Russian Military Reform

Ukrainian sources report the arrival of the 153rd Tank regiment to the front lines. This would be a new regiment for the 47th Guard Tank division and the third regiment identified. Other units are the 26th Tank and 272nd Motor Rifle regiments. Several other sources have reported the original 3rd regiment formed was also a Motor Rifle regiment.

From the beginning of January to October 25, 2023, almost 385 thousand people entered service in the Armed Forces (AF) of the Russian Federation, of which 305 thousand were contract soldiers, 80 thousand were volunteers. This was announced by Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev on October 25.

“Every day more than 1,600 people sign a contract with the Armed Forces,” he said during a meeting on the recruitment of the Russian Armed Forces.

Medvedev also noted that the pace of selection for military service has increased significantly.

In addition, the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council indicated that in 2024 it is planned to form one army corps, seven divisions, 19 brigades, 49 regiments, as well as one flotilla. According to him, a set of measures to expand the Russian troops will contribute to the effective protection of the country's independence and security.

Earlier, on October 12, Medvedev announced that more than 325 thousand people had been accepted for contract service in the RF Armed Forces . He added that the indicated number includes those who were in reserve and entered into an agreement, and those who went to serve as volunteers.

Prior to this, on September 29, Deputy Head of the Main Organizational and Mobilization Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Rear Admiral Vladimir Tsimlyansky, said that in order to timely register those wishing to take part in the special operation to protect Donbass, the network of selection points for citizens for contract service has been expanded in Russia .

Special divisions of river assault boats will appear as part of the newly created Marine Corps divisions of the Russian Armed Forces.Now this issue is being studied in the military department, Izvestia’s sources in the Russian Ministry of Defense said. But as an experiment, the first such division has already been formed. The task of the new units will be to fight enemy boats, landing troops, and suppress enemy fire on the banks of rivers, lakes and coastal sea areas. Having received means for operations on rivers, the Marine Corps will become more autonomous during its combat operations - this will significantly increase its combat capabilities, experts believe.

River divisions

The issue of creating special divisions of river assault boats as part of marine divisions is being studied in the Russian Ministry of Defense , sources in the military department told Izvestia. One division, as an experiment, has already been formed and has begun to carry out combat missions in the Northern Military District zone. The new units are designed to conduct combat operations on rivers, lakes, large reservoirs and in coastal sea areas. They are created taking into account the experience of the Northern Military District in Ukraine.

According to the publication’s interlocutors, the final decision will be made based on the results of the combat work of the already formed river division.

The exact organizational structure of the divisions and the types of boats that will go into service with them are not disclosed. But it is expected that the new formations will include assault boats, fire support boats, amphibious transporters, as well as special assault units for operations on land.

Previously, Marine brigades had companies of landing craft , recalled military expert Dmitry Boltenkov.

“Basically, these formations were intended to support landings, rescue teams and assault groups ,” he told Izvestia. “They were armed with floating PTS transporters, high-speed assault boats “Zodiac” and other equipment. Now such units have decided to increase and scale. If a brigade has such a company, then a division will have a division. Such forces will be in demand.

The expert recalled that now a significant part of the line of combat contact runs along the Dnieper.

“Ukrainian forces are trying to conduct various raids, landing saboteurs and landings on our shores,” said Dmitry Boltenkov. “We are stopping these actions for now.” But we will definitely step up and conduct large-scale raid and landing operations ourselves. The Dnieper is a wide and big river, and you can’t take it at once. You need to prepare for this in advance.

Russia, as a great sea and river power, has extensive experience in the use of such forces , military historian Miroslav Morozov told Izvestia.

“During the Great Patriotic War, our river flotillas used different types of boats,” he recalled. — Armored boats were common and could provide fire support. In fact, these were river tanks: depending on the project, they were armed with one or two T-34 tank turrets, machine guns, and rocket launchers. They not only provided fire support, but also transported troops and carried out tactical or operational landings. There were boats with special weapons - for example, armed with mortars or Katyusha launchers. There were minesweeper boats that destroyed mines on the Volga in 1942–43. The enemy mined the river to interrupt military and economic transportation.

