The Operational Group of Russian Forces in Transnistria (OGRF; ro, Grupul Operativ al Trupelor Ruse din Transnistria, ; russian: Оперативная группа российских войск в Приднестровье, ) is a sizable overseas military
task force of the
Russian Armed Forces
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (, ), commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military forces of Russia. In terms of active-duty personnel, they are the world's fifth-largest military force, with at least two m ...
. It served as part of the tri-lateral
Joint Control Commission
The Joint Control Commission ( ro, Comisia Unificată de Control, COC; russian: Объединенная контрольная комиссия, ОКК) is a tri-lateral peacekeeping force and joint military command structure from Moldova, Transni ...
in the region. 1,500 soldiers of the military force are based at the former decommissioned
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
-era
ammunition depot at
Cobasna
Cobasna (Moldovan Cyrillic: Кобасна; , ''Kovbasna''; , ''Kolbasnaya'') is a commune in northern Transnistria, Moldova that is composed of three villages: Cobasna, Cobasna station, and Suhaia Rîbnița. It is controlled by the self-proclaim ...
, where it guards around 22,000 tons of military equipment and ammunition.
History
14th Army background and Transnistria War
The
Soviet Army
uk, Радянська армія
, image = File:Communist star with golden border and red rims.svg
, alt =
, caption = Emblem of the Soviet Army
, start_date ...
's
14th Guards Army () was formed in November 1956 in
Kishinev as one of the only formation of the
Odessa Military District
The Odesa Military District (russian: Одесский военный округ, ОВО; , abbreviated ) was a military administrative division of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In 1998 most of its territory was transformed into the Southern Operat ...
to be stationed in the
Moldovan SSR
The Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic ( ro, Republica Sovietică Socialistă Moldovenească, Moldovan Cyrillic: ) was one of the 15 republics of the Soviet Union which existed from 1940 to 1991. The republic was formed on 2 August 1940 ...
. The army headquarters was moved to
Tiraspol
Tiraspol or Tirișpolea ( ro, Tiraspol, Moldovan Cyrillic: Тираспол, ; russian: Тира́споль, ; uk, Тирасполь, Tyraspol') is the capital of Transnistria (''de facto''), a breakaway state of Moldova, where it is the th ...
, the capital of
in the early 1980s. At the start of the
Transnistrian War, soldiers of the 14th Guards Army who were sympathetic to the
PMR cause "defected" with total military structure and commanding system, and remained under Moscow command, and, with some assistance of the Transnistrian Republican Guard, created the strongest local military force, despite the
Russian government
The Government of Russia exercises executive power in the Russian Federation. The members of the government are the prime minister, the deputy prime ministers, and the federal ministers. It has its legal basis in the Constitution of the Russia ...
's official declaration of neutrality. On 23 June, Major General
Alexander Lebed
Lieutenant General Alexander Ivanovich Lebed (russian: Алекса́ндр Ива́нович Ле́бедь, link=no; 20 April 1950 – 28 April 2002) was a Soviet and Russian military officer and politician who held senior positions in the Ai ...
of the 14th Guards Army, who had orders to evacuate the local
logistics center A logistics center, or depot, is a facility dedicated to logistical operations. A logistics center might be a warehouse, freight forwarder, or a repair depot.
The United States Air Force (USAF) is serviced by three air logistics centers (also known ...
, began an over two week battle which ended in an artillery strike on 3 July on a Moldovan unit in a forest near
Bender (Tighina). It is generally accepted that this strike led to the strategic victory of the Transnistrian/Russian military and the tactical setbacks of the
military of Moldova
The Armed Forces of the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Forțele Armate ale Republicii Moldova) consist of the National Army (which is divided into the Land Forces Command and the Air Forces Command) and the Trupele de Carabinieri under the Minis ...
, creating a Moscow-controlled occupational zone, and a Moldovan government had lost control over a part of Moldova.
OGRF establishment
After the war, the 14th Army was split between the
Ukrainian Armed Forces
, imports =
, exports =
, history =
, ranks = Military ranks of Ukraine
, country=Ukraine
The Armed Forces of Ukraine ( uk, Збро́йні си́ли Украї́ни), most commonly known ...
and the Russian Army, with most of the Russian contingent being absorbed into
Western Military District
The Western Military District (russian: Западный военный округ, Zapadnyy voyennyy okrug) is a Military districts of Russia, military district of Russia.
It is one of the five military districts of the Russian Armed Forces, ...
. The conclusion of the conflict in a
cease-fire
A ceasefire (also known as a truce or armistice), also spelled cease fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be between state act ...
resulted in the beginning of trilateral negotiations between the governments and militaries of
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
,
Transnistria
Transnistria, officially the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), is an unrecognised breakaway state that is internationally recognised as a part of Moldova. Transnistria controls most of the narrow strip of land between the Dniester riv ...
and
Moldova
Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The List of states ...
, which eventually led to the discussion of a joint peacekeeping force. In June 1995, the Operational Group of Russian Forces in Transnistria was founded by order of the
General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. In 2005, the force consisted of the 8th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade, the 1162nd
Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment, 15th Signals Regiment, as well as other support units.
The OGRF today
The OGRF ostensibly remains in Transnistria to guard
the ammunition depot at
Cobasna
Cobasna (Moldovan Cyrillic: Кобасна; , ''Kovbasna''; , ''Kolbasnaya'') is a commune in northern Transnistria, Moldova that is composed of three villages: Cobasna, Cobasna station, and Suhaia Rîbnița. It is controlled by the self-proclaim ...
