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Former operational strategic command of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Western Military District (Russian: Западный военный округ, romanized: Zapadnyy voyennyy okrug) was a military district of Russia, in existence from 2010 until its abolishment as a unitary military command on February 26, 2024, succeeded by the newly reconstituted Moscow Military District and Leningrad Military District.[1]
| Western Military District | |
|---|---|
| Западный военный округ | |
Emblem of the Western Military District | |
| Active | 20 October 2010–26 February 2024 |
| Country |  Russia |
| Branch |  Russian Armed Forces |
| Part of | Ministry of Defence |
| Headquarters | General Staff Building, Saint Petersburg |
| Decorations |  Order of Lenin |
| Website | Official website |
| Commanders | |
| Final Commander | Colonel General Yevgeny Nikiforov |
| Insignia | |
| Flag |  |
It was one of the five military districts of the Russian Armed Forces, with its jurisdiction primarily within the western central region of European Russia. The Western Military District was created as part of the 2008 military reforms, and founded by Presidential Decree №1144 signed on 20 September 2010, as an amalgamation of the Moscow Military District, Leningrad Military District and Kaliningrad Special Region.[2] The district began operation on 20 October 2010, under the command of Colonel-General Valery Gerasimov. General Lieutenant Roman Berdnikov took over command on 3 October 2022,[3] but two further command changes would take place by the end of the year, under the pressure of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Western Military District was the second smallest military district in Russia by geographic size. The district contained 26 federal subjects of Russia: Belgorod Oblast, Bryansk Oblast, Ivanovo Oblast, Kaliningrad Oblast, Kaluga Oblast, Karelia, Kostroma Oblast, Kursk Oblast, Leningrad Oblast, Lipetsk Oblast, Moscow, Moscow Oblast, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Novgorod Oblast, Oryol Oblast, Pskov Oblast, Ryazan Oblast, Saint Petersburg, Smolensk Oblast, Tambov Oblast, Tver Oblast, Tula Oblast, Vladimir Oblast, Vologda Oblast, Voronezh Oblast, Yaroslavl Oblast. On 1 December 2014, the Arctic Joint Strategic Command was split off from the Western Military District, removing Arkhangelsk Oblast, Murmansk Oblast, Komi Republic, and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, as well as the Russian Navy's Baltic Fleet and Northern Fleet, from the district's command.[4][5]
The Western Military District was headquartered in the General Staff Building in Saint Petersburg.
The Western Military District, until its abolishment in February 2024, was led by Colonel General Yevgeny Nikiforov, who was previously Chief of Staff of the Eastern Military District.[6]
Military units of the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Border Troops of the FSB, as well as units of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (Russia) and other ministries and departments of the Russian Federation performing tasks on the territory of the district are under its operational subordination.[7]
The Western Military District, "with about 300,000 troops, was formed in 2010 from the Moscow and Leningrad" Military Districts.[8] When the Moscow and Leningrad Districts were merged, the Russian soldiers in Transnistria, the former Soviet 14th Guards Combined Arms Army, became part of the Western Military District. Of the 1,700 Russian Armed Forces soldiers in Transnistria by 2022, military sources in Chișinău said that only 70-100 were actually Russians; the rest were Transnistrians who were given contracts to serve in the Russian Armed Forces.[9]
During the 2008–2012 military reform, the area of the Western Military District received the largest reduction in units and personnel. The number of motor rifle and tank battalions in the former Moscow Military District was reduced from 50 to 22.[10]
On 26 February 2014, during the invasion of Crimea, President Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian Armed Forces to be "put on alert in the Western Military District as well as units stationed with the 2nd Army Central Military District Command involved in aerospace defense, airborne troops and long-range military transport." Despite media speculation it was for in reaction to the events in Ukraine, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said it was unrelated to the unrest in Ukraine.[11]
After a 15-year hiatus, the 1st Guards Tank Army headquarters was reformed within the district in November 2014.[12]
In April 2017, the Defence Ministry reported that the 14th Army Corps had been transferred to the Northern Fleet Joint Strategic Command.[13] It appears that this army corps, formed with its number in view of the Second World War actions of the Soviet 14th Army, includes the 80th Arctic Motor Rifle Brigade and the 200th Motor Rifle Brigade.
In the September Zapad 2017 exercise, a significant portion of troops from the Western Military District numbering 12,700 personnel were involved in Belarus, the Kaliningrad Region and Russia's other north-western areas as well.
A December 2018 Russian Ministry of Defense press release said that an independent Spetsnaz company had been formed in a combined arms army of the district.[14]
Almost the whole forces of the district became involved in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, suffering considerable losses (see Casualties of the Russo-Ukrainian War). A new army corps, the 3rd Army Corps, then began forming within the district. The 3rd Army Corps' main base and training centre was identified by Ukraine in August 2022 as being located in Mulino, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast.[15] The new 72nd Separate Motor Rifle Brigade, intended to form part of the 3rd Army Corps, was reported by Penza Oblast authorities to be forming at Totskoye, Orenburg Oblast.[16]
Much of the Russian Airborne Forces is located within the district's boundaries but not under its command. These forces include the 45th Guards Spetsnaz Brigade (Kubinka, Moscow); the 76th Guards Air Assault Division (Pskov); the 98th Guards Airborne Division (Ivanovo); the 106th Guards Airborne Division (Tula), and the VDV signals regiment, the 38th Airborne Signal Regiment (n. Bear Lake, Moscow Oblast). In addition, there are two formations of the Russian Aerospace Forces within the district's boundaries but under central command: the 1st Special Purpose Air and Missile Defense Army (Moscow SAM and ABM defences) and 15th Special Aerospace Forces Army (space operations, the former Russian Space Command).
The Main Directorate of Intelligence (Ukraine) of the Ministry of Defence (Ukraine) on 26 December 2022 that General Yevgeny Nikiforov was appointed as commander, Western Military District, and commander of the Russian western grouping of forces in Ukraine.[17] He had been transferred from the post of first deputy commander, Eastern Military District. In this transfer, Colonel-General Sergey Kuzovlev was removed from the position of commander of the troops of the Western Military District, after having only been in post for about a month.[6] "The reason for Kuzovlev's dismissal was the failure of preparations for an offensive in the Lyman [area], but [Ukrainian intelligence assessed it also as a] internal political struggle.. because from the Shoigu-Gerasimov orbit changing for a candidate from the Surovikin-Prygozhin group.[6]
Muzyka 2020 lists a total of 21 direct reporting units and formations, but does not include the OGRF in Moldova, but does include Land Forces Command HQ, Moscow, and Joint Strategic Command - West at St Petersburg.
Muzkya 2020 does not include the:
HQ: Odintsovo, Moscow Oblast (reinstated 2014)[12]
HQ: Saint Petersburg
HQ: Voronezh, Voronezh Oblast[18]
Neither of these Russian Aerospace Forces armies are subordinated to the Western Military District.
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