After the Great Patriotic War, there were many conflicts in the world, during which armed boats were widely used on rivers.

“ The United States in Vietnam widely used such forces for patrolling in the Mekong Delta and other rivers,” he recalled. — There is more than enough experience in using such forces.

The process of miniaturization is now underway, and the choice of boats for new connections is obvious. A small ship is easier to camouflage and hide from the enemy, the expert noted.

“The new units can use the widest range of boats,” noted Miroslav Morozov. — Having received the means to cross large rivers, the Marine Corps will become more free when conducting its combat operations and will not depend on the engineering equipment of the ground forces. The new units will increase the capabilities of the Russian Marine Corps.

Combat prospects for new units

Now in the Northern Military District zone there are intense battles along the Dnieper. There, our troops are confronting, among other things, the Ukrainian Marines, who are trying to seize bridgeheads on the right bank and on the islands in the river delta.

The last time, as Izvestia wrote, the Ukrainian command tried to concentrate troops to cross the Dnieper on the night of October 29. The main direction of the attack was presumably planned in the Kakhovka area.

On the night of October 29, a combined strike by aerospace forces aircraft and operational-tactical missiles was launched at the AFU concentration areas. After this, preparations for the landing were stopped.

Expeditionary force

In recent years, Marine Corps formations have been noticeably strengthened and their functionality expanded. The formations received reconnaissance and tank battalions.

In the future, the “black berets” will become expeditionary troops capable of acting in the interests of Russia abroad. In particular, to participate in local conflicts, conduct humanitarian operations, evacuate Russian citizens, etc.

The decision to reformat the Marine Corps was made following an analysis of the combat operations of these units in Syria. There, the “black berets” took custody of the Tartus naval base , and also repeatedly participated in combat missions.

American equivalent

In the USA there are formations for operations on rivers - river divisions of the Navy. These units are designed to conduct security operations in riverine and coastal maritime areas.

They report to Naval Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC), which is responsible for supporting operations overseas.

In particular, the American river fighters operating in Iraq became famous throughout the world in 2016. Then the Iranian Navy seized two American river boats after they entered Iranian territorial waters in the Persian Gulf. Photos of detained US Navy sailors kneeling were published in the world's major media.

The United States began providing technical assistance to Ukrainian units long before the start of the SVO. Specifically, in 2021 they donated 10 Willard speedboats and more than 70 Zodiac inflatables. At the same time, two Island-type boats arrived from America. During the Northern Military District, the supply of boats and high-speed landing boats increased.

https://iz-ru.translate.goog/1598168/aleksei-ramm-bogdan-stepovoi/rechnoi-dozor-morskaia-pekhota-poluchit-diviziony-shturmovykh-katerov?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

The four fleets and the Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy returned to the command of the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Admiral Nikolai Evmenov. Izvestia sources reported this on December 1.

“From today, the fleets report directly to the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy,” one of the interlocutors confirmed.

Before this, the Baltic, Black Sea and Pacific fleets, together with the Caspian flotilla, were subordinate to the corresponding military districts, and the Northern Fleet (SF) had the status of a military district and was a joint strategic command (USC).

Moreover, sources reported that the Air Force (VVS), the air defense system of Russia and the ground forces located in the area of ​​​​responsibility of the Northern Fleet in four regions of the north of the country will be transferred to the Leningrad Military District (LMD), which is located at the stage of formation.

According to the decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin dated December 21, 2020, from March 1, 2024, the Northern Fleet will be deprived of the status of an interservice USC. The decision of the head of state also implies the direct subordination of the fleets and the Caspian flotilla to the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy.

https://iz-ru.translate.goog/1614232/2023-12-01/chetyre-flota-i-kaspiiskaia-flotiliia-vernulis-v-podchinenie-glavkomu-vmf?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

From Ukrainian and Western sources (Russian sources are censored in this regard), another 2 Motor Rifle brigades forming out East (89th and 94th) plus an Artillery brigade forming around Kandalaksha for the reformation of the 14th Army Corps into a Combined Arms Army.

