Сухопутные силы России
Sukhoputnyye sily Rossii
Russian Ground Forces

Command Ministry of Defence Marshall General of the Army Regional Administration Moscow Military District Leningrad Military District North Caucasus Military District Volga-Urals Military District Siberian Military District Far East Military District Specialized Commands Missile and Artillery Command Spetnatz GRU Equipment List of equipment Personnel Ranks and Insignia History and Traditions Hero of the Soviet Union Order of Lenin Dedovshchina Awards, Decorations and Badges Orders, decorations, and medals Hero of the Russian Federation Order of St. Andrew

The Russian Ground Forces (Russian: Сухопутные силы России, tr.: Sukhoputnyye Sily Rossii) are the land forces of the Russian Federation, formed from parts of the collapsing Soviet Army in 1992. While the Russian Ground Forces in their present form are only fifteen years old, Russian officials trace their antecedents' history through the Imperial Russian era back to the time of Kievan Rus.^[1] Since 1992 the Ground Forces have had to withdraw many thousands of troops from former Soviet garrisons abroad, while being extensively committed to the Chechen wars, and peacekeeping and other operations in the Soviet successor states (what is known in Russia as the "near abroad"). Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Defense Ministry of the Russian Federation exercises operational leadership of the armed forces of Russia. ... Marshal of the Russian Federation (Russian: ) is the highest military rank of Russia, created in 1991 following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. ... General of the Army (Russian: генерал армии, general armii) is the second high military rank high in the Russian Federation, inferior only to a Marshal. ... The Moscow Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. ... The Leningrad Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. ... The North Caucasus Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. ... Volga-Ural Military District headquarters The Volga-Ural Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, formed on 1 September 2001 by the amalgamation of the Volga Military District and the Ural Military District. ... The Siberian Military District is a Military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. ... The Far Eastern Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, which traces its history originally to the East Siberian Military District originally formed in 1918, during the Russian Civil War. ... Russian GRAU major Emblem The Main Agency of Missiles and Artillery of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union (GRAU) (Russian: ) is a department of the Russian (ex Soviet) Ministry of Defense. ... Russian special forces training For the Swedish EBM band, see Spetsnaz (band). ... This is a list of equipment of the Russian Ground Forces currently in service. ... Emblem of Armed forces of the Russian Federation Emblem of the Land forces of the Russian Federation The independent Russia inherited the ranks of the Soviet Union, although the insignia and uniform was altered a little. ... Hero of the Soviet Union (Russian: Герой Советского Союза, Geroy Sovyetskovo Soyuza) was the highest honorary title and the superior degree of distinction of the Soviet Union. ... The Order of Lenin (Russian: Орден Ленина, Orden Lenina), named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was the highest national order of the Soviet Union. ... Dedovshchina (Russian: ) is the name given to the informal system of subjugation of new junior recruits for the Russian armed forces, MVD, and border guards to soldiers of the last year of service. ... The award system of the Russian Federation has two distinct and complementary origins. ... Obverse of the Gold Star medal Hero of the Russian Federation (Russian: ) is the highest honorary title that can be bestowed on a citizen by the Russian Federation. ... Collar and Breast Star of the Order of St. ... The romanization of the Russian alphabet is the process of transliterating the Russian language from the Cyrillic alphabet and into the Latin alphabet, such as the English alphabet and other Latin alphabets in particular (and sometimes non-Latin alphabets). ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... This article is about the armed forces of the Soviet Union. ... The Military history of Imperial Russia is that of the Russian Empire from its creation in 1721 by Peter the Great, until the Russian Revolution of 1917, which led to the establishment of the Soviet Union // Peter the Great and the Russian Empire Peter the Great Peter I, a child... Kievan Rus′ (Ки́евская Ру́сь, Kievskaya Rus in Russian; Київська Русь, Kyivs’ka Rus’ in Ukrainian) was the early, mostly East Slavic¹ state dominated by the... Post-Soviet states in alphabetical order: 1. ... This article covers the foreign relations of Russia since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. ...

Currently, the military is in the middle of a major equipment upgrade, with the government in the process of spending about $200 billion (what equals to about $400 billion in PPP dollars) on development and production of military equipment, under the State Armaments Programme 2007-2015.^[2] With this significant influx of funding, (former) defence minister Sergei Ivanov stated that he wanted to exceed the Soviet army in "combat readiness".^[3] A British CSRC report in May 2007, while noting the increase in funding, compares the speed of change in the Armed Forces to Royal Navy reforms in the early 19th Century, and predicts no new rise in combat readiness for years.^[4] The report notes that pay and conditions for Russian servicemen has significantly improved, especially for contract servicemen. The report also suggests that while the move to one year conscript service will disrupt dedovschina, it is unlikely that bullying will disappear altogether without significant societal change.^[5] Other assessments from the same source point out that the Russian Armed Forces face major disruption in 2008 as demographic change hinders plans to reduce the term of conscription from two years to one.^[6] Sergei Ivanov at a press conference following the meeting of the NATO-Russia Council, Colorado Springs - 9 October 2003 June 6, 2002 Sergei Borisovich Ivanov (Серге́й Бори́сович Ивано́в in Russian) (born January 31, 1953, Leningrad) is a first deputy prime minister of Russia and former minister of defense (March 2001-February 2007). ... CSRC can stand for: Computer Security Resource Center, a NIST division Conflict Studies Research Centre, a college of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom China Securities Regulatory Commission Continuous Speech Recognition Consortium, Japan — one of the developers of Julius Speech Recognition Engine Category: ... This article is about the navy of the United Kingdom. ... Dedovshchina (Russian: ) is the name given to the informal system of subjugation of new junior recruits for the Russian armed services, MVD, and border guards to soldiers of the last year of service. ...

Mission

The primary responsibilities of the Ground Forces are the protection of the state border, combat on land, the security of occupied territories, and the defeat of enemy troops. The Ground Forces must be able to achieve these goals both in nuclear war and non-nuclear war, especially without the use of weapons of mass destruction. Furthermore, they must be capable of protecting the national interests of Russia within the framework of its international obligations. For the Xzibit album, see Weapons of Mass Destruction (album). ...

The Main Command of the Ground Forces is officially tasked with the following objectives:^[7]

• The training of troops for combat, on the basis of tasks determined by the Armed Forces' General Staff.
• The improvement of troops' structure and composition, and the optimization of their numbers, including for special troops.
• The development of military theory and practice.
• The development and introduction of training field manuals, manuals, and methodology.
• The improvement of operational and combat training of the Ground Forces.

“Fights” redirects here. ... A General Staff is a group of professional military officers who act in a staff or administrative role under the command of a general officer. ... Russian special forces training For the Swedish EBM band, see Spetsnaz (band). ...

