1st Army Corps - 1st AK - DPR
By the fall of 2019, the reorganization was generally completed, with formations of the 1st AK (military unit 00100) (with a few exceptions, all brigades with odd numbers belong to the 1st AK, with even numbers - to the 2nd AK):
- 1st Motorized Rifle Brigade (military unit 08801, PPD Komsomolskoye);
- 3rd Motorized Rifle Brigade (military unit 08803, PPD Gorlovka, includes the 1st armored personnel carrier, military unit 08822);
- 5th Motorized Rifle Brigade (military unit 08805);
- 100th Motorized Rifle Brigade (military unit 08826, includes the 3rd and 4th armored personnel carriers, military units 08815 and 08823 respectively, PPD Donetsk);
- 9th OShMSPMP (separate assault motorized rifle regiment of the marines) (military unit 08809, PPD Novoazovsk, includes the 6th armored personnel carrier);
- 11th OMSP "Vostok" (military unit 08818, includes the 2nd armored personnel carrier, military unit 08814).
In addition to these linear combined arms units, the 1st AK includes:
- OABr (separate artillery brigade) "Kalmius" (military unit 08802, PPD Snizhne, Donetsk);
- Regiment of Special Forces of Internal Troops (military unit 02707);
- two security regiments (military unit 08833 and the Republican State Security Service, military unit 08830) and a separate commandant's regiment (military unit 08816);
- separate tank battalion "Bulat", or "Diesel" (military unit 08810);
- separate assault battalion "Somalia" (military unit 08828);
- separate reconnaissance battalion "Jaguar", or "Sparta" (military unit 08806);
- separate repair and restoration battalion "Congo" (military unit 08813);
- separate battalion of material support (military unit 08812);
- separate anti-aircraft missile division (military unit 08817);
- separate EW / RER company (military unit 08821);
- separate engineering and sapper company (military unit 08820).
In open sources, the “Slavic Battalion”, “Patriot”, “Vityaz”, “Pyatnashka”, “Beavers”, etc. are quite often mentioned, but today these units either ceased to exist altogether, or have lost their status as separate ones and are part of others as companies divisions.
The total length of the front in the zone of responsibility of the 1st AK is approximately 195 km. The zone of responsibility of the corps does not fully correspond to the line of demarcation within the temporarily occupied territories of the Donetsk region. Thus, the Svetlodarsk Bulge and Debaltseve, which are located in the Donetsk region, are included in the area of ??responsibility of the 7th Motorized Rifle Brigade, which is operationally subordinate to the 2nd Army Corps.
Starting from 2016, all brigades and line regiments have specific areas of responsibility. Rotations of brigades in full strength are not carried out. Separate units, for example, the Somali Special Forces, the SPN VV regiment, the Sparta ORB do not have a specific area of defense and are used situationally, if necessary, strengthen individual areas or rotate, send line brigades for recovery, including after losses, to training grounds and etc.
9th OShMSPMP
The 9th OShMSPMP has a mention of the marines in its name, but it does not have landing equipment, preparation for landing is not carried out. The structure of the regiment almost completely corresponds to the structure of the other brigades of the 1st AK. The headquarters of the regiment is located in Novoazovsk (transferred here in 2017 after a fire strike on the headquarters in the village of Bezymenny).
The 9th Regiment is notable for its extremely low medical discipline even by the standards of the 1st Army Corps (the 9th Regiment and the 7th Brigade hold dubious superiority in disciplinary violations), the low level of training of command personnel, and also the highest level during 2015-2020 the level of losses. The payroll does not exceed 50% of the regular strength, which led to the inclusion of the 6th armored personnel carrier in the regiment for reinforcement. The 6th armored personnel carrier itself was created in 2019, and the quality of its personnel is eloquently evidenced by the fact that when recruiting for the battalion (look for the announcement in open sources), the list of required documents did not include certificates of the absence of HIV, hepatitis and mental health.
In 2019, the 9th regiment lost the tactically important Derzkaya height, thus losing operational control over the Kominternovo-Zaichenko direction. The loss of the Daring was not the regiment's first defeat. Starting from the Shirokinsk operation, the regiment was only losing positions (Shirokino, Lebedinskoye, Vodyanoye, Gnutovo, Pavlopol, significant territories in the gray zone), without showing any success.
The command of the 1st Army Corps considers the regiment's defense area to be strategically important, since the lack of dense urban development, landscape and infrastructure features, and the regiment's low combat capability make it possible for the JFO forces to quickly advance successfully up to the border of Ukraine and the Russian Federation.
The regiment did not have the strength and capabilities to conduct offensive operations even at the tactical level. The absence of large settlements, convenient logistics lead to the fact that the zone of responsibility of the regiment of the Russian Federation is often used for running artillery units, in particular graduates of artillery educational institutions of the Russian Federation.