NOTE: some bloggers view of the combat units available or about to be. Lots of issues but some data to digest.

The Russian MoD announced Friday that the authorized strength of the Russian military had increased by another 170,000 soldiers. This will allow the Russians to deploy an army on their unengaged right flank of approximately equal size to that currently fighting in Ukraine.

Some background: the Russians went into the war with approximately 360,000 soldiers in their army between the Ground Forces, VDV, Naval Infantry, and Spetznaz, fielding about 180 maneuver battalions. In late 2022 they increased this by 436,000 troops through mobilization of reservists, retention of conscripts, and (eventually) putting LDNR forces on the books. At a ratio of 2000 soldiers to man and adequately support one maneuver battalion, this would give them a post-mobilization army of 796,000 soldiers in 398 maneuver battalions.

Now comes the issue. The Russians probably have about 200 battalions deployed in Ukraine at any given time - obviously not all on the front line, but generally in theater. They deployed 50+ just in Zaporozhe last summer, and the other fronts aren't particularly thinner. This leaves approximately 200 for duties elsewhere, and for obvious reasons not all of these battalions could be committed to a sweeping offensive in northeast Ukraine. Realistically, maybe half of them could roll while maintaining prewar defensive readiness against NATO and other threats elsewhere.

This would leave a right-flank army of some 100 battalions, which is large but only about half the size of the force already engaged. As such in any large-scale Russian offensive under those conditions the right flank army - a force which would be tasked with, among other things, seizing the "mega-city" of Kharkov and penetrating to the Dniper to cause a general collapse of the current Ukrainian line - would be relatively weak. Most of the offensive "punch" would have to come from those forces already committed in theater attacking and breaking the Ukrainian line frontally, and the objectives of the army on the right flank would have to be somewhat circumscribed. Seizing Kharkov, for instance, but not a rapid push to the river or a wide-front advance including Sumy and Chernigov.

The Russians solved this problem by raising more troops. 170,000 more is another 85 maneuver battalions with enablers, which would allow the Russians to deploy a full 200 battalions on their right flank with minimal strategic risk - essentially a second full front opened from Kharkov to Chernigov. Under those conditions the Russians could expect to rout Ukrainian forces east of the Dniper quite rapidly. They could also, quite critically, expect to win even in the event of direct NATO intervention to rescue their client state - NATO cannot realistically challenge a force this size in eastern Ukraine.

* Equipping this force while also replacing losses at the front would somewhat outstrip stated Russian production capacity, suggesting their actual manufacturing and refurbishment operations are larger than have been publicly disclosed and/or that they're willing to deploy "B" and "C"-tier units with outdated equipment such as that shown below.

https://twitter.com/ArmchairW/status/1731547178970267829

So more news about new Russian formations from an Ukrainian source. Some confirmed from Russian sources however all await official confirmations:

1. Formation of strategic and operational reserves of the enemy as of the morning of 12/22/2023

- The 55th Marine Division (d MP) – is formed on the basis of the 336th and 155th separate Marine brigades (obr MP), the latter is partially put into battle in the Mariupol direction
- the 11th and 14th Army corps (AK) - it is planned to reform into a combined arms army (OVA) - preparations are continuing for the start of the practical implementation of the plan, almost all parts and connections of the corps are currently at the front
- The 44th Airborne Assault Division (dshd) is being formed, at the moment only one regiment has been formed from its composition - the 387th MSP TrV, located at the front
– the 46th and 47th Motorized Rifle Divisions (msd) – are being formed on the territory of the occupied peninsula of Crimea, currently only one motorized rifle regiment (msp)
- the 26th separate motorized Rifle Brigade (omsbr) – is being formed on the territory of the occupied peninsula of Crimea, the condition is "at the initial stage".
- The 345th Airborne Assault Regiment (dshp) and the 134th Tank Battalion (tb) of the 104th Airborne Assault Division (dshd) - have been formed, their transfer to the Dnepr guards continues
- the 74th and 75th separate artillery brigades (oabr), which are part of The 18th and 25th Combined Arms Armies (OVA) are under-formed, obviously divisionally deployed in the bands of responsibility of their associations... the process of re-forming "locally" continues...

https://t.me/s/zvizdecmanhustu

occupied peninsula of Crimea

Hole wrote:

occupied peninsula of Crimea

Ukrainian source just trying to avoid an interview with the SBU or their Right Sector henchmen

I know. My eyes are rolling automatically when they read something like that.