History

Further information: Military history of the Soviet Union

As the Soviet Union dissolved there were some efforts made to keep the Soviet Armed Forces together as a single military for the new Commonwealth of Independent States. The last Minister of Defence of Soviet Union, Marshal Yevgeny Shaposhnikov, was appointed supreme commander of the CIS Armed Forces in December 1991.^[8] Among the numerous treaties signed by varying republics in order to direct the transition period was a temporary agreement on general purpose forces, signed in Minsk on 14 February 1992. However, once it became clear that Ukraine, and potentially the other republics, were determined to undermine the concept of joint general purpose forces, and to form their own armed forces, the new Russian government made its move.^[9] Joseph Stalin and Kliment Voroshilov depicted saluting a military parade in Red Square above the message Long Live the Worker-Peasant Red Army— a Dependable Sentinel of the Soviet Borders! The military history of the Soviet Union began in the days following the 1917 October Revolution that brought the Bolsheviks...  Member state  Associate member Headquarters Minsk, Belarus Working language Russian Type Commonwealth Membership 11 member states 1 associate member Leaders  -  Executive Secretary Viktor Yanukovych Establishment December 21, 1991 Website http://cis. ... // Peoples Commissariat of Military and Sea Affairs of the USSR Peoples Commissars: Vasily Blyukher 1921 – 1922 Leon Trotsky 28 August 1923 – 26 January 1925 Mikhail Frunze 26 January – 31 October 1925 Kliment Voroshilov 6 November 1925 – 20 June 1934 Peoples Commissariat of Defence of the USSR People... Yevgeny Ivanovich Shaposhnikov (Russian: Евгений Иванович Шапошников) (b. ... Location of Minsk, shown within the Minsk Voblast Coordinates: Country Subdivision Belarus Minsk Founded 1067 Government  - Mayor Mikhail Pavlov Area  - City 305. ...

Boris Yeltsin signed a decree on the formation of a Russian Ministry of Defence on 7 May 1992, bringing the Russian Ground Forces into existence along with the other parts of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. At that time the General Staff was in the process of withdrawing tens of thousands of personnel from the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany, the Northern Group of Forces in Poland, the Central Group of Forces in Czechoslovakia, the Southern Group of Forces in Hungary, and from Mongolia. Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin (Russian: ) (February 1, 1931 – April 23, 2007[1]) was the first president of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999. ... is the 127th day of the year (128th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (UTC) (Russian: Transliteration: Vooruzhyónniye síly Rossíyskoy Federátsii) is the military of Russia, established after the break-up of the Soviet Union. ... The Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (1949–1988) (ГСВГ, Группа советских войск в Германии), also known as the Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany (1945–1949) and the Western Group of Forces (1988–1994) were the troops of the Soviet Army in East Germany. ... Review of 6 Soviet Guard Vitebsk-Novohrod Mechanised Division, Northern Group of Forces, in Borne Sulinowo, Poland. ... Soviet officers in Libavá training center, winter 1985 The Central Group of Forces was a Soviet military formation used to control Soviet troops in Western Europe on two occasions: in Austria and Hungary from 1945-55 and troops stationed in Czechoslovakia after the Prague Spring of 1968. ... The Southern Group of Forces was a Soviet Army formation formed twice following the Second World War, most notably around the time of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. ...

Thirty-seven divisions had to be withdrawn from the four groups of forces and the Baltic States, and four military districts totalling fifty-seven divisions were handed over to Belarus and Ukraine.^[10] Some idea of the scale of the withdrawal can be gained from the division list here. For the dissolving Soviet Ground Forces, the withdrawal from the former Warsaw Pact states and the Baltic states was an extremely demanding, expensive, and debilitating process.^[11] As the military districts that remained in Russia after the collapse of the Union were mostly comprised of the mobilisable cadre formations, the Russian Ground Forces were to a large extent created by relocating the formerly full-strength formations from Eastern Europe to those under-resourced districts. However, the facilities in those districts were quite inadequate to house the flood of personnel and equipment returning from abroad, and many units "were unloaded from the rail wagons into empty fields."^[12] V.I. Feskov, K.A. Kalashnikov, V.I. Golikov, The Soviet Army in the Years of the Cold War 1945-91, Tomsk University Publishing House, Tomsk, 2004 Category: ... Not to be confused with the Warsaw Convention, which is an agreement about airlines financial liability and the Treaty of Warsaw (1970) between West Germany and the Peoples Republic of Poland. ...

The need for destruction and transfer of large amounts of weaponry under the Conventional Forces in Europe treaty also necessitated great adjustments. The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (UTC) (Russian: Transliteration: Vooruzhyónniye síly Rossíyskoy Federátsii) is the military of Russia, established after the break-up of the Soviet Union. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Russian Air Force (Russian: Военно-воздушные cилы России, transliteration: Voyenno-vozdushnye sily Rossii) is the air force of Russia. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Russian Navy or VMF (Russian: Военно-Морской Флот (ВМФ) - Voyenno- Morskoy Flot (VMF) or Military Maritime Fleet) is the naval arm of the Russian armed forces. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Strategic Rocket Forces of Russia (Russian: Ракетные войска стратегического назначения (РВСН), transliteration: Raketnye voyska strategicheskogo naznacheniya) are a major division of the Russian armed forces that controls Russias land-based ICBMs. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Russian Airborne minor emblem Russian Airborne major emblem The Russian Airborne Troops or VDV ( from Vozdushno-Desantnye Voyska Russian: Воздушно-десантные войска = ВДВ) is an arm of service of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, on a par with the Strategic Rocket Forces and the Russian Space Forces. ... Russian Marines emblem and slogan Naval Infantry of Russia: Victory follows us! The Russian Marines, perhaps better translated as the Russian Naval Infantry, (Russian: Морская пехота ) are an elite force of the Russian Armed Forces. ... Insignia of Russian Air Force The Russian Air Force or VVS (transliterated from Russian: Военно-воздушные силы (Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily)) is the air force of the Russian Federation, , the official designation of the former Soviet Air Force. ... Russian GRAU major Emblem The Main Agency of Missiles and Artillery of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union (GRAU) (Russian: ) is a department of the Russian (ex Soviet) Ministry of Defense. ... Voyska PVO (Russian: Войска ПВО, or PVO Strany until 1981) was the air defense branch of the Soviet military. ... Emblem of the Russian Air Force The following table presents images of the rank insignia used by the Russian Federation Air Force (VVS). ... Emblem of Armed forces of the Russian Federation Emblem of the Land forces of the Russian Federation The independent Russia inherited the ranks of the Soviet Union, although the insignia and uniform was altered a little. ... Insignia of the Russian Navy. ... The military history of Russia may refer to the following things: Military history of Muscovy Military history of Imperial Russia Military history of the Soviet Union Military history of the Russian Federation This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Modern Russian military ranks trace their roots to Table of Ranks established by Peter the Great. ... The military ranks of the Soviet Union were those introduced after the October Revolution of 1917. ... The original Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) was negotiated and concluded during the last years of the Cold War and established comprehensive limits on key categories of conventional military equipment in Europe (from the Atlantic to the Urals) and mandated the destruction of excess weaponry. ...

