The creation of an administrative-territorial system in the domestic armed forces began in the 60s of the XIX century. The military districts of Russia that appeared for the first time contributed to the rational recruitment and supply of garrisons, units and subunits, and also provided the opportunity for strategic planning of defense doctrine. Depending on the assigned tactical tasks, they could be border, internal and front-line. Administrative divisions were most often named according to the names of cities, regions, or geographic provinces. In recent history, this tradition was continued by the military districts of Russia. The list of formations in different eras corresponded to the military-political situation and the territory of the state. By the beginning of the First World War there were twelve of them. The maximum number of districts - thirty-two - was at the end of 1945. During the period of the highest military power of the state, in 1983, there were 16 districts and 4 groupings of troops in Eastern Europe.
How many military districts are there in Russia
As part of the reorganization of the armed forces in 2010, the number of administrative districts was reduced to four. When creating new structures, we took as a modelUnited States Combat Commands. On the basis of territorial combined arms formations, new operational-strategic command subjects were formed. In 2014, to organize the defense of the Arctic sectors from the three districts, the creation of the northern group began.
The effectiveness of the innovative system of combat command and control of the General Staff being introduced should be ensured by the military districts of Russia formed according to the new principle. The list of military administrative units is as follows:
- Western district (USC West).
- Southern district (USC "South").
- Central district (USC Center).
- Eastern District (OSK Vostok).
- USC Sever is under construction.
In peacetime, the joint strategic commands with their areas of responsibility are called districts.
Military units of the new formation
The newly formed Russian military districts include:
- all Ministry of Defense garrisons deployed on their territory;
- subdivisions of internal troops, border service of the FSB, part of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and other law enforcement agencies that are under operational control.
The military districts of Russia in their modern form are interspecific groupings of troops under a single command. Such a control system is recognized as the most effective based on the experience of armed conflicts and counter-terrorism operations of recent decades.
In addition, the military districts of Russia are in charge ofmedical and sanatorium-resort institutions, educational and research institutions, training centers and other life support facilities.
The Territorial Command does not control long-range aviation units, the Strategic Missile Forces Directorate, and the Aerospace Defense Forces.
Joint Strategic Command West
During the structural changes in the armed forces in 2010, the Western Military District of Russia was the first to be formed. The basis for the creation of a new subject of the military-administrative division was the former Moscow and Leningrad combined arms associations. The B altic Fleet is also subordinate to the strategic command. The headquarters is located in St. Petersburg.
Military garrisons are located within the administrative boundaries of thirty subjects of the North-Western, Central and part of the Volga-Vyatka federal districts. In connection with the formation of the Arctic group of troops, some of the regions will be reassigned.
The Western grouping includes two armies, four separate motorized rifle brigades, one tank and three airborne divisions - more than two and a half thousand military units in total. The personnel exceeds 400 thousand people, which is the third part of the total number of the Russian army.
The first command of the air force and air defense is subordinate to the unified leadership.
The ships of the fleet are deployed in the B altic and Leningrad (Kronstadt, St. Petersburg and Lomonosov) militarysea bases. The Navy has eight Marine units at its disposal.
Southern Group of Forces
The Southern Military District of Russia is organized on the basis of military and administrative units of the North Caucasian and part of the Volga-Ural military associations. The structure of the formation includes formations of the Black Sea Fleet and the Caspian Flotilla. The headquarters is located in Rostov-on-Don. The task of the personnel of the district is, first of all, to defend the southern borders and ensure stability in the Transcaucasus.
Military units of two armies, one mountain division and an air assault brigade are deployed on the territory of 13 regions of the Southern and North Caucasian federal districts, as well as on the Crimean peninsula.
Air defense and air force are subordinate to the fourth command.
The Black Sea Fleet is based in Sevastopol and Feodosia. The construction of the naval base in Novorossiysk is nearing completion. The ships of the Caspian flotilla are based in Astrakhan, Kaspiysk and Makhachkala.
There are two carrier-based pilot training centers in the Crimea and the Krasnodar Territory. The fleet has four large marine units in the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea.
