The Grouping of Troops in the North Caucasus formed

On November 11, 2007 Alexander Baranov, the commander of the North Caucasus Military District, announced that mountain brigades in the North Caucasus are formed.

That appear to be the last stage of forming the Grouping of Troops (Internal Troops, Mountain brigades of the Ministry of Defence and the FSB) in the North Caucasus, the process which lasted from 2004 to 2007.

Internal troops of the Interior Ministry

The expansion of the Internal troops began during the autumn of 2004. It was decided that 49-th brigade should be expanded and deployed in three separate areas: Nalchik, Nazran and Kartsy (near Vladikavkaz).

In addition, the current operational formations, brigade-battalion, was replaced with divisional-regimental formations.

Battalions, numbered over 600 men, were turned into 2,000 member regiments. Two new regiments, located in Sochi and Nalchik, were created from existing special battalions. Additional forces of internal troops were deployed to Krasnodar territory, Dagestan, Karachaevo-Circassia, Kabardino-Balkaria and Kalmykia, and groups of operative management (GrOU) were created. All military commandant's offices (MO) operating in mountain areas were transferred to Internal troops. The entire command structure of the Internal troops also has been changed.

In June, 2005 President Vladimir Putin signed the decree that has created a more regionally oriented command structure. Depending on the mission requirements there will be three types of regional structures: district, regional command and regional management.

The First commands were based on existing regional formations in the Northern Caucasus, except Adygea and Kalmykia. The regional staff have power to deploy all forces (Internal Troops and Military) operating with in the region as operations require.

The Ministry of Defense

The Ministry of Defense also increased its strength in the North-Caucasian region. The 42nd Division’s army special troops units were deployed in Barmut, Vedeno, and Shatoi, Chechnya (in 2009 the division was turned into three Motor Rifle Brigades, each numbered over 3,500 men).

A mountain brigade (33 Detached Motor Rifle Brigade) was deployed in Botlikh, on border with the Chechen Republic and Georgia. Another mountain brigade was deployed at the stanitsa of Zelenchukskaya of the Republic of Karachaevo-Circassia (34 Detached Motor Rifle Brigade).

President Putin conceived the concept of mountain brigades in August 2004 to improve security along the southern Russian border and counter cross-border violations.

On 19 July 2005 the Russian government took the decision to deploy mountain brigades in the shortest time possible along the vulnerable sectors of the country’s southern border as a result of the presidential demand to accelerate the process of strengthening the southern borders. This was indicative of President Putin’s displeasure that little or nothing had been done with regard to military protection of the borders and the formation of two mountain brigades. During his unexpected visit to Dagestan Putin had remarked that the Chief of the General Staff had spoken about the fact that mountain subunits were in existence, but had added “I don’t know where they are,” which Putin followed by: “When you come up against the problem of fighting against terrorism, you send combined arms units there, and they do not have special training, neither special education nor proper fitting out”.

In connection with the construction of a military township for the mountain brigade at Botlikh, it was also announced that there was another new task, namely, the creation of a new training area in Vedeno rayon (Chechnya) of some 2,200 hectares for the brigade, which would also require the construction of an improved road from Botlikh to the new training area.9 The new training area is in fact part of a much wider project of training area modernisation and refurbishment within the Federal Special Programme of the “Transition to bringing formations and troop units up to strength with contract servicemen for 2004-2007.

By the end of 2007 the military got 45 701 personal in the district as fully contract force, a total of 4 fully staffed divisions. Also 2006-2007 there was a brigade of sea infantry in Dagestan (Kaspijsk), a some regiments of  19-th division (Vladikavkaz), and also a 135-th regiment (Prohladny, Kabardino-Balkariya) deployed.

Two spetsnaz GRU brigades are located in the North Caucasus - 22 Brigade near Rostov and 10 Brigade near Sochi.

The Federal Security Service (FSB)

Border troops of the FSB were given a key role in preserving stability in the region. See: Reforms of the Border Service of the FSB in the North Caucasus in 2003-2010.

At the same time, the FSB created a regional Special Purpose Center (Special forces) in Dagestan for the Southern Federal Region (shortly after Putin's visit to Dagestan in 2005).

In March 2007, not far from Makhachkala, on the shore of the Caspian Sea, FSB Director Nikolai Patrushev opened a special service staff training centre with full mountain and rural training facilities.

From the outside the FSB training centre, the Caucasus Courtyard seems a regular building set behind a high fence, inside it resembles a real fortress complete with underground passages and arms caches. Its 25 hectares are home to a multifunctional complex comprising three sports halls, the newest training facilities and rifle range. The first floor and second floor house their stores, with food on the first and equipment on the second, there is a kindergarten on the third floor and the fourth floor comprises 1970s style apartments.

Agentura.Ru March 17, 2011