Post-Soviet reform plans

A reform plan was published on 21 July 1992 in Krasnaya Zvezda,^[13] the Ministry of Defence newspaper. Later one commentator said it was "hastily" put together by the General Staff "to satisfy the public demand for radical changes."^[14] The General Staff, from that point, become a bastion of conservation, causing a buildup of troubles which later became critical. The reform plan advocated a change from an Army-Division-Regiment structure to a Corps-Brigade arrangement. The new structures were to be more able to cope with a frontless situation and be more capable of independent action at all levels. Cutting out a whole level of command, leaving two rather than three higher echelons between the theatre headquarters and the fighting battalions would produce economies, increase flexibility, and simplify command-and-control arrangements.^[15] The expected total changeover to this new structure actually proved to be rare, patchy, and sometimes reversed. More brigades appeared, but mostly as divisions that had eroded down to their new strengths, and divisions, such as the new 3rd Motor Rifle in the Moscow Military District, were formed on the basis of disbanding tank formations, rather than brigades. Few of the reforms planned in the early 1990s eventuated, for three reasons. Firstly, there was an absence of firm civilian political guidance, with Boris Yeltsin more interested in ensuring the Armed Forces were controllable and loyal, rather than reformed.^[16] Secondly, declining funding did not assist matters, and thirdly, there was no firm consensus within the military about what reforms should be implemented. General Pavel Grachev, first Russian Minister of Defence (1992-96), for all his talk of reform, wished to preserve the old Soviet-style Army, with large numbers of low-strength formations and continued mass conscription. The General Staff and the armed services tried to preserve Soviet era doctrines, deployments, weapons, and missions in the absence of solid new guidance.^[17] A British military expert, Michael Orr, makes a cogent case that the hierarchy had great difficulty fully understanding the changed situation because, as graduates of Soviet military academies, their education had given great operational and staff training, but in political terms had learned an ideology rather than a wide understanding of international affairs. Thus the generals could see only NATO expanding to the east, in contrast to Russian weakness, and could not reorient themselves, let alone the Armed Forces as a whole, to the new challenges they faced.^[18] is the 202nd day of the year (203rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... The Soviet military newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda (Кра́сная звезда́, Red Star) was founded on January 1, 1924. ... The General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation is the central organ of the Armed Forces Administration and the basic organ of operational management of the armed forces. ... The Moscow Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. ... Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin (Russian: ) (February 1, 1931 – April 23, 2007[1]) was the first president of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999. ... Russian Defence Minister Pavel Grachev speaking in the State Duma in 1994. ... There were a number of military academies in the Soviet Union of different specialties. ...

Internal crisis of 1993

The Ground Forces reluctantly became involved in the Russian constitutional crisis of 1993 after then-President Yeltsin had issued an (illegal) decree dissolving the Parliament following its resistance to his consolidation of power and neo-liberal reforms. A group of deputies, including Vice President Alexander Rutskoi, had barricaded themselves inside. While giving public support to the President, the Armed Forces, led by General Grachev, tried to remain neutral, following the wishes of the officer corps.^[19] Yeltsin had to plead for hours to get the military leadership, who were unsure of the rightness of his cause and the reliability of their forces, to commit to the attack on the Parliament. Boris Yeltsin was President of the Russian Federation at the time of the crisis. ... Aleksandr Vladimirovich Rutskoy (ru: Александр Владимирович Руцкой)(born September 16, 1945, Kursk, Russia) was a Soviet military officer and a Russian politician. ...

When the attack was finally mounted, the forces used came from five different divisions around Moscow, and the personnel involved were mostly officers and senior non-commissioned officers.^[20] There were also indications that some formations deployed into Moscow only under protest.^[21] However, once Parliament had been stormed, the parliamentary leaders arrested, and temporary censorship imposed, Yeltsin did succeed in retaining power. A non-commissioned officer (sometimes noncommissioned officer), also known as an NCO or noncom, is a non-commissioned member of an armed force who has been given authority by a commissioned officer. ...

Chechen Wars

The Chechen people had never willingly accepted Russian rule, and with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, had declared independence in November 1991 under a former Air Forces officer, General Dzhokar Dudayev.^[22] With the continuation of Chechen "independence" seen as reducing Moscow's authority, a widespread perception of Chechniya becoming a haven for criminals, and the emergence of a hard-line group within the Kremlin advocating war, Yeltsin decided in November 1994 that action should be taken. At a Security Council meeting on November 29, he ordered the Chechens to disarm or else Moscow would restore order. Defense Minister Pavel Grachev assured Yeltsin that he would "take Groznyy with one airborne assault regiment in two hours."^[23] The operation began on 11 December 1994 and by 31 December Russian forces were entering Grozny, the Chechen capital. The 131st Motor Rifle Brigade was ordered to make a swift push for the centre of the city but was then virtually destroyed in Chechen ambushes. After finally seizing Grozny, amid fierce resistance, troops moved on to other Chechen strongholds. When Chechen militants took hostages in the Budyonnovsk hospital hostage crisis in Stavropol Kray in June, 1995, peace looked possible for a time but fighting eventually went on. Dzhokar Dudayev was assassinated in April 1996, and that summer, a Chechen attack retook Groznyy. Alexander Lebed, then Secretary of the Security Council, began talks with the Chechen rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov in August 1996, signed an agreement on 22/23 August, and by the end of the month, fighting ended.^[24] The formal ceasefire was signed in the Dagestani town of Khasavyurt on August 31, 1996, stipulating that a formal agreement on relations between the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria and the Russian federal government need not be signed until late 2001. Dzhokhar Dudaev and his son Dzhokhar Dudaev and his family Dzhokhar Musayevich Dudayev (Chechen Latin: Dzoxar Dudayev; Cyrillic: Джоха́р Муса́евич Дуда́ев, 15 April 1944 – 21 April 1996) was a Soviet Air Force general and a Chechen leader, the first president of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, an unrecognized breakaway state in the North... Russian Defence Minister Pavel Grachev speaking in the State Duma in 1994. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... Aleksandr Ivanovich Lebed (Алексáндр Ивáнович Лéбедь) ( April 20, 1950– April 28, 2002) was a Russian general and politician. ... Aslan Maskhadov Aslan Aliyevich Maskhadov (Russian: Аслан Алиевич Масхадов) (September 21, 1951 – March 8, 2005) was a leader of the separatist movement in the southern Russian republic of Chechnya. ... The Republic of Dagestan IPA: (Russian: ; Avar: , ), older spelling Daghestan, is a federal subject of the Russian Federation (a republic). ... Khasavyurt (Russian: ) is a city in Dagestan, Russia. ... is the 243rd day of the year (244th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ...

The Russian Ground Forces' performance in the First Chechen War has been assessed as ' appallingly bad'.^[25] Writing six years later, Michael Orr said "one of the root causes of the Russian failure in 1994-96 was their inability to raise and deploy a properly-trained military force."^[26] Combatants Russian Federation Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Commanders Pavel Grachev Anatoly Kulikov Konstantin Pulikovsky Anatoliy Romanov Vyacheslav Tikhomirov Gennady Troshev Dzhokhar Dudayev  â€  Aslan Maskhadov Strength (December 11, 1994) Up to 50,000 soldiers and Interior Ministry (MVD) (December 11, 1994) 3,000 to 15,000[1] Casualties Military: At least...

9P140 Uragan rocket launchers in use during the Second Chechen War.

