Task Force of Russian Forces in Transnistria

Creation

In April 1995, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation issues a directive (Directive of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation dated 04.4.1995 No. 314/2/0296), in which the 14th Guards Army is renamed as the Operative Group of Russian Forces in the Transnistrian Region of the Republic of Moldova , the management of 14 Guards A. was disbanded, and the post of army commander was liquidated. As of July 1, 1995, the group included 52 formations, military units and institutions.

The staff number was 6,489 people, including:

• officers - 1362;
• warrant officers - 854;
• sergeants , soldiers - 4272.

In accordance with this directive, army control was halved, all posts in the new state were reduced by three to four categories, and accordingly, salaries were reduced in accordance with these categories ^[1] .

Disarmament and reduction of OGRFs

As a result of the organizational measures carried out in 1995, the staff of the Focus Group was reduced by 1,044 military posts, including:

• officers - 163;
• warrant officers - 187;
• sergeants, soldiers - 694;

and amounted to 5,445 posts of military personnel, including officers - 1,200, warrant officers - 667, sergeants, soldiers - 3,578. Organizational measures carried out in 1995 were aimed at a quantitative reduction of military units and institutions and the reduction of command and control bodies without taking into account the tasks to be solved.

Subsequently, according to the results of organizational activities held in 1996, the staffing level was reduced by 353 military posts, including:

• officers - 89;
• warrant officers - 58;
• sergeants, soldiers - 206;

and amounted to 5,092 military posts, including 1111 officers, 609 warrant officers, sergeants, and 3372 soldiers.

In 1997, the staffing was reduced by 2082 military posts, including:

• officers - 470;
• warrant officers - 216;
• sergeants, soldiers - 1396;

and amounted to 3010 posts, including: officers - 641, warrant officers - 393, sergeants, soldiers - 1 976.

In 1998, organizational measures were taken to further "optimize" the organizational and staff structures, to relocate military units and institutions to large military towns of the Tiraspol garrison in order to save money on utility bills ^[2] .

In accordance with the decision of the Istanbul meeting of the OSCE (1999), Russia undertook to withdraw weapons and all personnel from the territory of the PMR even before 2001 ^[3] . As of 2000, the amount of arms and ammunition belonging to Russia in the Transnistrian region of Moldova amounted to about 42,000 tons. From 2000 to 2004, about 50% of armaments, military equipment, and ammunition were removed or destroyed on the spot from here. Currently, according to various estimates, there are from 19,000 ^[4] to 21,500 ^[5] tons of ammunition in the warehouse: shells, air bombs, mines, grenades, cartridges ^[6] . Of these, 57% are overdue for use and transportation. All weapons and military equipment were removed or destroyed ^{[7] [8] [9]} .

Today, two separate motorized rifle battalions remain in the OG in Transnistria (they carry out peacekeeping missions), a security and maintenance battalion. The 82nd and 113th motorized rifle battalions alternately carry out a peacekeeping mission on the Dniester, replacing each other a year later. The total number of OGRVP including peacekeeping forces is about 1700 military personnel ^{[10] [11]} .

The Russian group in Transnistria does not have a strike orientation, it does not have means of providing missile defense or air defense, nuclear deterrence, there are no test sites, radars, communications centers, artillery, aviation, tanks that would be paired with the Russian army ^[12] . OGRVP performs, in fact, a symbolic function, denoting the Russian military presence. Picking takes place mainly at the expense of local residents ^[13] .

The attitude of the Moldovan authorities

The authorities of Moldova have repeatedly demanded the withdrawal of a group of troops from the territory of the PMR, and the Moldovan parliament considers its location as one of the main threats to the national security of the country.

In June 2018, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling on Russia to withdraw its troops from Transnistria ^{[14] [15] [16]} . The Russian Foreign Ministry called the resolution a “propaganda move” and stated that they were not going to implement it ^[17] .

Moldovan President Igor Dodon is categorically against the withdrawal of Russian troops ^[18] .

1. Preparing military personnel for participation and peacekeeping operations.
2. Ensuring the safety of weapons, ammunition and materiel.
3. Actions by decision of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation when the situation in the region changes ^[19] .

