35th Army (Soviet Union)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The 35th Combined Arms Red Banner Army is a field
army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
of the
Russian Ground Forces The Russian Ground Forces (), also known as the Russian Army in English, are the Army, land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces are the protection of the state borders, combat on land, ...
. The army was first formed in July 1941 with the
Far Eastern Front The Far Eastern Front (Russian: Дальневосточный фронт) was a front — a level of military formation that is equivalent to army group — of the Red Army during the Second World War. Early war service Тhe Far Eastern Front wa ...
. After spending most of World War II guarding the border in
Primorsky Krai Primorsky Krai, informally known as Primorye, is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject (a krais of Russia, krai) of Russia, part of the Far Eastern Federal District in the Russian Far East. The types of inhabited localities in Russia, ...
, the army fought in the
Soviet invasion of Manchuria The Soviet invasion of Manchuria, formally known as the Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation or simply the Manchurian Operation () and sometimes Operation August Storm, began on 9 August 1945 with the Soviet Union, Soviet invasion of the Emp ...
in August 1945, and was disbanded shortly after the end of the war. Reformed at Belogorsk when Sino-Soviet tensions rose in the late 1960s in the Far East, the army became part of the Eastern Military District in 2010.


World War II

The 35th Army was formed from the
18th Rifle Corps 18 (eighteen) is the natural number following 17 and preceding 19. It is an even composite number. Mathematics 18 is a semiperfect number and an abundant number. It is a largely composite number, as it has 6 divisors and no smaller number h ...
in July 1941, part of the
Far Eastern Front The Far Eastern Front (Russian: Дальневосточный фронт) was a front — a level of military formation that is equivalent to army group — of the Red Army during the Second World War. Early war service Тhe Far Eastern Front wa ...
. It included the 35th, 66th and 78th Rifle Divisions, the 109th Fortified Region and smaller artillery and infantry units. It defended the Soviet border in
Primorsky Krai Primorsky Krai, informally known as Primorye, is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject (a krais of Russia, krai) of Russia, part of the Far Eastern Federal District in the Russian Far East. The types of inhabited localities in Russia, ...
. 18th Rifle Corps commander Major General Vladimir Zaytsev became the army commander. On 1 May 1945 35th Army joined the Maritime Group of Forces. In June, Lieutenant General and
Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union () was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society. The title was awarded both ...
Nikanor Zakhvatayev became the army commander. Zaytsev was still a major general and became the army's deputy commander. The Maritime Group of Forces was transformed on 5 August 1945 to the 1st Far East Front. It had as part of its structure the 66th, 264th and 363rd Rifle Divisions, the 8th and 109th
Fortified Region A fortified district or fortified region (, ukreplyonny raion, ukrepraion) in the military terminology of the Soviet Union, is a territory within which a complex system of defense fortifications was engineered. Each fortified district consiste ...
s, the 125th, 208th, and 209th Tank Brigades, and a number of artillery and other units. With these forces the army participated in the
Harbin Harbin, ; zh, , s=哈尔滨, t=哈爾濱, p=Hā'ěrbīn; IPA: . is the capital of Heilongjiang, China. It is the largest city of Heilongjiang, as well as being the city with the second-largest urban area, urban population (after Shenyang, Lia ...
- Kirin Offensive Operation during the
Soviet invasion of Manchuria The Soviet invasion of Manchuria, formally known as the Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation or simply the Manchurian Operation () and sometimes Operation August Storm, began on 9 August 1945 with the Soviet Union, Soviet invasion of the Emp ...
. During the Harbin-Kirin Offensive, the army was tasked with attacking from positions southwest of Lesozavodsk towards Mishan. The army was to defeat elements of the
Kwantung Army The Kwantung Army (Japanese language, Japanese: 関東軍, ''Kantō-gun'') was a Armies of the Imperial Japanese Army, general army of the Imperial Japanese Army from 1919 to 1945. The Kwantung Army was formed in 1906 as a security force for th ...
on the left bank of the Songacha River and capture the Hutou Fortified Area. Parts of the army were assigned to defend the right bank of the
Ussuri The Ussuri ( ; ) or Wusuli ( ) is a river that runs through Khabarovsk and Primorsky Krais, Russia and the southeast region of Northeast China in the province of Heilongjiang. It rises in the Sikhote-Alin mountain range, flowing north and formi ...
and Songacha Rivers, as well as defending railways and roads in the Guberovo and Spassk-Dalny areas. At the beginning of the offensive, the army crossed the Ussuri and Songacha Rivers using transports of the Amur Flotilla and captured
Hulin Hulin () is a county-level city on the Muling River in southeastern Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China. With a population of around 200,000, it is under the administration of Jixi. Nearby are Lake Xingkai, to the southwest, the ...
. It captured Mishan on 12 August and by the end of the next day had captured Dunan. The army then captured Kentey-Alin and Boli on 16 August. The army cut off the Kwangtung Army's line of retreat at
Mudanjiang Mudanjiang (; Manchu language, Manchu: ''Mudan bira''), postal romanization, alternately romanized as Mutankiang, is a prefecture-level city in the southeast part of Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China. It was called ''Botankou'' un ...
. By 19 August, the army was in the Linkou County. The army was then involved in disarming surrendering Japanese soldiers. On 1 October 1945, the army became part of the Primorsky Military District and was disbanded within a month.