The Second Chechen War began in August 1999 after Chechen militias crossed into Dagestan, followed quickly in early September by a series of four bombings across Russia, which prompted Russian military action against the alleged Chechen culprits. Initially the main Russian technique used was to lay waste an area with artillery and airstrikes before the land forces advances. Improvements were made in the Ground Forces between 1996 and 1999, and when the Second Chechen War started, instead of hastily-assembled "composite regiments" whose members had never seen service together, dispatched with little or no training, formations were brought up to strength with some replacements, put through preparatory training, and then dispatched. Combat performance improved accordingly.^[27] However, the war has dragged on for years and is now spreading across the rest of the Russian Caucasus. It has been a very divisive struggle, with at least one senior military officer dismissed for being less that responsive to government commands. General Colonel Gennady Troshev was dismissed in 2002 for refusing a move from command of the North Caucasus Military District to command of the less important Siberian Military District. Image File history File links Katyusha-chechen-war. ... Image File history File links Katyusha-chechen-war. ... The BM-27 began its service with the Soviet army in the late 1970s as its first modern spin and fin stabilized heavy multiple rocket launcher. ... Combatants Russian Federation Pro-Russian Chechens Republic of Ichkeria Caucasian insurgents and foreign fighters Commanders Vladimir Putin Akhmad Kadyrov† Ramzan Kadyrov Aslan Maskhadov† Abdul Halim Sadulayev† Doku Umarov Shamil Basayev† Strength At least 93,000 in Chechnya in 1999. ... Combatants Russian Federation Pro-Russian Chechens Republic of Ichkeria Caucasian insurgents and foreign fighters Commanders Vladimir Putin Akhmad Kadyrov† Ramzan Kadyrov Aslan Maskhadov† Abdul Halim Sadulayev† Doku Umarov Shamil Basayev† Strength At least 93,000 in Chechnya in 1999. ... The Republic of Dagestan IPA: (Russian: ; Avar: , ), older spelling Daghestan, is a federal subject of the Russian Federation (a republic). ... The North Caucasus, also called Ciscaucasus, Forecaucasus, or Front Caucasus (Russian: ), is the northern part of the Caucasus region. ... Gennday Torshev is a general in the Russian military and was a formerly the commander of the North Caucasus Military District, covering the Chechnya region. ... The North Caucasus Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. ...

Reforms under Sergeyev

When Igor Sergeyev arrived as Minister of Defence in 1997, he started to initiate what were seen as real reforms under very difficult conditions.^[28] The number of military educational establishments, virtually unchanged since 1991, was reduced, and the amalgamation of the Siberian and Trans-baikal Military Districts was ordered. A larger number of army divisions were given "constant readiness" status, which was supposed to bring them up to 80 percent manning and 100 percent equipment holdings. Sergeyev announced in August 1998 that there would be six divisions and four brigades on 24 hour alert by the end of that year. However, personnel quality—even in these favored units—continued to be a problem. Lack of fuel for training and a shortage of well-trained junior officers hamper combat effectiveness.^[29] However, concentrating on the interests of his old service, the Strategic Rocket Forces, Sergeyev directing the disbandment of the Ground Forces headquarters itself in December 1997.^[30] The disbandment was a "military nonsense", in Orr's words, "justifiable only in terms of internal politics within the Ministry of Defence".^[31] The Ground Forces' prestige declined as a result, as the HQ disbandment implied in theory at least that the Ground Forces were no longer a branch or service ranking equally with the Air Force and Navy.^[32] Igor Dmitriyevich Sergeyev (Russian: Игорь Дмитриевич Сергеев) (April 20, 1938 — November 10, 2006) was the Defense Minister of the Russian Federation from May 22 of 1997 until March 28 of 2001. ... The Strategic Rocket Forces of Russia (Russian: Ракетные войска стратегического назначения (РВСН), transliteration: Raketnye voyska strategicheskogo naznacheniya) are a major division of the Russian armed forces that controls Russias land-based ICBMs. ...

Reforms under Putin

Under President Vladimir Putin more funds have been committed, the Ground Forces Headquarters was reestablished, and some progress on professionalisation (see Kontraktniki below) has occurred. Plans call for reduction in mandatory service to 18 months in 2007 and to one year by 2008,^[33] but a mixed Ground Force, of both contract soldiers and conscripts, will remain. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (Russian: ) (born October 7, 1952) is the current President of the Russian Federation. ...

Funding increases began in 1999, when after some recovery in the Russian economy and associated income rise (especially from oil), "Russia's officially reported defence spending [rose] in nominal terms at least, for the first time since the formation of the Russian Federation."^[34] The budget rose from 141 billion roubles in 2000 to 219 billion rubles in 2001.^[35] Much of this funding has been spent on personnel—there have been several pay rises, starting with a 20% rise authorised in 2001, and the current professionalisation programme, including the 26,000 extra sergeants noted below, is expected to cost at least 31 billion roubles ($1.1 billion USD).^[36] However, increased funding has been spread across the whole budget, with personnel spending being matched by greater procurement and research and development funding. For other uses, see Sergeant (disambiguation). ... The phrase research and development (also R and D or R&D) has a special commercial significance apart from its conventional coupling of scientific research and technological development. ...

However, Alexander Golts in 2004 said that given the insistence of the hierarchy on trying to force contract soldiers into the old conscript pattern,^[37] there is little hope of a fundamental strengthening of the Ground Forces. He further elaborated that they are expected to remain, to some extent, a military liability and "Russia's most urgent social problem"^[38] for some time to come. The Russian military journalist Alexander Golts, quoted in the introduction, summed up by saying: "All of this means that the Russian armed forces are not ready to defend the country and that, at the same time, they are also dangerous for Russia. Top military personnel demonstrate neither the will nor the ability to effect fundamental changes."^[39]

Personnel

The Ground Forces included an estimated total 395,000 including est. 190,000 conscripts and 35,000 personnel of the Airborne Forces (VDV) in 2006.^[40] This can be compared to an estimated 670,000, with 210,000 conscripts, in 1995-96 (also an IISS estimate). These numbers should be treated with caution, however, due to the difficulty for those outside Russia to make accurate assessments, and confusion even within the General Staff on the numbers of conscripts within the force.^[41] VDV flag. ...

