150th motorized rifle division.

Editorial note . Heap of "metal"versus. manufacturability. Near the Ukrainian-Russian border in the Rostov region, a new strike formation of the RF Armed Forces is being deployed. What is its "uniqueness" and is it worth worrying about the combat capability of this division - in the material Irakli Komakhidze forInformNapalm.

General situation in the Armed Forcesyothese forces of Russia is not as unambiguous as it isyotrying to represent the Kremlinyo all propaganda. Against the backdrop of PR campaigns demonstrating the growing power of the Russian army and the creation of new monsters in the form of shock motorized rifle and tank divisions ready to be thrown to the West, hundreds of military personnel consider themselves deceived and in personal conversations talk about the real state of affairs in their formations and armaments. yothese forces of the Russian Federation as a whole. In this review, we will talket about the new 150thmotorized rifle division, which is formed in Rostovskaya oblast, and in particular- about the real state of affairs in this connection.

"Steelmonstr" at the suggestion of Russian propaganda

On August 4, 2017, the Russian edition of Izvestiya published an article about the new 150th motorized rifle division (MSD) with a “unique organizational and staffing structure”, which is deployed near the Ukrainian border in the Rostov region of the Russian Federation. According to the publication, which refers to its own sources in the RF Ministry of Defense and experts, the “uniqueness” of the new division lies in the fact that its main structural combat units are represented, instead of the usual three motorized rifle (SME) and one tank regiment (TP), two motorized rifle and two tank regiments. Also, each SME has reinforced tank battalions, and tank regiments have their own artillery battalions. In addition, the division includes artillery and anti-aircraft regiments, as well as other support units. The publication notes that among the Russian military, the 150th MSD has already received the nickname "steel monster", as it is endowed with great maneuverability and combat power due to the reduction of personnel and auxiliary equipment.

The world community is already accustomed to this kind of PR publications of the Russian media, designed for propaganda and intimidation. We remind you that since its formation, the 150th Motorized Rifle Division has been taken under special control of the OSINT group of the InformNapalm international intelligence community. In April 2017, we published some data related to the process of formation and acquisition of the 150th MSD, taking into account its structural elements.

Based on the results of the planned OSINT monitoring of the situation in the regions of the Rostov region of Russia bordering Ukraine, as well as on the basis of information from our own sources related to the 150th MSD of the RF Armed Forces, we present updated information reflecting the real state of affairs in this strike formation of the Russian army.

Reality

Structure and features of the formation of the 150th MSD

The organizational and staffing structure in general terms is well described by Russian sources. However, these data do not contain the detailed information that our intelligence community was able to obtain based on the analysis of information collected as a result of monitoring open sources and some personal conversations with active or recently retired military personnel of the 150th division.

150th Motorized Rifle Idritsko-Berlin Order of Kutuzov Division(military unit 22265) of the 8th Combined Arms Army of the Southern Military District began to form at the end of 2016. This division is presented as the heir to the 150th Infantry Division, formed in 1943 and stormed the Reichstag in May 1945.

