Editorial note . Heap of "metal"versus. manufacturability. Near the Ukrainian-Russian border in the Rostov region, a new strike formation of the RF Armed Forces is being deployed. What is its "uniqueness" and is it worth worrying about the combat capability of this division - in the material Irakli Komakhidze forInformNapalm.
General situation in the Armed Forcesyothese forces of Russia is not as unambiguous as it isyotrying to represent the Kremlinyo all propaganda. Against the backdrop of PR campaigns demonstrating the growing power of the Russian army and the creation of new monsters in the form of shock motorized rifle and tank divisions ready to be thrown to the West, hundreds of military personnel consider themselves deceived and in personal conversations talk about the real state of affairs in their formations and armaments. yothese forces of the Russian Federation as a whole. In this review, we will talket about the new 150thmotorized rifle division, which is formed in Rostovskaya oblast, and in particular- about the real state of affairs in this connection.
"Steelmonstr" at the suggestion of Russian propaganda
On August 4, 2017, the Russian edition of Izvestiya published an article about the new 150th motorized rifle division (MSD) with a “unique organizational and staffing structure”, which is deployed near the Ukrainian border in the Rostov region of the Russian Federation. According to the publication, which refers to its own sources in the RF Ministry of Defense and experts, the “uniqueness” of the new division lies in the fact that its main structural combat units are represented, instead of the usual three motorized rifle (SME) and one tank regiment (TP), two motorized rifle and two tank regiments. Also, each SME has reinforced tank battalions, and tank regiments have their own artillery battalions. In addition, the division includes artillery and anti-aircraft regiments, as well as other support units. The publication notes that among the Russian military, the 150th MSD has already received the nickname "steel monster", as it is endowed with great maneuverability and combat power due to the reduction of personnel and auxiliary equipment.
The world community is already accustomed to this kind of PR publications of the Russian media, designed for propaganda and intimidation. We remind you that since its formation, the 150th Motorized Rifle Division has been taken under special control of the OSINT group of the InformNapalm international intelligence community. In April 2017, we published some data related to the process of formation and acquisition of the 150th MSD, taking into account its structural elements.
Based on the results of the planned OSINT monitoring of the situation in the regions of the Rostov region of Russia bordering Ukraine, as well as on the basis of information from our own sources related to the 150th MSD of the RF Armed Forces, we present updated information reflecting the real state of affairs in this strike formation of the Russian army.
Reality
Structure and features of the formation of the 150th MSD
The organizational and staffing structure in general terms is well described by Russian sources. However, these data do not contain the detailed information that our intelligence community was able to obtain based on the analysis of information collected as a result of monitoring open sources and some personal conversations with active or recently retired military personnel of the 150th division.
150th Motorized Rifle Idritsko-Berlin Order of Kutuzov Division(military unit 22265) of the 8th Combined Arms Army of the Southern Military District began to form at the end of 2016. This division is presented as the heir to the 150th Infantry Division, formed in 1943 and stormed the Reichstag in May 1945.
The division headquarters (management, military unit 22179) is located in the village. Persianovka, Oktyabrsky district, Rostov region. The division consists of: two motorized rifle regiments - 102nd SME(military unit 91706) and 103rd SME, main armament BMP-3; two tank regiments 68th TP(military unit 91714) and 163rd TP(military unit 84839), main armament - T-72B3. Places of deployment of motorized rifle and tank regiments of the 150th division: pos. Persianovka, as well as the nearest training grounds - Kuzminsky and Kadamovsky. According to available information, the recruitment of SMEs was carried out on the basis of the former 33rd separate motorized rifle brigade in the city of Maykop (Adygea), and after relocation to the Rostov region - directly in Persianovka. Tank regiments were completed in the city of Budyonnovsk, Stavropol Territory, on the basis of the 205th Motorized Rifle Brigade. To date, the 102nd SME and the 68th TP are almost fully staffed. The process of forming the 103rd SME and the 163rd TP has not yet been completed. In addition to the main strike units, the division includes: 933rd anti-aircraft missile regiment(ZRP), which is formed in the city of Millerovo and 381st Artillery Regiment(ArtP, military unit 24390), formed at a temporary base in the area of the Kuzminsky training ground (according to some reports, the artillery regiment will subsequently be relocated to Rostov-on-Don). In addition, the division includes separate support units, including: 174th separate reconnaissance battalion(ORB, military unit 22265, Persianovka settlement); 258th communications battalion(BS, military unit 84881); 539th Separate Engineer Battalion(OISB, formed on the basis of the 11th engineering brigade stationed in Kamensk-Shakhtinsk); 293rd Separate Logistics Battalion(OBMTO, military unit 98591, Novocherkassk, Kadamovsky village); medical battalion; separate companies of UAV, EW, RHBZ. The formation of the division should be completed by the end of 2017.
Information about the command structure of the 150th division
Commander of the 150th MSD Major General Bolgarev Petr Nikolaevich
According to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, in 2015-2016, Pyotr Bolgarev, still in the rank of colonel, was the commander of the 4th brigade of the 2nd "army corps" ("LNR") of the Russian occupation forces in the Donbass, these troops are controlled by the general headquarters of the RF Armed Forces through the center of the territorial troops of the Southern Military District (some installationintelligence on P. Bolgarev are given in the database "Purgatory" of the Center "Peacemaker").
Deputy commander of the 150th MSD for work with personnel, colonel Dubkov Pavel Vladimirovich
Until recently, he was deputy commander for work with l / s of the former 33rd separate motorized rifle brigade (mountainous), stationed in Maikop, Adygea, on the basis of which motorized rifle regiments of the 150th division were formed. Dubkov appears in a 2014 scandal involving the refusal of four contract soldiers of the 33rd Motorized Rifle Brigade to fight in Ukraine.
