The Ivanovo-based 217th Parachute Regiment of VDV’s 98th Airborne Division is reportedly taking delivery of the eleventh battalion set of new armor today, according to local media.
Interfaks-AVN reports the 98th VDD will get 31 BMD-4M Sadovnitsa and six BTR-MDM Rakushka (shown above).
Introduction of the new armored vehicles looks like this (click image):
At the current pace, VDV seems likely to get one or two more battalion sets before the end of 2021.
Usually less than 40 armored vehicles (mostly BMD-4M), these eleven battalion sets represent about 400 new pieces of equipment so far.
Deliveries aren’t likely to end soon. A fully new armor inventory for the VDV probably means a total of 1,200 new vehicles. So maybe another 20 battalion sets with 800 vehicles. But the exact endpoint for new airborne armor procurement hasn’t been publicized.
The BMD-4M and BTR-MDM are big development and production undertakings that started before 2010 and haven’t proceeded quickly or smoothly, all Shoygu’s braggadocio about RF MOD rearmament notwithstanding.
Russian Defense Policy 