Commanders

* Major General Vladimir Zaytsev (June 1941 – June 1945); * Lieutenant General Nikanor Zakhvatayev (June–September 1945).


Cold War 1969 reformation

In June 1969 the 29th Army Corps became the 35th Army. In 1968–69 four divisions were gathered to become part of the corps, later army, in the Far East: 265th Motor Rifle Division arrived in 1968, 266th Motor Rifle Division arrived from the
North Caucasus Military District The North Caucasus Military District was a military district of the Russian Armed Forces from 1992-2010. Before 1992 it had been part of the Soviet Armed Forces since 1918. In 2010 it became the Southern Military District and lately also included t ...
and the 31st Guards Motor Rifle Division from the Baltic Military District in 1969, and the 192nd Motor Rifle Division was activated that same year.Holm
35th Combined Arms Army
/ref> On 16 May 1977, the 31st Guards Motor Rifle Division became the 21st Guards Tank Division. In February 1980, the 67th Motor Rifle Division was transferred to the army from the
Leningrad Military District The Order of Lenin Leningrad Military District () is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The district was awarded the Order of Lenin in 1968. In 2010, it was merged with the Moscow Military District, the Northern ...
. In 1988 the 35th Army consisted of the:Feskov et al 2013, 594, Holm. Headquarters 35th Red Banner Army ( Belogorsk, Amur Oblast): * 21st Guards Tank Division (Belogorsk): 2nd Guards Tank Regiment, 125th Guards Tank Regiment (Ekaterinoslavka), 111th Guards Tank Regiment, 277th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment, 64th Guards Artillery Regiment, 1064th Guards Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment * 67th Мotor Rifle Division ( Skovorodino): 422nd Tank Regiment, 1212th Motor Rifle Regiment, 1216th Motor Rifle Regiment, 1217th Motor Rifle Regiment, 1302nd Artillery Regiment, 1042nd Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment * 192nd Motor Rifle Division (
Blagoveshchensk Blagoveshchensk ( rus, Благовещенск, p=bləɡɐˈvʲeɕːɪnsk, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Amur Oblast, Russia. It is located at the confluence of the Amur River, Amur and the ...
): 371st Tank Regiment (Svobodnyy), 190th Motor Rifle Regiment (Shimanovsk), 684th Motor Rifle Regiment (Svobodnyy), 679th Motor Rifle Regiment (Blagoveshensk), 1219th Artillery Regiment (Svobodnyy), 1414th Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment (Blagoveshchensk) * 265th Мotor Rifle Division (Vozzhaevka (Belogorsk-15), Belogorsky District): 373rd Tank Regiment, 212th, 421st and 695th Motor Rifle Regiments, artillery regiment, anti-aircraft rocket regiment * 266th Мotor Rifle Division ( Raychikhinsk/Raichikhinsk): 376th Tank Regiment, 155th, 430th, 785th Motor Rifle Regiments, artillery regiment, anti-aircraft rocket regiment * 12th Fortified Area (Blagoveshchensk) * Army Troops ** 768th Separate Protection and Security Company (Belogorsk) ** 49th Separate Tank Regiment (Belogorsk) ** 827th Separate
Spetsnaz SpetsnazThe term is borrowed from rus, спецназ, p=spʲɪtsˈnas; abbreviation for or 'Special Purpose Military Units'; or () are special forces in many post-Soviet states. Historically, this term referred to the Soviet Union's Spet ...
Company (Belogorsk) ** 153rd Rocket Brigade (Belogorsk) ** 178th Separate Helicopter Squadron (Belogorsk) ** Separate Unmanned Reconnaissance Squadron (Belogorsk) ** 54th Separate Communications Regiment (Belogorsk) ** 668th Communications Center (Belogorsk) ** Separate Chemical Defense Battalion (Belogorsk) ** 14th Separate Armored Train ( Magdagachi) ** 15th Separate Armored Train ( Svobodny) ** 16th Separate Armored Train ( Arkhara) ** 165th Machine Gun Artillery Brigade ( Nikolskoye) ** 38th Reactive Artillery Regiment (Berezovka) ** Reconnaissance Artillery Regiment (Berezovka) ** 1983rd Separate Engineer-Sapper Battalion (Berezovka) ** 396th Separate Reconnaissance Artillery Battalion (Nikolskoye) ** 71st Anti-Aircraft Rocket Brigade (Srednebelaya) ** Separate Pontoon-Bridge Battalion (Dzhalinda) ** 318th Separate Radiotechncial Regiment of Special Designation (OsNaz) (Ledyanaya) ** Separate Electronic Warfare Battalion (Ledyanaya) ** 1719th Separate Radio Relay and Cable Battalion (Pozdeyevka) ** 1899th Separate Radiotechnical Battalion PVO (Panino) ** 43rd Materiel Support Brigade (Tomichi) ** 6508th Repair and Restoration Base (Vozzhayevka)


