The Russian Airborne Forces (VDV) is a separate troops branch of the Russian military, founded in 1930 as a unit of the Soviet Red Army. For many years after World War II, the VDV were the largest airborne forces in the world, but the force was divided and downsized during the 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union, with several of its units merging into the militaries of Ukraine and Belarus. The VDV soldiers of the 21st century became known for their blue berets, mobility, and heavy weapons.