The division headquarters (management, military unit 22179) is located in the village. Persianovka, Oktyabrsky district, Rostov region. The division consists of: two motorized rifle regiments - 102nd SME(military unit 91706) and 103rd SME, main armament BMP-3; two tank regiments 68th TP(military unit 91714) and 163rd TP(military unit 84839), main armament - T-72B3. Places of deployment of motorized rifle and tank regiments of the 150th division: pos. Persianovka, as well as the nearest training grounds - Kuzminsky and Kadamovsky. According to available information, the recruitment of SMEs was carried out on the basis of the former 33rd separate motorized rifle brigade in the city of Maikop (Adygea), and after relocation to the Rostov region - directly in Persianovka. Tank regiments were completed in the city of Budyonnovsk, Stavropol Territory, on the basis of the 205th Motorized Rifle Brigade. To date, the 102nd SME and the 68th TP are almost fully staffed. The process of forming the 103rd SME and the 163rd TP has not yet been completed. In addition to the main strike units, the division includes: 933rd anti-aircraft missile regiment(ZRP), which is formed in the city of Millerovo and 381st Artillery Regiment(ArtP, military unit 24390), formed at a temporary base in the area of the Kuzminsky training ground (according to some information, the artillery regiment will subsequently be relocated to Rostov-on-Don). In addition, the division includes separate support units, including: 174th separate reconnaissance battalion(ORB, military unit 22265, Persianovka settlement); 258th communications battalion(BS, military unit 84881); 539th Separate Engineer Battalion(OISB, formed on the basis of the 11th engineering brigade stationed in Kamensk-Shakhtinsk); 293rd Separate Logistics Battalion(OBMTO, military unit 98591, Novocherkassk, Kadamovsky village); medical battalion; separate companies of UAV, EW, RHBZ. The formation of the division should be completed by the end of 2017.

Information about the command structure of the 150th division

Commander of the 150th MSD Major General Bolgarev Petr Nikolaevich

According to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, in 2015-2016, Pyotr Bolgarev, still in the rank of colonel, was the commander of the 4th brigade of the 2nd "army corps" ("LNR") of the Russian occupation forces in the Donbass, these troops are controlled by the general headquarters of the RF Armed Forces through the center of the territorial troops of the Southern Military District (some installationintelligence on P. Bolgarev are given in the database "Purgatory" of the Center "Peacemaker").

Deputy commander of the 150th MSD for work with personnel, colonel Dubkov Pavel Vladimirovich

Until recently, he was deputy commander for work with l / s of the former 33rd separate motorized rifle brigade (mountainous), stationed in Maikop, Adygea, on the basis of which motorized rifle regiments of the 150th division were formed. Dubkov appears in a 2014 scandal involving the refusal of four contract soldiers of the 33rd Motorized Rifle Brigade to fight in Ukraine.

Commander of the 102nd SME, Colonel Muradasilov Marat Soltanovich

Originally from the village Kayasula, Neftekumsky district, Stavropol Territory. Graduate of the Ulyanovsk Higher Tank Command School. For the last few years, he has served in the 102nd Russian military base stationed in the city of Gyumri, Armenia.

Manning and general situation in the units of the 150th division

At first, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that the new divisions would be recruited on a contract basis. This is partly what happened, but if you delve into the essence of the issue, the following picture appears: in the 150th MSD, only one battalion, the 2nd motorized rifle battalion of the 102nd motorized rifle regiment, managed to be equipped with contract soldiers. The remaining battalions of the 102nd and 103rd regiments are staffed mainly by conscripts, who are also in short supply. To replenish the units, the transfer of conscripts, including recruits, from other formations of the district is practiced. The 174th ORB is also predominantly staffed with contract soldiers, in particular, its reconnaissance and airborne company (InformNapalm reported on the formation of which in the formations of the Southern Military District exactly a year ago). Both conscripts and contractors are present in the 68th and 163rd tank regiments. However, it should be emphasized that the lion's share of the contract servicemen of the tank regiments are yesterday's conscript soldiers and sergeants who have completed specialized specialized training and recruited "by the bottom of the barrel" of all units of the Southern Military District, who by hook or by crook managed to persuade them to sign a three-year contract.

The situation is a little different with the formation of motorized rifle regiments, where they mainly recruited "experienced" contract soldiers with experience in serving in hot regions, both active, with the possibility of being transferred to the 150th division, and "invited" from the reserve. As noted above, most contract soldiers of the 150th division consider themselves deceived. First of all, this concerns the monetary allowance of military personnel, which, instead of the promised minimum of 35,000 rubles ($585), ends up with only 14,800 ($247). The salary of contractors is formed taking into account a number of components, including the salary scale, position, length of service, etc. Taking into account the devaluation of the Russian ruble and the worsening crisis caused by international sanctions in connection with the aggressive actions of the Russian Federation, this is a meager salary, unable to feed a family of 2-3 people.