1st Motorized Rifle Brigade ("Slavyanskaya")
The 1st Motorized Rifle Brigade ("Slavyanskaya") is adjacent to the right with the 9th regiment. The brigade was one of the first in its time to switch to the regular structure of the RF Armed Forces. The headquarters is located in Komsomolskoye. The brigade's defense area is the largest in the 1st AK, which is explained by the geographical features of the territory: 60% of the length of the front is occupied by a natural water barrier, the Kalmius River, which makes active combat operations difficult. From s. Chermalyk to the village Granite there are practically no infantry positions that would be in fire contact. The defense system of the 1st Motorized Rifle Brigade in this area is based on a system of observation posts.
At the same time, there are convenient fords through Kalmius, including in the district with. Granite, for which fierce battles took place in 2015, culminating in the victory of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. However, all possible areas for forcing are known to both sides, and this makes it possible, at the slightest threat, to provide their defense with maneuver groups.
In general, the brigade has an average combat capability, is well equipped with equipment, but the number of HP does not exceed 55% of the regular one. The area north of Granite is controlled by the most combat-ready unit of the brigade - the 1st SME (Razdolnoye village).
5th Motorized Rifle Brigade
In general, the 5th Motorized Rifle Brigade "Oplot" is one of the most curious units of the 1st AK, and its defense area is of the greatest interest. It starts at the village of Komsomolskoye and ends at the village of Olenevka. In the center of the defense area is Dokuchaevsk, with dominating heights on waste heaps, which allows the enemy to control the line with relatively small forces.
The 5th Motorized Rifle Brigade is a reserve brigade of the 1st AK. And at the same time, this is one of the most combat-ready units of the corps, the only one that can conduct independent offensive operations, even at the tactical level. The brigade has an atypical organizational and staffing structure, which includes two whole tank battalions. In fact, if the brigade of the Diesel battalion is included in the operational subordination, the 5th Motorized Rifle Brigade turns into a real tank brigade, in which motorized rifle battalions cover tank units.
If necessary, the brigade can be withdrawn in full strength from the demarcation line and replaced on the front line by Somali, Sparta, explosive regiments, etc., and this withdrawal will not worsen the defense of the controlled area.
In terms of discipline and staffing, this is also one of the best units of the 1st AK. At the same time, the Dokuchaev direction is one of the most dangerous for the JFO forces, since it opens a direct route to Volnovakha and makes it possible to quickly cut the strategically important Donetsk-Mariupol highway and the only railway line to Mariupol.
100th Motorized Rifle Brigade
The 100th brigade "Kupol" occupies the defense area from the village of Olenevka to DonAp and covers Donetsk. Almost the entire line of defense of the brigade is based on urban development and the dominant heights on the heaps. The only exception is the section from Olenevka to Aleksandrovka, but this section is protected by an armored personnel carrier included in the brigade.
The personnel of the 100th Motorized Rifle Brigade are mostly residents of Donetsk. The brigade is distinguished by an acceptable moral and psychological state of the troops and staffing above average. However, the brigade is not capable of offensive operations: holding its positions on the defensive is critical in the event of a counteroffensive.
11th OMSP
The 11th OMSP "Vostok" occupies the defense area from DonAp to the village. Panteleymonovka. The regiment's defense line rests on the Yasinovatsky agglomeration. As of 2020, this direction is secondary, positional battles are being fought here. The regiment is not capable of independent offensive operations.
3rd Motorized Rifle Brigade
The 3rd Motorized Rifle Brigade "Berkut" is located in a critical area from the village of Panteleimonovka to the village of Bayrak and actually provides the defense of Gorlovka from the west and north. Like the 100th Motorized Rifle Brigade, here the defense also relies on urban development, with the exception of the Panteleymonovka area, which is protected by the armored personnel carrier. The city of Yenakiyevo, located in the rear of the brigade, is also in the zone of responsibility of the 3rd Motorized Rifle Brigade.
The brigade has a classic organizational structure and includes three motorized infantry battalions and armored personnel carriers, a tank battalion, a howitzer artillery division (GADn), a howitzer self-propelled artillery division (GSADn), a rocket artillery division (ReADn), etc. The personnel is completed by no more than 60%, although the brigade is provided with 90-100% equipment. Periodically, rotation takes place in the battalions of the brigade: subdivisions of the VV and OShB "Somalia" are temporarily brought to the forefront.
The brigade is not capable of independent offensive operations. To the east of the village of Bueraki, there is territory controlled by the “DPR”, in particular Uglegorsk and Debaltseve, but the 2nd Army Corps is responsible for this area, to which the 7th Motorized Rifle Brigade is given operational subordination.
