The Russian Naval Infantry (MPR; ), often referred to as Russian Marines in the West,
operate as the
naval infantry
Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...
of the
Russian Navy. Established in 1705, they are capable of conducting
amphibious operations
Amphibious warfare is a type of offensive military operation that today uses naval ships to project ground and air power onto a hostile or potentially hostile shore at a designated landing beach. Through history the operations were conducted ...
as well as operating as more traditional
light infantry
Light infantry refers to certain types of lightly equipped infantry throughout history. They have a more mobile or fluid function than other types of infantry, such as heavy infantry or line infantry. Historically, light infantry often fought ...
.
The Naval Infantry also fields the Russian Navy's only
special operations unit, known as the
‘commando frogmen’. Frogmen are typically drawn from the Naval Infantry's ranks, and they are capable of a wide range of
special operations
Special operations (S.O.) are military activities conducted, according to NATO, by "specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment". Special operations may include ...
tasks and missions. Colloquially,
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
-speakers may refer to Naval Infantrymen using the abbreviation морпехи (morpekhi (plural), singular form: морпех (morpekh)).
The first Russian
naval infantry
Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...
force formed in 1705, and since that time it has fought in the
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
, the
Crimean War
The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia.
Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...
(1853-1856), the
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...
(1904-1905), the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
(1914-1918) and the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
(1939-1945). Under
Admiral Gorshkov (Soviet Navy Commander-in-Chief from 1956 to 1985), the
Soviet Navy expanded the reach of the Naval Infantry and deployed it worldwide on numerous occasions.
Since 2009
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
(NI) (
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
(NI) since 2014) has commanded the Naval Infantry in his capacity as the Deputy Commander for Coastal Troops/Commandant of the Coastal Troops of the Russian Navy.
The Naval Infantry, alongside the Coastal Defense Missile Artillery Forces, form part of a larger institution—the
Coastal Troops of the Russian Navy
The Coastal Troops () are a service arm of the Russian Navy, designed to guard Russian fleets' forces, personnel, and seashore objects against exposure to enemy surface ships; to defend naval bases and other important facilities of the Fleets from ...
(, ''Beregovye voyska VMF Rossii'').
History
Little is known about the Russian Naval infantrymen during the Imperial era of Russia because many of the units formed consisted of supernumerary ship crews of destroyed or immobilised Russian warships.
The history of the Russian Navy could be traced back to the 16th century with
Ivan the Terrible
Ivan IV Vasilyevich (russian: Ива́н Васи́льевич; 25 August 1530 – ), commonly known in English as Ivan the Terrible, was the grand prince of Moscow from 1533 to 1547 and the first Tsar of all Russia from 1547 to 1584.
Ivan ...
with the formation of his special team of
Streltsy
, image = 01 106 Book illustrations of Historical description of the clothes and weapons of Russian troops.jpg
, image_size =
, alt =
, caption =
, dates = 1550–1720
, disbanded =
, country = Tsardom of Russia
, allegiance = Streltsy D ...
"sea soldiers" as part of his crew of flotilla ships.
The official history of the Naval Infantry could be traced back to the creation of the Russian ship
Oryol
Oryol ( rus, Орёл, p=ɐˈrʲɵl, lit. ''eagle''), also transliterated as Orel or Oriol, is a city and the administrative center of Oryol Oblast situated on the Oka River, approximately south-southwest of Moscow. It is part of the Central Fed ...
(lit., Eagle), which launched in 1668 & sailed with a crew of 23 sailors & 35 soldiers, with the soldiers duties of boarding & capturing enemy ships & providing sentinel service under the command of
Ivan Domozhirov.
During the
Azov campaign of the
Russo-Turkish War
The Russo-Turkish wars (or Ottoman–Russian wars) were a series of twelve wars fought between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire between the 16th and 20th centuries. It was one of the longest series of military conflicts in European histo ...
, under
Peter the Great
Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...
, the soldiers in these units; many of whom were recruited by the
Preobrazhensky & the
Semyonovsky Regiment
The Semyonovsky Lifeguard Regiment (, ) was one of the two oldest guard regiments of the Imperial Russian Army. The other one was the Preobrazhensky Regiment. In 2013, it was recreated for the Russian Armed Forces as a rifle regiment, its na ...
s of the later-to-become
Imperial Guards, were shown to be particularly effective in carrying out those duties. Those soldiers would later on form the Russian Navy's very first infantry regiment consisting of 4300 men.
The first admiral of the regiment was appointed by no less than Tsar Peter I himself,
General Admiral Fyodor Golovin, who later gave the respective order to
Vice Admiral Cornelius Kruys on November 16, 1705, marking the glorious years following for the Russian Naval Infantry.
Official formation
In November 16 (27), 1705, following a decree of
Peter I Peter I may refer to:
Religious hierarchs
* Saint Peter (c. 1 AD – c. 64–88 AD), a.k.a. Simon Peter, Simeon, or Simon, apostle of Jesus
* Pope Peter I of Alexandria (died 311), revered as a saint
* Peter I of Armenia (died 1058), Catholico ...
, the first
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation.
In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...
"of naval equipage" () (or in other words, equipped and supplied by the
Russian Imperial Navy
The Imperial Russian Navy () operated as the navy of the Russian Tsardom and later the Russian Empire from 1696 to 1917. Formally established in 1696, it lasted until dissolved in the wake of the February Revolution of 1917. It developed from a ...
) was formed for
boarding and
landing
Landing is the last part of a flight, where a flying animal, aircraft, or spacecraft returns to the ground. When the flying object returns to water, the process is called alighting, although it is commonly called "landing", "touchdown" or ...
operations, on the ships of the
Baltic Fleet
, image = Great emblem of the Baltic fleet.svg
, image_size = 150
, caption = Baltic Fleet Great ensign
, dates = 18 May 1703 – present
, country =
, allegiance = (1703–1721) (1721–1917) (1917–1922) (1922–1991)(1991–present)
...
. The regiment had 1200 men (two battalions of five companies; 45 officers, & 70 non-commissioned officers), and from this pioneer regiment began the long history of Naval Infantry within Russia.
Great Northern War
In 1714, the regiment won a victory against the Swedes during the
Battle of Gangut
The Battle of Gangut (russian: Гангутское сражение, fi, Riilahden taistelu, Finland Swedish: ''Slaget vid Rilax'', sv, Sjöslaget vid Hangöudd) took place on 27 July Jul./ 7 August 1714 Greg. during the Great Northern War ( ...
