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Russian Army Order of Battle - Shoigu 2022

Russia announced plans to form 17 new divisions and a new army corps, restoring much of the military's former Soviet glory, as it continued to wage a relentless battle for Ukraine's eastern territories in the 43rd week of its war. Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu unveiled plans on 21 December 2022 to expand the army from 1.15 million to 1.5 million, citing the imminent expansion of NATO to include Finland and Sweden. Within that force, the professional army would almost double to 695,000 - a potential admission that Russia's conscript force has proven ineffective in the offensive.

"The expansion of NATO's forward presence close to the frontiers of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, along with the West's intention to continue military operations in Ukraine in an effort to weaken Russia as much as possible, are of special concern," Shoigu said. Russia conscripted 300,000 troops in September and October 2022 to send to Ukraine, and another 200,000 in its regular conscription cycle last month. Shoigu's announcement suggested that another 350,000 would now be recruited.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a Washington-based think-tank, agreed with the Ukrainian military leadership that Russia could be preparing for a big winter ground offensive “ possibly against Kyiv“ as a way of forcing Ukraine to negotiate on terms more favorable to Moscow.

A number of measures to strengthen the security of the Russian Federation, proposed by the Minister of Defense:

• In "response to NATO's desire to build up military potential near the Russian borders" (Finland and Sweden joining the Alliance), create a grouping of troops in the north-west of Russia;
• Create the Moscow and Leningrad military districts; as well as an army corps in Karelia;
• To form three motorized rifle divisions, including as part of combined arms formations in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. Shoigu said that the authority under his control intends to form 3 new motorized rifle divisions. They are planned to be created in the occupied territories of southern Ukraine. ussia intends to create three motorized rifle divisions in the occupied territories of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Regions of Ukraine.
• Reorganize into motorized rifle divisions the seven motorized rifle brigades in the Western, Central, Eastern military districts and in the Northern Fleet; So 5 out of 17 new divisions are entirely new formations, while the other 12 are out of existing brigades. Also 5 new Artillery divisions are to be formed. A Russian brigade has 3 infantry battalions and a division has 9. There are 10 motorized rifle battalions in a motorized rifle division: nine in three motorized rifle regiments and one in a tank regiment. The motorized rifle division has 6 tank and 10 motorized rifle battalions. So this is 108 new infantry battalions planned to be completed. This puts Russia's infantry forces at around 300 infantry battalions if they collected enough personnel to fill up these units.
• In the Airborne Forces, additionally form two airborne assault divisions; The former commander-in-chief of the airborne troops, General Andrey Serdyukov, spoke about plans to form the 104th airborne Division. The new connection should appear just in 2023. For several years there have been plans to deploy Marine brigades in the division.
• For each combined-arms (tank) army, maintain a mixed aviation division and an army aviation brigade, numbering 80-100 combat helicopters; The idea of forming an aviation division and a brigade of army aviation in each combined-arms army appeared in the late 1980s in the USSR. "This decision appeared as a result of the analysis of the experience of the war in Afghanistan. According to those plans, the army aviation brigades had a very interesting staff. In addition to helicopters, there were also attack aircraft and transport planes with a shortened take—off," historian Dmitry Boltenkov noted. "But it was not possible to implement the plans due to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
• Additionally, to form three directorates of aviation divisions, eight bomber aviation regiments, one fighter aviation regiment, six army aviation brigades;
• To create an artillery reserve in strategic directions, form 5 artillery divisions of military districts and high-capacity artillery brigades;
• In the coastal troops of the Navy, on the basis of existing marine brigades, form five divisions of marines;
• To increase the strength of the Armed Forces to 1.5 million servicemen, including 695,000 contract servicemen;"Now a large percentage of military personnel under contract in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are so—called alternative military personnel who preferred to sign a contract for two years instead of one year of military service," military expert Vladislav Shurygin recalled. "Moreover, it was thanks to the "alternators" that it was possible to seriously increase the share of contract servicemen in the Russian army. Therefore, Sergei Shoigu's new proposals are quite clear. With an increase in the age of conscription from 18 to 21 years, and the maximum — up to 30 years, the military department expects to maximize the share of "alternative workers". Moreover, Sergei Shoigu himself spoke about such plans in his speech."
• Gradually increase the age of conscription for military service from 18 to 21 years, and raise the limit to 30 years.
• To provide the opportunity, at the request of citizens, to enter military service under a contract from the first day of joining the service.