Composition of the OGRA as of 1995

• Group management - military unit 13962 (Tiraspol).
• 59th Guards Motorized Rifle Kramatorskaya Red Banner, Orders of Suvorov and Bogdan of the Khmelnitsky Division - military unit 35770 (Tiraspol).
• 1387th command and intelligence center - military unit 62543 (Tiraspol).
• The 818th separate special-purpose company - military unit 35792 ( airfield Tiraspol).
• The 976th separate battalion of electronic warfare - military unit 51962 (Slobodzeysky district, village of Parkany).
• The 15th Separate Guard Order of the Red Star Regiment of Communications - military unit 33104 (Tiraspol).
• N-fixed stationary communication center “Pattern” (Tiraspol).
• 504th station of the courier postal service - military unit 62417 (Tiraspol).
• The 58th separate radio engineering air defense battalion - military unit 17599 (Tiraspol).
• 865th air defense command post - military unit 13962-M (Tiraspol city).
• 425th Separate Engineer Battalion.
• 97th separate pontoon-bridge battalion.
• The 130th separate battalion of radiation, chemical and biological protection - military unit 29850 (the city of Bender).
• 395th separate company of protection and service (Tiraspol city).
• Personnel of the management of the 93rd brigade of logistics - military unit 12014 (Tiraspol).
• 223rd separate repair and restoration battalion - military unit 55492 (Tiraspol).
• 36th separate helicopter squadron - military unit 03514 (airfield Tiraspol).
• 143rd separate company of aerodrome technical maintenance - military unit 12384 (airfield Tiraspol).
• The 1464th separate communications and radio engineering company - military unit 45127 (Tiraspol airfield).
• 114th weather bureau - military unit 92462 (airfield Tiraspol).
• 799th Military Fire Protection and Rescue Team (Rybnitsky District, Kolbasna Village).
• Tiraspol apartment-operational part of the district (Tiraspol).
• Garrison Officer Club (Tiraspol).
• Other units of the unit and institution.

The staff number was 6,489 military personnel ^[11]

Composition of the OGRV as of 2002 ^[20]

• OGRV headquarters
• 8th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade
• 1162th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment
• 15th Separate Communication Regiment
• air group

Composition of the OGRV as of 2015

• Office OGRV in the Republic of Moldova - military unit 13962. Address: MD-3300, Republic of Moldova , Tiraspol-17, per. Chkalova, 45.
• 82nd Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Battalion - military unit 74273. Address: MD-3300, Republic of Moldova, Tiraspol, st. K. Liebknecht, 159.
  • battalion administration;
  • four motorized rifle companies;
  • control platoon;
  • grenade platoon;
  • technical platoon;
  • platoon of material support;
  • medical platoon.
• 113th separate guards motorized rifle battalion - military unit 22137. Address: MD-3300, Republic of Moldova, Tiraspol, st. K. Liebknecht, 159.
  • battalion administration;
  • four motorized rifle companies;
  • control platoon;
  • grenade platoon;
  • technical platoon;
  • platoon of material support;
  • medical platoon.
• 540th separate control battalion of military unit 09353. Address: MD-3300, Republic of Moldova, Tiraspol, st. K. Liebknecht, 159.
  • command (battalion commander, deputy battalion commander (during wartime), deputy educational battalion commander, psychologist (RA employee), deputy armament battalion commander, deputy battalion rear commander) and battalion headquarters;
  • security company, organizationally consisting of the company’s department, 4 security platoons, the military prosecution’s security department and the security department of the FSB’s military counterintelligence department;
  • communication center;
  • station of courier postal service;
  • engineer sapper platoon;
  • Department of storage and disposal of weapons and military equipment;
  • maintenance company;
  • company of material support;
  • fuel depot;
  • military band;
  • polygon.

• Evnevich Valery Gennadievich , lieutenant general (November 1995 - January 16, 2002),
• Sergeev Boris Nikolaevich, Major General (January 16, 2002 - September 11, 2009),
• Sitchikhin Vyacheslav Yurievich, Colonel (from September 11, 2009 - 2010),
• Nyrkov Sergey Semenovich, Colonel (2010 - 2011),
• Plokhotnyuk Valery Vladimirovich, Colonel (December 1, 2011 - March 15, 2013),
• Goryachev Sergey Vladimirovich, Colonel (March 15, 2013 - December 25, 2014),
• Zelenkov Dmitry Yuryevich, Colonel (December 25, 2014 - present ).

• Russian military facilities abroad
• 450 Military Hospital