Author: David Batashvili
Russian Military Transformation Tracker has been reporting structural changes in the Russian military since August 2018. You can see all issues of the Tracker at this page. For a comprehensive geographic view of the Russian military structure see our Interactive Map of the Russian Military Forces.
The information below does not include the numerous Russian units, usually created with mobilized individuals or volunteers, that do not belong to the core Russian armed forces structure and are likely meant to exist only till the end of the current Russo-Ukrainian War.
Central Russia and Volga Region
The 31st Air Assault Brigade (Ulyanovsk ) was expanded into the 104th Air Assault Division which by the time of writing was fighting in the war against Ukraine. The new division’s units include the 328th Air Assault Regiment, 337th Air Assault Regiment, 345th Air Assault Regiment, 134th Tank Battalion, and 1180th Artillery Regiment.
*
The new 299th Airborne Regiment had been established within the 98th Airborne Division (HQ in Ivanovo) by September 2023. The regiment’s base is in Yaroslavl.
Existence of a tank battalion within the 98th Airborne Division was also reported.
*
Existence of the new 119th Airborne Regiment within the 106th Airborne Division (HQ in Tula) was reported in November 2023.
*
Existence of the new 380th Mechanized Regiment and 153rd Tank Regiment within the 47th Tank Division (HQ in Mulino, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast) of the 1st Tank Army (HQ in Bakovka, Moscow Oblast) was reported in November 2023.
*
Existence of the likely new 283rd Mechanized Regiment was reported in July 2023. The regiment belongs to the 144th Mechanized Division (HQ in Yelnya, Smolensk Oblast).
The Western Frontier (Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, and the Russian border area with the first two countries)
The 18th Army had been established within the Southern Military District by the second half of 2023. The new army includes the newly established 40th Army Corps and the existing 22nd Army Corps (HQ in Simferopol, Russian-occupied Crimea, Ukraine) of the Black Sea Fleet, as well as the new 74th Artillery Brigade. The 18th Army is likely headquartered in occupied Crimea, on the basis of the 22nd Army Corps HQ.
The 18th Army’s 40th Army Corps includes the newly established 47th Mechanized Division (occupied Crimea, Ukraine) and 144th Mechanized Brigade. As of early December 2023, the 47th Mechanized Division was at the formation stage and had one mechanized regiment.
The 18th Army also includes the newly established 70th Mechanized Division (Rostov Oblast). Among the Division’s units are the 24th Mechanized Regiment, 26th Mechanized Regiment, 28th Mechanized Regiment, 17th Tank Regiment, and 81st Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment.
*
A new 46th Mechanized Division also was established and being formed in occupied Crimea, with HQ in Perevalne and unit bases in Perevalne, Staryi Krym and Bilohirsk. As of early December 2023, the 46th Mechanized Division was fielding one mechanized regiment.
*
A new 26th Mechanized Brigade was in the early stage of formation in occupied Crimea as of early December 2023.
*
A new 95th Mechanized Brigade was established within the 1st Army Corps (HQ in Donetsk, occupied part of Ukraine) in 2023.
*
As of early September 2023, existence of a new 44th Air Assault Division was reported, as well as of the Division’s 111th Mechanized Regiment and 387th Mechanized Regiment.
*
By early December 2023, the 10th Separate Tank Battalion (Donetsk, occupied part of Ukraine) of the 1st Army Corps, previously known as the 2nd Separate Tank Battalion “Dizel,” had been transformed into the 10th Tank Regiment.
*
Existence of the 88th Mechanized Brigade within the 2nd Army Corps (HQ in Luhansk, occupied part of Ukraine) was noted as November 2023. It was unclear at the time of writing whether this was a newly created unit or a renamed existing one.
*
Existence of the 201st Mechanized Regiment was noted within the 2nd Army Corps as of August 2023.
*
Existence of a 210th Mechanized Regiment was noted as of September 2023.
*
A new tank battalion was in the process of being established within the 20th Mechanized Division (HQ in Volgograd) as of late November 2023. The battalion’s formation was set to be completed by 1 April 2024.
*
A new 52nd Artillery Brigade was established within the Russian Airborne Forces by late June 2023.