Priority tasks for 2023

• Put on combat duty in the Strategic Missile Forces 22 launchers with intercontinental ballistic missiles "Yars", "Avangard" and "Sarmat";
• Three Tu-160M strategic missile carriers to be included in the aviation strategic nuclear forces;
• To take into the fleet the nuclear submarine of the Borey-A project Imperator Alexander III, as well as four submarines and 12 surface ships;
• To increase the supply of high-precision hypersonic missile systems "Dagger" and "Zirkon", to continue work on other promising models.

Perspective

The current level of development of the Russian Federation does not require the authorities to militarize the country. The authorities will not engage in the militarization of Russia and its economy — the level of development of the country today simply does not require it. This was stated by President Vladimir Putin on December 21, speaking at the final meeting of the board of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. The Head of State stressed that even now he considers the people of Ukraine fraternal, and the events taking place in the neighboring country are tragic. The ongoing special military operation was the result of the policy of third countries, he is sure. According to Vladimir Putin, Russia will continue to improve its armed forces, while modernization will take place "calmly, rhythmically, without any fuss." At the same meeting, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu made a number of proposals to strengthen border security. Among them is an increase in the number of Armed Forces to 1.5 million people, an increase in the military age to 21 years, as well as the creation of the Moscow and Leningrad military districts. Russian experts note that such measures were developed taking into account the realities of their own and are caused by the approach of NATO to Russia's borders.

Russia will continue to improve its armed forces, but at the same time will not allow the militarization of the entire state, Vladimir Putin said during the final expanded meeting of the board of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. "We will not engage in the militarization of the country and the militarization of the economy. First of all, because the level of development achieved today, the structure of the economy and so on do not require it, we simply do not need to do something unnecessary to the detriment of the country, to the detriment of our people and the economy of the social sphere," he said. The President added that the country will improve not only the Armed Forces, but also the entire "military component of the state."

At the same time, Vladimir Putin noted that the fighting during the military operation also identified issues that should be worked out promptly. According to the President, it is necessary to improve communications, automated systems for controlling troops and weapons, counter-battery tactics, targeting, and so on. "It is important to increase the combat capabilities of the Aerospace Forces, including fighters and bombers when they operate in the area of operation of modern air defense systems," the head of state stressed. Another urgent task is to improve unmanned aerial vehicles, including strategic and reconnaissance—strike ones, as well as ways of using them. According to the President, the arsenal of such means should be in all departments, platoons, companies, battalions.

According to military historian Dmitry Boltenkov, these proposals did not come as a surprise. Such ideas appeared in the military department long before the SVO and became a response to the increasing level of confrontation with NATO. " Back in 2014, it became clear that the Western Military District has too large a zone of responsibility. Therefore, the Northern Fleet was first allocated from its composition, and already in 2016-2017, the first plans for the division of the Military District into the Leningrad and Moscow military districts appeared," Dmitry Boltenkov noted. — At that time, the first publications appeared in several departmental publications about the need to form an artillery division in each military district. And since 2017, plans have repeatedly been made about a possible increase in the number of airborne troops.""

The authorities of Kabardino-Balkaria (KBR) will pay 200 thousand rubles at a time to people from the republic who have expressed a desire to serve in the newly formed 40th Army Corps of the RF Armed Forces. This was announced on 17 May 2023 at a press conference by the military commissar of the KBR Dmitry Pakhomov. "This decision was made by the head of the republic - to all [residents of the KBR], who will serve in the newly formed 40th Army Corps, pay 200 thousand rubles at a time from extrabudgetary funds for concluding a contract. To date, we have sent more than 30 people to serve in the 40th Army Corps, they will receive payments this week, it is made after the person is enrolled in the lists of the unit," Pakhomov said.

He recalled that at the conclusion of the first contract, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation pays 195 thousand rubles. Since the beginning of the year, 201 contract servicemen have departed from the KBR to the zone of the NMD. Work on the selection of candidates is carried out both in the republican and in all district military registration and enlistment offices.

Pakhomov explained that a draft campaign is currently underway in the region, as well as throughout the country. "About 1,000 people from the republic will go to serve in the RF Armed Forces this spring, as well as other military formations where military service is provided, which is about the same as a year earlier," Pakhomov explained. In April 2023, more than 100 conscripts were already sent from the KBR; no conscripts will be sent to the combat zone and the territory of new subjects of the Russian Federation.

