In the course of detection and identification of military units of Russian invasion forces concentrated in the areas of Rostov region bordering with Ukraine, we identified the servicemen of so called 18^th Machine Gun-Artillery Division from Eastern Military District, military unit 05812, permanently stationed in the Far East, on Kuril Islands.

Precise information on the structure and weapons of the “islanders” “delegated” to Rostov region is not available. Presumably, this is a combined battalion of howitzer and missile artillery, which at this moment is located in a field camp in Neklinovskiy district of Rostov region.

Note: the servicemen of 18^th MGAD are not the first “guests” from the Far East of RF.  Since the end of the fall, we have identified in Rostov region combined units (battalion or company tactical groups) of 5^th Tank Brigade from Ulan Ude and 37^th Motorized Rifle Brigade from Kyakhta. In the end of December 2014 we identified a unit of 305^th Artillery Brigade from Ussuriysk, and recently we learned about paratroopers of 11^th Air Assault Brigade of Russian Airborne Troops from Buryatia that were killed in Donbas.

Reference: 18^th Machine Gun-Artillery Division is a unique division of Russian army, formed in 1978 in Khabarovsk Krai on the basis of 129^th Training Motorized Rifle Division. This division started its transfer to Kuril Islands in the same year.
18^th Machine Gun-Artillery Division, whose headquarters are located in the village of Goryachie Kliuchi, consists of:
– 46^th Machine Gun-Artillery Regiment with 264^th Separate Mobile Battalion (Lagunnoye village on Kunashir Island);
– 49^th Machine Gun-Artillery Regiment (Gornyi settlement on Iturup Island);
– 110^th  Separate Tank Battalion;
– 584^th Separate Repair and Refurbishment Battalion;
– 911^th  Separate Material Maintenance Company.
As of 2008, this division was reduced to the level of brigade, although future buildup and enhancement were planned. For 2009, the planned equipment was as follows: BM-21 “Grad” – 18, 2A36 “Giatsint-B” – 36, BM 9A34(35) “Strela-10” – 12, “Buk-M1” – 12, ZSU-23-4 (ZY-23-2) – 20, T-80BV (T-55) – 62 and MT-LB as the primary infantry transport.

Also on this subject:
– Ussuri artillerists of 305^th Artillery Brigade with “buddies near Rostov”
https://informnapalm.org/en/ussuriysk-gunners-russian-305th-artillery-brigade-bro-s-rostov/
– News from Buryatia – Twenty of Cargo 200 transported to Ulan Ude
https://informnapalm.org/en/cargo-200-delivered-ulan-ude-buryatia/
– “Eastern express” – Russia continues to transfer army from the East
https://informnapalm.org/3163-vostochnyj-ekspress-rossyya-prodolzhaet-perebrasyvat-vojska-s-vvo
– “Identification of invasion forces of RF army, units and their losses in the territory of Ukraine”
https://informnapalm.org/en/identification-units-russian-armed-forces-deployed-fight-eastern-ukraine/

Author: Irakli Komaxidze

(с) This material was prepared exclusively for informnapalm.org. The reference to the source is required when using the information.

Russian https://informnapalm.org/4981-gosty-s-sahalyna-18-ya-pulad

Translated by Andrii Gryganskyi.

edited by Max Alginin