The brigade was formed as the 11th Separate Airborne Brigade on 1 August 1968 in
Mogocha. Along with the
13th Separate Airborne Brigade, it was the first of many Soviet air assault brigades formed in the Cold War. It was formed from the 1st Battalion of the 113th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment of the
38th Guards Motor Rifle Division, which was renamed the 617th Separate Airborne Assault Battalion. The 696th Helicopter Regiment, 656th Separate Communications Company and the 49th Separate Airfield Technical Support company combined to form the 211th Aviation Group. The 618th and 619th Separate Airborne Assault battalions were formed from two battalions of the
52nd Motorized Rifle Division in
Nizhneudinsk. The 284th Independent Artillery Battalion was formed in
Mogocha during the same month. The 617th, 618th and 619th Separate Airborne Assault Battalions (OVSHB) became air assault battalions (ODSHB) in April 1969. In July 1971, it was renamed the 11th Landing-Assault Brigade (air assault; ODShBr). On 8 December 1987, the brigade was awarded the
Ministry of Defence pennant "for courage and valor" for its performance during exercises in the
Arctic. By a directive of the Soviet defense ministry, the brigade became the 11th Separate Airborne Brigade and its battalions were renumbered as the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Line Paratroop Battalions (PDB) in 1988. In May 1993, the brigade was relocated to
Ulan-Ude. The brigade formed the 226th Separate Squadron Military Transport Aviation in December 1994. The 80th Independent Tank Battalion was added to the brigade and the 1st and 2nd Line Paratroop Battalions became the 498th and 499th Separate Airborne Battalions equipped with
BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles in July 1995. The 712th Guards Howitzer Artillery Battalion also became part of the brigade during this period. In February 1996, the 500th Separate Airborne Battalion was formed from the 3rd Line Paratroop Battalion. The 226th Separate Squadron Military Transport Aviation was disbanded in December, and the 80th Independent Tank Battalion in August 1997. On 1 May 1998, the brigade was again renamed the 11th Air Assault Brigade. On 25 March 2015, the brigade was assigned the title 'Guards'. In January 2022, elements of the brigade were reportedly deployed to
Belarus in the context of the
prelude to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The brigade was then employed in the
invasion. A successful air assault by the brigade seized the
Kakhovka Dam and bridge on the
Dnieper. On March 7, 2022, the Ukrainian military claimed to have killed Lt. Col. Denis Glebov, deputy commander of the brigade. On October 26, 2023, the brigade was awarded the
Order of Suvorov. On September 18, 2024, the unit was awarded the
Order of Zhukov. In March 2025, members of the brigade took part in a raid into
Ukrainian-occupied territory in
Kursk Oblast by traveling through a 15-kilometer gas pipeline and emerging behind Ukrainian lines. This is operation has been credited by the general
Apti Alaudinov for having role in the rapid fall of Ukrainian defenses around
Sudzha. == Structure ==