Rear Services

On September 24, 2022, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev was appointed to the post of Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation responsible for the logistics of the Armed Forces. Mizintsev was the head of the Russian National Defence Control Centre and the chief of the Russian military's interdepartmental coordination headquarters for humanitarian response. Kiev uses torture and violence against Russian military personnel akin to punishers during the Great Patriotic Wbr, but the UN, OSCE and the ICRC do not notice this, Russian Defense Ministry's National Defense Control Center head Mikhail Mizintsev said 06 April 2022. President Putin sacked his deputy defence minister, who was dubbed ‘The Butcher of Mariupol’ for the atrocities he oversaw as Colonel General in the port city in 2022. Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev, 60, who allegedly ordered the strike on a Mariupol theatre that killed 300 in March last year, was relieved of duties 28 April 2023.

Putin had developed a habit of routinely purging the top rungs of his army command, firing his commander of the Eastern Group of Forces, Colonel General Rustam Muradov, earlier in April 2023 and sacking ‘General Armageddon’ Sergey Surovikin from his post as head of special operations in January 2023.

Alexei Kuzmenkov was appointed Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, he will oversee the logistics of the Armed Forces, the Russian Defense Ministry said on 30 April 2023. Kuzmenkov will oversee the rear of the RF Armed Forces. According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, since 2019 Kuzmenkov has served as Deputy Director of the Federal Service of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation - Commander-in-Chief of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation.

Kuzmenkov, according to the ministry, graduated from the Volsk Higher Military School of Logistics in 1992, and until 2019 he served in various positions in the logistic support of the Armed Forces. From 2014 to 2018, he headed the logistics headquarters of the Armed Forces. From 2018 to 2019, he was Deputy Commander of the Southern Military District for Logistics.

The rear of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation is an integral part of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, and represents a number of military units, formations, subdivisions and institutions, the key task of which is the rear and technical support of the armed forces that are part of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (Navy, Air Force, Ground Forces, etc.). The history of the rear was initiated by the decree on the rear support of regular troops, issued by Peter I in 1700. In August 1941, the Armed Forces define the rear as a separate branch of the armed forces, and in July 2000, on the 29th, a presidential decree was signed on the celebration of the Day of Logistics of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. All units and subunits of the Armed Forces of the RF Armed Forces are subordinate to the Chief of Logistics of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

The state of the Rear is the result of the progressive nature of its historical development from disparate rear services at its inception to a single system with centralized control, formed on the basis of new achievements in the theory and practice of logistic support for troops (forces).

At present, the Logistics, as an integral part of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, is a set of forces and means intended for logistic support and (for rear services) technical support of troops in peacetime and wartime. Based on the unique purpose, its structure is built in such a way as to correspond to the structure of the federal executive authorities (FOIV). The material basis of the Logistics is made up of special logistic support troops, formations of military units and subunits of material support, the auxiliary fleet, military communications agencies, aviation logistics units and subunits, as well as organizations of rear services (bases and warehouses, factories, combines, workshops, detachments, trains, laboratories, etc.).

For the management of the rear, a control system has been created and is functioning, including organs, points and means of control. Its elements are present in every military organism from a battalion (division) to a military district (fleet), type of armed forces and type of troops.

The rear of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation interacts with federal executive authorities (ministries, services, agencies), state and commercial enterprises, daily provides comprehensive logistics support for the troops and fleet forces, creates and maintains the established stocks of materiel. Carries out competitive (auction) purchases of materiel not only for the army and navy, but also for other power structures.

Plan for the construction of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation for 2006-2010. the main directions for improving the army and navy were determined, taking into account which the Logistics of the Armed Forces is developing in parallel.