The second problem of contract soldiers is the lack of service housing - most of them live in barracks with conscript soldiers, since there is neither hostels nor money for rented housing. Also, the dissatisfaction of contract servicemen is due to the attitude of the command towards them. So, for example, newly minted contract conscripts are treated almost the same as conscripts. For them, there is no regulated working day, weekends with the possibility of going beyond the part. Young contract soldiers, like conscripts, are involved in the so-called "workers" (the use of the physical labor of military personnel to equip places of deployment and household work). Well, contract soldiers who have experience behind their backs and who knew more worthy conditions of service, finding themselves in such conditions, by all means, even falling under the unpopular wording in the personal file on the NUK (violation of the terms of the contract), try to break out of these vices of lies and lawlessness. All this is expressed in a high turnover of personnel: some contract soldiers who have served for only a couple of months are looking for the possibility of transferring to other units or are being transferred to the reserve. All this negatively affects the combat readiness of the units of the 150th MSD, which those who left the contract are often called a “show-off division”, intended for reviews and parades, in fact, unable to perform combat missions.

The situation is somewhat better with the arrangement of officers and old-time re-enlisted officers (ensigns, foremen) of the 150th division, who are allocated service apartments or monetary compensation for renting housing near the place of service. The well-being of officers, warrant officers and foremen is also ensured through corruption schemes and profit, including through the collection of tribute from conscripts "for economic needs" of the units. Money drips into the pockets of commanders of all stripes from periodic "sales" of material property and fuel to the side. So, for example, the vaunted autonomous tent field camp of one of the SMEs is not ventilated in a 40-degree heat, since the diesel fuel allocated for it was sold by officers and ensigns-bearers. The so-called hazing between military personnel is recorded in the division - in particular, the manifestation of hazing on the part of contract soldiers united in Caucasian or Asian fraternities in relation to conscript soldiers of Russian nationality. This is coercion of soldiers to unpopular jobs, extraordinary outfits, as well as the so-called set-ups and divorces for money, up to outright extortion.

Summary

According to Russian experts, the new 150th MSD is endowed with a unique organizational structure and this "steel monster" corresponds to the trend of the new time and is intended for modern high-tech and maneuver warfare, units and divisions of the division are able to operate effectively in the conditions of the use of high-precision weapons and electronic interference . The formation is not as large as a regular motorized rifle division, but it outperforms a tank division in terms of firepower. At the same time, it is noted that experiments on the formation of such formations were undertaken in the Soviet army back in the late 1980s in the GDR, as well as in the early 2000s, but in both cases were unsuccessful.

Specialists advising InformNapalm believe that the power of a unit is determined not by the amount of "old iron" (the same T-72B3 and BMP-3 may have been upgraded to the latest Russian standards, but still remain Soviet-era machines), but by modern technologies and the ability to use them, as well as the morale of the military. In the case of the 150th division, we see only a significant amount of armored vehicles - an understaffing of soldiers and contract soldiers, and a recruitment of military personnel without appropriate training, experience and with zero motivation, which makes the presence of such an amount of equipment meaningless.

It is possible that the Russian General Staff adopted a similar structure due to the lack and impossibility of recruiting specifically infantry units, since tank regiments can be cut down to any composition - on paper they are listed as a regiment, and equipment with crews ready for combat use can only be enough for battalion. If in the US and other NATO armies the emphasis is on improving the manufacturability of units, then Russia continues to rattle the scrap metal of the last century. How effectively can infantry in such a division protect armored vehicles? The wars of recent history show that "carts" on pickup trucks, equipped with modern anti-tank weapons (ATGMs), are able to stop tank columns.