Russian Federation

The 35th Army is still stationed in the Eastern Military District with its headquarters at Belogorsk. Until the 2008–2011 reform when it became the 35CAA, it consisted of three divisions: the 21st Guards (Belogorsk) and 270th (Krasnaya Rechka, Khabarovsk) Motor Rifle Divisions, and the 128th Machine-Gun Artillery Division ( Babstovo), along with smaller combat and support units. In 2009, the 128th Machine-Gun Artillery Division became the 69th Separate Fortress Brigade. In 2010, the 270th Motor Rifle Division became the 243rd Weapons and Equipment Storage Base. The 21st Guards Motor Rifle Division appears to have become the 38th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade. In 2016, the army consisted of the following units: * 38th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade ( Belogorsk) * 64th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade (
Khabarovsk Khabarovsk ( ) is the largest city and the administrative centre of Khabarovsk Krai, Russia,Law #109 located from the China–Russia border, at the confluence of the Amur and Ussuri Rivers, about north of Vladivostok. As of the 2021 Russian c ...
-41) * 69th Covering Brigade (Babstovo) * 107th Rocket Brigade (
Birobidzhan Birobidzhan ( rus, Биробиджан, p=bʲɪrəbʲɪˈdʐan; , ), also spelt Birobijan ( ), is a town and the administrative centre of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia, located on the Trans-Siberian Railway, near the China–Russia bord ...
/Semistochny) * 165th Artillery Brigade (Nikolskoye, Amur Oblast) * 71st Anti-Aircraft Rocket Brigade (Srednebeloye-2) * 35th NBC Protection Regiment (Belogorsk) (MUN 59792) * 54th Headquarters Brigade (Belogorsk) * 553th Signal Battalion (
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (, , ) is a city and the administrative center of Sakhalin Oblast, Russia. It is located on Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East, north of Japan. Gas and oil extraction as well as processing are amongst the main industries on ...
) * 668th Communication Center (Belogorsk) * 103rd Logistic Support Brigade (Belogorsk) * 240th Weapon Storage and Repair Base (Belogorsk) * 243th Weapon Storage and Repair Base (
Khabarovsk Khabarovsk ( ) is the largest city and the administrative centre of Khabarovsk Krai, Russia,Law #109 located from the China–Russia border, at the confluence of the Amur and Ussuri Rivers, about north of Vladivostok. As of the 2021 Russian c ...
) * 253th Special Purpose Battalion GRU