Russian soldiers and a BTR-80 armored personnel carrier in Bosnia-Herzegovina during 1996

The Ground Forces began their existence in 1992 inheriting practically unchanged the Soviet military manpower system, though it was in a state of rapid decay. The Soviet Armed Forces were traditionally manned through conscription, which had been reduced in 1967 from three to two years. This system was administered through the thousands of military commissariats (военный комиссариат, военкомат (voyenkomat)) located throughout the Soviet Union. Between January and May of every year, every young Soviet male citizen was required to report to the local voyenkomat for assessment for military service, following a summons based on lists from every school and employer in the area. The voyenkomat worked to quotas sent out by a department of the General Staff, listing how young men are required by each service and branch of the Armed Forces.^[42] However since the fall of the Soviet Union draft evasion has skyrocketed; officials regularly bemoan the ten or so percent that actually fall within the call-up's net. The new conscripts were then picked up by an officer from their future unit and usually sent by train across the country. On arrival, they would begin the Young Soldiers' course, and become part of the system of senior rule, known as dedovshchina, literally "rule by the grandfathers." There were only a very small number of professional non-commissioned officers (NCOs), as most NCOs were conscripts sent on short courses^[43] to prepare them for section commanders' and platoon sergeants' positions. These conscript NCOs were supplemented by praporshchik warrant officers, positions created in the 1960s to support the increased variety of skills required for modern weapons.^[44] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... BTR-80 is a 8x8 wheeled armoured personnel carrier (APC) designed in the Soviet Union. ... Dedovshchina (Russian: ) is the name given to the informal system of subjugation of new junior recruits for the Russian armed forces, MVD, and border guards to soldiers of the last year of service. ... A non-commissioned officer (sometimes noncommissioned officer), also known as an NCO or noncom, is a non-commissioned member of an armed force who has been given authority by a commissioned officer. ... Praporshchik (Russian: ) was originally a name of a junior officer position in Strelets New Regiments. ...

The Soviet Army's officer-to-soldier ratio was extremely top-heavy, partially in order to compensate for the relatively low education level of the military manpower base and the absence of professional NCOs. Following the Second World War and the great expansion of officer education, officers became the product of four-to-five year higher military colleges.^[45] As in most armies, newly commissioned officers usually become platoon leaders, having to accept responsibility for the soldiers' welfare and training (with the exceptions noted above). Young officers in Soviet Army units were worked round the clock, normally receiving only three holidays a month. Annual vacations were under threat if deficiencies emerged within the unit, and the pressure created enormous stress. Toward the end of the Soviet Union, this led a decline in morale amongst young officers.^[46] Today junior officers do not wish to serve - in 2002 more than half the officers who left the forces did so early.^[47] Their morale is low, among other reasons, because their postings are entirely in the hands of his immediate superiors and the personnel department. Without having to account for their actions, they can choose to promote or not promote him, to send him to Moscow or to some "godforsaken post on the Chinese border."^[48]

There is little available information on the current status of women, who are not conscripted, in the Ground Forces. According to the BBC there were 90,000 women in the Russian Army in 2002, though estimates on numbers of women across the entire Russian armed forces in 2000 ranged from 115,000 to 160,000.^[49] It is quite possible that the BBC reporter became confused between the Army (Ground Forces) and the entire Armed Forces, given their usual title in Russian as "Armiya". Women serve in support roles, most commonly in the fields of nursing, communications, and engineering. Some officers' wives have become contract service personnel. As in other nations, women in the Russian and Soviet military, particularly in combat, has been a controversial issue. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, which is usually known as the BBC, is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the United Kingdom alone and with a budget of more than GB£4 billion. ...

Kontraktniki

From small beginnings in the early 1990s, employment of contract soldiers has grown greatly within the Ground Forces, though many have been of poor quality (wives of officers with no other prospective employment, for example).^[50] In December 2005, Sergei Ivanov proposed that in addition to the numerous enlisted contract soldiers, all sergeants should become professional, which would raise the number of professional soldiers and non-commissioned officers in the Armed Forces overall to approximately 140,000 in 2008. The current programme allows for an extra 26,000 posts for fully professional sergeants.^[51] Sergei Ivanov at a press conference following the meeting of the NATO-Russia Council, Colorado Springs - 9 October 2003 June 6, 2002 Sergei Borisovich Ivanov (Серге́й Бори́сович Ивано́в in Russian) (born January 31, 1953, Leningrad) is a first deputy prime minister of Russia and former minister of defense (March 2001-February 2007). ... This article is about the rank of sergeant. ... A non-commissioned officer (sometimes noncommissioned officer), also known as an NCO or noncom, is a non-commissioned member of an armed force who has been given authority by a commissioned officer. ...

The CIA said in their World Fact Book that thirty per cent of Russian army personnel were contract servicemen at the end of 2005, and that as of May 2006, 178,000 contract servicemen were serving in the Ground Forces and the Navy. Planning calls for volunteer servicemen to compose 70% of armed forces by 2010, with the remaining servicemen consisting of conscripts. At the end of 2005, the Ground Forces had 40 all-volunteer constant readiness units, with another 20 constant readiness units to be formed in 2006.^[52] These CIA figures can be set against IISS data which reports that at the end of 2004, the number of contracts being signed in the Moscow Military District was only 17% of the target figure, in the North Caucasus 45%, and in the Volga-Ural MD 25%.^[53] “CIA” redirects here. ... The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is a British research institute (or think tank) in the area of international affairs. ... The Moscow Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. ... The North Caucasus Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. ... The Volga-Ural Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, formed on 1 September 2001 by the amalgamation of the Volga Military District and the Ural Military District. ...

Whatever the number of contract soldiers, commentators such as Alexander Golts are pessimistic that many more combat ready units will result, as senior officers "see no difference between professional NCOs, ...versus conscripts who have been drilled in training schools for less than six months. Such sergeants will have neither the knowledge nor the experience that can help them win authority [in] the barracks."^[54] Defence Minister Sergey Ivanov underlined the awful in-barracks discipline situation, even after years of attempted professionalisation, when releasing the official injury figures for 2002. 531 men had died on duty as a result of accidents and crimes and 20,000 had been wounded (the numbers apparently not including suicides). According to Ivanov, "the accident rate is not falling."^[55] Two of every seven conscripts will become addicted to drugs and alcohol while serving their terms, and a further one in twenty will suffer homosexual rape, according to 2005 reports.^[56] Part of the reason is the feeling between contract servicemen, conscripts, and officers. Michael Orr: "There is no relationship of mutual respect between leaders and led and it is difficult to see how a professional army can be created without one. ..at the moment [2002] officers often despise contract servicemen even more than conscripts. 'Kontraktniki' serving in Chechnya and other 'hot spots' are often called mercenaries and marauders by senior officers."^[57] Given this situation, it appears that any professional army of a Western type may be a long way off. Furthermore, the human cost of the current situation remains high, with the mistreatment of conscripts being labelled "one of Europe's worst human-rights scandals" by The Economist in 2005.^[58] This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Economist is a weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London, UK. It has been in continuous publication since September 1843. ...

Crime and corruption in the ground forces

The new Russian Ground Forces inherited an increasing crime problem from their Soviet predecessors. As draft resistance grew in the last years of the Soviet Union, the authorities tried to compensate by bring in more men with criminal records and who spoke little or no Russian. Crime rate soared, with the military procurator in Moscow in September 1990 reporting a 40% increase in crime over the previous six months, including a 41% rise in serious bodily injuries.^[59] Disappearances of weapons rose to rampant levels, especially in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus.^[60]

Generals directing the withdrawals from Eastern Europe diverted arms, equipment, and foreign monies intended to build housing in Russia for the withdrawn troops. Several years later, the former commander in Germany, General Matvei Burlakov, and the Defence Minister, Pavel Grachev, were exposed as being involved, and also accused of directing the killing of a reporter, Dmitry Kholodov, who was investigating the scandals.^[61] Russian Defence Minister Pavel Grachev speaking in the State Duma in 1994. ... Dmitry Kholodov Dmitry Kholodov (July 21, 1967 — October 17, 1994) — was a journalist of the Russian newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets, killed as he was investigating alleged corruption among high ranks of the Russian military. ...