Commander of the 102nd SME, Colonel Muradasilov Marat Soltanovich
Originally from the village Kayasula, Neftekumsky district, Stavropol Territory. Graduate of the Ulyanovsk Higher Tank Command School. For the last few years, he has served in the 102nd Russian military base stationed in the city of Gyumri, Armenia.
Manning and general situation in the units of the 150th division
At first, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that the new divisions would be recruited on a contract basis. This is partly what happened, but if you delve into the essence of the issue, the following picture appears: in the 150th MSD, only one battalion, the 2nd motorized rifle battalion of the 102nd motorized rifle regiment, managed to be equipped with contract soldiers. The remaining battalions of the 102nd and 103rd regiments are staffed mainly by conscripts, who are also in short supply. To replenish the units, the transfer of conscripts, including recruits, from other formations of the district is practiced. The 174th ORB is also predominantly staffed by contract soldiers, in particular, its reconnaissance and airborne company (InformNapalm reported on the formation of which in the formations of the Southern Military District exactly a year ago). Both conscripts and contractors are present in the 68th and 163rd tank regiments. However, it should be emphasized that the lion's share of the contract servicemen of the tank regiments are yesterday's soldiers and sergeants of military service, who have completed specialized specialized training and recruited "by the bottom of the barrel" of all formations of the Southern Military District, who by hook or by crook managed to persuade them to sign a three-year contract.
The situation is a little different with the formation of motorized rifle regiments, where they mainly recruited "experienced" contract soldiers with experience in serving in hot regions, both active, with the possibility of being transferred to the 150th division, and "invited" from the reserve. As noted above, most contract soldiers of the 150th division consider themselves deceived. First of all, this concerns the monetary allowance of military personnel, which, instead of the promised minimum of 35,000 rubles ($585), ends up with only 14,800 ($247). The salary of contractors is formed taking into account a number of components, including the salary scale, position, length of service, etc. Taking into account the devaluation of the Russian ruble and the worsening crisis caused by international sanctions in connection with the aggressive actions of the Russian Federation, this is a meager salary, unable to feed a family of 2-3 people.
The second problem of contract soldiers is the lack of official housing - most of them live in barracks with conscript soldiers, since there is neither hostels nor money for rented housing. Also, the dissatisfaction of contract servicemen is due to the attitude of the command towards them. So, for example, newly minted contract conscripts are treated almost the same as conscripts. For them, there is no regulated working day, weekends with the possibility of going beyond the part. Young contract soldiers, as well as conscripts, are involved in the so-called "workers" (the use of the physical labor of military personnel to equip places of deployment and household work). Well, the contractors, who have experience behind them and who knew more worthy conditions of service, find themselves in such conditions, by all means, even falling under the unpopular wording in the personal file on the NUK (violation of the terms of the contract), they try to break out of these vices of lies and lawlessness. All this is expressed in a high turnover of personnel: some contract soldiers who have served for only a couple of months are looking for the possibility of transferring to other units or are being transferred to the reserve. All this negatively affects the combat readiness of the units of the 150th MSD, which those who left the contract are often called a “show-off division”, intended for reviews and parades, in fact, unable to perform combat missions.
The situation is somewhat better with the arrangement of officers and old-time re-enlisted officers (ensigns, foremen) of the 150th division, who are allocated service apartments or monetary compensation for renting housing near the place of service. The well-being of officers, warrant officers and foremen is also ensured through corruption schemes and profit, including through the collection of tribute from conscripts "for economic needs" of the units. Money drips into the pockets of commanders of all stripes from periodic "sales" of material property and fuel to the side. So, for example, the vaunted autonomous tent field camp of one of the SMEs is not ventilated in the 40-degree heat, since the diesel fuel allocated for it was sold by officers and ensigns-bearers. The so-called hazing between military personnel is recorded in the division - in particular, the manifestation of hazing on the part of contract soldiers united in Caucasian or Asian fraternities in relation to conscript soldiers of Russian nationality. This is forcing soldiers to unpopular jobs, extraordinary outfits, as well as the so-called set-ups and divorces for money, up to outright extortion.
Summary
According to Russian experts, the new 150th MSD is endowed with a unique organizational structure and this "steel monster" corresponds to the trend of the new time and is designed for modern high-tech and maneuver warfare, units and divisions of the division are able to operate effectively in the conditions of the use of high-precision weapons and electronic interference . The formation is not as large as a regular motorized rifle division, but it outperforms a tank division in terms of firepower. At the same time, it is noted that experiments on the formation of such formations were undertaken in the Soviet army back in the late 1980s in the GDR, as well as in the early 2000s, but in both cases were unsuccessful.
Specialists advising InformNapalm believe that the power of a formation is determined not by the amount of "old iron" (the same T-72B3 and BMP-3 may have been modernized to the latest Russian standards, but still remain Soviet-era machines), but by modern technologies and the ability to use them, as well as the morale of the military. In the case of the 150th division, we observe only a significant amount of armored vehicles - an understaffing of soldiers and contract soldiers, and a recruitment of military personnel without appropriate training, experience and with zero motivation, which makes the presence of such an amount of equipment meaningless.
It is possible that the Russian General Staff adopted a similar structure due to the lack and impossibility of recruiting specifically infantry units, since tank regiments can be cut down to any composition - on paper they are listed as a regiment, and equipment with crews ready for combat use can only be enough for battalion. If in the US and other NATO armies the emphasis is on improving the manufacturability of units, then Russia continues to rattle the scrap metal of the last century. How effectively can infantry in such a division protect armored vehicles? The wars of recent history show that "carts" on pickup trucks, equipped with modern anti-tank weapons (ATGMs), are able to stop tank columns.