Pakhomov noted that all citizens subject to conscription for military service will be provided with free food, summer and winter uniforms, travel to the place of service, dry rations for the duration of the journey to the place services. The drafted citizens will be assigned to the airborne troops, navy, ground forces and the National Guard. Schoolchildren who take final exams receive a deferment from conscription until October 1, and when submitting documents on admission to a university or college, a deferral for the duration of their studies.

Pakhomov stressed that those servicemen who are serving on conscription will not participate in a special military operation, as well as be sent for military service on the territory of the newly annexed subjects of Russia. Pakhomov also added that a Russian citizen has the right, on a voluntary basis, to replace conscripted military service with contract service, in which case the minimum contract term will be two years.

Answering questions regarding contract service, Vitaly Dmitriev noted that since April 15 in Nalchik, in a separate building (198 Idarova St.), a selection point for contract military service has been operating. In past years, such a point is located in Vladikavkaz, but for the convenience and streamlining of work, it was decided to organize work in the capital of the KBR.

When concluding a contract, a serviceman receives 195,000 rubles from the Ministry of Defense. If, when concluding a contract, a serviceman chooses to serve in the 40th military army corps located in the Stavropol Territory, where recruitment is underway to participate in a special military operation and service on the territory of four new regions, by decision of the Head of the KBR, such citizens receive an additional 200 thousand rubles. rubles at a time from extrabudgetary sources. According to him, since the beginning of the year, after the signing of the contract, more than 30 people have been sent to the 40th military corps. Contract soldiers are also sent to other parts of the Southern Military District.

The age of citizens serving under the contract is from 18 to 60 years. The most demanded specialties are shooters, driver mechanics, tankers, grenade launchers, etc. In some cases, if a citizen has rare military specialties, for example, a radio operator, or a cryptographer, the commander’s decision can extend the age limit to 65 years. The contract is concluded for a minimum period of one year. The procedure and terms for concluding contracts and issuing service orders have been simplified to three days. To conclude a contract, a citizen needs to undergo career guidance selection, form a personal file, and pass a medical commission. Next, an order is issued and a military position is assigned.

For the period of training and combat coordination, the salary of contractors is from 40 thousand rubles per month, depending on the position and rank, while serving in the zone of a special military operation - from 204 thousand rubles per month. All social guarantees will also be observed.

During the Great Patriotic War, the inhabitants of Kabardino-Balkaria fought on the fronts and in the rear, defended their land from the enemy, survived almost six months of occupation, restored the republic from the invaders, who caused enormous damage to the national economy.In the first days of the war, hundreds of volunteers from Kabardino-Balkaria went to the front. More than 100 natives of the KBASSR took the first battle with the invaders in the Brest Fortress. For all four years of the war, about 70 thousand sons and daughters of the republic were mobilized. More than 40 thousand residents of Kabardino-Balkaria did not return to their homes. Of the eight sons of the Kuvazhukov family from the village of Kamennomostskoye, not one returned from the front.

When it became clear that the enemy could set foot on the land of Kabardino-Balkaria, a partisan movement began to develop in the republic in early August 1942. It was created, according to various sources, from eight to 11 partisan detachments, the total number of which in December 1942 was 500 people. They were connected with the command of the 9th and 37th armies, took part in the battles with the invaders, delivered important information to the army, penetrating behind enemy lines, and fought against spies and saboteurs.

The occupation in Kabardino-Balkaria in different regions of the republic lasted from two to six months - from August 12, 1942 to January 11, 1943. The German-Romanian troops inflicted irreparable damage on the city of Nalchik and all other regions. During the offensive, the Nazis turned Nalchik into ruins, fires blazed in entire neighborhoods.

Speaking about the previously announced strengthening of the grouping of troops on the border with Finland (in Karelia and the Leningrad region) in the context of this country's entry into NATO, Shoigu named the general characteristics of the army corps in Karelia. It will include three motorized rifle divisions as part of the Ground Forces and two airborne assault divisions of the Airborne Forces. The report did not report on the recruitment and structure of the military units of the Leningrad Military District.