As an analysis of the combat use of mechanized divisions in the operation of the US Armed Forces and its allies in Iraq in 2003 showed, the reduction in the number of personnel and the number of armored vehicles of formations did not reduce their combat capabilities - thanks to the introduction of the latest types of weapons and military equipment that provide fire, reconnaissance and information dominance over the enemy. It turns out that the Russians, increasing the number of equipment, predict big losses ahead of time and do nothing to reduce them - they simply increase the number of targets. After all, the Russians themselves, after the military invasion of Georgia in 2008, started talking about the sluggishness and inefficiency of heavy divisions, and since 2010 they began to disband them and switch to a brigade basis.

So what are we dealing with? The strike capabilities of military units and formations should in fact remain a military secret, but Russian propaganda makes them public. Having primary information from the Russian media, it is enough to double-check the information and additional reconnaissance, the results of which lead to the conclusion that there is more bravado and fiction in the "horror stories" about the 150th division than real combat capabilities.

The overall situation in the Russian Armed Forces is not as rosy as the Kremlin propaganda is trying to make it out to be. Against the backdrop of PR campaigns demonstrating the growing power of the Russian army and the creation of new monsters in the form of shock motorized rifle and tank divisions ready to be thrown to the west, hundreds of military personnel consider themselves deceived and in personal conversations talk about the real state of affairs in their formations and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation generally. This review will focus on the new, 150th motorized rifle division, which is being formed in the Rostov region, and in particular on the real state of affairs in this unit.

"Steel monster" with the filing of Russian propaganda

On August 4, 2017, the Russian edition of Izvestia published an article about the new 150th motorized rifle division (MSD) with a “unique organizational and staffing structure”, which is deployed near the Ukrainian border, in the Rostov region of the Russian Federation. According to the publication, which refers to its own sources in the RF Ministry of Defense and experts, the uniqueness of the new division lies in the fact that its main structural combat units are represented not by the usual three motorized rifle (SME) and one tank regiment (TP), but by two motorized rifle and two tank shelves. Also, each SME has reinforced tank battalions, and tank regiments have their own artillery battalions. In addition, the division includes artillery and anti-aircraft regiments, as well as other support units.

The publication notes that among the Russian military, the 150th MSD has already received the nickname "steel monster", as it has great maneuverability and combat power due to the reduction of personnel and auxiliary equipment.

The world community is already accustomed to such PR publications by the Russian media, designed for propaganda and intimidation. We remind you that since its formation, the 150th Motorized Rifle Division has been taken under special control of the OSINT group of the InformNapalm international intelligence community. In April 2017, we have some data related to the process of its formation and acquisition.

Reality

Structure and features of the formation of the 150th MSD

The organizational and staffing structure in general terms is well outlined in Russian sources. However, these data do not contain the detailed information that our intelligence community was able to obtain based on the analysis of information collected as a result of monitoring open sources and personal conversations with active or recently retired military personnel of the 150th division.

The division headquarters (management, military unit 22179) is located in the village. Persianovka, Oktyabrsky district, Rostov region. The division consists of: two motorized rifle regiments - 102nd SME(military unit 91706) and 103rd SME, main armament BMP-3; two tank regiments 68th TP(military unit 91714) and 163rd TP(military unit 84839), main armament - tanks T-72B3. Places of deployment of motorized rifle and tank regiments of the 150th division: pos. Persianovka, as well as the nearest landfills - Kuzminsky and Kadamovsky. According to available information, the recruitment of SMEs was carried out on the basis of the former 33rd separate motorized rifle brigade in Maykop (Adygea), and after relocation to the Rostov region - directly in Persianovka. Tank regiments were completed in the city of Budyonnovsk, Stavropol Territory, on the basis of the 205th Motorized Rifle Brigade. To date, the 102nd SME and the 68th TP are almost fully staffed. The formation of the 103rd SME and the 163rd TP has not yet been completed. In addition to the main strike units, the division includes: 933rd anti-aircraft missile regiment(ZRP), which is formed in Millerovo, and 381st Artillery Regiment(ArtP, military unit 24390), formed at a temporary base in the area of the Kuzminsky training ground (according to some information, the artillery regiment will subsequently be relocated to Rostov-on-Don). In addition, the division includes separate support units, including: 174th separate reconnaissance battalion(ORB, military unit 22265, Persianovka settlement); 258th communications battalion(BS, military unit 84881); 539th Separate Engineer Battalion(OISB, formed on the basis of the 11th engineering brigade stationed in Kamensk-Shakhtinsk); 293rd Separate Logistics Battalion(OBMTO, military unit 98591, Novocherkassk, Kadamovsky village); medical battalion; separate companies of UAV, EW, RHBZ. The formation of the division should be completed by the end of 2017.