As an analysis of the combat use of mechanized divisions in the operation of the US Armed Forces and its allies in Iraq in 2003 showed, the reduction in the number of personnel and the number of armored vehicles of formations did not reduce their combat capabilities - thanks to the introduction of the latest types of weapons and military equipment that provide fire, reconnaissance and information dominance over the enemy. It turns out that the Russians, increasing the number of equipment, predict big losses ahead of time and do nothing to reduce them - they simply increase the number of targets. After all, the Russians themselves, after the military invasion of Georgia in 2008, started talking about the sluggishness and inefficiency of heavy divisions, and since 2010 they began to disband them and switch to a brigade basis.
So what are we dealing with? The strike capabilities of military units and formations should in fact remain a military secret, but Russian propaganda makes them public. Having primary information from the Russian media, it is enough to double-check the information and additional reconnaissance, the results of which lead to the conclusion that there is more bravado and fiction in the "horror stories" about the 150th division than real combat capabilities.
He also introduced the new commander of the Southern Military District to the audience. The re-establishment of the combat formation that hoisted the Banner of Victory over the Reichstag has become one of the most important recent events in military development in the country. About the heroic history of the division and the challenges that it faces today - in the material RT.
On January 14, 2016, Sergei Shoigu first announced the need for the appearance of a motorized rifle division in the Southern Military District (SMD). He noted that the new formation should be placed in three military garrisons of the Rostov region and at the Kuzminsky, Kadamovsky and Millerovo training grounds. Later, the head of the military department ordered the creation of a modern infrastructure.
Construction work began in the spring, when the engineering troops began demolishing dilapidated buildings, laying the foundation for new houses in the garrisons, and modernizing the training grounds. Formally, the Idritsko-Berlin division was formed in May last year, it took a little less than a year to create the infrastructure.
According to the Ministry of Defense, dozens of residential, utility and administrative facilities, park and storage areas, cottages for command personnel were built in half a year, combat training facilities were modernized. Then 30 dormitories were erected, where soldiers and junior officers will live, three barracks for conscripts, 20 canteens, a guardhouse and two tent-mobile shelters for storing military equipment.
Sergei Shoigu got acquainted with how the 150th motorized rifle division is being equipped. During the inspection, the Minister of Defense ordered that the military equipment storage parks in the permanent readiness units be heated. “This applies to parks of all units of combat readiness,” Shoigu stressed.
In all other storage facilities, the minister said, heaters should be provided for heating in winter, which would allow the temperature to be quickly brought to positive.
Combat training of servicemen will take place at renovated training grounds with a total area of over 14,000 hectares. In particular, Kadamovskoye will house a tactical training field, a tank director, a tank track, an autodrome, several military shooting ranges and two unified directors for firing from combat vehicle guns.
The know-how of the training grounds is simulators, which will be equipped with training centers. The latest technical training aids will allow several military personnel to simultaneously practice shooting and driving skills in a single virtual space.
New Commander of the Southern Military District
Sergei Shoigu presented to the command of the Southern Military District the new commander of the troops of the district, Colonel-General Alexander Dvornikov. The Minister of Defense noted his merits in organizing the successful actions of the Russian group in Syria.
According to the minister, "in this difficult area of work, he has proven himself to be a competent military leader with a broad operational mindset, able to achieve the effective implementation of the assigned tasks."
Shoigu introduced the new commander of the Southern Military District
Shoigu explained that "for the skillful leadership of troops and forces in the fight against international terrorism, Colonel-General Dvornikov was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation."
The Minister expressed confidence that in the new position, Dvornikov "will also be able to prove himself a true professional."
Sergei Shoigu wished the commander and all personnel of the Southern Military District endurance and perseverance and presented Alexander Dvornikov with the standard of the Commander of the Southern Military District.
They took Berlin
The reconstituted 150th Division has a heroic history. It originates from September 1943, when the 150th Rifle Division was created on the basis of three brigades (151st separate rifle, 127th cadet and 144th cadet brigades). The division was included in the 34th Army, then - in the 6th Guards Army. During the offensive in 1944-1945, the division fought as part of the 3rd shock army of the 1st Belorussian Front.
She received the name "Idritskaya" on July 23, 1944, according to the order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief No. 207 for the liberation of the village of Idritsa (Pskov region). Idritsa was a strategically important railway junction and concentration camp set up by the Nazis. Also, the village was one of the centers of the development of collaborationism, which, according to historians, predetermined the fierce nature of the battles.
On April 26, 1945, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the 150th division was awarded the Order of Kutuzov II degree for a heavy night battle. The formation participated in the liberation of Poland, in the Warsaw-Poznan (January 14 - February 2, 1945) and Vistula-Oder (January 12 - February 2) operations, but the division entered the world history forever as the advanced strike force of the Berlin operation (April 16 - 8 May).
On April 30, units of the 150th Infantry Division under the command of Major General Vasily Shatilov stormed most of the Reichstag building. Soldiers of the 756th Infantry Regiment Mikhail Yegorov and Meliton Kantaria hoisted an assault flag on the dome of the German parliament, which became the official symbol of victory in the Great Patriotic War.
On June 11, 1945, the division received the honorary name "Berlin". For almost three years of hostilities, 15 fighters were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, including Yegorov and Kantaria. After the surrender of the Nazis, the division was stationed in Germany for several months. In 1946, as part of the demobilization and large-scale reduction of the Armed Forces of the USSR, it was disbanded.