. However, after the war, a review of the Regiment's performance during the war concluded that the regimental organization of the unit did not work with the organizational structure of the Navy's fleet and did not allow it to be correctly utilized in combat conditions. As a result, the naval regiment was disbanded, and in replace of it, five naval battalions of consisting of men drawn from the army was created in 1712-1714 & attached to the fleet:
:"Vice Admiral Battalion" - for service in the vanguard squadrons on the ships of the squadron's avant-garde;
:"Admiral's Battalion" - for service on ships of the squadron center;
:"Rear Admiral Battalion" - for service on the ships of the rear guard of the squadron;
:"Galler Battalion" - for service on combat ships of the Galere fleet;
:"Admiralty Battalion" - for guard duty and other tasks.
Russo-Turkish Wars
The Russian naval infantry were involved in a series of victories against the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
including the rout of the
Turkish Navy
The Turkish Naval Forces ( tr, ), or Turkish Navy ( tr, ) is the naval warfare service branch of the Turkish Armed Forces.
The modern naval traditions and customs of the Turkish Navy can be traced back to 10 July 1920, when it was establi ...
at the
Battle for Cesme Harbor in 1770, and
the taking of Izmail Fortress on the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
, in 1790.
Napoleonic War
During the prelude to the war, in 1799 the Russian naval infantry took the French fortress at
Corfu
Corfu (, ) or Kerkyra ( el, Κέρκυρα, Kérkyra, , ; ; la, Corcyra.) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the margin of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The isl ...
after a
four-month siege. In 1806, a Russian
landing force
A landing operation is a military
action during which a landing force, usually utilizing landing craft, is transferred to land with the purpose of power projection ashore. With the proliferation of aircraft, a landing may refer to amphibious force ...
took Naples by storm and entered the
Papal States
The Papal States ( ; it, Stato Pontificio, ), officially the State of the Church ( it, Stato della Chiesa, ; la, Status Ecclesiasticus;), were a series of territories in the Italian Peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope fro ...
.
During the
War of the Sixth Coalition
In the War of the Sixth Coalition (March 1813 – May 1814), sometimes known in Germany as the Wars of Liberation, a coalition of Austria, Prussia, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Sweden, and a number of German States defeated F ...
, the Russian naval infantry distinguished itself against ''
La Grande Armée
LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States.
La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* La (musical note), or A, the sixth note
* "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...
'' at the
Battle of Borodino
The Battle of Borodino (). took place near the village of Borodino on during Napoleon's invasion of Russia. The ' won the battle against the Imperial Russian Army but failed to gain a decisive victory and suffered tremendous losses. Napoleon ...
(1812),
Battle of Kulm
:''See Battle of Chlumec for the 1126 battle at Kulm
The Battle of Kulm was fought near the town Kulm () and the village Přestanov in northern Bohemia. It was fought on 29–30 August 1813, during the War of the Sixth Coalition. A French ...
(1813) and the
Siege of Danzig.
Crimean War
By 1813, significant parts of the naval infantry were transferred to the Army & subsequently lost naval connections. For almost 100 years, there were no large infantry units in the Russian Navy. Nevertheless, in 1854–1855, during the
Siege of Sevastopol against British, French and Turkish troops, there were renewed calls for revival of the military's Naval Infantry units. 17 separate sea battalions were formed and they participated in the defense of Sevastopol.
Early 20th century
Russo-Japanese War
During 1904
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...
, the naval infantry defended
Port Arthur against Japanese forces. Personnels were recruited from regular sailors & naval crews to make up the numbers. Seven separate naval rifle battalions, a separate landing squad of sailors, three separate sea rifle companies and several machine-gun teams were formed.
World War I
The question of the formation of permanent Naval Infantry Units were raised only in 1910 and in 1911, projects were underway under the Chief Naval Staff for the development of permanent infantry units in the main naval bases of the country: an infantry regiment under the Baltic Fleet, an infantry battalion in the Black Sea Fleet and the Vladivostok Battalion for the Pacific Fleet.
In August 1914, two separate battalions from the personnel of the Guards Fleet Crew and one battalion of personnel from the 1st Baltic Fleet Crew were created in
Kronstadt
Kronstadt (russian: Кроншта́дт, Kronshtadt ), also spelled Kronshtadt, Cronstadt or Kronštádt (from german: link=no, Krone for "crown" and ''Stadt'' for "city") is a Russian port city in Kronshtadtsky District of the federal city of ...
. In March 1915, a separate naval battalion of the 2nd Baltic Fleet Crew was transformed into the Marine Regiment of Special Purpose. It included a mine company, a machine-gun team, a communications team, regimental artillery, a technical workshop, a convoy, and individual commands of the steamer Ivan-town and boats.
At the end of 1916 and the beginning of 1917, the first two divisions of marines were formed; the Baltic Division and Black Sea Division.
The naval infantry was deployed to the Baltic to defend the homeland against German attack as well as the Caspian Sea for operations against Ottoman forces.
Post-Russian Revolutions and the Russian Civil War
These naval infantrymen, who served under the Navy of the Imperial State, would later on form the core of the naval infantry service of the young
Soviet Navy in 1918, which distinguished itself during the long
Russian Civil War
, date = October Revolution, 7 November 1917 – Yakut revolt, 16 June 1923{{Efn, The main phase ended on 25 October 1922. Revolt against the Bolsheviks continued Basmachi movement, in Central Asia and Tungus Republic, the Far East th ...
(1918-1922). Many of their fellow servicemen though supported the
White movement and distinguished themselves as part of anti-Soviet military operations during those years. Many were shot upon capture by Soviet authorities. Others were tortured and killed.
Soviet era
World War II
![Soviet naval infantry m43 uniform](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Soviet_naval_infantry_m43_uniform.JPG)
During World War II about 350,000 Soviet Navy sailors fought on land operations. At the beginning of the war, the navy had only one naval infantry brigade in the Baltic Fleet, but began forming and training other battalions. These eventually were:
* six naval infantry regiments, comprising two 650 man battalions each,
* 40 naval infantry
brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division.