In 2022, Deputy Head of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev visited Karelia on the border between Russia and Finland, he instructed Parfenchikov to prepare proposals for the development of the country's border areas, taking into account the expansion of the NATO bloc: when Finland joins the alliance, Karelia will have the longest border with this bloc.

Since 1960, the Directorate of the 6th Combined Arms Army had been located in Petrozavodsk. It was disbanded in 1998. Its formations and military units were reassigned to the headquarters of the Leningrad Military District, which was disbanded in 2010.

At the end of October 2022, the Finnish media learned that the bill on Finland's membership in NATO does not prohibit the creation of alliance bases in the country and the deployment of nuclear weapons on its territory. However, the President of Finland ruled out the possibility of deploying such weapons. He also stated that a nuclear war could not be won and "should never be waged".

In early December 2022, the Military Thought magazine, which is published by the RF Ministry of Defense, reported that ground and coastal troops would be built up first. The grouping of missile and artillery troops, air defense and aviation troops will also increase. During the training of troops, the possibility of delivering strikes with long-range precision weapons at targets in the territories of Finland and Sweden will be taken into account.

During the training of troops, the possibility of delivering strikes with long-range precision weapons at targets in the territories of Finland and Sweden will be taken into account. The authors of the publication note that the entry of Sweden and Finland into the North Atlantic Alliance is the most urgent challenge for Russia. The border between NATO and the Russian Federation will increase by more than a thousand kilometers. The military bloc can deploy armed forces on the territory of its new members, as well as operational-tactical missile systems that will threaten the defense industry facilities in the Arkhangelsk region and the transport infrastructure in the region as a whole.

On 21 December 2022, Sergei Shoigu, at the final board of the military department with the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, made proposals for reforming the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (RF Armed Forces). Among them - raising the draft age of citizens, increasing the number of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the formation of new military units. The President approved the initiative.

In Karelia, they raised the issue of returning army structures to the territory of the republic even before the special military operation (SVO) in Ukraine and were satisfied with the decision of the Ministry of Defense to create an army corps in Karelia. This was announced on 18January 2023, by the head of Karelia Artur Parfenchikov. “We saw the active military cooperation of our neighbors with the United States even before today's events and have already raised the issue of returning army structures to the territory of Karelia,” he wrote in his telegram channel, promising the assistance of the Ministry of Defense in matters of deployment of the army corps.

Parfenchikov noted that there is a basis for this in the republic. According to him, the mothballed infrastructure of the 6th Army "was largely preserved." The head of Karelia also expressed regret that Finland, neighboring with the republic, "did not take advantage of our course towards the complete demilitarization of Karelia." “Apparently, that line of good-neighborly relations, created by Presidents Paasikivi and Kekkonen with the leaders of the USSR, no longer suits our Finnish partners. And most likely, those who stand behind them,” Parfenchikov said in a statement.

It is noted that tension zones have been created along the entire perimeter of the Russian border, and near the republic with Finland it is the longest, 798 kilometers. Representatives of the region have already raised the issue of the return of army structures and are satisfied that such a decision has been made.

Two armies, an army corps, the Azov naval districts, five divisions, 26 brigades and the Moscow and Leningrad military districts will be formed in Russia's armed forces this year, Col. Gen. Yevgeny Burdinsky, the deputy chief of the General Staff of Russia's armed forces, said 02 June 2023. "In 2023, it is necessary to timely carry out the organizational and staffing support of the formation of the combined-arms and air armies, an army corps, the Azov naval district, five divisions and 26 brigades, the creation of the Moscow and Leningrad military districts," Burdinsky said in an article published in the June issue of the Russian Defense Ministry's magazine.

He added that large-scale tasks to build up the composition of the armed forces, increase their strength in 2023, and implement organizational measures in the short term oblige the ministry to organize the staffing, its deployment, comprehensive support, synchronization of activities with the timing of the delivery of major weapons, military and special equipment. Burdinsky said a partial mobilization, held in Russia in the fall of 2022, allowed the Russian armed forces to form over 280 units and subunits and conscript over 300,000 people.

The general said there had not been a mobilization of such a scale since the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. Some mobilization activities were carried out during the preparation of a limited contingent of Soviet troops for deployment to Afghanistan in December 1979, when over 55,000 reservists were conscripted and more than 100 units. He also said that more than 310,000 people were drafted on a rotational basis for 4.5 years, and 88 units were formed to eliminate the consequences of the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986.