The re-creation of the legendary division is not only the memory of the Great Victory. As Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu explained, the new formation is designed to strengthen the country's defense in the face of a growing threat from foreign states. The Ministry of Defense plans to make the Idritsko-Berlin division an ultra-modern and highly mobile formation.
It is known that it will include tank and motorized rifle regiments, as well as artillery, anti-aircraft missile regiments, communications, intelligence and logistics units. The strike units of the division are armed with T-90A tanks, BMP-3 and BTR-80 armored vehicles. Experts suggest that the combat power of the formation will be provided by artillery pieces: multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), field howitzers and self-propelled artillery mounts.
10 thousand people serve in the Rostov division, including more than 1.5 thousand conscripts. Now in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the share of contract servicemen only slightly exceeds 50%. It was no coincidence that the Ministry of Defense made a choice in favor of professionals in the formation of the 150th division. The Western and Southern military districts are adjacent to the NATO borders, and it is here that it is logical to place the most combat-ready formations.
“Despite the fact that the 150th division is located in the Southern Military District, its creation is undoubtedly a strengthening of the western strategic direction. By a similar principle, at the end of 2016, two divisions were formed in the Western Military District. Their units are deployed in the Belgorod, Voronezh and Smolensk regions, and 70% of the personnel are contract soldiers. There is only one goal - countering NATO, ”Vadim Solovyov, candidate of historical sciences, military expert, told RT.
The analyst added that last year the 1st Guards Tank Army was created, which, like the 150th division, was established in 1943 and took part in the liberation of Germany. Solovyov believes that the Ministry of Defense in strategic areas is returning the system of recruitment of troops, which resembles the Soviet one.
“Obviously, we are witnessing the enlargement of formations of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. At the same time, we are not talking about a numerical increase and the creation of huge armies. It's just that separate brigades and regiments are combined into a single, more powerful operational-tactical link, which is designed to carry out large-scale tasks. The 150th motorized rifle division is not an armored armada, but a modern mobile unit that meets the requirements of the current situation, ”concluded Solovyov.
Shoigu introduced the new commander of the Southern Military District
The overall situation in the Russian Armed Forces is not as unambiguous as the Kremlin propaganda is trying to make it out to be. Against the backdrop of PR campaigns demonstrating the growing power of the Russian army and the creation of new monsters in the form of shock motorized rifle and tank divisions ready to be thrown to the West, hundreds of military personnel consider themselves deceived and in personal conversations talk about the real state of affairs in their formations and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation generally. This review will focus on the new 150th motorized rifle division, which is being formed in the Rostov region, and in particular on the real state of affairs in this unit.
"Steel Monster" at the suggestion of Russian propaganda
On August 4, 2017, the Russian edition of Izvestiya published an article about the new 150th motorized rifle division (MSD) with a “unique organizational and staffing structure”, which is deployed near the Ukrainian border in the Rostov region of the Russian Federation. According to the publication, which refers to its own sources in the RF Ministry of Defense and experts, the “uniqueness” of the new division lies in the fact that its main structural combat units are represented, instead of the usual three motorized rifle (SME) and one tank regiment (TP), two motorized rifle and two tank regiments. Also, each SME has reinforced tank battalions, and tank regiments have their own artillery battalions. In addition, the division includes artillery and anti-aircraft regiments, as well as other support units. The publication notes that among the Russian military, the 150th MSD has already received the nickname "steel monster", as it is endowed with great maneuverability and combat power due to the reduction of personnel and auxiliary equipment.
The world community is already accustomed to this kind of PR publications of the Russian media, designed for propaganda and intimidation. We remind you that since its formation, the 150th Motorized Rifle Division has been taken under special control of the OSINT group of the InformNapalm international intelligence community. In April 2017, we published some data related to the process of formation and staffing of the 150th MSD, taking into account its structural elements.
Based on the results of the planned OSINT monitoring of the situation in the regions of the Rostov region of Russia bordering Ukraine, as well as on the basis of information from our own sources related to the 150th MSD of the RF Armed Forces, we present updated information reflecting the real state of affairs in this strike formation of the Russian army.
Reality
Structure and features of the formation of the 150th MSD
The organizational and staffing structure in general terms is well described by Russian sources. However, these data do not contain the detailed information that our intelligence community was able to obtain based on the analysis of information collected as a result of monitoring open sources and some personal conversations with active or recently retired military personnel of the 150th division.
150th Motorized Rifle Idritsko-Berlin Order of Kutuzov Division(military unit 22265) of the 8th Combined Arms Army of the Southern Military District began to form at the end of 2014. This division is presented as the heir to the 150th Infantry Division, formed in 1943 and stormed the Reichstag in May 1945.
The division headquarters (Office, military unit 22179) is located in the village. Persianovka, Oktyabrsky district, Rostov region. The division consists of: two motorized rifle regiments - 102nd SME(military unit 91706) and 103rd SME, main armament BMP-3; two tank regiments 68th TP(military unit 91714) and 163rd TP(military unit 84839), main armament tanks - T-72B3. Places of deployment of motorized rifle and tank regiments of the 150th division: pos. Persianovka, as well as the nearest training grounds - Kuzminsky and Kadamovsky. According to available information, the recruitment of SMEs was carried out on the basis of the former 33rd separate motorized rifle brigade in the city of Maykop (Adygea), and after relocation to the Rostov region - directly in Persianovka. Tank regiments were completed in the city of Budyonnovsk, Stavropol Territory, on the basis of the 205th Motorized Rifle Brigade. To date, the 102nd SME and the 68th TP are almost fully staffed. The process of forming the 103rd SME and the 163rd TP has not yet been completed. In addition to the main strike units, the division includes: 933rd anti-aircraft missile regiment(ZRP), which is formed in the city of Millerovo and 381st Artillery Regiment(ArtP, military unit 24390), formed at a temporary base in the area of the Kuzminsky training ground (according to some reports, the artillery regiment will subsequently be relocated to Rostov-on-Don). In addition, the division includes separate support units, including: 174th separate reconnaissance battalion(ORB, military unit 22265, Persianovka settlement); 258th communications battalion(BS, military unit 84881); 539th Separate Engineer Battalion(OISB, formed on the basis of the 11th engineering brigade stationed in Kamensk-Shakhtinsk); 293rd Separate Logistics Battalion(OBMTO, military unit 98591, Novocherkassk, Kadamovsky village); medical battalion; separate companies of UAV, EW, RHBZ. The formation of the division should be completed by the end of 2017.