The physical training system in the Russian army is changing - the emphasis will be on developing skills for conducting high-intensity combat operations. Most exercises will only be performed in field uniform, with weapons and in full gear. New sets of strength exercises have been developed to develop tactical endurance, and the running load is also increasing. All this is contained in the updated instructions on physical training - the draft document has already begun to be received by the RF Armed Forces, it will be approved by the end of the year, Izvestia sources reported. Experts note that the new technique will help soldiers survive in difficult situations, and will also increase the efficiency of our units.

FULL ARTICLE: https://iz-ru.translate.goog/1620089/aleksei-ramm-bogdan-stepovoi/po-polnoi-programme-v-armii-rf-vnedriaiut-novuiu-sistemu-fizpodgotovki?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

In 2023, the size of the Armed Forces was increased to 1,150,000 military personnel. Thus, all plans for recruiting the Russian army and navy were fully implemented. This was stated by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu during an extended meeting of the board of the defense department.

“All plans for recruiting the army and navy this year have been completed in full. Their number has been increased to 1,150,000 military personnel. “Two combined arms armies, a mixed aviation corps, 50 formations and military units, including four divisions, 18 brigades, 28 regiments, have been formed, fully staffed, and equipped,” Shoigu said.

On December 1, the Russian Ministry of Defense began implementing the president’s instructions to build up the Armed Forces to 1,320,000 people. The formation of the Leningrad and Moscow military districts also continues against the background of Finland’s accession to NATO and the upcoming entry of Sweden. When forming them, the agreement between Washington and Helsinki on the use of Finnish military facilities by the Americans is also taken into account.

Shoigu also said that in 2023, about 490 thousand contract soldiers and volunteers will be recruited for military service. (Putin stated 486,000 in his speech)

https://tvzvezda-ru.translate.goog/news/202312191415-OkyPV.html?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB&_x_tr_pto=nui&_x_tr_hist=true

In regards to the Development of brigades and regiments listed above, a reminder that 1 Military District and 2 Combined Arms Army have been formed which normally are equipped with the following support units.

Military District Troops:
- Control (C3) brigade
- Territorial Communications brigade
- Rocket Artillery brigade (Smerch)
- Air Defense brigade (S300VM)
- Chemical brigade
- Sapper Engineer brigade
- Electronic Warfare brigade
- Repair & Recovery regiment (attached)

Combined Arms Army Troops:
- Control (C3) brigade
- Artillery brigade
- Rocket brigade (Iskander)
- Air Defense brigade (BUK)
- Chemical regiment
- Sapper Engineer regiment
- Material Technical brigade (attached)

The Northern Sea Route will be protected by a mixed Arctic air corps. It was formed as part of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy and has already begun to carry out its tasks. It included two fighter, mixed and helicopter air regiments. The new combat formation will cover not only the important Arctic transport artery, but also the northern islands from enemy air, ground, surface and submarine forces . Experts note that ownership of the Northern Sea Route to Russia is disputed by other countries, so the authorities need to strengthen the northern borders.

Arctic defenders

A mixed aviation corps (MAC) has been formed as part of the Northern Fleet . The new formation was created on the basis of the 45th Air Force and Air Defense Army. One of the main tasks of the SAC is to protect the Northern Sea Route from enemy air, ground, surface and submarine forces , sources in the military department told Izvestia.

The Joint Command of the Northern Fleet included the 45th Air Force and Air Defense Army. Now the decision has been made to transfer the army to the newly formed Leningrad Military District. It was planned that a new air army would be formed “from scratch” within the Leningrad Military District. But, according to Izvestia’s sources, such a decision was abandoned. NOTE: IS THE 45TH THE NEW Leningrad Military District Air Force and Air Defense Army.