A 1995 study by the U.S. Foreign Military Studies Office^[62] went as far as to say that the Armed Forces were "an institution increasingly defined by the high levels of military criminality and corruption embedded within it at every level." The FMSO noted that crime levels had always grown with social turbulence such as the trauma Russia was passing through. He identified four major types among the raft of criminality prevalent within the forces—weapons trafficking and the arms trade; business and commercial ventures; military crime beyond Russia's borders; and contract murder. Disappearances of weapons had begun during the dissolution of the Union, as referred to above, and has continued. Within units, "rations are sold while soldiers grow hungry... [while] fuel, spare parts, and equipment can be bought."^[63] Meanwhile voyemkomats take bribes to arrange avoidance of service, or a more comfortable posting. Beyond the Russian frontier, drugs were smuggled across the Tajik border, supposedly being patrolled by Russian guards, by military aircraft, and a Russian senior officer, a General Major Alexander Perelyakin, had been dismissed from his post with the UN peacekeeping force in Bosnia-Hercegovina, UNPROFOR, following continued complaints of smuggling, profiteering, and corruption. In terms of contract killings, beyond the Kholodov case, there have been widespread rumours that GRU Spetsnaz personnel have been moonlighting as mafiya hitmen.^[64] The Foreign Military Studies Office, or FMSO, is a research and analysis center for the United States Army. ... Motto none Anthem Surudi Milli Capital (and largest city) Dushanbe Official languages Persian (Tajik) Government Unitary state  -  President Emomali Rahmon  -  Prime Minister Oqil Oqilov Independence  -  Declared September 9, 1991   -  Completed December 25, 1991  Area  -  Total 143,100 km² (95th) 55,251 sq mi   -  Water (%) 0. ... Pocket badge of the UNPROFOR The United Nations Protection Force, UNPROFOR, were the primary UN peacekeeping troops in Croatia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav wars. ... Russian special forces training For the Swedish EBM band, see Spetsnaz (band). ...

Reports such as these continue, and indicate that the much of the increased funding allocated to the armed forces is going to waste. Egregious examples have included a constant-readiness motor rifle regiment's tanks run out of fuel on the firing ranges, because petrol is being diverted to local businesses.^[65] On this subject the last word may best be Sergey Ivanov's: visiting 20th Army in April 2002, he said the volume of theft was "simply impermissible".^[66] This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Organisation

Colonel-General Alexey Fyodorvich Maslov

The President of Russia is the Supreme Commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The Main Command (Glavkomat) of the Ground Forces, based in Moscow, directs activities. As noted above, this body was disbanded in 1997 but reformed by President Putin in 2001 by appointing General Colonel Nikolai Kormiltsev as the commander-in-chief of ground forces and also as a deputy minister of defense. Kormiltsev handed over to Colonel General Alexey Maslov in 2004, and in a realignment of responsibilities, the Ground Forces C-in-C lost his position as a deputy minister of defence. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The President of Russia (ru: Президент России is the highest position within the Government of Russia. ... For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ... Commander-in-Chief (in NATO-lingo often C-in-C or CINC pronounced sink) is the commander of all the military forces within a particular region or of all the military forces of a state. ... Colonel General is a senior military rank which is used in some of the world’s militaries. ... Colonel-General Alexey Fyodorvich Maslov (Russian: Алексей Фëдорович Маслов; born September 23, 1953) is the current commander-in-chief of the Russian Ground Forces. ...

The Main Command of the Ground Forces is comprised of the Main Staff of the Ground Troops, and departments for Peacekeeping Forces, Armaments of the Ground Troops, Rear Services of the Ground Troops, Cadres of the Ground Troops (personnel), Indoctrination Work, and Military Education.^[67] There were also a number of directorates which used to be commanded by the Ground Forces C-in-C in his capacity as a deputy defence minister. They included Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Defence Troops of the Armed Forces, Engineer Troops of the Armed Forces, and Troop Air Defence, as well as several others. Their exact command status is now unknown.

Structure

The ground forces organizationally consist of the military districts (Moscow Military District, Leningrad, North Caucasus, Volga-Ural, Siberian and Far Eastern), eight army headquarters,^[68] one army corps headquarters (the 68th in the Far East), tank divisions, motorized rifle divisions, artillery divisions, fortified districts, individual military units, military establishments, enterprises and organizations.^[69] The Moscow Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. ... The Leningrad Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. ... The North Caucasus Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. ... The Volga-Ural Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, formed on 1 September 2001 by the amalgamation of the Volga Military District and the Ural Military District. ... The Siberian Military District is a Military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. ... The Far Eastern Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, which traces its history originally to the East Siberian Military District originally formed in 1918, during the Russian Civil War. ...

Russian Federal Districts, with Moscow (which has contiguous boundaries with the Moscow Military District) hightlighted. Note that the Volga-Ural Military District covers both the Volga and Ural Districts.

The branches of service include motorized rifles, tanks, artillery and rocket forces, troop air defense, special corps (reconnaissance, signals, radioelectronic warfare, engineering, radiation, chemical and biological protection, technical support, automobile and the protection of the rear), military units and logistical establishments.^[70] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

The Motorised Rifle Troops are the most numerous branch of service, that constitutes the nucleus of Ground Forces' battle formations. They are equipped with powerful armament for destruction of ground-based and aerial targets, missile complexes, tanks, artillery and mortars, anti-tank guided missiles, antiaircraft missile systems and installations, and means of reconnaissance and control. It is estimated that there are currently 19 motor rifle divisions, and the Navy now has several motor rifle formations under its command in the Ground and Coastal Defence Forces of the Baltic Fleet and the Northeastern Group of Troops and Forces on the Kamchatka Peninsula and other areas of the extreme north-east. The Russian Navy or VMF (Russian: Военно-Морской Флот (ВМФ) - Voyenno- Morskoy Flot (VMF) or Military Maritime Fleet) is the naval arm of the Russian armed forces. ... Russian Baltic Fleet sleeve ensign The Baltic Fleet (Russian: Балтийский флот, in the Soviet period - The Double Red Banner Baltic Fleet - Дважды Краснознамённый Балтийский флот) is located at the Baltic Sea and headquartered in Kaliningrad, the other major base is at Kronstadt, located in the Gulf of Finland. ... “Kamchatka” redirects here. ...

A Russian soldier at a checkpoint in Kosovo in 2001

The Tank Troops are the main impact force of the Ground Forces and the powerful means of armed struggle, intended for the accomplishment of the most important combat tasks. There are currently three tank divisions in the force: 4th & 10th within the Moscow Military District and 5th Gds "Don" in the Siberian MD. The 2nd Tank Division in the Siberian Military District and the 21st Tank Division in the Far Eastern MD have disbanded in the last three years. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Moscow Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. ... The 2nd Guards Tank Corps (honorific Tatsin) was a Red Army armoured formation that saw service during World War II on the Eastern Front. ...