Information on the command staff of the 150th division:
Commander of the 150th MSD Major General Bolgarev Petr Nikolaevich
According to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, in 2015-2016, Petr Bolgarev, still in the rank of colonel, was the commander of the 4th brigade of the 2nd Army Corps (LPR) of the Russian occupation forces in the Donbass, these troops are controlled by the General Staff of the Armed Forces RF through the center of the territorial troops of the Southern Military District (some installation information on P. Bolgarev is given in the "Purgatory" database of the "Peacemaker" Center).
Deputy commander of the 150th MSD for work with personnel, colonel Dubkov Pavel Vladimirovich
Until recently, he was deputy commander for work with l / s of the former 33rd separate motorized rifle brigade (mountainous), stationed in Maikop, Adygea, on the basis of which motorized rifle regiments of the 150th division were formed. Dubkov appears in a 2014 scandal involving the refusal of four contract soldiers of the 33rd Motorized Rifle Brigade to fight in Ukraine.
Commander of the 102nd SME, Colonel Muradasilov Marat Soltanovich
Originally from the village Kayasula, Neftekumsky district, Stavropol Territory. Graduate of the Ulyanovsk Higher Tank Command School. For the last few years, he has served in the 102nd Russian military base stationed in the city of Gyumri, Armenia.
Manning and the general situation in the units of the 150th division.
At first, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that the new divisions would be recruited on a contract basis. This is partly what happened, but if you delve into the essence of the issue, the following picture appears: in the 150th MSD, only one battalion, the 2nd motorized rifle battalion of the 102nd motorized rifle regiment, managed to be equipped with contract soldiers. The remaining battalions of the 102nd and 103rd regiments are staffed mainly by conscripts, who are also in short supply. To replenish the units, the transfer of conscripts, including recruits, from other formations of the district is practiced. The 174th ORB is also predominantly staffed by contract soldiers, in particular, its reconnaissance and airborne company (InformNapalm reported on the formation of which in the formations of the Southern Military District exactly a year ago). Both conscripts and contractors are present in the 68th and 163rd tank regiments. However, it should be emphasized that the lion's share of the contract servicemen of the tank regiments are yesterday's conscript soldiers and sergeants who have completed specialized specialized training and recruited "by the bottom of the barrel" of all formations of the Southern Military District, who by hook or by crook managed to persuade them to sign a 3-year contract . The situation is a little different with the formation of motorized rifle regiments, where they mainly recruited "experienced" contract soldiers with experience in serving in hot regions, both active, with the possibility of being transferred to the 150th division, and "invited" from the reserve. As noted above, most contract soldiers of the 150th division consider themselves deceived. First of all, this concerns the monetary allowance of military personnel, which, instead of the promised minimum of 35,000 rubles ($585), ends up with only 14,800 ($247). The salary of contractors is formed taking into account a number of components, including the wage scale, position, length of service, etc. Taking into account the devaluation of the Russian ruble and the aggravating crisis caused by international sanctions in connection with the aggressive actions of the Russian Federation, this is a meager salary that is not able to feed a family of 2-3 people. The second problem of contract soldiers is the lack of official housing - most of them live in barracks with conscript soldiers, since there is neither hostels nor money for rented housing. Also, the dissatisfaction of contract servicemen is due to the attitude of the command towards them. So, for example, newly minted contract conscripts are treated almost the same as conscripts. For them, there is no regulated working day, weekends with the possibility of going beyond the part. Young contract soldiers, like conscripts, are involved in the so-called. "workers" (the use of physical labor of military personnel for the arrangement of places of deployment and chores). Well, the contractors, who have experience behind them and who knew more worthy conditions of service, find themselves in such conditions, by all means, even falling under the unpopular wording in the personal file on the NUK (violation of the terms of the contract), they try to break out of these vices of lies and lawlessness. All this is expressed in a high turnover of personnel: some contract soldiers who have served for only a couple of months are looking for the possibility of transferring to other units or are being transferred to the reserve. All this negatively affects the combat readiness of the units of the 150th MSD, which those who left the contract are often called a “show-off division” intended for reviews and parades, in fact, unable to perform combat missions.
The situation is somewhat better with the arrangement of officers and old-time re-enlisted officers (ensigns, foremen) of the 150th division, who are allocated service apartments or monetary compensation for renting housing near the place of service. The well-being of officers, ensigns and foremen is also ensured through corruption schemes and profit, including through the collection of tribute from conscripts "for economic needs" of the units. Money drips into the pockets of commanders of all stripes from periodic "sales" of material property and fuel to the side. So, for example, the vaunted autonomous tent field camp of one of the SMEs is not ventilated in the 40-degree heat, since the diesel fuel allocated for it was sold by officers and ensigns-bearers. The so-called. hazing between military personnel - in particular, the manifestation of hazing on the part of contract soldiers united in Caucasian or Asian communities in relation to conscript soldiers of Russian nationality. This is the coercion of soldiers to unpopular work, extraordinary outfits, as well as the so-called. setups and divorces for money, up to outright extortion.
