Journalists have identified Russian paratroopers involved in the blockade of Oleshky

Journalists have identified units of the Russian Armed Forces and their commanders involved in the blockade of the occupied town of Oleshky. Among them were military units that had previously taken part in the battles for Kyiv.

This was reportedby Slidstvo.Info.

The unit in question is the 217th Guards Ivanivsky Airborne Regiment. Its personnel were stationed in the area of the occupied town of Oleshky on the left bank of the Kherson region and carried out combat missions in the town throughout 2026.

At the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, this unit took part in the battles for Kyiv, and in 2024–2025, it fought near Chasovyi Yar in the Donetsk region. 

Journalists found “Information Bulletins” intended for soldiers of Russia’s 98th Airborne Division, which includes the 331st and 217th Parachute Regiments. It was based on information from these bulletins that investigators were able to identify the occupiers carrying out combat missions for the command in Oleshky and the surrounding area. 

The 217th Guards Parachute Regiment is commanded by 50-year-old ColonelGeorgy Yanchev, who has been in the Russian military since August 1993. According to his 2010 resume, he graduated from the engineering faculty of the Ryazan Higher Command Airborne School, specializing as an “Engineer for the Maintenance of Wheeled and Tracked Vehicles.”

Senior Lieutenant Sergei Aleksashkin was also identified. Under his command, from December 2025 to February 2026, an assault company carried out an offensive in the area of the Antonivsky Bridge across the Dnipro River. 

Most of the Russian military personnel, however, were mentioned in the bulletin for organizing the delivery of ammunition, boats, or provisions to the front lines. 

According to the publication’s sources, the 217th Regiment is currently withdrawing from the Kherson sector and moving toward the Zaporizhzhia sector.
 

Юлія Калабайда