Br ...
s of 5–10 battalions, formed from surplus ships' crews. Five brigades were awarded
''Gvardiya'' (Guards) status,
* On November 1, 1944, the greatly understrength Red Army
55th Rifle Division was converted into a garrison formation for the
Porkkala Naval Base
Porkkala Naval Base was a Soviet naval base operational from 1944–1956 in the municipalities of Kirkkonummi, Ingå and Siuntio on the Porkkala peninsula, 30 kilometers (19 mi) ''west'' of Helsinki, the Finnish capital.
The area was le ...
after the Finnish capitulation after the end of the
Continuation War
The Continuation War, also known as the Second Soviet-Finnish War, was a conflict fought by Finland and Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union from 1941 to 1944, as part of World War II.; sv, fortsättningskriget; german: Fortsetzungskrieg. A ...
.
* plus numerous smaller units
Many of the new units were raised as part of the Black Sea, Pacific and Northern Fleets. The military situation demanded the deployment of large numbers of naval infantry on land, so the Naval Infantry contributed to the defense of
Odessa
Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...
,
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
,
Leningrad
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
,
Sevastopol
Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...
,
Stalingrad
Volgograd ( rus, Волгогра́д, a=ru-Volgograd.ogg, p=vəɫɡɐˈɡrat), geographical renaming, formerly Tsaritsyn (russian: Цари́цын, Tsarítsyn, label=none; ) (1589–1925), and Stalingrad (russian: Сталингра́д, Stal ...
,
Novorossiysk
Novorossiysk ( rus, Новоросси́йск, p=nəvərɐˈsʲijsk; ady, ЦIэмэз, translit=Chəməz, p=t͡sʼɜmɜz) is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It is one of the largest ports on the Black Sea. It is one of the few cities hono ...
and
Kerch
Kerch ( uk, Керч; russian: Керчь, ; Old East Slavic: Кърчевъ; Ancient Greek: , ''Pantikápaion''; Medieval Greek: ''Bosporos''; crh, , ; tr, Kerç) is a city of regional significance on the Kerch Peninsula in the east of t ...
.
The Naval Infantry conducted over 114 landings, most of which were carried out by platoons and companies. In general, however, Naval Infantry served as regular infantry, without any amphibious training. They conducted four major operations: two during the
Battle of the Kerch Peninsula
The Battle of the Kerch Peninsula, which commenced with the Soviet Kerch-Feodosia Landing Operation (russian: Керченско-Феодосийская десантная операция, ''Kerchensko-Feodosiyskaya desantnaya operatsiya'') ...
, one during the
Caucasus Campaign
The Caucasus campaign comprised armed conflicts between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire, later including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus, the German Empire, the Central Caspian Dicta ...
and one as part of the
Landing at Moonsund, in the
Baltic
Baltic may refer to:
Peoples and languages
* Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian
*Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originati ...
.
During the war, five brigades and two battalions of naval infantry were awarded Guards status. Nine brigades and six battalions were awarded decorations, and many were given honorary titles. The title
Hero of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union (russian: Герой Советского Союза, translit=Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza) was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for ...
was bestowed on 122 Naval Infantry servicemen.
The Soviet experience in
amphibious warfare
Amphibious warfare is a type of offensive military operation that today uses naval ships to project ground and air power onto a hostile or potentially hostile shore at a designated landing beach. Through history the operations were conducte ...
in World War II contributed to the development of Soviet operational art in combined arms operations. Many members of the Naval Infantry were parachute trained; they conducted more drops and successful parachute operations than the
Soviet Airborne Troops
The Soviet Airborne Forces or VDV (from ''Vozdushno- desantnye voyska SSSR'', Russian: Воздушно-десантные войска СССР, ВДВ; Air-landing Forces) was a separate troops branch of the Soviet Armed Forces. First formed be ...
(VDV).
The Naval Infantry was disbanded in 1947, with some units being transferred to the Coastal Defence Force.
Cold War
![Soviet naval infantrymen DN-SC-91-02252](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Soviet_naval_infantrymen_DN-SC-91-02252.jpg)
In 1961, the Naval Infantry was re-formed and became a combat arm of the
Soviet Navy. Each Fleet was assigned a Naval Infantry unit of regiment (and later brigade) size. The Naval Infantry received amphibious versions of standard
armoured fighting vehicle
An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is an armed combat vehicle protected by armour, generally combining operational mobility with offensive and defensive capabilities. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked. Examples of AFVs are tanks, armoured car ...
s, including tanks used by 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 ...
.
By 1989, the Naval Infantry numbered 18,000 troops, organised into the
55th Naval Infantry Division at
Vladivostok
Vladivostok ( rus, Владивосто́к, a=Владивосток.ogg, p=vɫədʲɪvɐˈstok) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai, Russia. The city is located around the Zolotoy Rog, Golden Horn Bay on the Sea ...
and at least four independent brigades: the
61st ''Kirkenneskaya'' Brigade at
Pechenga (Northern Fleet), 175th at Tumannyy in the North,
336th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade at
Baltiysk
Baltiysk (russian: Балти́йск; german: Pillau; Old Prussian: ''Pillawa''; pl, Piława; lt, Piliava; Yiddish: פּילאַווע, ''Pilave'') is a seaport town and the administrative center of Baltiysky District in Kaliningrad Oblast, Ru ...
(Baltic Fleet), and
810th at
Sevastopol
Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...
(Black Sea Fleet).
By the end of the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
, the Soviet Navy had over eighty
landing ship
An amphibious warfare ship (or amphib) is an amphibious vehicle warship employed to land and support ground forces, such as marines, on enemy territory during an amphibious assault.
Specialized shipping can be divided into two types, most crud ...
s, as well as two
''Ivan Rogov''-class landing ship
An amphibious warfare ship (or amphib) is an amphibious vehicle warship employed to land and support ground forces, such as marines, on enemy territory during an amphibious assault.
Specialized shipping can be divided into two types, most crud ...
s. The latter could transport one infantry battalion with 40 armoured vehicles and their
landing craft
Landing craft are small and medium seagoing watercraft, such as boats and barges, used to convey a landing force (infantry and vehicles) from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. The term excludes landing ships, which are larger. Pr ...
. (One of the ''Rogov'' ships has since been retired.)
At 75 units, the Soviet Union had the world's largest inventory of combat
air-cushion assault craft. In addition, many of the 2,500 vessels of the Soviet
merchant fleet (''
Morflot
The Ministry of the Maritime Fleet (Minmorflot; russian: Министерство морского флота СССР) was a government ministry in the Soviet Union.
The Merchant Maritime Fleet of the USSR is abbreviated Morflot (). All Soviet ...
