New Russian formations - Update 005
Building a post-mobilization Russian OOB. Information cutoff: August 22nd - 2023
It's been over two months since my last update, so this edition feature quite a number of new entries and updates. I have included a summary of what's known about the new Combined Arms Armies (CAAs) and the 40th Army Corps.
Do keep in mind that these lists are highly likely incomplete, some entries could be wrong and this is very much work in progress. There's a also a good chance I've missed some reporting which could have identified additional units. On the new CAAs, information on composition of new subunits is also scarce.
I do get some help in the collection process so a thank you is in order, you know who you are.
18th Combined Arms Army
18th CAA coat of arms according to the Telegram channel of a prob 58th CAA officer.
The 18th CAA is recently formed in the Southern Military District. The Commander is reportedly Lieutenant General Arkady Marzoev.1
The main strenght of the 18th CAA is the Black Sea Fleet's 22nd Army Corps, part of the Dnepr Grouping and mainly deployed to Kherson along the Dnipro River, between the Black Sea and Nova Kakhovka.
The existence of the 40th Army Corps was included in my previous update.
New here is the addition of a 47th Motorized Rifle Division, reportedly formed in Sevastopol in the autumn of 2022, but unknown to me until now. I say low confidence as little is known about this division and I have doubts about many of the new divisions in general.
The 47th MRD, according to one source, confidence unknown, consists of one tank-, two motorized rifle regiments, artillery and rocket artillery battalions2.
No new info on the 144th MRB. The existence of one battalion is confirmed.
25th Combined Arms Army
Some early reporting indicated that the 25th CAA was being formed in the Central Military District, but is now confirmed to be a Eastern Military District formation, being formed in Irkutsk Oblast and Primorsky Krai.
Little is known about the composition of this CAA. Authorized strength is reported to be around 30 000 men3, but with regions struggling to meet recruitment quotas, current strength is likely low.
Combat coordination training will reportedly take place from September 1st to December 1st, before deployment to Zaporizhzhia.
One source4 reports that servicemen from existing Eastern MD units will be transferred to the 25th CAA, but for now I consider this speculation.
Regiments
New entries and other updates, quite numerous this time, are marked in yellow.
Note on command relationships
There is a great deal of uncertainty around how the units on these list fits into the organizational picture on the frontlines. If more information becomes available, I will include this in future updates.
Some regiments, as comments shows, have likely been incorporated or reorganized into certain 1st and 2nd Army Corps brigades.
Brigades
One new brigade added, the 52nd Artillery Brigade of the VDV5, located near Novorossiysk. This is kind of peculiar as previously, neither in Soviet nor Russian times has the VDV had artillery brigades.
Tank- and artillery units, independent battalions
5 artillery regiments added.
Divisions
As noted the last time, I'm starting to have doubts around the Motorized Rifle Divisions, as they aren't mentioned in reporting. The regiments in this list likely exists, unless they have been disbanded.
I do include them in case new information becomes available.
Clarifications and sources
Mobilized personell serve in all types of Russian formations: regular ground forces, VDV, Naval Infantry and the new formations so these lists doesn't show the true scale of Russian mobilization, recruitment efforts and ambitions. Voulenteer units, which exists in many shapes and sizes, are also excluded.
Except for the footnotes, I have not compiled individual references for each entry but the main sources for updated info are the CIT mobilization summaries, the CDS Daily Briefs, videos translated by @wartranslated in addition to own research.
Again, I'm grateful for those of you who send me relevant info.
Regards
The Lookout
https://e--osetia-ru.turbopages.org/e-osetia.ru/s/news/3647305/general-lejtenant-arkadij-marzoev-stal-komanduusim-18-j-armiej
https://amalantra.ru/18-armiya-rossii/
https://amalantra.ru/25-armiya-rossii/
https://m.vk.com/wall-54736904_36860
Thanks very much! https://cdsdailybrief.substack.com/p/russias-war-on-ukraine-12082023 has information on the 18th CAA's 70th Motor Rifle Division and it's regiments
Mr Iversen, update on the 25th CAA
https://altyn73.livejournal.com/1482267.html