Western Military District

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.

Western Military District
Западный военный округ
Western Military District
Emblem of the Western Military District
Active20 October 2010–26 February 2024
CountryWestern Military District Russia
BranchWestern Military District Russian Armed Forces
Part ofMinistry of Defence
HeadquartersGeneral Staff Building, Saint Petersburg
DecorationsOrder of Lenin Order of Lenin
WebsiteOfficial website
Commanders
Current
commander
Colonel General Yevgeny Nikiforov
Insignia
FlagWestern Military District
Western Military District
  The Western Military District, on a map of the five Russian military districts
Western Military District
Western Military District HQ at the Saint Petersburg General Staff Building

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. 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, 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.

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.

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.

History

The Western Military District, "with about 300,000 troops, was formed in 2010 from the Moscow and Leningrad" Military Districts.

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.

After a 15-year hiatus, the 1st Guards Tank Army headquarters was reformed within the district in November 2014.

In April 2017, the Defence Ministry reported that the 14th Army Corps had been transferred to the Northern Fleet Joint Strategic Command. 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.

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. 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.

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 [ru] (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. 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. "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.

Formations and units

Western Military District 
Russia's Comprehensive Security System Center in Saint Petersburg

Direct reporting units and formations

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:

1st Guards Tank Army

HQ: Odintsovo, Moscow Oblast (reinstated 2014)

6th Combined Arms Army

HQ: Saint Petersburg

20th Guards Combined Arms Army

Western Military District 
The bands of the Western Military District in their various uniforms.

HQ: Voronezh, Voronezh Oblast

Intelligence/Spetsnaz units and formations

Aerospace Forces

  • 6th Air and Air Defence Forces Army (HQ: St.Petersburg)
    • 105th Guards Composite Aviation Division
    • Naval Aviation (drawn from 132nd Mixed Aviation Division - Kaliningrad)
      • 689th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (Two Squadrons: Sukhoi Su-27P - planned to re-equip with the Su-35
      • 4th Naval Attack Aviation Regiment (One Squadron: Sukhoi Su-30SM; One Squadron: Su-24M)
    • 2nd Air Defence Division (St. Petersburg region)
      • 1488th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Zelenogorsk - S-400 SAM system)
      • 1489th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Vaganovo - S-400/Pantsir SAM systems)
      • 1490th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Ulyanovka - S-400 SAMs)
      • 500th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Gostilitsy - S-400/Pantsir SAMs)
      • 1544th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Vladimirsky Lager - S-400 SAMs)
    • 32nd Air Defence Division
      • 42nd Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Izhitsy - S-300PM2 surface-to-air missile system)
      • 108th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Voronezh - S-300PM2 SAMs)
    • 44th Air Defence Division of the Baltic Fleet (Kaliningrad region)
      • 183rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Gvardeysk - S-400/S-300/Pantsir SAMs)
      • 1545th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Kruglovo - S-400 SAMs)

Russian Aerospace Forces - Not Subordinate to Western Military District

Neither of these Russian Aerospace Forces armies are subordinated to the Western Military District.

  • 1st Air Defence and Missile Defence Army (air defence of Moscow)
    • 4th Air Defence Division
      • 584th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Mar'ino - S-300PM SAMs)
      • 210th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Dubrovki - S-400/Pantsir SAMs)
      • 93rd Anti-Aircraft Regiment (Fun'kovo - S-400/S-300/Pantsir SAMs)
      • 612th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Krasnoznamensk - S-300 SAMs)
    • 202nd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade (Naro-Fominsk - S-300 SAMs)
    • 5th Air Defence Division
      • 549th Ant-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Il'inskoye - S-400/Pantsir SAMs)
      • 614th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Pestovo - S-300 SAMs)
      • 629th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Elektrostal - S-300 SAMs)
      • 606th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Elektrostal - S-400/S-300/Pantsir SAMs)
    • 9th Anti-Ballistic Missile Defence Division (A-135 anti-ballistic missile system)
  • 15th Special Aerospace Forces Army (Moscow-based special Command of Russian Aerospace forces and responsible for cosmodromes and space-monitoring stations) reportedly receiving S-500 SAM/ABM system as of summer 2021

Leadership

Western Military District 
Colonel General Yevgeny Nikiforov, commander of the Western Military District since December 2022

Commanders

  • Colonel-General Valery Gerasimov (20–28 October 2010 (acting))
  • Colonel-General Arkady Bakhin (28 October 2010 – 9 November 2012)
  • Colonel-General Anatoly Sidorov (24 December 2012 – 10 November 2015)
  • Colonel-General Andrey Kartapolov (10 November 2015 – 19 December 2016)
  • Lieutenant-General Viktor Astapov (19 December 2016 – April 2017 (acting))
  • Colonel-General Andrey Kartapolov (April 2017 – 30 July 2018)
  • Lieutenant-General Viktor Astapov (30 July – November 2018 (acting))
  • Colonel-General Alexander Zhuravlyov (November 2018 – June 2022)
  • Lieutenant General Andrei Sychevoi, (June 2022 – dismissed by 4 September 2022)
  • Colonel-General Roman Berdnikov (3 October – 26 December 2022)
  • Colonel-General Sergey Kuzovlev (13–26 December 2022)
  • Lieutenant General (later Colonel General) Yevgeny Nikiforov (26 December 2022 – present)

Chiefs of Staff - First Deputy Commanders

See also

References

References

59°56′17″N 30°19′02″E / 59.9381°N 30.3172°E / 59.9381; 30.3172

Tags:

Western Military District HistoryWestern Military District Formations and unitsWestern Military District LeadershipWestern Military DistrictLeningrad Military DistrictMilitary districts of RussiaMoscow Military DistrictRomanization of RussianRussiaRussian language

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