'') could off-load weapons and supplies during amphibious landings.
On November 18, 1990, on the eve of the Paris Summit where the
Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty and the
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
Document on Confidence and Security-Building Measures (CSBMs) were signed, Soviet data were presented under the so-called initial data exchange. This showed a rather sudden emergence of three so-called coastal defence divisions (including the
3rd
Third or 3rd may refer to:
Numbers
* 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3
* , a fraction of one third
* Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute''
Places
* 3rd Street (d ...
at
Klaipėda
Klaipėda (; ; german: Memel; pl, Kłajpeda; russian: Клайпеда; sgs, Klaipieda) is a city in Lithuania on the Baltic Sea coast. The capital of the eponymous county, it is the third largest city and the only major seaport in Lithuan ...
in the
Baltic Military District
The Baltic Military District () was a military district of the Soviet armed forces in the Baltic states, formed briefly before the Operation Barbarossa, German invasion during the World War II. After end of the war the Kaliningrad Oblast was added ...
, the 126th in 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 ...
and seemingly the
77th Guards Motor Rifle Division with the
Northern Fleet
Severnyy flot
, image = Great emblem of the Northern Fleet.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Northern Fleet's great emblem
, start_date = June 1, 1733; Sov ...
), along with three artillery brigades/regiments, subordinate to the Soviet Navy, which had previously been unknown as such to
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
.
Much of the equipment, which was commonly understood to be treaty limited (TLE) was declared to be part of the naval infantry. The Soviet argument was that the CFE excluded all naval forces, including its permanently land-based components. The Soviet Government eventually became convinced that its position could not be maintained.
A proclamation of the Soviet government on July 14, 1991, which was later adopted by its successor states, provided that all "treaty-limited equipment" (tanks, artillery and armoured vehicles) assigned to naval infantry or coastal defence forces, would count against the total treaty entitlement.
1989 list of units
Landing Assault units of the Naval Infantry
In addition to the Landing Assault Troops of the Ground Forces similar units were also formed by the
Soviet Naval Infantry
The Russian Naval Infantry (MPR; ), often referred to as Russian Marines in the West, operate as the naval infantry of the Russian Navy. Established in 1705, they are capable of conducting amphibious operations as well as operating as more tradi ...
with the main task to execute airborne landings (by parachute or by helicopters), take over and defend a beachhead for the amphibious landing of the main force. By 1989 these units were organized under their respective Fleet HQs as follows:
Red Banner Northern Fleet (''Краснознамённый Северный флот'') -
ZATO
A closed city or closed town is a settlement where travel or residency restrictions are applied so that specific authorization is required to visit or remain overnight. Such places may be sensitive military establishments or secret research ins ...
Severomorsk
Severomorsk (russian: Северомо́рск), known as Vayenga () until April 18, 1951, is a closed town in Murmansk Oblast, Russia. Severomorsk is the main administrative base of the Russian Northern Fleet. The town is located on the coast ...
, Murmansk Oblast, RSFSR
*
61st Separate ''
Kirkenes
Kirkenes (; ; Skolt Sami: ''Ǩeârkknjargg;'' fi, Kirkkoniemi; ; russian: Киркенес) is a List of towns and cities in Norway, town in Sør-Varanger Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, in the far northeastern part of Norway. The town ...
skaya,
Red Banner
Red Banner (russian: Красное знамя) was a symbol of revolutionary struggle used late Russian Empire, in Soviet Russia, and in the USSR and the background of the Soviet state flag and other similar flags.
Military units, instit ...
'' Marine Infantry Brigade (''61-я отдельная киркенесская краснознамённая бригада морской пехоты'' (''61-я обрмп'')) -
Sputnik, Murmansk Oblast
Sputnik (russian: Спутник) is the rural locality (a '' Posyolok'') in Pechengsky District of Murmansk Oblast, Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern A ...
, RSFSR
** 876th Separate Landing Assault Battalion (''876-й отдельный десантно-штурмовой батальон'' (''876-й одшб''))
Twice Red Banner Baltic Fleet (''Дважды Краснознамённый Балтийский флот'') -
Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad ( ; rus, Калининград, p=kəlʲɪnʲɪnˈɡrat, links=y), until 1946 known as Königsberg (; rus, Кёнигсберг, Kyonigsberg, ˈkʲɵnʲɪɡzbɛrk; rus, Короле́вец, Korolevets), is the largest city and ...
, Kaliningrad Oblast, RSFSS
*
336th Separate ''Guards'' ''Belostokskaya, Order of Suvorov and the Order of Alexander Nevski'' Marine Infantry Brigade (''336-я отдельная гвардейская бригада морской пехоты'' (''61-я обрмп'')) -
Baltiysk
Baltiysk (russian: Балти́йск; german: Pillau; Old Prussian: ''Pillawa''; pl, Piława; lt, Piliava; Yiddish: פּילאַווע, ''Pilave'') is a seaport town and the administrative center of Baltiysky District in Kaliningrad Oblast, Ru ...
, Kaliningrad Oblast, RSFSS
** 879th Separate Landing Assault Battalion (''879-й отдельный десантно-штурмовой батальон'' (''879-й одшб''))
Red Banner Black Sea Fleet (''Краснознамённый Черноморский флот'') -
Sevastopol
Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...
, Crimean ASSR, Ukrainian SSR
*
810th Separate Marine Infantry Brigade ''60th Anniversary of the USSR'' (''810-я отдельная бригада морской пехоты имени 60-летия образования СССР'') -
Sevastopol
Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...
, Crimean ASSR, Ukrainian SSR
** 881st Separate Landing Assault Battalion (''881-й отдельный десантно-штурмовой батальон'' (''881-й одшб''))
Red Banner Pacific Fleet -
Vladivostok
Vladivostok ( rus, Владивосто́к, a=Владивосток.ogg, p=vɫədʲɪvɐˈstok) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai, Russia. The city is located around the Zolotoy Rog, Golden Horn Bay on the Sea ...
, Primorsky Krai, RSFSR
*
55th ''Mozyrskaya'''',
Order of the Red Banner
The Order of the Red Banner (russian: Орден Красного Знамени, Orden Krasnogo Znameni) was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of th ...
