January 22 — Air Defense Forces Day: history and traditions, how to congratulate

Every year on January 22, Russia celebrates Air Defense Forces Day, a professional holiday for military personnel who guard the country's air borders around the clock. In 2026, the date falls on Thursday. Read about its history and traditions in the Izvestia article.

Air Defense Forces Day – 2026: the history of the holiday

As a separate professional holiday, Air Defense Forces Day was established in 1996 by order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Air Defense Forces Boris Dukhov. The date was not chosen by chance — on January 22, 1942, an order was issued by the People's Commissariat of Defense of the USSR, according to which the corps, divisions and regiments of fighter aircraft allocated for air defense tasks, as well as 56 airfield maintenance battalions, were transferred to full subordination to the commander of the air defense forces.

During the Great Patriotic War, air defense fighter aircraft played a significant role in protecting strategically important facilities such as industrial centers, transport hubs, and large cities. Soviet fighters operating in the air defense system made more than 170,000 sorties and destroyed about 4,000 enemy aircraft, making a significant contribution to the overall victory.

In the post-war years, the development of the air defense system continued, taking into account the experience of the war and the emergence of new threats. Air defense aircraft remained one of its key elements, responsible for intercepting and destroying enemy aircraft, covering important facilities and areas, and interacting with radio engineering and anti-aircraft missile units.

After the collapse of the USSR, the air defense system and air defense aviation went through several stages of reform. In the early 1990s, the bulk of the forces of the former Soviet air defense forces remained in Russia, while the structure and staffing were significantly reduced. By presidential decree in 1993, a network of key facilities was identified to be covered from the air, a significant part of which was to be protected by fighter aircraft.

In 1998, as part of a major military reform, a fundamental organizational step took place: the air Defense forces and the Air Force were merged into a single type of Armed Forces. Air defense aviation ceased to exist as an independent branch of aviation, and its units became part of the Air Force, while maintaining a mission profile — intercepting air targets, covering important facilities and areas, and participating in the country's unified air defense system.

In 2015, the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) were established on the basis of the Air Force and the Aerospace Defense Forces. From that moment on, fighter aircraft performing the functions of air defense aviation operate as part of the Air Force under a single command, and air defense and missile defense tasks are solved within the framework of a single aerospace contour.

Traditions of celebrating the Day of the Air Defense Forces

On January 22, solemn events are held in military units and formations of air defense aviation. The personnel line up for the festive formations, the command summarizes the results of the year — combat, flight and special training, and also notes the merits of individual military personnel and units. The best specialists are awarded state and departmental awards, commendations are announced, and regular military ranks are awarded.

On this day, official congratulations are being sent from the leadership of the Ministry of Defense, commanders of air defense formations and armies, and veterans of the service. Special thanks are given to fighter pilots, navigators, ground service specialists, engineers and technicians who ensure the serviceability of aviation equipment and the readiness of the airfield infrastructure.

In specialized educational institutions and military universities where pilots, navigators and technical personnel for air defense aviation are trained, thematic classes, "lessons of courage", meetings of cadets with veterans, lectures on the history of combat work of air defense aviation during the war and later are held.

Various commemorative events are also held in various cities of Russia on this day. For many military personnel, January 22 is an occasion not only to accept congratulations, but also to remember once again those who stood at the origins of air defense aviation and did not return from combat missions.

Happy Air Defense Forces Day — the best greetings

On the Day of the Air Defense Forces, congratulations are addressed to fighter pilots and navigators on combat duty, engineers, technicians and ground service specialists responsible for the readiness of aviation equipment and airfields, control officers, dispatchers and other military personnel providing combat work for air defense aviation, veterans and former servicemen who participated in combat operations and served service in different years, teachers and cadets of specialized educational institutions. Izvestia has prepared several examples of how this can be done.

"Congratulations on the Day of the Air Defense Forces! We wish the skies over the country to be calm and predictable, every shift on combat duty to be regular, and the training sessions to be satisfying as the skills and teamwork of the crew grow!"

"Dear pilots and air defense aviation specialists, you are the first to encounter a danger in the sky that most people do not even think about, and you do not allow other people's planes and missiles to approach our cities. We wish you precise operation of the equipment, reliable communication, confidence in every maneuver and soft landings after any departure. Happy holidays!"

"Congratulations on your professional holiday, defenders of the Russian sky! Let your radar always detect a threat in time, and the professionalism and teamwork of the crews turn any difficult situation into another example of accurate and competent work. We wish that the gratitude of the country for your work is felt not only on January 22, but also every day!"

"Congratulations on the Day of the Air Defense Forces! Let three important conditions coincide in your service: accurate orders, timely information, and reliable comrades nearby. Then, in any situation, even the most difficult one, the sky will be a workspace for you, not a risk zone."

"We sincerely congratulate you on the Day of the Air Defense Forces! May each new year of service bring you professional growth, new titles, well—deserved awards and, most importantly, the understanding that you are doing a job without which the security of the country is impossible."

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the traditions of celebrating the Day of the Russian Engineering Troops.