{"id":8680,"date":"2016-07-23T08:09:38","date_gmt":"2016-07-23T08:09:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/?p=8680"},"modified":"2016-07-30T03:52:13","modified_gmt":"2016-07-30T03:52:13","slug":"tour-russian-military-bases-along-ukrainian-border-part-2-valuyki","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/informnapalm.org\/en\/tour-russian-military-bases-along-ukrainian-border-part-2-valuyki\/","title":{"rendered":"A Tour of Russian Military Bases Along the Ukrainian Border. Part 2. Valuyki"},"content":{"rendered":"

OSINT experts from the international volunteer group InformNapalm continue monitoring the deployment of Russian military units along the full length of the border between Russia and Ukraine. The large scale militarization of the borderland areas near Ukraine carries a threat not only to Ukraine, but also to our Western neighbors. We dedicate this publication to the 75<\/b>th<\/b> anniversary of the Nazi attack on the Soviet Union. Just like then, today we are experiencing a foreign aggression, coming this time from the \u201cbrotherly\u201d nation of Putin\u2019s Russia.<\/b><\/p>\n

For about two weeks the international informational space was emotionally reacting to the beginning of the build-out<\/a><\/span> \u00a0of a number of military bases close to the Ukrainian border. Some have, for the first time, heard about a town in Bryansk Oblast called Klintsy and are now carefully figuring out the distance from it to Chernihiv (Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine) and Gomel (Gomel Oblast, Belarus). Others have started talking about another base <\/a>being built in Valuyki (Belgorod Oblast), relatively close to the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv<\/span> , claiming to have exclusive information from anonymous sources. The focus is not even on the buildup itself, because this fact has been known since the fall of 2015 (thanks to the Russian Defense Ministry contract RFPs), but on the deployment of the 23<\/span>rd<\/span> Separate Motor Rifle Brigade from Samara.<\/span> \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Note that InformNapalm reported<\/a> about this deployment <\/b>\u00a0 as early as in January 2016, noting that servicemen of this unit celebrated New Year in barracks on the territory of the base. We do not care for sensational reporting, we just share the information we obtain in the result of OSINT investigations.<\/b><\/p>\n

At this time the new base of the 23<\/span>rd<\/span> Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade (military unit 65349 based in Samara, Central Military District; military unit 34670 based in Valuyki, Western Military District) is located on the territory of the airfield in the town of Valuyki, Belgorod Oblast. Meanwhile, the permanent facilities of the base are being constructed by the workers of \u201cSpetsstroy\u201d [\u201cFederal Agency for Special Construction\u201d] under the contract with the Ministry of Defense just outside Valuyki, in the Soloti village (coordinates<\/a><\/span> \u00a0)<\/span><\/p>\n

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In February 2016 this agency delivered temporary housing for the military personnel: more than 200 modular trailers with the capacity for a thousand people<\/a><\/span> . Meanwhile, a new garrison town in Belgorod Oblast for the military unit from Samara is planned to be delivered in the coming November.<\/span><\/p>\n

With the help of satellite photos we can estimate the size of the garrison town for the 23<\/span>rd<\/span> Separate Motor Rifle Brigade in Valuyki as of October 2015. For example, we can clearly see the already familiar buildings of the APL-500 type<\/a><\/span> , used in Kadamovsky and Kuzminsky garrisons.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Gradually, with the arrival of more servicemen from Samara, the territory of the garrison grew through the installation of temporary tents. (archives 1<\/a>, 2<\/a>, 3<\/a>)<\/span>\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

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The relocation of the 23<\/span>rd<\/span> Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade to Valuyki is not a secret: on February 23, 2016 there was a parade in the central square of the town with an exhibition performance by the scouts<\/a><\/span> \u00a0of the unit and with personal participation of the acting commander of the 23<\/span>rd<\/span> Guards Separate Motor Rifle Brigade (military unit 65349) Colonel Sergey Kazachkov\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Besides the brigade commander Kazachkov, the award certificates issued to servicemen of the military unit 65349 in Valuyki list the commander of the 1<\/strong><\/span>st<\/strong> battalion tactical group<\/strong> Lieutenant Colonel A. Negara <\/strong><\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Note<\/strong> that the terms battalion tactical group (BTG) and company tactical group (CTG) are well known from the context of \u201cRostov-Ukrainian trips\u201d. Those are independent combined mobile groups, included into motorized rifle units, enforced by a tank company or platoon, combined artillery battalion or battery including both cannon and rocket artillery, tactical air defense together with reconnaissance units and other supplemental units. Since the beginning of the active phase of war in Donbas (spring 2014) we have been monitoring dozens of BTGs and CTGs, mostly in Rostov Oblast (in addition to Belgorod and Voronezh Oblasts). Some of those units were used in military operations in Donbas.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The equipment grounds of the 23<\/span>rd<\/span> Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade are located near the camp<\/a><\/span> . The picture provided shows dozens of KAMAZ trucks of different modifications, including tent and special machines.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Here is the list of equipment and armament stationed on the territory of the Valuyki landing field:<\/b><\/p>\n