''
55th Marine Infantry Division (''55-я Мозырская Краснознамённая дивизия морской пехоты'' (55-я ''кдмп'')) - Vladivostok, Primorsky Krai, RSFSR
** 165th Marine Infantry Regiment (''165-й полк морской пехоты'' (''165-й пмп'')) - Vladivostok, Primorsky Krai, RSFSR
*** unidentified Separate Landing Assault Battalion (''Н-й отдельный десантно-штурмовой батальон'')
** 390th Marine Infantry Regiment (''390-й полк морской пехоты'' (''390-й пмп'')) -
Slavyanka, Primorsky Krai
Slavyanka (russian: Славя́нка) is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) and the administrative center of Khasansky District of Primorsky Krai, Russia, located on the opposite side of the Amur Bay as seen from Vladivostok. Populat ...
, RSFSR
*** unidentified Separate Landing Assault Battalion (''Н-й отдельный десантно-штурмовой батальон'')
Russian Federation
![RussianMarines](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/RussianMarines.jpg)
The Naval Infantry of the
Russian Navy includes the 55th Naval Infantry Division of the
Russian Pacific Fleet
, image = Great emblem of the Pacific Fleet.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Russian Pacific Fleet Great emblem
, dates = 1731–present
, country ...
, the independent brigades of the
Northern
Northern may refer to the following:
Geography
* North, a point in direction
* Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe
* Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States
* Northern Province, Sri Lanka
* Northern Range, a ra ...
(61st Brigade at
Sputnik, Murmansk Oblast
Sputnik (russian: Спутник) is the rural locality (a '' Posyolok'') in Pechengsky District of Murmansk Oblast, Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern A ...
) and
Baltic
Baltic may refer to:
Peoples and languages
* Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian
*Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originati ...
Fleets and of the
Caspian Military Flotilla, and the independent regiment of the
Black Sea Fleet
Chernomorskiy flot
, image = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet
, dates = May 13, ...
.
In 1994, Exercise "Cooperation from the Sea" was conducted, in and around
Vladivostok
Vladivostok ( rus, Владивосто́к, a=Владивосток.ogg, p=vɫədʲɪvɐˈstok) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai, Russia. The city is located around the Zolotoy Rog, Golden Horn Bay on the Sea ...
, with the U.S.
III Marine Expeditionary Force
III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) is a formation of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force of the United States Marine Corps. It is forward-deployed and able to rapidly conduct operations across the spectrum from humanitarian assistance and ...
, to foster a closer relationship between the Russian Naval Infantry and the
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
. U.S. Marines and Russian naval infantrymen conducted their first exercise on U.S. soil the following year, in
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
. "Cooperation From the Sea 1995" was a maritime
disaster relief
Emergency management or disaster management is the managerial function charged with creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters. Emergency management, despite its name, does not actuall ...
exercise, which included cross training and personnel exchanges, and culminated in a combined U.S. and Russian amphibious landing. The purpose of the exercise was to improve interoperability, cooperation and understanding between U.S. and Russian personnel.
In 1998, the
22nd Motor Rifle Division,
Far East Military District
The Far Eastern Military District (russian: Дальневосточный военный округ; Dalʹnevostochnyĭ voennyĭ okrug) was a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In 2010 it was merged with the Pacific ...
, at
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatka, was transferred to the
Pacific Fleet. In 2000 the division became the 40th Independent Motor Rifle Brigade, and on 1 September 2007 the
40th Naval Infantry Brigade (40 отд. Краснодарско-Харбинская дважды Краснознаменная бригада морской пехоты). In 2013, the regiment became, again, the 40th Naval Infantry Brigade.
From 2000 onwards, the
Caspian Flotilla
Kaspiyskaya flotiliya
, image = Great emblem of the Caspian Flotilla.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Great emblem of the Caspian Flotilla
, dates = No ...
included a new naval infantry brigade, the 77th, based at
Kaspiysk
Kaspiysk (russian: Каспи́йск; lbe, Ккасппи; av, Каспиялъухъ) is a city in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia, located on the Caspian Sea, southeast of Makhachkala. The 2010 Russian census recorded the city as being the f ...
. The headquarters and two battalions of the brigade were scheduled to be established by August 1, 2000. It was reported by ''Agenstvo Voyenniykh Novostyei'' (AVN) in June 2000 that the new brigade, which may have inherited the lineage of the 77th Motor Rifle Division, was to have its troops housed in
Kaspiysk
Kaspiysk (russian: Каспи́йск; lbe, Ккасппи; av, Каспиялъухъ) is a city in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia, located on the Caspian Sea, southeast of Makhachkala. The 2010 Russian census recorded the city as being the f ...
and
Astrakhan
Astrakhan ( rus, Астрахань, p=ˈastrəxənʲ) is the largest city and administrative centre of Astrakhan Oblast in Southern Russia. The city lies on two banks of the Volga, in the upper part of the Volga Delta, on eleven islands of the ...
, along with as many as 195 combat vehicles and two
hovercraft
A hovercraft, also known as an air-cushion vehicle or ACV, is an amphibious Craft (vehicle), craft capable of travelling over land, water, mud, ice, and other surfaces.
Hovercraft use blowers to produce a large volume of air below the hull ...
sent to it from
Chukotka and the
Northern Fleet
Severnyy flot
, image = Great emblem of the Northern Fleet.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Northern Fleet's great emblem
, start_date = June 1, 1733; Sov ...
, respectively. The brigade was also reported to have had helicopters assigned to it.
Syrian Civil War
In early September 2015, it was estimated that approximately 800 Russian Naval Infantrymen had taken up positions all along western Syria with the majority of them being stationed in the mountainous city of Slunfeh in east Latakia – the remaining personnel had been moved to the Homs (Wadi Al-Nasara) and Tartous (Masyaf and Safita) Governorates in preparation for the
.
On the night of 19 to 20 September 2015, Russian Naval Infantry engaged in a fight with militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) near the city of
Latakia
, coordinates =
, elevation_footnotes =
, elevation_m = 11
, elevation_ft =
, postal_code_type =
, postal_code =
, area_code = Country code: 963 City code: 41
, geocode ...
. The militants tried to mount an attack on the
airbase
An air base (sometimes referred to as a military air base, military airfield, military airport, air station, naval air station, air force station, or air force base) is an aerodrome used as a military base by a military force for the operation ...
there, however, they were ambushed by the Naval Infantry. As a result of the clash, three militants were killed, two were captured, and the rest retreated.