*
By late June 2023, a new 55th Naval Infantry Division had been established on the basis of the existing 155th Naval Infantry Brigade (Vladivostok) of the Pacific Fleet. According to information from early December 2023, the Russian armed forces were merging the 155th Naval Infantry Brigade and the 336th Naval Infantry Brigade (Baltiysk, Kaliningrad Oblast) of the Baltic Fleet and into the 55th Division.
*
The 9th Mechanized Regiment (Novoazovsk, Donetsk Oblast, occupied part of Ukraine) of the 1st Army Corps was transformed into the 9th Mechanized Brigade at some point.
*
The 114th Mechanized Brigade of the 1st Army Corps was reported to be the former 5th Mechanized Brigade/”Oplot” Tactical Group (Donetsk, occupied part of Ukraine) instead of the 11th Mechanized Regiment as had been reported previously.
*
At some point during 2022-2023 at the latest, the 1st Army Corps and the 2nd Army Corps were included in the 8th Army (HQ in Novocherkassk, Rostov Oblast).
*
On 12 July 2023, Project 22800 Karakurt class corvette Tsiklon joined the Black Sea Fleet.
*
One Project 11770/Serna class landing craft and one Project 1176 Akula landing craft of the Black Sea Fleet were sunk by the Ukrainian armed forces in the fall of 2023.
The Black Sea Fleet’s Improved Kilo/Project 636.3 class diesel submarine Rostov-na-Donu and Project 775/Ropucha class landing ship Minsk were critically damaged by the Ukrainians on 13 September, rendering them incapable of continued service.
Caucasus
A new tank battalion was in the process of being established within the 19th Mechanized Division (HQ in Sputnik, Republic of North Ossetia-Alania) as of late November 2023. The battalion’s formation was set to be completed by 1 April 2024.
Baltic Region
A new 17th High-Power Artillery Brigade was established in Leningrad Oblast.
*
On 30 August 2023, Project 02670 class special purpose intelligence ship Evgeny Gorigledzhan joined the Russian navy in Kaliningrad. The ship belongs to the navy’s secret branch, the Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research (GUGI).
The Arctic
As of late November 2023, a new 104th Artillery Brigade was in the final stage of formation within the 14th Army Corps (HQ in Murmansk) of the Northern Fleet. The Brigade’s base is in Kandalaksha, Murmansk Oblast.
Ural, Siberia, Central Asia
The new 25th Army, creation of which was reported in the seventh issue of the Tracker, was established within the Central Military District.
Its newly created units known by early December 2023 included the 67th Mechanized Division with its 31st Mechanized Regiment, 36th Mechanized Regiment, 37th Mechanized Regiment and 19th Tank Regiment, as well as the 164th Mechanized Brigade, 11th Tank Brigade and 75th Artillery Brigade.
According to a history of formation of the 37th Mechanized Regiment which took place in Orenburg Oblast, formation of the 25th Army’s units started in May 2023 at the earliest.
Although the 25th Army was established under the Central Military District, it was unclear at the time of writing whether it already had permanent bases in that District. The 25th Army units were sent to the frontline in Ukraine immediately after their formation.
*
A new 600th Military Transport Aviation Regiment was established within the 18th Military Transport Aviation Division (HQ in Orenburg) of the Military Transport Aviation Command on 1 December 2023, at the Ulan-Ude air base. The new regiment was set to be equipped with Il-76MD strategic airlifters.
The Far East
As of early December 2023, the Russian armed forces were in the process of creating the new 89th Mechanized Brigade and 94th Mechanized Brigade within the 5th Army (HQ in Ussuriysk, Primorsky Krai).
*
On 14 September 2023, Steregushchiy / Project 20380 class corvette Rezkiy joined the Pacific Fleet.
*
Borei-A / Project 955A class nuclear ballistic missile submarine Imperator Aleksandr III and Yasen-M / Project 885M class nuclear-powered submarine Krasnoyarsk joined the Pacific Fleet on 11 December 2023. Imperator Aleksandr III reportedly will be stationed at the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky naval base.
*
Improved Kilo / Project 636.3 class diesel submarine Mozhaysk joined the Pacific Fleet on 28 November 2023.