2022 invasion of Ukraine

In the context of the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
, elements of the 35th Army (including units from the 38th Motor Rifle Brigade, 64th Motor Rifle Brigade, 69th Fortress Brigade, 165th Artillery Brigade and 107th Rocket Brigade) had been deployed to
Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...
and were participating in active combat operations. In June 2022, Russian military bloggers reported that the 35CAA was routed in the battle of Izyum and that the remnants of the army withdrew to
Belgorod Belgorod (, ) is a city that serves as the administrative center of Belgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the Seversky Donets River, approximately north of the border with Ukraine. It has a population of It was founded in 1596 as a defensiv ...
, claiming that the number of infantry in the brigades of the army had fallen to "12-15 people (64th brigade), the combined number of 38th and 64th motorised brigades – less than 100 of truly combat-ready infantry in each brigade." On 4 June 2022 Ukrainian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces had almost completely annihilated the 35CAA. In August 2022 the remnants of the 35CAA were reportedly sent to defend the occupied territory of
Kherson Oblast Kherson Oblast (, ; ), also known as Khersonshchyna (, ), is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast (province) in southern Ukraine. It is located just north of Crimea. Its administrative center is Kherson, on the northern or right bank ...
on the West Bank of the
Dnieper river The Dnieper or Dnepr ( ), also called Dnipro ( ), is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. Approximately long, with ...
, alongside the 49th Combined Arms Army.


Commanders


Soviet era

The following officers commanded the 35th Army from 1969 to 1991. * Major/Lieutenant General Yury Zarudin (25 April 1967 – 8 February 1973) * Lieutenant General Yury Potapov (9 February 1973 – 18 December 1975) * Major/Lieutenant General Vyacheslav Dubinin (January 1976 – 1979) * Major/Lieutenant General Ivan Morozov (1982 – September 1984) * Major/Lieutenant General Fyodor Kuzmin (September 1984 – 5 February 1987) * Major General Valery Kotin (February 1987 – October 1988) * Lieutenant General Vladimir Toporov (October 1988 – August 1989)


Russian Federation

* Lieutenant General Yevgeny Vysotsky (August 1989 – September 1991) * Lieutenant General Evgeni Nikolaevich Malakhov (December 1993 – June 1996) * Lieutenant General Anatoli Mikhailovich Nutrikhin (June 1996 – August 1999) * Lieutenant General Aleksandr Vladimirovich Kutikov (August 1999 – June 2002) * Lieutenant General Oleg Leonidovich Salyukov (June 2002 – November 2003) * Lieutenant General Nikolai Vasilyevich Bogdanovski (November 2003 – June 2006) * Lieutenant General Igor Nikolaevich Turchenyuk (June 2006 – March 2011) * Lieutenant General Sergei Vitalyevich Solomatin (April 2011 – January 2017) * Lieutenant General Sergei Valeryevich Chebotaryov (January 2017 – September 2020) * Lieutenant General Aleksandr Semyonovich Sanchik (September 2020 – 2023) * Major General Sergei Semyonovich Nyrkov (2023 – present)


References


Citations


Bibliography

* * * http://samsv.narod.ru/Arm/a35/arm.html {{Armies of the Russian Armed Forces 035 Military units and formations established in 1941 Armies of the Russian Federation Military units and formations awarded the Order of the Red Banner