Information about the command structure of the 150th division

Commander of the 150th MSD Major General Bolgarev Petr Nikolaevich.

According to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, in 2015-2016, Petr Bolgarev, still in the rank of colonel, was the commander of the 4th brigade of the 2nd Army Corps (“LPR”) of the Russian occupation forces in Donbas. These troops are controlled by the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces through the center of the territorial troops of the Southern Military District (some installation information on P. Bolgarev is given in the "Purgatory" database of the "Peacemaker" center).

Deputy commander of the 150th MSD for work with personnel, colonel Dubkov Pavel Vladimirovich

Until recently, he was deputy commander for work with l / s of the former 33rd separate motorized rifle brigade (mountainous), stationed in Maykop, Adygea, on the basis of which motorized rifle regiments of the 150th division were formed. Dubkov appears in a 2014 scandal involving the refusal of four contract soldiers of the 33rd Motorized Rifle Brigade to fight in Ukraine.

Commander of the 102nd SME Colonel Muradasilov Marat Soltanovich.

Originally from the village Kayasula, Neftekumsky district, Stavropol Territory. Graduate of the Ulyanovsk Higher Tank Command School. For the past few years, he has served in the military at the 102nd Russian military base stationed in Gyumri, Armenia.

Manning and general situation in the units of the 150th division

At first, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that the new divisions would be recruited on a contract basis. This is partly what happened, but if you delve into the essence of the issue, the following picture emerges: in the 150th MSD, only the 2nd motorized rifle battalion of the 102nd motorized rifle regiment managed to be equipped with contract soldiers. The remaining battalions of the 102nd and 103rd regiments are staffed mainly by conscripts, who are also in short supply. To replenish the units, the transfer of conscripts, including recruits, from other formations of the district is practiced. The 174th ORB is also predominantly staffed with contract soldiers, in particular its reconnaissance and airborne company (the formation of these units in the formations of the Southern Military District of InformNapalm exactly a year ago). Both conscripts and contract soldiers are present in the 68th and 163rd tank regiments, however, the lion's share of the contract servicemen of the tank regiments are yesterday's soldiers and sergeants of military service who have passed specialized specialized training, which by hook or by crook managed to persuade them to sign a three-year contract.

The situation is slightly different with the formation of motorized rifle regiments, where they mainly recruited "experienced" contract soldiers with experience in serving in hot regions, both active, with the possibility of being transferred to the 150th division, and "invited" from the reserve.

As noted above, most contract soldiers of the 150th division consider themselves deceived. First of all, this concerns the monetary allowance of military personnel, which, instead of the promised minimum of 35 thousand rubles (585 dollars), is only 14,800 (247 dollars). The salary of contractors is formed taking into account a number of components, including the tariff scale, position, length of service, etc. Given the devaluation of the Russian ruble and the worsening crisis caused by international sanctions in connection with the aggressive actions of the Russian Federation, it is impossible to feed a family of 2-3 people on this meager salary.