Before dawn of 24 September 2015, Russian Naval Infantry went into battle for the first time since their deployment to Syria, Debka file's military and intelligence sources reveal. The 810th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade fought with Syrian Army and Hezbollah special forces in an
attack on ISIL forces at the Kweiris air base, east of Aleppo.
In November 2015, a Russian Naval Infantryman was killed during an operation to rescue the crew of a Russian
Sukhoi Su-24M bomber aircraft that was
shot down by the Turkish Air Force near the
Syria–Turkey border
The border between the Syrian Arab Republic and the Republic of Turkey ( ar, الحدود السورية التركية, translit=alhudud alsuwriat alturkia; tr, Suriye–Türkiye sınırı) is about long, and runs from the Mediterranean Sea ...
.
In March 2016, the
61st Naval Infantry Brigade conducted operations in which it aided the Syrian Army's
liberation
Liberation or liberate may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Liberation'' (film series), a 1970–1971 series about the Great Patriotic War
* "Liberation" (''The Flash''), a TV episode
* "Liberation" (''K-9''), an episode
Gaming
* '' Liberati ...
of the Syrian city of Palmyra.
The 61st also participated in the storming of the city.
Sources consider it one of the best trained and most combat experienced units of the Russian forces.
In mid-May 2016, Russian Naval Infantry helped Syrian forces
recapture the initiative in east Homs, while also recovering several points near the Al-Sha’ar Gas Fields and T-4 Military Airport.
In September 2016, it was reported that Russian Naval Infantry were conducting
operations on Aleppo's Castillo Highway.
Russo-Ukrainian War
= Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation
=
Russian Naval Infantry participated in the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
= War in Donbas (2014–2022)
=
The
61st Naval Infantry Brigade (Russia)
The 61st Naval Infantry Brigade (Military Unit Number 38643) is a formation of the Russian Naval Infantry. It is part of the Northern Fleet Naval Infantry and Coastal Defence Force. The brigade is based in the Sputnik military settlement, located ...
participated in the
Russo-Ukrainian War
The Russo-Ukrainian War; uk, російсько-українська війна, rosiisko-ukrainska viina. has been ongoing between Russia (alongside Russian separatist forces in Donbas, Russian separatists in Ukraine) and Ukraine since Feb ...
in the
Luhansk Oblast
Luhansk Oblast ( uk, Луга́нська о́бласть, translit=Luhanska oblast; russian: Луганская область, translit=Luganskaya oblast; also referred to as Luhanshchyna, uk, Луга́нщина) is the easternmost oblast ...
.
= 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
=
On 24 February 2022, Russian Naval Infantry started an amphibious assault on the
Sea of Azov
The Sea of Azov ( Crimean Tatar: ''Azaq deñizi''; russian: Азовское море, Azovskoye more; uk, Азовське море, Azovs'ke more) is a sea in Eastern Europe connected to the Black Sea by the narrow (about ) Strait of Kerch, ...
coast and besieged the city of
Mariupol
Mariupol (, ; uk, Маріу́поль ; russian: Мариу́поль) is a city in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It is situated on the northern coast (Pryazovia) of the Sea of Azov, at the mouth of the Kalmius River. Prior to the 2022 Russian i ...
.
Ropucha-class landing ship
The Ropucha class ( Polish for ''Toad''), Soviet designation Project 775, is a class of landing ships (large landing ship in Soviet classification) built in Poland for the Soviet Navy. The ships were built in Poland in the Stocznia Północ ...
and
Ivan Gren-class landing ship
The ''Ivan Gren'' class, Russian designation Project 11711, is a class of landing ship that is being built for the Russian Navy. The class was to be composed of two vessels, ''Ivan Gren'' and ''Pyotr Morgunov'', but later it was announced that t ...
capable of landing tanks have reportedly been deployed in the region.
By 9 November 2022, the 155th Guards Naval Infantry and 40th Naval Infantry Brigade participated in an attack on the Ukrainian
military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
garrison in
Pavlivka. Members of the unit claimed to have taken roughly 300 casualties, with many of these complaints shared with notable Russian media figures and the unit's garrison. The members went further stating the attacks took place due to their commander's desire to earn bonuses and distinction through awards. On 15 November 2022, a commander of the Russian-proxy Donetsk People's Republic indicated that lower-level commanders within the 155th Guards Naval Infantry disregarded orders in the attack on Pavlivka.
In December the
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
did an investigation into the deployment of the 155th Guards Naval Infantry to Pavlivka. Recruits were forced "lacked sufficient food, maps, critical medical supplies, or walkie-talkies, and they were forced to use 1970s-era Kalashnikov rifles — with some members having to resort to using Wikipedia to locate instructions for using certain weapons". There is also a shortage of ammunition, one soldier said "This isn't war. It's the destruction of the Russian people by their own commanders." Many used their Russian cellphones to call home which allowed Ukraine to track the unit and attack it. Many soldiers were volunteers but had "little experience" regarding the use of firearms.
Organization
![Oleg Kistanov](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Oleg_Kistanov.jpg)
The largest naval infantry units are brigades or regiments. A Naval Infantry Regiment consists of roughly 2,000 personnel and is equipped with the
PT-76
The PT-76 is a Soviet amphibious light tank that was introduced in the early 1950s and soon became the standard reconnaissance tank of the Soviet Army and the other Warsaw Pact armed forces. It was widely exported to other friendly states, like ...
and
BRDM-2
The BRDM-2 (''Boyevaya Razvedyvatelnaya Dozornaya Mashina'', Боевая Разведывательная Дозорная Машина, literally "Combat Reconnaissance/Patrol Vehicle") is an amphibious armoured scout car used by states that we ...
, consists of 1 Tank Battalion and 3 naval infantry battalions, one motorised with
BTR-60
The BTR-60 is the first vehicle in a series of Soviet eight-wheeled armoured personnel carriers (APCs). It was developed in the late 1950s as a replacement for the BTR-152 and was seen in public for the first time in 1961. BTR stands for ''Bronet ...
-series amphibious vehicles. brigades are somewhat larger. Although, sizes vary depending on mission and specializations.
Naval Infantry Battalions comprise the backbone of the naval infantry fighting force. The battalion is made up of three naval infantry companies, a mortar platoon, an antitank platoon, and supporting supply and maintenance, medical, and communications units. In all, the battalion numbers about 400 men. This unit, reinforced, constitutes the basic amphibious attack force in the assault landing-the battalion assault force (BAF).
