69th Covering Brigade (Russia)
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The 69th Covering Brigade () is a unique border protection brigade 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, ...
, stationed at
Babstovo Babstovo () is a rural locality (a '' selo'') in Leninsky District of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia. According to the 2010 Census, its population was 4,465, of whom 3,075 (68.9%) were men and 1,390 (31.1%) women. Due to its proximity to t ...
,
Jewish Autonomous Oblast The Jewish Autonomous Oblast (JAO) is a federal subject of Russia in the far east of the country, bordering Khabarovsk Krai and Amur Oblast in Russia and Heilongjiang province in China. Its administrative center is the town of Birobidzhan. ...
, and part of the 35th Army. Military Unit в/ч 61424. The brigade traces its heritage back to the 272nd Rifle Division, which was first formed in the summer of 1941 and fought in 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 during World War II. It began with a Finnish declaration of war on 25 June 1941 and ended on 19 ...
with Finland north of Leningrad on the
Karelian Isthmus The Karelian Isthmus (; ; ) is the approximately stretch of land situated between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia, to the north of the River Neva. Its northwestern boundary is a line from the Bay of Vyborg to the we ...
. After Finland left the war in September 1944, the division was sent to the front again in January 1945, fighting in the East Pomeranian Offensive. Postwar, the division was relocated to
Kursk Kursk (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur (Kursk Oblast), Kur, Tuskar, and Seym (river), Seym rivers. It has a population of Kursk ...
, where it became a rifle brigade in 1947. Upgraded into the 272nd Division again in 1953, it was renumbered the
46th Rifle Division The 46th Rifle Division was a rifle division of the Red Army. History The division was formed in 1923 as a territorial unit, assigned to the 14th Rifle Corps of the Ukrainian Military District. Based in Kiev, it included the 136th, 137th, and 13 ...
in 1955, became a motor rifle division in 1957, and was restored to its original World War II number in 1964. As a result of the
Sino-Soviet split The Sino-Soviet split was the gradual worsening of relations between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) during the Cold War. This was primarily caused by divergences that arose from their ...
, the division was relocated to Babstovo in the Far East in 1967. In 1989, the division became the 128th Machine-Gun Artillery Division but was downsized into the 173rd Mobile Fortress Brigade in 1993. Converted back into the 128th Machine-Gun Artillery Division in 1997, the brigade assumed its current name in 2009 as a result of the
2008 Russian military reform The 2008 Russian military reform (), often referred to as the Serdyukov reform () after its originator, Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, was a major structural reorganisation of the Russian Armed Forces that began in 2009. Significant refo ...
.


History


World War II

The 272nd began forming on 10 July 1941 at
Tikhvin Tikhvin (; Veps: ) is a town and the administrative center of Tikhvinsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on both banks of the Tikhvinka River in the east of the oblast, east of St. Petersburg. Tikhvin is also an industrial ...
, part of 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 ...
. Its basic order of battle included the 1061st, 1063rd, and the 1065th Rifle Regiments, as well as the 815th Artillery Regiment. The division was almost immediately sent to
Petrozavodsk Petrozavodsk (, ; Karelian language, Karelian, Veps language, Vepsian and ) is the capital city of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, which stretches along the western shore of Lake Onega for some . The population of the city is 280,890 as of 2022. ...
in
Karelia Karelia (; Karelian language, Karelian and ; , historically Коре́ла, ''Korela'' []; ) is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for Russia (including the Soviet Union, Soviet era), Finland, and Sweden. It is currentl ...
, and was assigned to the 7th Army (Soviet Union), 7th Army on 31 July. The division fought in battles against Finnish troops north of Leningrad, part 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 during World War II. It began with a Finnish declaration of war on 25 June 1941 and ended on 19 ...
. During the Svir-Petrozavodsk Offensive in summer 1944, which forced Finland to leave the war, the 272nd fought as part of the
4th Rifle Corps The 4th Rifle Corps was a corps of the Red Army, active from the 1920s. First Formation It was formed during the Russian Civil War as part of the Western Front of the Red Army in May and June 1922. The corps headquarters was stationed in Vitebsk ...
. After Finland left the war by signing an armistice in September, the division became part of the 32nd Army's
134th Rifle Corps 134th may refer to: *134th (2/1st Hampshire) Brigade, formation of the Territorial Force of the British Army *134th (Loyal Limerick) Regiment of Foot, infantry regiment of the British Army, created in 1794 and disbanded in 1796 * 134th Air Refuelin ...
in the
Reserve of the Supreme High Command The Reserve of the Supreme High Command (Russian: Резерв Верховного Главнокомандования; also known as the '' Stavka'' Reserve or RVGK () or RGK ( comprises reserve military formations and units; the ''Stavka'' ...
. It returned to the front in January 1945 as part of the 19th Army in East Prussia. The division fought there until the end of the war, ending the war with the
2nd Shock Army The 2nd Shock Army (), sometimes translated to English as 2nd Assault Army, was a field army of the Soviet Union during the Second World War. This type of formation was created in accordance with prewar doctrine that called for Shock Armies to ''o ...
's
40th Guards Rifle Corps 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is a square number, the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. Evolution of the Hi ...
.