. It also provides additional support to the
Armed Forces of Transnistria
The Armed Forces of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic ( ro, Forțele armate ale Republicii Moldovenești Nistrene, Moldovan Cyrillic: Форцеле армате але Републичий Молдовенешть Нистрене; russian: ...
. Today, around 350-400 troops with the operational force report directly to the JCC and can be assigned to it at any given time. The task force provides the largest contingent of soldiers in the region. On 27 June 2016, the Transnistrian government passed new law which penalized any actions or public statements that criticize the OGRF. The punishment for committing this crime is 3-7 years in jail. In recent years, the OGRF has taken part in
Victory Day Parades
ukr, Парад Перемоги be, Парад Перамогі
, nickname = Victory Parades
, observedby = Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, some former Soviet countries
, duration = 1 day
, frequency = annual
, scheduling = same d ...
in on
Suvorov Square, often to the dismay of Chisinau.
Calls for withdraw and UN resolution
Since its introduction, the OGRF has been met with criticism from both Moldovan and Western officials and observers, all of whom claim that the Russian military presence is either illegal or unnecessary. In November 2008, the
NATO Parliamentary Assembly
Founded in 1955, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA) serves as the consultative interparliamentary organisation for the North Atlantic Alliance. Its current President is Gerald E. Connolly from the United States, elected in 2019. Its curre ...
adopted a resolution, urging Russia to withdraw the force in accordance with its commitments at the 1999 Istanbul OSCE Summit.
In June 2018,
United Nations General Assembly
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Curr ...
adopted resolution (document A/72/L.58), which essentially called on the
Russian Federation
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
to withdraw the OGRF from Moldovan territory immediately. While the Moldovan government led by
Pavel Filip
Pavel Filip (born 10 April 1966, Pănășești, Strășeni) is an engineer and politician from the Republic of Moldova. In 2001–2008 he was the director of the Joint-stock company "Bucuria" and in 2008–2011, general manager of Tutun-CTC joint ...
supported it, President
Igor Dodon
Igor Dodon (; born 18 February 1975) is a Moldovan politician who previously served as the president of Moldova from 23 December 2016 to 24 December 2020. He currently serves as the leader of the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova. H ...
condemned the resolution, saying that the Russian presence led to the "creation of conditions for a political process of negotiations". Previously, Dodon supported the Moldovan parliament on this issue.
In 2020, Moldovan president-elect
Maia Sandu
Maia Sandu (; born 24 May 1972) is a Moldovan politician who has been the President of Moldova since 24 December 2020. She is the former leader of the Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) and former Prime Minister of Moldova from 8 June 2019 un ...
declared that OGRF should withdraw from the breakaway
Transnistria
Transnistria, officially the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), is an unrecognised breakaway state that is internationally recognised as a part of Moldova. Transnistria controls most of the narrow strip of land between the Dniester riv ...
, saying to the
RBK that although they guard ammunition depots, "there are no bilateral agreements on the OGRF and on the weapons depots.” She also stated that its her position that the "mission should be transformed into an OSCE civilian observer mission.”
In 2022, as the
Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
was taking place, the
Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine reported that residents in Transnistria were refusing to sign contracts with the Operational Group of Russian Forces despite being promised "high cash payments, social packages, and likely housing". The report also said that there were being several cases of desertion in the military unit and that there were not enough necessary resources to search for and recover soldiers.
Structure (as of 2015)
![FieldTraining2017-01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/FieldTraining2017-01.jpg)
* Group headquarters
* 82nd Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Battalion
** Battalion HQ
** 4 Motorized Rifle Companies
** Headquarters platoon
**
Grenadier
A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word '' grenade'') was originally a specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in battle. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when grenadiers were recruited fr ...
Platoon
** Technical Support Platoon
** Material Support Platoon
** Medical Platoon
* 113th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Battalion
** Battalion HQ
** 4 Motorized Rifle Companies
** Headquarters platoon
**
Grenadier
A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word '' grenade'') was originally a specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in battle. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when grenadiers were recruited fr ...
Platoon
** Technical Support Platoon
** Material Support Platoon
** Medical Platoon
* 540th Separate Command Battalion
** Battalion HQ
** Guard Company
*** Company headquarters
*** 4 guard platoons
*** Counterintelligence Department of the
FSB
**
Communication Center
** Field Mail Station
** Engineering Platoon
** Storage Department
** Maintenance Company (equipped with MTO-AT-M1)
In the Operational Group of Russian Troops in Pridnestrovie, a lesson was held with specialists from the repair company. Russian MOD
/ref>
** Material Support Company
** Fuel depot
** Military band
A military band is a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the tit ...
** Firing range
Commanders of the OGRF
The following generals commanded the unit:
* Lieutenant General Valery Yevnevich (November 1995–16 January 2002)
* Major General Boris Sergeev (16 January 2002–11 September 2009)
* Colonel Vyacheslav Sitchikhin (11 September 2009–2010)
* Colonel Sergey Nyrkov (2010–2011)
* Colonel Valery Plohotnyuk (1 December 2011–15 March 2013)
* Colonel Sergey Goryachev (15 March 2013–25 December 2014)
* Colonel Dmitry Zelenkov (25 December 2014–Present)
See also
* List of Russian military bases abroad
This article lists military bases of Russia abroad. The majority of Russia's military bases and facilities are located in former Soviet republics; which in Russian political parlance is termed the " near abroad".
Following the dissolution of th ...
* Russian military presence in Transnistria
* 59th Guards Motor Rifle Division
References
External links
{{Transnistria conflict
Army units and formations of Russia
Military installations of Russia in other countries
Military units and formations established in 1995
Military of Transnistria