69th Covering Brigade (Russia)

69th Covering Brigade
(2009–present)

128th Machine-Gun Artillery Division
(1989–1993; 1997–2009)

173rd Mobile Fortress Brigade
(1993–1997)

272nd Motor Rifle Division
(1964–1989)

46th Motor Rifle Division
(1957–1964)

46th Rifle Division
(1955–1957)

50th Rifle Brigade
(1947–1953)

272nd Rifle Division
(1941–1947; 1953–1955)
69th Covering Brigade; (2009–present) 128th Machine-Gun Artillery Division; (1989–1993; 1997–2009) 173rd Mobile Fortress Brigade; (1993–1997) 272nd Motor Rifle Division; (1964–1989) 46th Motor Rifle Division; (1957–1964) 46th Rifle Division; (1955–1957) 50th Rifle Brigade; (1947–1953) 272nd Rifle Division; (1941–1947; 1953–1955)
Active	July 1941 – present
Country	35th Army
Garrison/HQ	Babstovo
Engagements	World War II
Decorations	Order of the Red Banner; Order of the Red Star;
Battle honours	Svir; Pomeranian; Amur Cossacks;
Commanders
Notable; commanders	Vasily Meshkov

The 69th Covering Brigade (

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

46th Rifle Division 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 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

.

History

World War II

The 272nd began forming on 10 July 1941 at

Svir-Petrozavodsk Offensive in summer 1944, which forced Finland to leave the war, the 272nd fought as part of the 4th Rifle Corps. After Finland left the war by signing an armistice in September, the division became part of the 32nd Army's 134th Rifle Corps in the Reserve of the Supreme High Command. 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's 40th Guards Rifle Corps.^[1]

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

13th Guards Rifle Corps. On 25 June 1957, it became the 46th Motor Rifle Division.^[3] At the same time it became part of the Moscow Military District, and on 17 November 1964 was renumbered as the 272nd Motor Rifle Division, restoring its World War II designation.^[4]

In February 1967, the division was relocated to

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.^[5]

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.^[5] 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."^[6] In January 2017, its commander, Colonel Marat Gadzhibalayev, was sentenced to four years in a general regime Corrective labor colony on charges of abusing his powers, forgery, and taking bribes.^[7]

There are indications that the brigade has been committed to action as part of the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.^[8]

References

Citations

^ Sharp 1996, p. 56.
^ Feskov et al 2013, p. 413.
^ Feskov et al 2013, p. 497.
^ Feskov et al 2013, p. 151.
^ ^a ^b Holm, Michael. "272nd Motorised Rifle Division". ww2.dk. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
^ Pasmurtsev, Alexander (22 August 2014). "Танкист в третьем поколении" [3rd Generation Tankist]. Krasnaya Zvezda (in Russian). Retrieved 15 April 2017.
^ "Командир казачьей бригады в Еврейской АО погорел на дровах" [Jewish Autonomous Oblast Cossack brigade commander "burned on wood"]. deita.ru (in Russian). 17 January 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
^ "An uncertain fate Was Russia's entire 35th Army destroyed near Izyum? Meduza traces this story back to its dubious origins". Retrieved 22 July 2022.

Bibliography

Feskov, V.I.; Golikov, V.I.; Kalashnikov, K.A.; Slugin, S.A. (2013). Вооруженные силы СССР после Второй Мировой войны: от Красной Армии к Советской [The Armed Forces of the USSR after World War II: From the Red Army to the Soviet: Part 1 Land Forces] (in Russian). Tomsk: Scientific and Technical Literature Publishing.
ISBN 9785895035306
.

Sharp, Charles C. (1996). The Soviet Order of Battle World War II: An Organizational History of the Major Combat Units of the Soviet Army. Vol. 9. West Chester, Ohio: George F. Nafziger.
OCLC 258366685
.

[FOOTNOTESharp199656-1] Sharp 1996, p. 56.

[FOOTNOTEFeskov_et_al2013413380–381-2] Feskov et al 2013, p. 413.

[FOOTNOTEFeskov_et_al2013497-3] Feskov et al 2013, p. 497.

[FOOTNOTEFeskov_et_al2013151-4] Feskov et al 2013, p. 151.

[:0-5] Holm, Michael. "272nd Motorised Rifle Division". ww2.dk. Retrieved 15 April 2017.

[6] Pasmurtsev, Alexander (22 August 2014). "Танкист в третьем поколении" [3rd Generation Tankist]. Krasnaya Zvezda (in Russian). Retrieved 15 April 2017.

[7] "Командир казачьей бригады в Еврейской АО погорел на дровах" [Jewish Autonomous Oblast Cossack brigade commander "burned on wood"]. deita.ru (in Russian). 17 January 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2017.

[8] "An uncertain fate Was Russia's entire 35th Army destroyed near Izyum? Meduza traces this story back to its dubious origins". Retrieved 22 July 2022.

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