Postwar

The division received the honorifics "Svir-Pomeranian Red Banner" for its actions. On 29 May 1945, the 272nd and its corps, as part of the 2nd Shock Army, became part of the
Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany The Western Group of Forces (WGF), previously known as the Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany (GSOFG) and the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (GSFG), were the troops of the Soviet Army in East Germany. The Group of Soviet Occupation ...
.In August, the division was withdrawn to
Kursk Kursk (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur (Kursk Oblast), Kur, Tuskar, and Seym (river), Seym rivers. It has a population of Kursk ...
as part of the 96th Rifle Corps in the Voronezh Military District. In the spring of 1947, the 272nd was downsized into the 50th Separate Rifle Brigade, but became a division again in October 1953. On 30 April 1955 it was renumbered the
46th Rifle Division The 46th Rifle Division was a rifle division of the Red Army. History The division was formed in 1923 as a territorial unit, assigned to the 14th Rifle Corps of the Ukrainian Military District. Based in Kiev, it included the 136th, 137th, and 13 ...
while part of the
13th Guards Rifle Corps In music or music theory, a thirteenth is the Musical note, note thirteen scale degrees from the root (chord), root of a chord (music), chord and also the interval (music), interval between the root and the thirteenth. The thirteenth is m ...
. On 25 June 1957, it became the 46th Motor Rifle Division. At the same time it became part of the
Moscow Military District The Order of Lenin Moscow Military District () is a Military districts of Russia, military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Originally it was a district of the Imperial Russian Army until the Russian Empire's collapse in 191 ...
, and on 17 November 1964 was renumbered as the 272nd Motor Rifle Division, restoring its World War II designation. In February 1967, the division was relocated to
Babstovo Babstovo () is a rural locality (a '' selo'') in Leninsky District of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia. According to the 2010 Census, its population was 4,465, of whom 3,075 (68.9%) were men and 1,390 (31.1%) women. Due to its proximity to t ...
,
Jewish Autonomous Oblast The Jewish Autonomous Oblast (JAO) is a federal subject of Russia in the far east of the country, bordering Khabarovsk Krai and Amur Oblast in Russia and Heilongjiang province in China. Its administrative center is the town of Birobidzhan. ...
, as a result of rising tensions with China. The 272nd left the 153rd Motor Rifle Regiment behind at Kursk to provide a cadre for the replacement
245th Motor Rifle Division The 245th Motor Rifle Division (; Military Unit Number 46108) was a division of the Soviet Army and later the Russian Ground Forces, active from 1967 to 1997 and later from 2001 to 2006. History On 31 August 1967 in the city of Kursk the 245t ...
, and it was replaced by the new 695th Motor Rifle Regiment. At Babstovo, close to the Chinese border, the 272nd joined the 2nd Army Corps, but in May 1969 transferred to the 43rd Army Corps. In 1969, the 695th Motor Rifle Regiment transferred to the
265th Motor Rifle Division The 265th Motor Rifle Division () was a motorized infantry division of the Soviet Army during the Cold War. The division traced its heritage back to the 265th Rifle Division, which was formed in mid-1941 from an NKVD division. The 265th fought ...
and was replaced by the 265th's 424th Motor Rifle Regiment, and the 155th Motor Rifle Regiment transferred to the 266th Motor Rifle Division, and was replaced by the 266th's 209th Motor Rifle Regiment. During the Cold War, the division was maintained at 30% strength as a Cadre High Strength division. On 27 July 1989, the 272nd was converted into the 128th Machine-Gun Artillery Division. At the same time, the 209th Regiment was disbanded, and was replaced by the 63rd Machine-Gun Artillery Regiment, formed from the 3rd Fortified Area. In October 1989, the division transferred to the 35th Army. The 159th Motor Rifle Regiment was disbanded in 1990, and in 1991 the 1192nd Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment was disbanded, and replaced by the 1092nd Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment.


Service in the Russian Ground Forces

On 4 February 1993, the division was converted into the 173rd Mobile Covering Brigade. In December, the 155th Motor Rifle Regiment was split into the separate mobile battalions: the 229th, 231st, and 308th. On 12 May 1997, the brigade became the 128th Machine-Gun Artillery Division again. On 1 June 2009, the division was downsized into a brigade as part of the
2008 Russian military reform The 2008 Russian military reform (), often referred to as the Serdyukov reform () after its originator, Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, was a major structural reorganisation of the Russian Armed Forces that began in 2009. Significant refo ...
. The 69th Covering Brigade's mission is to provide protection for the Chinese border of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast. At some point after 2009, it received the honorific " Amur Cossack." In January 2017, its commander, Colonel Marat Gadzhibalayev, was sentenced to four years in a general regime
Corrective labor colony A corrective colony (, ИК/IK) is the most common type of prison in Russia and some other post-Soviet states. Such colonies combine penal detention with compulsory work (penal labor).''Encyclopedia of Soviet Law'' (1985) , section "Penitenti ...
on charges of abusing his powers, forgery, and taking bribes. There are indications that the brigade has been committed to action as part of the
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 ...
.


References


Citations


Bibliography

* * {{Brigades of the Russian Ground Forces Brigades of Russia Military units and formations established in 2009 Jewish Autonomous Oblast Military units and formations of Russia in the Russian invasion of Ukraine