The Artillery and Rocket Forces provide the Ground Forces' main firepower and the most important operational means in the solution of combat problems by the crushing defeat of groupings of enemy. See Main Agency of Missiles and Artillery. The Ground Forces currently include 5-6 static defence Machine-gun/Artillery divisions and seemingly now one division of field artillery - the 34th Guards in the Moscow MD. The previous 12th in the Siberian MD, and possibly the 15th(?) in the Far Eastern MD seem to have disbanded. The Air Defense Troops (PVO) are one of the basic weapons for the destruction of enemy air forces. They consist of surface-to-air missiles, anti-aircraft artillery and radio-technical units and subdivisions. Main Agency of Missiles and Artillery of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union (Главное ракетно-артиллерийское управление МО РФ, ГРАУ) is a department of Soviet/Russian Ministry of Defense which is subordinated to the Chief of Armament and Munition of the Armed Forces, vice-minister of defense (начальник вооружения ВС РФ - заместитель Министра обороны РФ). In particular, the GRAU is responsible for assignment... The Moscow Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. ... Akash Missile Firing French Air Force Crotale battery Bendix Rim-8 Talos surface to air missile of the US Navy A surface-to-air missile (SAM) is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft. ...

Army Aviation, while intended for the direct support of the Ground Forces, is now under the control of the Air Forces (VVS). The Russian Air Force (Russian: Военно-воздушные cилы России, transliteration: Voyenno-vozdushnye sily Rossii) is the air force of Russia. ...

Dispositions

Sources are Baumgardner, IISS Military Balance, Robinson, and Stukalin & Lukin cited below.^[71] Note that the dispositions for the Siberian and Far Eastern Military Districts are unclear; information changes, and thus broad figures have been indicated only unless there is specific information available.

Russian Baltic Fleet sleeve ensign The Baltic Fleet (Russian: Балтийский флот, in the Soviet period - The Double Red Banner Baltic Fleet - Дважды Краснознамённый Балтийский флот) is located at the Baltic Sea and headquartered in Kaliningrad, the other major base is at Kronstadt, located in the Gulf of Finland. ... Kaliningrad (Russian: ; Lithuanian: Karaliaučius; German  , Polish: Królewiec; briefly Russified as Kyonigsberg), is a seaport and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea. ... The 18th Guards Motor Rifle Division was formed originally as 133rd Rifle Division at Novosibirsk in 1939, redesignated as 18 Guards Rifle Division in 1942 that encompassed 51, 53, 58 Guards Rifle Regimentss and 52 Guards Artillery Regiment. ... The Leningrad Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. ... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and... Kamenka may refer to: Eugene Kamenka, an Australian philosopher, socialist Kamenka, Penza Oblast, a town in Penza Oblast, Russia Kamenka, Arkhangelsk Oblast, an urban-type settlement in Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia Kamenka, Ivanovo Oblast, an urban-type settlement in Ivanovo Oblast, Russia Kamenka, Voronezh Oblast, an urban-type settlement in Voronezh... Petsamo is located at the Barents Sea coast between Russia in the east, Norway in the west and Finland to the south. ... Russian special forces training For the Swedish EBM band, see Spetsnaz (band). ... The Trinity Cathedral (1682-99) is a symbol of Pskovs former might and independence. ... The Moscow Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. ... WWII Eastern Front at the beginning of Operation Barbarossa The Western Front was a Front (military subdivision) of the Soviet Army, one of the Soviet Army Fronts during the Second World War. ... The 2nd Guards Tamanskaya Motor Rifle Division, also known as the Tamanskaya Division, Taman Division and Taman Guards (Cyrillic: гвардейская мотострелковая Таманская дивизия, Guards Motor Rifle Tamanskaya Division), is one of the most famous divisions of the Russian Ground Forces. ... The 4th Guards Kantemirovskaya Tank Division (Cyrillic: гвардейская танковая Кантемировская дивизия, Guards Tank Kantemirovskaya Division), more usually known as the Kantemirovskaya Division or Kantemir Division, is an elite armoured division of the Russian Army. ... The Soviet Armys 3rd Rifle Division was formed 5. ... County Transnistria Status Municipality/Capital Mayor Viktor Kostyrko, since 2003 Area 85 km² Population (2005) 159 163 Geographical coordinates 46°51′ N 29°38′ E Web site http://www. ... The North Caucasus Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. ... Alexandr Baranov not only played an active role in the Russian-American Company, but he was also the first governor of Russian Alaska. ... The kremlin in Rostov Rostov (Russian: Росто́в) is one of the oldest towns in Russia and an important tourist centre of the so called Golden ring. ... 19th century photo depicting Kuban Cossacks obelisk in Krasnodar Krasnodar (Russian: ) is a city in Southern Russia on the Kuban River. ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Flag of Rostov Oblast Rostov Oblast (Russian: , Rostovskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in the Southern Federal District. ... Maykop (Russian: ) is a city in Russia, capital of the Republic of Adygeya. ... The 42 Guards Motor Rifle Division formed originally as the 111 Rifle Division in Vologda in 1940, and became 24 Gds RD in March 1942 [1] Based in the North Caucasus following World War II, it seems to have become 42 Guards MRD in 1957, while at Grozny. ... Photo of Vladikavkaz cathedral mosque in 1912. ... The 19th Motor Rifle Division appears to have been formed originally in 1922 in the Moscow Military District. ... Transcaucasian Front or Transcaucasus Front (Russian: Закавказский Фронт) was a Front (military subdivision) of the Soviet Army during the Second World War. ... The 89th Tamanyan Division (Armenian: ) was a distinguished infantry fighting unit in the Soviet Red Army during the Second World War. ... A general view of Batumi Batumi Batumi (Georgian: , formerly Batum or Batoum) is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast and capital of Adjara, an autonomous republic in southwest Georgia. ... Akhalkalaki (Georgian for New City) is a small Armenian (and old) city in the Georgias southern region of Javakheti. ... Russian 102nd Military Base (Russian: 102-я Российская военная база) is a Russian military base in Gyumri, Armenia, part of the Transcaucasian Group of Forces. ... Gyumri (Armenian: Ô³ÕµÕ¸Ö‚Õ´Ö€Õ«) is the capital and largest city of the Shirak province in northwest Armenia. ... The Volga-Ural Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, formed on 1 September 2001 by the amalgamation of the Volga Military District and the Ural Military District. ... Snow-covered statue of Sverdlov in Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburgs Church on the Blood built on the spot where the Tsar and his family were executed. ... Russian special forces training For the Swedish EBM band, see Spetsnaz (band). ... Samara Oblast (Russian: ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). ... Photograph of snow-covered Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburgs Church on the Blood, built on the spot where the Tsar and his family were murdered. ... Snow-covered statue of Sverdlov in Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburgs Church on the Blood built on the spot where the Tsar and his family were executed. ... Samara (Russian: ) (from 1935 to 1991—Kuybyshev ()) is the sixth-largest city in Russia. ... Totskoye (Russian: ) is a village (selo) in Orenburg Oblast, Russia (Southern Urals). ... The Russian 201st Motor Rifle Division was originally raised as the 201st Rifle Division in World War II to replace the previous 201st which had been reformed as a Guards Division. ... Dushanbe (Душанбе), population 562,000 people (2000 census), is the capital of Tajikistan. ... The Siberian Military District is a Military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. ... Location of Novosibirsk in Russia and the Oblast Coordinates: Oblast Novosibirsk  - Mayor Vladimir Gorodetskiy Area    - City 447. ... Honorifics Leningrad-Павловская краснознаменная Probably activated 1933 in the Ural MD, seems to have been at Chelyabinsk in 1939; seems to have been sent to Belarussian Special Military District, soon to be Western Special Military District, 1940. ... The 5th Guards Tank Corps was originally part of the 6th Guards Tank Army and was transferred as part of 6 GTA to the Transbaikal Military District in preparation for the Soviet offensive against Manchuria in August 1945. ... The 74th Motorized Brigade is a military unit of the Russian Army stationed in Yurga, Russia. ... Coat of arms of Yurga Yurga (Russian: ) is a town in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia. ... Kyakhta or Kiakhta is a Russian city located in Buryatia in southern Siberian Russia. ... Berdsk is a city in the Novosibirsk Oblast in central Russia, on the southwestern Siberian plain. ... Novosibirsk Oblast (Russian: ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). ... The Far Eastern Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, which traces its history originally to the East Siberian Military District originally formed in 1918, during the Russian Civil War. ... Government Country District Krai Russia Far Eastern Federal District Khabarovsk Krai Established 1858 Mayor Alexandr Sokolov Geographical characteristics Area  - City 372 km² Population  - City (2005) 579,000 Coordinates Other Information Postal Code 680xxx Dialing Code +7 4212 Website: www. ... The city of Ussuriysk (Russian: Уссурийск) sits in the middle of a fertile valley at the junction of three rivers in Primorsky Krai, Russia, at 43. ...