Southern District Formations Abroad
Also, the Southern Strategic Command has bases located outside the Russian Federation:
- The 4th base is stationed in the capital of the South Ossetian Republic - Tskhinvali. Formation created onbased on two motorized rifle regiments and one division. The personnel is more than 4 thousand people. The military base was given the rank of Guards.
- The 102nd base is located in Gyumri (Republic of Armenia). In addition to motorized rifle units, C-300 B complexes and MIG-29 fighters are deployed here. The total number of military personnel is about 4 thousand people.
- The 7th military base is stationed in the city of Gudauta (Republic of Abkhazia).
- The Black Sea Fleet has a base for technical and material support of ships and vessels in the Syrian port of Tartus.
Formations abroad play the role of important geopolitical tools.
Unified Central Command
By merging the Volga-Ural and Siberian (to the territory of Baikal) districts, the Central Military District of Russia was created. The headquarters of the joint command is located in Yekaterinburg.
This district is the largest in the country. Its area is 7 million km2 - this is 40% of the area of the state and 39% of the population. Military units are deployed in the Volga region, Western Siberia and the Urals - in 29 regions of three federal districts. The spaces beyond the Arctic Circle will be transferred to the jurisdiction of the Arctic Command. In the center of the country, operational-tactical units of the ground forces are part of two combined arms armies and several separate formations, including one air assault brigade.
The formation includes the second command of the Air Force and Air Defense
There are bases on the territory of the districtstrategic aviation (in Engels and Irkutsk), as well as a transport aircraft base in Orenburg. Operationally, these units are not subordinate to the district command.
Formations of the Central District in Central Asia
The connection of the central part of Russia is composed of the 201st twice Red Banner base stationed in Tajikistan. The main task of the military is to protect the Tajik-Afghan border.
Joint Strategic Command East
As a result of structural changes in the operational-strategic command and control, part of the Siberian, Trans-Baikal and Far Eastern combined arms formations were included in the Eastern Military District of Russia. The Pacific Fleet is subordinate to the commander of the new formation. The headquarters is in Khabarovsk.
Military units are located within the administrative boundaries of eleven subjects of two federal districts. The area of responsibility zone is slightly less than 7 million km2. The main strike power of the ground forces is 4 armies and separate formations: 9 motorized rifle brigades, a fortified area in the Jewish Autonomous Region, 2 air assault, 3 missile, one rocket and artillery and 3 special-purpose brigades. It is possible that some large formations will be transferred to the Northern Group of Forces.
Air defense and air force under 3rd Command.
Ships of the Pacific Fleet are based in Vladivostok, Fokino and Vilyuchinsk. Fleet aviation deployed at a dual-use airportYelizovo and at the airbases Nikolaevka, Knevichi and Kamenny Ruchey.
Four units of the Aerospace Defense Forces are not operationally subordinate to command.
Formations of the Eastern District in the Pacific region
Preparatory work is underway to restore the former Soviet base Cam Ranh in Vietnam to serve the submarines of the Russian Pacific Fleet. The use of the base is planned jointly with the Vietnamese military.
Arctic Defense
A new administrative unit was included in the military districts of Russia at the end of 2014. For the first time in the history of the state, the Arctic territories received their own military structure. Its basis is the Northern Fleet, which will become the main strike force, as well as several units of the Western District.
Main bases for the fleet: Severomorsk, Vidyayevo, Gadzhiyevo, Zapadnaya Litsa, Polyarny. All of them are located in the Murmansk region.
In former times, the Arctic was under the control of four districts and two fleets. The formation under the code name "North" includes all reconstructed and newly deployed bases in the Arctic, including: on Franz Josef Land, the New Siberian Islands and Novaya Zemlya.
The revitalization of the activities of the armed forces on the northern borders is caused by aggravated international disagreements on issues of territorial influence in this region, the need to ensure the security of an increasingcargo traffic through the Northern Sea Route, as well as an increase in the production capacity of domestic mining enterprises on the shelf. The zone of responsibility of the new group includes not only the Russian Arctic, but also all the Arctic territories up to the North Pole inclusive.