Logistics of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation - a system of command and control bodies, forces and means intended for the rear and rear services of the technical support of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in peacetime and wartime; is an important component of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, connecting them with the economic complex of the country and largely determining the combat readiness and combat capability of all types and branches of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

Organizationally, the forces and means of the rear are part of the fronts (fleets), military districts, associations, formations and military units of the branches and branches of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, and are also directly subordinate to the central bodies of military control. Logistics of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation is subdivided according to the scale and nature of the tasks performed into strategic rear, operational rear and military rear; by affiliation - to the rear of the Center, front-line, district, naval, army, corps, rear of flotillas, squadrons, naval bases, divisional (brigade), regimental and battalion (divisions). The front (district, navy, army, divisional, regimental) rear includes rear military units,

The management of the forces and means of the rear in the central link is carried out through the headquarters of the Logistics of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, as well as the central content management bodies and services of the RF Ministry of Defense: the Central Directorate of Rocket Fuel and Fuel, the Central Food Directorate, the Central Clothing Directorate, the Central Directorate of Military Communications, the Central Road Directorate, Main Department of Trade, Main Military Medical Department, Veterinary and Sanitary Service, Fire and Rescue Service and Local Defense. General management of the Logistics of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation is carried out by the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation through the Chief of Logistics of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation - Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, commanders-in-chief of the Armed Forces,

Logistics support is organized and carried out in all types of daily and combat activities in order to maintain troops and forces in constant readiness to perform tasks as intended. The management of general types of support is entrusted to the central bodies of military control, subordinate to a Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation. The scope of activities of the logistics services of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation includes the following issues:

• providing the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation with weapons and military equipment for the performance of tasks by military personnel in the defense of the Fatherland;
• refueling of military equipment with fuel;
• how a soldier is dressed, shod and fed, how his life is organized;
• what material means (uniform, equipment, household items, etc.) are issued for use by military personnel and in accordance with what standards;
• washing of military personnel, change, washing and repair of linen in stationary and field conditions;
• repair and restoration of automobile and railway access roads for non-public use to the objects of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation;
• organization of transportation of military cargo, as well as the passage of military personnel for personal reasons and official activities, including during the period of draft campaigns;
• reception, storage, accounting and issuance of material resources from warehouses;
• organization of operation and repair of weapons, military equipment and materiel;
• maintaining the good condition of the barracks, buildings, structures located on the territory of military camps, their cleaning, provision of public services;
• ensuring the accuracy and reliability of measurements;
• training of military personnel and junior specialists for their further service in formations, military units and logistics units;
• veterinary and sanitary food control, measures to protect the environment and fire protection at the facilities of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

In 1989 a deputy minister of defense served as chief of Rear Services for the Soviet armed forces. The Rear Services supplied the armed forces with ammunition, fuel, spare parts, food, clothing, and other matériel. In 1989 the chief of the Rear Services had nine main and central directorates and four supporting services under his command. The deputy commanders in chief for rear services of the armed services, the deputy commanders for rear services of territorial commands, and nearly 1.5 million soldiers reported to him. Special Troops, sometimes called the Rear Services, include Railroad Troops, Road Troops, Pipeline Troops, Automotive Troops and Construction and Billeting Troops. The pipeline troops were part of the Rear Services, whose mission were to construct and maintain the Soviet Union's military transport infrastructure.

The Central Military Transportation Administration was the primary traffic management organization for the armed forces, coordinating and planning supply movements by all means of transport. The Central Food Supply Administration both procured food from civilian agricultural enterprises and operated a military state farm system to supply troops, particularly those serving in remote areas. Similarly, the Central Clothing Supply Administration had its own clothing factories to manufacture uniforms and specialized gear. The main and central directorates operated post exchange, health care, and recreational facilities for military personnel. The Rear Services also provided financial reports on armed forces activities to party and government organs.

The chief of the Rear Services commanded the Railroad Troops, Road Troops, Pipeline Troops, and Automotive Troops. The mission of these supporting service was to construct and maintain the Soviet Union's military transport infrastructure. The Automotive Troops, for example, provided the drivers and mechanics needed to maintain and drive cargo trucks loaded with supplies from railheads to operational units in the field. After the initial airlift of Soviet forces and equipment into Afghanistan in December 1979, these troops built permanent rail lines, roads, and pipelines between the Soviet Union and Afghanistan to resupply the Soviet forces in that country.

Formerly divided among independent maintenance, medical, and motor transport companies, the provision of rear services in Soviet regiments had become the responsibility of unified matériel support units. As in most armies, these matériel support units were subordinate to operational commanders, although they worked with the next highest chief of rear services on technical matters.