The mixed aviation corps of the Northern Fleet included two fighter naval aviation regiments - the 279th and 100th. As well as a mixed aviation regiment - it is armed with An-12 and An-26 transport aircraft and Il-38N anti-submarine aircraft. He also replenished the SAC with a helicopter regiment equipped with search and rescue and anti-submarine Ka-27, transport-attack Ka-29 and Mi-8AMTSh/MTV-5.

In addition to aviation, the corps command has anti-aircraft missile and radio engineering regiments at its disposal.

Aviation equipment of the mixed aviation corps has already begun duty at Russian Arctic military bases. In particular, Su-33 and MiG-29KR fighters of the naval aviation regiments perform missions to cover the Northern Sea Route and other Arctic regions at the Rogachevo airfield on Novaya Zemlya.

At the board of the Russian Ministry of Defense on December 19, the head of the military department, Sergei Shoigu, said that this year the armed forces had formed fully equipped and equipped two combined arms armies, 50 formations and military units, including four divisions, 18 brigades, 28 regiments, and also a mixed aviation corps.

Areas of responsibility were divided between the newly formed Leningrad Military District and the Northern Fleet, military expert Dmitry Boltenkov told Izvestia.

“The Leningrad Military District will be responsible for the defense of the border with Finland and Norway,” he believes. — The Northern Fleet will cover important naval bases, islands, the Northern Sea Route, and our ships in the Barents and other seas. The tasks of the new mixed air corps will be defensive. There will be no peace in our North. In recent years, the activity of ships and spy planes on our northern borders has increased significantly, and no downward trend is visible. On the contrary, it will only grow. NATO countries and a number of others are actually waging an undeclared war against us. If the situation escalates, the Northern Fleet will have to block the access of unfriendly fleets to the waters of the Northern Sea Route. To solve this problem, aviation is needed.

The Aviation Corps will play a vital role in the Arctic latitudes, agrees Honored Test Pilot Hero of Russia Igor Malikov. “ The northern borders were poorly protected at one time,” he noted. — It was believed that there were inaccessible territories and there was no threat to be expected from there. But that's not true. Any bomber from the North Pole area can strike our territory with long-range cruise missiles. This possibility must be excluded . And most importantly, the United States and a number of other countries are now challenging our right to the Northern Sea Route.

The NSR is the shortest sea artery from Europe to Asia. That means a lot of money, he explained. “They attract many,” noted Malikov. “ If we don’t strengthen the Arctic direction today, Americans will be sailing there tomorrow.” But these are our waters, and we must protect them.

Corps in action

Pilots of the mixed aviation corps of the Northern Fleet have already begun conducting exercises. In particular, training flights on Il-38 aircraft over the Barents Sea. In particular, on December 21, these aircraft completed tasks of group search and tracking of mock enemy submarines with the integrated use of radar and hydroacoustic equipment. Flight missions were carried out in polar night conditions.

The main goal of the flights was to increase the coherence of the actions of pilots in groups when performing missions as intended, the press service of the Northern Fleet reported.

On December 24, the Northern Fleet held exercises to organize the security and defense of an airfield of a mixed aviation corps. There, military personnel were shown the features of using quadcopter-type unmanned aerial vehicles and how to combat them.

Prior to this, over the Kola Peninsula and the Barents Sea, pilots of Ka-27 helicopters practiced interaction with the management team during flights at low temperatures.

From December 1, the Russian Ministry of Defense began implementing the president’s instructions to build up the armed forces to 1 million 320 thousand people. The formation of the Leningrad and Moscow military districts also continues against the background of Finland’s accession to NATO and the upcoming entry of Sweden. When forming them, the agreement between Washington and Helsinki on the use of Finnish military facilities, in particular air bases, by the Americans is also taken into account.