Summary
According to Russian experts, the new 150th MSD is endowed with a unique organizational structure and this "steel monster" corresponds to the trend of the new time and is designed for modern high-tech and maneuver warfare, units and divisions of the division are able to operate effectively in the conditions of the use of high-precision weapons and electronic interference . The formation is not as large as a regular motorized rifle division, but it outperforms a tank division in terms of firepower. At the same time, it is noted that experiments on the formation of such formations were undertaken in the Soviet army as early as the late 1980s in the GDR, as well as at the beginning of the 2000s of this century, but in both cases were unsuccessful.
Specialists advising InformNapalm believe that the power of a formation is determined not by the amount of "old iron" (the same T-72B3 and BMP-3 may have been upgraded to the latest Russian standards, but still remain Soviet-era machines), but by modern technologies and the ability to use them, as well as the morale of the military. In the case of the 150th division, we observe only a significant amount of armored vehicles - an understaffing of soldiers and contract soldiers, and a recruitment of military personnel without appropriate training, experience and with zero motivation, which makes the presence of such an amount of equipment meaningless.
It is possible that the Russian General Staff adopted a similar structure due to the lack and impossibility of recruiting specifically infantry units, since tank regiments can be cut down to any composition - on paper they are listed as a regiment, and equipment with crews ready for combat use can only be enough for a battalion. If in the US and other NATO armies the emphasis is on improving the manufacturability of units, then Russia continues to rattle the scrap metal of the last century. How effectively can infantry in such a division protect armored vehicles? The wars of recent history show that "carts" on pickup trucks, equipped with modern anti-tank weapons (ATGM), are able to stop tank columns.
As an analysis of the combat use of mechanized divisions in the operations of the US Armed Forces and their allies in Iraq in 2003 showed,reduction in the number of personnel and the number of armored vehicles of formationsdid not reduce their combat capabilities - thanks to the introduction of the latest weapons and military equipment, which provide fire, intelligence and information superiority over the enemy. It turns out that the Russians, increasing the number of equipment, predict big losses ahead of time and do nothing to reduce them - they simply increase the number of targets. After all, the Russians themselves, after the military invasion of Georgia in 2008, started talking about the sluggishness and inefficiency of heavy divisions, and since 2010 they began to disband them and switch to a brigade basis.
So what are we dealing with? The strike capabilities of military units and formations, in fact, should remain a military secret, but Russian propaganda makes them public. Having primary information from the Russian media, it is enough to double-check the information and additional reconnaissance, the results of which lead to the conclusion that there is more bravado and fiction in the "horror stories" about the 150th division than real combat capabilities.
The overall situation in the Russian Armed Forces is not as rosy as the Kremlin propaganda is trying to make it out to be. Against the backdrop of PR campaigns demonstrating the growing power of the Russian army and the creation of new monsters in the form of shock motorized rifle and tank divisions ready to be thrown to the west, hundreds of military personnel consider themselves deceived and in personal conversations talk about the real state of affairs in their formations and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation generally. This review will focus on the new, 150th motorized rifle division, which is being formed in the Rostov region, and in particular on the real state of affairs in this formation.
"Steel monster" with the filing of Russian propaganda
On August 4, 2017, the Russian edition of Izvestia published an article about the new 150th motorized rifle division (MSD) with a “unique organizational and staffing structure”, which is deployed near the Ukrainian border, in the Rostov region of the Russian Federation. According to the publication, which refers to its own sources in the RF Ministry of Defense and experts, the uniqueness of the new division lies in the fact that its main structural combat units are represented not by the usual three motorized rifle (SME) and one tank regiment (TP), but by two motorized rifle and two tank shelves. Also, each SME has reinforced tank battalions, and tank regiments have their own artillery battalions. In addition, the division includes artillery and anti-aircraft regiments, as well as other support units.
The publication notes that among the Russian military, the 150th MSD has already received the nickname "steel monster", as it has great maneuverability and combat power due to the reduction of personnel and auxiliary equipment.
The world community is already accustomed to such PR publications by the Russian media, designed for propaganda and intimidation. We remind you that since its formation, the 150th Motorized Rifle Division has been taken under special control of the OSINT group of the InformNapalm international intelligence community. In April 2017, we have some data related to the process of its formation and acquisition.
Based on the results of the planned OSINT monitoring of the situation in the regions of the Rostov region of Russia bordering Ukraine, as well as on the basis of information from our own sources related to the 150th MSD of the RF Armed Forces, we present updated information reflecting the real state of affairs in this strike formation of the Russian army.
Reality
Structure and features of the formation of the 150th MSD
The organizational and staffing structure in general terms is well outlined in Russian sources. However, these data do not contain the detailed information that our intelligence community was able to obtain based on the analysis of information collected as a result of monitoring open sources and personal conversations with active or recently retired military personnel of the 150th division.
150th Motorized Rifle Idritsko-Berlin Order of Kutuzov Division(military unit 22265) of the 8th Combined Arms Army of the Southern Military District began to form at the end of 2016. This division is presented as the heir to the 150th Infantry Division, formed in 1943 and stormed the Reichstag in May 1945.