At least one infantry battalion of each regiment or brigade is parachute trained, while all of the remaining infantry battalions are trained to be able to carry out
air assault
Air assault is the movement of ground-based military forces by vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft—such as the helicopter—to seize and hold key terrain which has not been fully secured, and to directly engage enemy forces behind e ...
missions.
Pacific Fleet
![Pacific Fleet Naval Infantry](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Pacific_Fleet_Naval_Infantry.png)
* 155th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade
** Brigade HQ
** 390th Naval Infantry Regiment
** 59th Naval Infantry Battalion
** 84th Tank Battalion
** 263rd Artillery Battery
** 1484th Signals Battalion
** Air Defense Battery
* 40th Naval Infantry Brigade, 40th ''Krasnodar-Harbin'' Naval Infantry Brigade (Kamchatka) – redesignated from 3rd Regiment in 2013.
Baltic Fleet
, image = Great emblem of the Baltic fleet.svg
, image_size = 150
, caption = Baltic Fleet Great ensign
, dates = 18 May 1703 – present
, country =
, allegiance = (1703–1721) (1721–1917) (1917–1922) (1922–1991)(1991–present)
...
* 299th Baltic Fleet Coastal Forces Training Center
*
336th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade– Baltiysk
** 877th Naval Infantry Battalion
** 879th Air-Assault (''Desant'') Battalion
** 884th Naval Infantry Battalion
** 1612th Self-Propelled Artillery Battalion
** 1618th Anti-Aircraft Missile and Artillery Battalion
** 53rd Marine cargo escort platoon – Kaliningrad
Northern Fleet
Severnyy flot
, image = Great emblem of the Northern Fleet.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Northern Fleet's great emblem
, start_date = June 1, 1733; Sov ...
*
61st Naval Infantry Brigade –
Sputnik, Murmansk Oblast
Sputnik (russian: Спутник) is the rural locality (a '' Posyolok'') in Pechengsky District of Murmansk Oblast, Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern A ...
** Brigade Headquarters
** 874th Naval Infantry Battalion
** 876th Air-Assault (''Desant'') Battalion
** 886th Reconnaissance Battalion
** 125th Armored Battalion
** 1611th Self-propelled Artillery Battalion
** 1591st Self-propelled Artillery Battalion
** 1617th Anti-aircraft Missile and Artillery Battalion
* 75th Naval Hospital
* 317th Naval Infantry Battalion
* 318th Naval Infantry Battalion
Black Sea Fleet
Chernomorskiy flot
, image = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet
, dates = May 13, ...
* 810th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade;– Kazachye Bukhta, Sevastopol (a Marine Regiment until 1 December 2008)
** 880th Naval Infantry Battalion
** 881st Air-Assault Battalion
** 888th Reconnaissance Battalion
** 1613th Artillery Battery
** 1619th Air-Defense Artillery Battery
* 382nd Naval Infantry Battalion
Caspian Flotilla
Kaspiyskaya flotiliya
, image = Great emblem of the Caspian Flotilla.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Great emblem of the Caspian Flotilla
, dates = No ...
* 177th Naval Infantry Regiment
Equipment
![Soviet naval infantrymen and PT-76 DN-ST-90-00772](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Soviet_naval_infantrymen_and_PT-76_DN-ST-90-00772.jpg)
Russian Naval Infantry had been gradually phasing out
PT-76
The PT-76 is a Soviet amphibious light tank that was introduced in the early 1950s and soon became the standard reconnaissance tank of the Soviet Army and the other Warsaw Pact armed forces. It was widely exported to other friendly states, like ...
amphibious tanks, and starting to receive a number of T-80s and upgraded BMP-2Ms. A full-strength Naval Infantry Brigade may have up to 80 tanks. The Russian Naval Infantry has 50 T-72B, 150 T-72B3, 30 T-72B3 mod. 2016, 50 T-80BV and 50 T-80BVM as of 2021. The APCs used by the Naval Infantry are either wheeled BTR-80s (in Assault Landing Battalions) or tracked MT-LBs (in Marine Battalions). Naval Infantry units are receiving BMP-3 IFVs; about 40 were delivered in 2021. BMP-3s may equip one company per Marine battalion.
According to a Defense Ministry statement published by RIA Novosti in November 2009, "All units of Russia's naval infantry will be fully equipped with advanced weaponry by 2015." Included in this upgrade would be T-90 tanks, BMP-3 IFVs, 2S31 120mm mortar/artillery tracks, wheeled BTR-82A armored personnel carriers, air defense equipment and small arms. All Naval Infantry units were equipped with Ratnik infantry combat gear and all Northern Fleet naval infantry units were equipped with BTR-82A APCs as of November 2016.
Naval Infantry and Navy units also receive new-technology binoculars. As of 2017 the Naval Infantry had started to receive a modernized version of Strelets reconnaissance, control and communications system and completed receiving D-10 parachutes. All Pacific Fleet and Caspian Flotilla naval infantry units were equipped with BTR-82A APCs as of September 2019. 40 BTR-82A were delivered for the Black Sea Fleet in early 2021. The Pacific Fleet Marines were armed with "Sectant" small robotic reconnaissance systems in late 2021.
In late February 2014, at least one Black Sea Fleet assigned unit (at company level) was apparently using Tigr (Russian military vehicle), ''Tigr'' armored cars near
Sevastopol
Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...
during the 2014 Crimean crisis. During the crisis in March 2014 imagery emerged of some Naval Infantry personnel carrying what appeared to be the OTs-14 Groza#Variants, OTs-14-1A-04 7.62×39mm assault rifle with an under-barrel GP-30 40mm grenade launcher, a bullpup design normally associated with Russian Airborne Troops, as well as Combat Engineering and Spetsnaz units. The marine corps of the Caspian Flotilla received modernized 5.45-mm Kalashnikov assault rifles, AK-74M with an "Obves" modernization kit in 2021. The newest anti-landing mine PDM-MD passed state tests in 2019-2020.