The second problem of contract soldiers is the lack of official housing: most of them live in barracks with conscript soldiers, since there is neither hostels nor money for rented housing. Also, the dissatisfaction of contract servicemen is due to the attitude of the command towards them. So, newly minted contract soldiers after military service are treated almost the same as conscripts. For them, there is no regulated working day, weekends with the possibility of going beyond the part. Young contract soldiers, like conscripts, are involved in the so-called. workers (the use of physical labor of military personnel for the arrangement of places of deployment and household work). Well, experienced contractors who knew more worthy conditions of service, finding themselves in such conditions, by all means, even falling under the wording that is unpopular in their personal affairs - NUK (violation of the terms of the contract), - they try to break out of these vices of lies and lawlessness.

All this is expressed in a high turnover of personnel: some contractors, having served for only a couple of months, are looking for an opportunity to transfer to other units or are transferred to the reserve. All this has a negative impact on the combat readiness of the units of the 150th MSD, which those who have retired call the “ostentatious division”, intended for reviews and parades, but unable to perform combat missions.

Hazing between military personnel is also recorded in the division, in particular, the manifestation of hazing on the part of contract soldiers united in Caucasian or Asian communities in relation to conscript soldiers of Russian nationality. Soldiers are forced to do unpopular work, extraordinary outfits, so-called. fraud and fraud, up to outright extortion.

Summary

According to Russian experts, the new 150th MSD is endowed with a unique organizational structure, and this "steel monster" corresponds to the trends of the new time and is designed for modern high-tech and maneuverable warfare. Units and divisions of the division are able to operate effectively in the conditions of the use of high-precision weapons and electronic interference. The formation is not as large as a regular motorized rifle division, but it outperforms a tank division in terms of firepower. At the same time, it is noted that experiments on the formation of such formations were undertaken in the Soviet army as early as the late 1980s (in the GDR), as well as at the beginning of the 2000s of this century, but in both cases were unsuccessful.

Specialists advising InformNapalm believe that the power of a formation is determined not by the amount of "old iron" (the same T-72B3 and BMP-3 may have been upgraded to the latest Russian standards, but still remain Soviet-era machines), but by modern technologies and the ability to use them, as well as the morale of the military. In the 150th division, we see a significant amount of armored vehicles - but the understaffing of soldiers and contract soldiers, the recruitment of military personnel without appropriate training, experience and with zero motivation, which makes such an amount of equipment meaningless.

It is possible that the Russian General Staff adopted a similar structure due to the impossibility of recruiting specifically infantry units, since tank regiments can be cut down to any composition: on paper they are listed as regiments, and equipment with crews ready for combat use can only be enough for a battalion. If in the US and other NATO armies the emphasis is on improving the manufacturability of units, then Russia continues to rattle the scrap metal of the last century.

How effectively can infantry in such a division protect armored vehicles? The wars of recent history show that tank columns are able to stop "carts" on pickup trucks equipped with modern anti-tank weapons (ATGMs).

As an analysis of the combat use of mechanized divisions in the operations of the US Armed Forces and their allies in Iraq in 2003 showed,reduction in the number of personnel and the number of armored vehicles of formationsdid not reduce their combat capabilities - thanks to the introduction of the latest weapons and military equipment, which provide fire, intelligence and information superiority over the enemy. It turns out that the Russians, by increasing the number of vehicles, predict large losses ahead of time and do nothing to reduce them - they simply increase the number of targets. At the same time, the Russians themselves, after the military invasion of Georgia in 2008, said about the sluggishness and inefficiency of heavy divisions, and since 2010 they began to disband them and switch to a brigade basis.

So what are we dealing with? The strike capabilities of military units and formations should remain a military secret, but Russian propaganda makes them public. Having primary information from the Russian media, it is enough to double-check the information and conduct additional reconnaissance, the results of which suggest a conclusion: there is more bravado in the “horror stories” about the 150th division than real combat capabilities.