The division headquarters (management, military unit 22179) is located in the village. Persianovka, Oktyabrsky district, Rostov region. The division consists of: two motorized rifle regiments - 102nd SME(military unit 91706) and 103rd SME, main armament BMP-3; two tank regiments 68th TP(military unit 91714) and 163rd TP(military unit 84839), main armament - tanks T-72B3. Places of deployment of motorized rifle and tank regiments of the 150th division: pos. Persianovka, as well as the nearest landfills - Kuzminsky and Kadamovsky. According to available information, the recruitment of SMEs was carried out on the basis of the former 33rd separate motorized rifle brigade in Maykop (Adygea), and after relocation to the Rostov region - directly in Persianovka. Tank regiments were completed in the city of Budyonnovsk, Stavropol Territory, on the basis of the 205th Motorized Rifle Brigade. To date, the 102nd SME and the 68th TP are almost fully staffed. The formation of the 103rd SME and the 163rd TP has not yet been completed. In addition to the main strike units, the division includes: 933rd anti-aircraft missile regiment(ZRP), which is formed in Millerovo, and 381st Artillery Regiment(ArtP, military unit 24390), formed at a temporary base in the area of the Kuzminsky training ground (according to some reports, the artillery regiment will subsequently be relocated to Rostov-on-Don). In addition, the division includes separate support units, including: 174th separate reconnaissance battalion(ORB, military unit 22265, Persianovka settlement); 258th communications battalion(BS, military unit 84881); 539th Separate Engineer Battalion(OISB, formed on the basis of the 11th engineering brigade stationed in Kamensk-Shakhtinsk); 293rd Separate Logistics Battalion(OBMTO, military unit 98591, Novocherkassk, Kadamovsky village); medical battalion; separate companies of UAV, EW, RHBZ. The formation of the division should be completed by the end of 2017.
Information about the command structure of the 150th division
Commander of the 150th MSD Major General Bolgarev Petr Nikolaevich.
According to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, in 2015-2016, Petr Bolgarev, still in the rank of colonel, was the commander of the 4th brigade of the 2nd Army Corps (“LPR”) of the Russian occupation forces in Donbas. These troops are controlled by the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces through the center of the territorial troops of the Southern Military District (some installation information on P. Bolgarev is given in the "Purgatory" database of the "Peacemaker" center).
Deputy commander of the 150th MSD for work with personnel, colonel Dubkov Pavel Vladimirovich
Until recently, he was deputy commander for work with l / s of the former 33rd separate motorized rifle brigade (mountainous), stationed in Maikop, Adygea, on the basis of which motorized rifle regiments of the 150th division were formed. Dubkov appears in a 2014 scandal involving the refusal of four contract soldiers of the 33rd Motorized Rifle Brigade to fight in Ukraine.
Commander of the 102nd SME Colonel Muradasilov Marat Soltanovich.
Originally from the village Kayasula, Neftekumsky district, Stavropol Territory. Graduate of the Ulyanovsk Higher Tank Command School. For the past few years, he has served in the military at the 102nd Russian military base stationed in Gyumri, Armenia.
Manning and general situation in the units of the 150th division
At first, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that the new divisions would be recruited on a contract basis. This is partly what happened, but if you delve into the essence of the issue, the following picture emerges: in the 150th MSD, only the 2nd motorized rifle battalion of the 102nd motorized rifle regiment managed to be equipped with contract soldiers. The remaining battalions of the 102nd and 103rd regiments are staffed mainly by conscripts, who are also in short supply. To replenish the units, the transfer of conscripts, including recruits, from other formations of the district is practiced. The 174th ORB is also predominantly staffed with contract soldiers, in particular its reconnaissance and airborne company (the formation of these units in the formations of the Southern Military District of InformNapalm exactly a year ago). Both conscripts and contract soldiers are present in the 68th and 163rd tank regiments, however, the lion's share of the contract servicemen of the tank regiments are yesterday's soldiers and sergeants of military service who have passed specialized specialized training, which by hook or by crook managed to persuade them to sign a three-year contract.
The situation is slightly different with the formation of motorized rifle regiments, where they mainly recruited "experienced" contract soldiers with experience in serving in hot regions, both active, with the possibility of being transferred to the 150th division, and "invited" from the reserve.
As noted above, most contract soldiers of the 150th division consider themselves deceived. First of all, this concerns the monetary allowance of military personnel, which, instead of the promised minimum of 35 thousand rubles (585 dollars), is only 14,800 (247 dollars). The salary of contractors is formed taking into account a number of components, including the tariff scale, position, length of service, etc. Given the devaluation of the Russian ruble and the worsening crisis caused by international sanctions in connection with the aggressive actions of the Russian Federation, it is impossible to feed a family of 2-3 people on this meager salary.
The second problem of contract soldiers is the lack of official housing: most of them live in barracks with conscript soldiers, since there is neither hostels nor money for rented housing. Also, the dissatisfaction of contract servicemen is due to the attitude of the command towards them. So, newly minted contract soldiers after military service are treated almost the same as conscripts. For them, there is no regulated working day, weekends with the possibility of going beyond the part. Young contract soldiers, like conscripts, are involved in the so-called. workers (the use of physical labor of military personnel for the arrangement of places of deployment and household work). Well, experienced contractors who knew more worthy conditions of service, finding themselves in such conditions, by all means, even falling under the wording that is unpopular in their personal affairs - NUK (violation of the terms of the contract), - they try to break out of these vices of lies and lawlessness.
All this is expressed in a high turnover of personnel: some contractors, having served for only a couple of months, are looking for an opportunity to transfer to other units or are transferred to the reserve. All this has a negative impact on the combat readiness of the units of the 150th MSD, which those who have retired call the “ostentatious division”, intended for reviews and parades, but unable to perform combat missions.
The situation is somewhat better with the arrangement of officers and old-time re-enlisted officers (ensigns, foremen) of the 150th division, who are allocated service apartments or monetary compensation for renting housing near the place of service. The well-being of officers, ensigns and foremen is also ensured through corruption schemes and profit, including through the collection of tribute from conscripts for “economic needs” of units. Money drips into the pockets of commanders of all stripes from periodic "sales" of material property and fuel to the side. So, the vaunted autonomous tent field camp of one of the SMEs in the 40-degree heat is not ventilated, since the diesel fuel allocated for these purposes was sold by officers and ensigns-bearers.