Heroes of the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation
Heroes of the Soviet Union
* Seaman Ahmed Dibirovich Abdulmedzhidov (1945)
* Petty Officer Noah Adamia, Noah P. Adamia (1942)
* Junior Sergeant Pavel Petrovich Artemov (1945)
* Lieutenant Mikhail Ashik (1946)
* Seaman Mikhail Avramenko (1945)
* Seaman Yakov Illarionovich Balyaev (1945)
* Major Mikhail Barabolko (1945)
* Seaman (Marines) Pazhden M. Bartsits (1944)
* Captain Nikolai Belyakov (1943, posthumous)
* Major General Petr Bordanovisy (1943)
* Corporal Ivan P. Dementyev (1945, posthumous)
* Lieutenant Petr Deikano (1943)
* Chief Petty Officer (Marines) Pavel Dubinda (1945, also full Cavalier of the Order of Glory)
* Staff Sergeant Varlam Gabliya (1946)
* Second Lieutenant Nikolai Kirillov (1943)
* Seaman 1st Class (Marines) Aleksandr Komarov (1945)
* Major Caesar Lvovich Kunikov (1943, posthumous)
* Gunnery Sergeant Nikolai Kuzhetsov (1943, also Cavalier of the Order of Glory)
* Petty Officer 1st Class (Marines) Yuri Lisitsyin (1945)
* Major Pavel Litvinov (1943)
* Seaman Kafur Nasyrovich Mamedov (1942, posthumous)
* Guards Sergeant Viktor I. Medvedev (1945)
* Lieutenant Nikolai Motshalin (1945)
* First Lieutenant Konstantin Olyshanskiy (1945, posthumous)
* Seaman Pavel D. Osipov (1945, posthumous)
* Lieutenant Pyotr Shironin (1943, shironintsy)
* Private Andrey Arkadevich Skvortsov (1943, shironintsy)
* Private Aleksandr Fedorovich Toropov (1943, shironintsy)
* Midshipman Sergei N. Vasilyev (1942, posthumous)
* Petty Officer Sergey G. Zimin (1943, shironintsy)
Heroes of the Russian Federation
* Starshina (Warrant Officer) Gennadiy A. Azarychev (1995)
* Lieutenant Vladimir A. Belyavskiy (2006)
* Senior Lieutenant Vladimir V. Borovikov
* Colonel Aleksandr Chernov
* Guards Lieutenant Aleksandr Darkovich (1995)
* Midshipman (Warrant Officer) Andrey Vladimirovich Dneprovskiy
* Senior Lieutenant Sergey Firsov
* Major Pavel Nikolaevich Gaponenko
* Major Andrey Y. Gushchin (1995)
* Major Vladimir V. Karpushenko
* Lt. Col. Dmitriy Nikolayevich Klimenko
* Guards Captain Yevgeniy N. Kolesnikov (1995, posthumous)
* Major General Yevgeniy Nikolayevich Kocheshkov
* Senior Lieutenant Yuriy Gerasimovich Kuryagin
* Major-General Aleksandr Otrakovskiy (2000, posthumous)
* Guards Captain Dmitriy Polkovnikov (1995)
* Guards Major General Sergey Sheiko (1995)
* Major General Viktor Shulyak
* Seaman Vladimir Vladimirovich Tatashvili
* Captain Viktor Vdovkin
* Senior Midshipman (Sr. Warrant Officer) Gregory Mikhailovich Zamyshlyak
* Midshipman (Warrant Officer) Andrey N. Zakharchuk
Sealift
![«Мичман Лермонтов»](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/%C2%AB%D0%9C%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%BC%D0%B0%D0%BD_%D0%9B%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B2%C2%BB.jpg)
The Alligator tank landing ship and more modern Ropucha-class landing ship is a typical amphibious assault ship. Propelled by diesel engines, this ship is relatively small, displacing about 4,500 tons. In 1978, the Soviets launched a new amphibious ship, the ''Ivan Rogov''. The advent of the Ivan Rogov was taken in the West as an indication that the Soviet Navy was planning to strengthen the power projection mission of Naval Infantry.
Twice the size of earlier ships, it can launch amphibious vehicles from its open bow doors. It also carries helicopters. Among the various small assault landing vehicles to launch from the bow are
hovercraft
A hovercraft, also known as an air-cushion vehicle or ACV, is an amphibious Craft (vehicle), craft capable of travelling over land, water, mud, ice, and other surfaces.
Hovercraft use blowers to produce a large volume of air below the hull ...
, such as the ''Aist-class LCAC, Aist'', which can carry the naval infantry ashore at speeds of fifty knots.
The composition and the class of the main ships:
* 4 units – Alligator-class landing ship
* 12 units –
Ropucha-class landing ship
The Ropucha class ( Polish for ''Toad''), Soviet designation Project 775, is a class of landing ships (large landing ship in Soviet classification) built in Poland for the Soviet Navy. The ships were built in Poland in the Stocznia Północ ...
+ 3 improved Ropucha-class
* 2 units – Zubr-class LCAC + 1 in hold (in More (Feodosiya))
* 5 units – Dyugon-class landing craft
* 2 units –
Ivan Gren-class landing ship
The ''Ivan Gren'' class, Russian designation Project 11711, is a class of landing ship that is being built for the Russian Navy. The class was to be composed of two vessels, ''Ivan Gren'' and ''Pyotr Morgunov'', but later it was announced that t ...
See also
* 2008 Russian military reform
* ADS amphibious rifle (2000s. New standard underwater rifle for Naval spetsnaz and certain other units)
* APS underwater rifle (Soviet and later Russian Navy standard issue for certain units)
* ASM-DT amphibious rifle (1990's, not widely issued)
* SPP-1 underwater pistol (Soviet and later Russian Navy standard issue for certain units)
* Frogman#Scope of operations, Combat and other types of tactical divers
* Drozd, Drozd active protection system (Used during the 1980s on the Naval Infantry's T-54/55 operators and variants#Modernization, T-55AD/T-55AD1 tanks)
* IDA71, IDA71 military and naval rebreather
* Protei-5 Russian diver propulsion vehicle, Protei-5 dpv
* ''Solo Voyage''
* Battle of Vyborg Bay (1944)
* Little green men (Russo-Ukrainian War)
* Malaya Zemlya
* Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive
* Telnyashka
Notes
References
Further reading
Независимое военное обозрение. Сокращение и плюс к этому расформирование* [http://mpeh.ru Журнал «Морской пехотинец»]
Три века славных дел* http://www.flamesofwar.com/Default.aspx?tabid=108&art_id=1197&kb_cat_id=100
* https://informnapalm.org/en/russian-marines-palmyra/
* https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/russian-marines-replace-syrian-army-aleppos-castillo-highway/
External links
*
{{Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
Marines
Russian Naval Infantry,
Soviet Navy
Military units and formations established in 1705
1705 establishments in Russia