Prepared material for publication

The 150th Rifle Division was formed in September 1943 near the town of Staraya Russa on the basis of the 127th, 144th, and 151st Rifle Brigades of the Northwestern Front. The 127th separate rifle brigade was formed in the Urals military district on December 21, 1941. On September 12, 1943, in Mermoshno, the region of Staraya Russa, the 674th Rifle Regiment was formed on its basis, which became part of the 150th Division.

Since September 12, 1943, the 150th Infantry Division has already taken part in local battles. Until the end of 1943, she participated in the battles as part of the 22nd and 6th Guards armies. From January 5 to the end of July 1944, the division fought defensive and offensive battles as part of the 3rd Shock Army of the 2nd Baltic Front.

Since April 1944, the 150th Rifle Division became part of the 79th Rifle Corps of the same army. During the Rezhitsa-Dvina and Madona operations, she took part in the liberation of the cities: July 12 - Idritsa, July 27 - Rezhitsa (Rezekne) and August 13 - Madona. By order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of July 12, 1944, the 150th Rifle Division was awarded the honorary name Idritskaya for military merit.

At the end of December 1944, the 3rd shock army, and with it the 150th Idritsa Rifle Division, was included in the 1st Belorussian Front and participated in the Warsaw-Poznan operation (January 14 - February 2, 1945), which was part of the strategic Vistula-Oder operation (January 12 - February 2, 1945). The 150th Rifle Division was in the front reserve to develop success during the attack on the city of Poznan.

During the East Pomeranian operation (February 10 - April 4, 1945), the 150th Rifle Division and the 79th Rifle Corps of the 3rd Shock Army covered the right flank of the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front. On April 26, 1945, the 150th Rifle Division was awarded the Order of Kutuzov by order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief for a night battle near Lake Woshwansee.

Subsequently, the 150th Idritskaya Rifle Division of the Order of Kutuzov took part in the Berlin operation (April 16 - May 8, 1945), fighting in the main direction.

On April 30, after several attacks, units of the 150th Infantry Division under the command of Major General V. M. Shatilov and the 171st Infantry Division under the command of Colonel A. I. Negoda stormed the main part of the Reichstag building. The remaining Nazi units offered fierce resistance. We had to fight literally for every room. During the battle for the Reichstag, the assault flag of the 150th division was installed on the dome of the building by the soldiers of the division Alexei Berest, Mikhail Yegorov and Meliton Kantaria. The abbreviated name of the division is indicated on the Banner of Victory. However, the battle for the Reichstag continued all day, and only on the night of May 2 did the Reichstag garrison capitulate. By order of the Supreme High Command of June 11, 1945, the division was given the honorary name Berlin.

The 150th Rifle Idritsko-Berlin Order of Kutuzov Division has 15 Heroes of the Soviet Union, including Mikhail Yegorov and Meliton Kantaria.

150th Rifle Idritskaya Order of Kutuzov Division in the Battle of Berlin (1945)

By the evening of April 28, 1945, units of the 79th Rifle Corps of the 3rd Shock Army occupied Moabit, an area in the center of Berlin, and from the northwest approached the area where, in addition to the Reichstag, the building of the Ministry of the Interior, the Krol Opera Theater were located, the Swiss embassy and a number of other buildings. Well fortified and adapted for long-term defense, together they were a powerful center of resistance.

The task of capturing the Reichstag was set on April 28 by the commander of the 79th Rifle Corps, Major General S. N. Perevertkin:

"... the 150th rifle division - with one rifle regiment - defense on the Spree river. With two rifle regiments, continue the offensive with the task of crossing the Spree river and capturing the western part of the Reichstag ..."

By the morning of April 29, the advanced battalions of the 150th and 171st rifle divisions under the command of Captain S. A. Neustroev (a native of the village of Talitsa, Sverdlovsk Region) and senior lieutenant K. Ya. Samsonov crossed to the opposite bank of the Spree.

After the crossing, the Soviet units began fighting for the quarter located southeast of the Moltke bridge. