The 7th Separate Guards Motor Rifle " Chistyakov" Brigade (;

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08807) is a military unit of

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, ...

. Until January 1, 2023, it was part of the Luhansk People's Militia. It is attached to the 3rd Guards Combined Arms Army.

History

War in Donbas

The 7th Separate Guards Motor Rifle "Chistyakov" Brigade was formed in

Torez Chystiakove (, ; ), formerly Torez (Ukrainian and ) until 2016, is a city in Donetsk Oblast, in eastern Ukraine. The city is a center of the regional coal industry and much of its economy relies on mining, despite a recent drop in the number of ...

, in Donetsk oblast, from part of the group of militants who had fought under

Igor Girkin Igor Vsevolodovich Girkin ( rus, И́горь Все́володович Ги́ркин, p=ˈiɡərʲ ˈfsʲevələdəvʲɪdʑ ˈɡʲirkʲɪn; born 17 December 1970), also known by the alias Igor Ivanovich Strelkov ( rus, И́горь Ива́ ...

Sloviansk Sloviansk is a city in Donetsk Oblast, northern part of the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. The city was known as ''Tor'' until 1784. While it did not actually belong to the raion itself, Sloviansk served as the administrative center of the S ...

and escaped from encirclement there. For a short period of time in 2015, part of Girkin's Slavyansk Brigade was formed into the DPR 1st Army Corps 7th Slavyansk Motor Rifle Brigade. This brigade had at least one Motor rifle battalion. At an unknown date in late 2015, the 7th Slavyansk Motor Rifle Brigade was transferred to the LPR 2nd Army Corps, and disappeared from the DPR 1st Army Corps order of battle. Colonel Alexander Bushuev was the brigade's commander since September 2015 until his death on July 3, 2016. The name "Chistyakov" was given to the brigade after the capture of Debaltseve by combined DPR, LPR and Russian forces, taking the name of a Soviet-era formation which took part in operations in Donbas during the Second World War. In October 2018, the brigade was awarded the honorary title of "Guards" by the head of the LPR,

Leonid Pasechnik Leonid Ivanovich Pasechnik (; ; born 15 March 1970) is a Russian politician who has served as head of the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) since 2017. He holds the position in acting capacity ever since the Russian annexation of Donetsk, Kherson ...

. The brigade is stationed in

Brianka Brianka (, ) is a city in Kadiivka urban hromada, Alchevsk Raion (district), Luhansk Oblast (region), Ukraine. It is located in the Donbas region, between the cities of Kadiivka and Alchevsk. Brianka is incorporated as a city of oblast signifi ...

Russian invasion of Ukraine

It was reported in late May 2022 that the brigade had taken part in combat at

Sievierodonetsk Sievierodonetsk or Severodonetsk, officially since 2024 Siverskodonetsk, is a city in Luhansk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. It is located to the northeast of the left bank of the Donets river and approximately to the northwest from the administrati ...

. The brigade also took part in the

battle of Lysychansk The battle of Lysychansk was a military engagement between Russia and Ukraine in the wider Battle of Donbas (2022), battle of Donbas of the eastern Ukraine campaign during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. By May 2022, Lysychansk and its twin ci ...

Structure

* 1st Motor Rifle Battalion * 2nd Motor Rifle Battalion * 3rd Motor Rifle Battalion * Tank battalion * Self-propelled artillery battalion * Towed artillery battalion * Rocket artillery battalion

References

{{Brigades of the Russian Ground Forces Military units and formations established in 2014 Pro-Russian militant groups Separatist forces of the war in Donbas 2014 establishments in Ukraine Paramilitary organizations based in Ukraine Military of the Luhansk People's Republic Military units and formations of Russia in the Russian invasion of Ukraine