Izvestia has already written that the Russian Ministry of Defense has decided to create and deploy new military transport aviation regiments in the main strategic directions - western, northern and southern. And in the Far East, the first of them has already been created. The regiments will be equipped with Il-76, An-26 transport aircraft and, possibly, Mi-26 helicopters. The new units will make it possible to more quickly transfer forces and assets to threatened areas - this is necessary in a difficult military-political situation.

https://iz-ru.translate.goog/1625671/bogdan-stepovoi-aleksei-ramm/ledianoi-priem-sevmorput-prikryl-smeshannyi-aviakorpus?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

Americans will be sailing there tomorrow.

How? With the help of russian icebreakers?

Again Ukrainian sources but they have been pretty accurate in identifying the new units being formed so far:

Moscow District;

- new battle management (command) brigade - 42nd
- new territorial communications brigade - 119th
- new artillery division - 34th. Will include 273rd and 303rd artillery brigades

Leningrad District;

- new Army Corps - 44th
- new Motor Rifle Divisions - 68th, 69th and 72nd (motor rifle, tank and artillery regiments being formed)

Central District;

-new Motor Rifle Division - 27th (will include 433rd motor rifle regiment)

Also reported new separate special purpose radio engineering regiments (ortp OSP or Elint in Western terminology) being formed for the 6th, 2nd and 49th Combined Arms Armies (previously had only a battalion attached). Only the 58th and 5th Armies had regiments previously.

NOTE: a lot of the numbers posted to be expected as old Red Army unit numbers just being reactivated. Expect all the divisions are part of those 7 Motor Rifle brigades mentioned as being up-sized to Divisional strength.

This is what the military-administrative division of the Russian Federation will look like from March 1.
The Leningrad Zone (blue) was created after Sweden and Finland joined NATO.

https://twitter.com/GeromanAT/status/1762176552156987822/photo/1

Nice. I guess Kharkov will be part of the Moscow Military District. 

MOSCOW, February 27/ Radio Sputnik. By the end of 2024, the combat power of the Central Military District will be increased in order to ensure security in the Central Asian strategic direction, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at the board of the defense department.
A total of 18 military units will be reorganized, the minister said.
“Formations and units of the district are equipped with the latest weapons, including Iskander-M missile systems and Tornado-G multiple launch rocket systems. <...> The troops will receive more than 360 units of new and modernized equipment. As a result, the share of modern samples will be 52.8%,” RIA Novosti quotes Shoigu as saying.
The implementation of the planned activities by the end of the year will increase the combat power of the Central Military District and ensure security in the Central Asian strategic direction, the head of the Ministry of Defense concluded.

https://radiosputnik-ru.translate.goog/20240227/shoygu-1929768561.html?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp


MOSCOW, February 27 – RIA Novosti. Reserve battalions will be trained in the Eastern Military District to increase its combat capabilities amid increasing US activity in the region, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday.
“As part of the State Defense Order in 2024, it is planned to supply more than 200 units of modern and modernized equipment, including Tornado-S MLRS, Tor-M2 anti-aircraft missile systems and Typhoon armored combat vehicles. The main efforts will be focused on training of reserve battalions, as well as training of junior specialists and operators of unmanned aerial vehicles,” he said at the board of the Russian Ministry of Defense, speaking about plans to strengthen the Air Defense Forces.

https://ria-ru.translate.goog/20240227/vvo-1929769171.html?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

In that case there will be a Warsaw Military District. 

But jokes aside, I guess after the SMO ended the Odessa Military District will make a comeback, maybe the Kiev one, too.

"They haven't fought like this before." Russia has changed its assault tactics

The Russian military has switched from shock fist tactics to storming in small groups with constant rotation, said Yuri Butusov, editor-in-chief of the propaganda website Censor.

According to him, this allows Moscow to protect people and push through the front line more effectively.

"For example, a brigade is advancing, it is deeply echeloned, in the first echelon there is one battalion, in the second — the second, in the third - the third. And behind this brigade there is another brigade… This deep separation allows you to use fresh assault groups every day for a long time," Butusov said.
InoSMI is the main international.

https://twitter.com/vicktop55/status/1763547810434109873

For those of you who have studied ancient warfare...think Roman century.