Equipment

The IISS estimates that 9,700 T-72s are in the Ground Forces' inventory.

A Russian soldier wearing a new ballistic helmet

A Russian soldier wearing modern body armour and ballistic helmet.

Main article: List of equipment of the Russian Ground Forces

The Ground Forces retain a very large quantity of vehicles and equipment, including the largest number of tanks in the world (see table below).^[72] The rate at which the reequipment is undergoing has drastically increased, compared to early years, rendering older calculations obsolete.^[73][74] A T-72 tank, public domain photo from usmc. ... A T-72 tank, public domain photo from usmc. ... The International Institute for Strategic Studies is a British think tank based in London. ... The T-72 is a Soviet-designed main battle tank that entered production in 1971. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This is a list of equipment of the Russian Ground Forces currently in service. ...

Today, the equipment situation is improving compared to the financial difficulties of the 90's, and the Ground Forces are acquiring new armaments at a much faster rate than before.^[75] The Russian Armed Forces continues to develop state of the art military technologies for the Ground Forces, including a new generation tank, the T-95, and a new generation anti-aircraft and anti-missile system, the S-400 Triumf, for the Russian forces. "Over two dozen battalions are to be equipped with such systems by 2015," Yury Baluyevsky, chief of staff of the Russian Armed Forces, said during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin.^[76] The T-94 or T-95 is a prototype main battle tank, currently in development in the Russian Federation. ... The S-400, 48N6DM The S-400 Triumf (Russian: ; English: ) is a new generation of anti-aircraft/anti-missile weapon system developed by the Almaz Central Design Bureau as an upgrade of the S-300 family. ...

Monday saw the first such battalion come into operation in the Moscow Region, which Baluyevsky said was good news, as the system was based on new solutions and promising technologies. "There are almost no such systems in the world," he added.

Jane's World Armies notes that the Soviet/Russian military tradition has never placed much importance on the survivability of individual soldiers, and thus personal equipment such as flak jackets and helmets has been found too heavy and uncomfortable, though apparently promises to improve the situation have been made.^[77] Some modernization has taken place with the adoption of Kevlar and ballistic helmets (resembling the U.S. PASGT helmet).^{[citation needed]} Janes Information Group (often referred to as Janes) was founded by John F.T. Jane in 1898. ...

Equipment Summary^[78]

The PT-76 is a Soviet amphibious tank which was introduced in early 1950s and soon became the standard reconnaissance tank of the Soviet Army and the other Warsaw Pact armies. ... Akash Missile Firing French Air Force Crotale battery Bendix Rim-8 Talos surface to air missile of the US Navy A surface-to-air missile (SAM) is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft. ...

Ranks and insignia

Main article: Army ranks and insignia of the Russian Federation

The newly reemergent Russia retained most of the ranks of the Soviet Army with some minor changes. The principal difference from the usual Western style is some variation in generals' rank titles, in one case at least, Colonel General, derived from German usage.^{[citation needed]} Most of the rank names were borrowed from existing German/Prussian, French, English, Dutch and Polish ranks upon the formation of Russian regular army in the late 1600s,^{[citation needed]} and have lasted with few changes of title through the Soviet period. Emblem of Armed forces of the Russian Federation Emblem of the Land forces of the Russian Federation The independent Russia inherited the ranks of the Soviet Union, although the insignia and uniform was altered a little. ... This article is about the armed forces of the Soviet Union. ... Colonel General is a senior military rank which is used in some of the world’s militaries. ... For other uses, see Prussia (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... The Regular Army is the permanent force of the United States Army or any Countrys army that is maintained during peacetime, as opposed to those persons who may be part of a reserve or national guard outfit. ... Many inventions and institutions are created, including Hans Lippershey with the telescope (1608, used by Galileo the next year), the newspaper Avisa Relation oder Zeitung in Augsburg, and Cornelius Drebbel with the thermostat (1609). ...

Notes

The International Institute for Strategic Studies is a British think tank based in London. ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ... In 1827, Colonel Henry Leavenworth established a post on the bluffs overlooking the western bank of the Missouri River to protect the fur trade, safeguard commerce on the Santa Fe Trail and maintain the peace among the inhabitants. ... The Soviet military newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda (Кра́сная звезда́, Red Star) was founded on January 1, 1924. ... The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is a British research institute (or think tank) in the area of international affairs. ... The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is a British research institute (or think tank) in the area of international affairs. ... The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is a British research institute (or think tank) in the area of international affairs. ... The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is a British research institute (or think tank) in the area of international affairs. ... Viktor Suvorov (; real name Vladimir Rezun : ) (born April 20, 1947) is a Russian writer and historian. ... Inside The Soviet Army (ISBN 0-241-10889-6; Hamish Hamilton, 1982; also published in the United States, Prentice Hall, ISBN 0-02-615500-1), a book by Viktor Suvorov, describes the general organisation, doctrine, and strategy of the Soviet armed forces (the term “Army” being used to cover not... William Eldridge Odom (born 1932) is a retired U.S. Army officer. ... BBC News is the department within the BBC responsible for the corporations news-gathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online. ... The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is a British research institute (or think tank) in the area of international affairs. ... The Economist is a weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London, UK. It has been in continuous publication since September 1843. ... is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... William Eldridge Odom (born 1932) is a retired U.S. Army officer. ... The Siberian Military District is a Military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. ...

References

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