Hazing between military personnel is also recorded in the division, in particular, hazing on the part of contract soldiers united in Caucasian or Asian communities in relation to conscript soldiers of Russian nationality. Soldiers are forced to do unpopular work, extraordinary outfits, so-called. fraud and fraud, up to outright extortion.
Summary
According to Russian experts, the new 150th MSD is endowed with a unique organizational structure, and this "steel monster" corresponds to the trends of the new time and is designed for modern high-tech and maneuverable warfare. Units and divisions of the division are able to operate effectively in the conditions of the use of high-precision weapons and electronic interference. The formation is not as large as a regular motorized rifle division, but it outperforms a tank division in terms of firepower. At the same time, it is noted that experiments on the formation of such formations were undertaken in the Soviet army as early as the late 1980s (in the GDR), as well as at the beginning of the 2000s of this century, but in both cases were unsuccessful.
Specialists advising InformNapalm believe that the power of a formation is determined not by the amount of "old iron" (the same T-72B3 and BMP-3 may have been upgraded to the latest Russian standards, but still remain Soviet-era machines), but by modern technologies and the ability to use them, as well as the morale of the military. In the 150th division, we see a significant amount of armored vehicles - but the understaffing of soldiers and contract soldiers, the recruitment of military personnel without appropriate training, experience and with zero motivation, which makes such an amount of equipment meaningless.
It is possible that the Russian General Staff adopted a similar structure due to the impossibility of recruiting specifically infantry units, since tank regiments can be cut down to any composition: on paper they are listed as regiments, and equipment with crews ready for combat use can only be enough for a battalion. If in the US and other NATO armies the emphasis is on improving the manufacturability of units, then Russia continues to rattle the scrap metal of the last century.
How effectively can infantry in such a division protect armored vehicles? The wars of recent history show that tank columns are able to stop "carts" on pickup trucks equipped with modern anti-tank weapons (ATGMs).
As an analysis of the combat use of mechanized divisions in the operations of the US Armed Forces and their allies in Iraq in 2003 showed,reduction in the number of personnel and the number of armored vehicles of formationsdid not reduce their combat capabilities - thanks to the introduction of the latest weapons and military equipment, which provide fire, intelligence and information superiority over the enemy. It turns out that the Russians, by increasing the number of vehicles, predict large losses ahead of time and do nothing to reduce them - they simply increase the number of targets. At the same time, the Russians themselves, after the military invasion of Georgia in 2008, said about the sluggishness and inefficiency of heavy divisions, and since 2010 they began to disband them and switch to a brigade basis.
So what are we dealing with? The strike capabilities of military units and formations should remain a military secret, but Russian propaganda makes them public. Having primary information from the Russian media, it is enough to double-check the information and conduct additional reconnaissance, the results of which suggest a conclusion: there is more bravado in the “horror stories” about the 150th division than real combat capabilities.
Prepared material for publication
150th MOTOR RIFLE IDRITSK-BERLIN
ORDER OF KUTUZOV DIVISION
THE 150TH INFANTRY, ERICKA-BERLIN ORDER OF KUTUZOV DIVISION
25.03.2016
A new motorized rifle division of about 10 thousand people will be deployed in the Rostov region by the end of this year, a source at the headquarters of the Southern Military District (SMD) told TASS.
“In accordance with the directives of the chief of the General Staff and the commander of the Southern Military District, by the end of this year, a new “full-blooded” motorized rifle division will be formed in the district. For its arrangement in the Rostov region, three military camps will have to be built, ”said the agency’s interlocutor.
“The number of personnel of the division will be about 10 thousand people, its headquarters is planned to be located in the Rostov-on-Don region. The unit will be equipped with the most modern weapons, armored, automotive and special equipment,” the source added.
TASS
20.01.2017
Russian Defense Minister General of the Army Sergei Shoigu arrived on January 19, 2017 on a working trip to the troops of the Southern Military District (SMD), where the operational-mobilization training of the leadership of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation is taking place, the press service of the Russian Defense Ministry reports.
The Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, General of the Army Sergei Shoigu, introduced to the leadership of the Southern Military District and the commanders of the formations the new commander of the troops of the district, Colonel General Alexander Dvornikov.
The ceremony of presenting and presenting the standard took place in Rostov-on-Don, in the building of the headquarters of the Southern Military District.
Colonel-General Alexander Galkin, relieved of his post as Commander of the Southern Military District (SMD), has been appointed Assistant to the Minister of Defense.
Army General Sergei Shoigu expressed gratitude to Alexander Galkin for leading the troops of the district over the past six and a half years and awarded him with edged weapons.
The Minister of Defense inspected the progress of the arrangement of the 150th motorized rifle division of the Southern Military District in the Rostov region. The formation of the 150th motorized rifle division in the Rostov region will be fully completed in 2017, the commander of the unit, Major General Pyotr Bolgarev, reported today to the Minister of Defense, General of the Army Sergei Shoigu.
The division included motorized rifle, tank, artillery, anti-aircraft missile regiments, as well as communications, intelligence and logistics units.
The Directorate of the 150th Idritsko-Berlin Order of Kutuzov II degree motorized rifle division was formed in December last year. The formation received not only a number, but also an honorary name, as well as a military award of its famous predecessor, whose fighters - junior sergeant Mikhail Egorov and sergeant Meliton Kantaria - were the first to hoist the Red Banner at the Reichstag in Berlin in May 1945, the press service of the Russian Ministry of Defense notes .
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