. The concept of “Guards units” dates back to the time of Peter the Great, when they were established as the elite of the Russian army. Although the Soviet government initially abandoned this tradition, they reinstated it in 1941, granting the Guards distinction to units that demonstrated exceptional valor or suffered significant losses in combat.

Over time, Guards units reclaimed their status as the elite forces, this time within the Red Army. Following the dissolution of the USSR, Guards units became part of the armies of the newly independent states. Some Guards units were disbanded, while others were restructured but retained their Guards rank. It wasn’t until the 2000s that entirely new Guards units were formed within the Russian army, starting with the establishment of the 22nd Special Forces Brigade (22nd SFB, military unit 11659) in 2001. During Putin’s presidency, certain elite units earned the Guards distinction for their participation in military conflicts. Over time, however, the Guards title gradually lost its exclusive status, eventually turning into a kind of ornamental fetish.

In the lead-up to the full-scale war against Ukraine, nearly all units of the Russian airborne forces and numerous special forces units were adorned with this title. Remarkably, the last time the Guards title was awarded before the war was as far back as 2019, to the 14th and 16th Special Forces Brigades. Prior to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, over 100 Russian army and navy military formations held this title. Then, the war began…

Assignment of the Guards rank in the Russian army

Since March 2022, the official website of the Russian president has regularly published decrees bestowing the Guards distinction upon various military units within the Russian Army.

Throughout 2022, the Guards title was conferred upon 15 military formations. By late August 2023, an additional 35 military units had achieved this distinction. The Guards title was most generously conferred in March 2023, a staggering 10 times in a single month, most frequently to aviation regiments (8) and anti-aircraft missile brigades (6). However, not only combat assault units, but also rather specific ones, such as the 28th Pontoon Bridge Brigade or the 27th Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense Brigade were also awarded the title.

Putin’s guards, war criminals