Jörgen Elfving
Jörgen Elfving is a former Swedish army officer and an expert in military issues related to the Soviet Union and Russia. Since retiring from the army, he has worked as an author, translator and consultant for various Swedish governmental bodies and other agencies.
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Articles by Jörgen Elfving
Role of Airborne Troops in Russia’s Military Buildup in Crimea
At the end of each winter training cycle, the Russian Armed Forces typically hold extensive readiness checks in the month of April. So unsurprisingly, on April 6, Defense Minister Sergei
Recent Military Exercises in Kaliningrad Oblast—A Miniature Zapad?
A May 3 article in the Russian tabloid Izvestia describes a series of military exercises—or rather, what it claims to have been one extended exercise—in Kaliningrad Oblast that took place
The Impact of COVID-19 on the Russian Armed Forces
Russia has been invaded once again. But this time, the intruder is the novel coronavirus responsible for the global COVID-19 pandemic, which has already resulted in the deaths of 361
Russia’s ‘Black Berets’—From Tactical Landings to an Expeditionary Force
Like all other branches of the Russian Armed Forces, the Naval Infantry, popularly called the “Black Berets,” suffered from the effects of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Starting in
Egyptian Paratroopers on Russian Soil: ‘Defenders of Friendship 2019’
On August 19–29, Russia hosted the multinational exercise Defenders of Friendship 2019, which involved the joint participation of Russian and Egyptian paratroopers as well as Belarusian special forces (Mil.ru, August
Russian Naval Infantry Stretches Its Muscles in the Baltic
On September 14, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported on a landing exercise in Kaliningrad Oblast—Russia’s Baltic exclave, sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania (Mil.ru, September 14). The exercise apparently involved
Russia Flexes Muscles of Airborne Forces
The Russian Airborne Troops (Vozdushno-Desantnye Voyska—VDV) and Military Transport Aviation (Voyenno-Transportnoy Aviatsii—VTA) carried out a comprehensive exercise in the Ryazan area, on July 9–13. Participation by the VTA was unprecedented,
The June Exercise in the Northern Fleet—A Show of Force?
On June 13, the Russian Northern Fleet set sail for an exercise unusual both for its timing and for the numbers of ships and units that participated. The exercise began
The Tanks Are Coming: Russia Introduces Tank Units to Airborne Forces and Naval Infantry
The Airborne Troops (Vozdushno-Desantnye Voyska—VDV) have been much less affected by the military reforms initiated in 2008 than any of the other services in the Russian Armed Forces. Unlike the
Russia Mobilizes Contracted Reservists
As a result of the military reform initiated in 2008, Russia dramatically reduced the number of units in its ground forces from 1,890 to 172 (RIA, December 18, 2008). The
Five Years With Russian Defense Minister Shoigu—Only Successes?
The Russian Ministry of Defense held a staff meeting on November 7, at which the focus was the fulfillment of the presidential decrees on the military from May 2012 as
Russian ICBMs: An Aging but Mixed Arsenal
Undeniably, Russia has fewer deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) today than the Soviet Union fielded during the Cold War (at its peak, in 1985, it had 1,398 such missiles at
Waiting for Zapad 2017
The Russian-Belarusian military exercise Zapad 2017 has gained a lot of attention even before it has started, which is not surprising considering the previous exercises in the “Zapad” series and
Land and Airborne Forces Biggest ‘Winners’ of 2018–2025 Russian Armaments Program
Russian President Vladimir Putin held a series of meetings in Sochi, between May 16 and 19, with representatives from the Armed Forces and the defense industry. These meetings, traditionally held
Russian Amphibious Capabilities—Kontraktniki and Rust Buckets (Part Two)
*To read Part One, please click here. With the new landing ship Ivan Gren expected to be handed over to the Russian Navy later this year, the country is clearly
Russian Amphibious Capabilities—Kontraktniki and Rust Buckets (Part One)
The year 2017 will probably finally see the new landing ship Ivan Gren handed over to the Russian Navy. This vessel was long fraught with delays and mishaps on its
Russian Private Military Companies—Redwater?
Since 2012, there has been a debate in Russia regarding so-called private military companies, PMCs, known in Russia as Chastnye Voennie Companiy (ChVK); and several attempts were made in recent
Gotland: Sweden’s Crown Jewel in the Baltic
The strategically placed Gotland is the largest island in the Baltic Sea, with an area of 3,183.7 square kilometers—that is, slightly smaller than California’s Sacramento county. The island is situated
Is Sleeping Beauty Kaliningrad Oblast About to Wake Up?
In early October, the Estonian media reported that Russia was transporting, by ship, Iskander short-range ballistic missiles from Ust Luga (Leningrad Oblast) to the Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad (ERR, October
Russian Information Warfare—Not Just Hackers and Trolls
“Information warfare,” according to the Russian definition of the term, combines technology (i.e., cyber warfare and electronic warfare) with psychology (“winning hearts and minds”) (Encyclopedia.mil.ru, accessed October 27). When commenting
Novel Developments in Russia’s Latest Snap Exercise
Since 2013, when no-notice “snap” exercises were first introduced, they have become a regular feature in the training of the Russian Armed Forces. These more-or-less comprehensive exercises—regardless of the number
From Syria With Love—Colonel-General Aleksandr Dvornikov Takes Over Russia’s Southern Military District
The operation in Syria is Russia’s first experience of expeditionary warfare—beyond what Moscow calls its “near abroad”—since Soviet forces left Afghanistan in 1989. The ongoing campaign in Syria, along with
The Russian Baltic Sea Fleet—A Nest of Crime?
Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu sacked the commander of the Baltic Sea Fleet (based out of Baltiysk, Kaliningrad oblast), Vice Admiral Viktor Kravchuk, and his chief of staff, Vice
Russia’s June 2016 Snap Exercise: Same Old Story, but With a New Touch
Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a country-wide snap exercise, on June 14, which lasted until June 22, though some units continued to hold maneuvers the following day (Mil.ru, June 14;
Russian Expert Community Introduces New Study on Electronic Warfare
In August 2015, the Russian official news agency TASS quoted United States Army Europe’s (USAREUR) commander, Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, speaking on, among other topics, the growing robustness of Russian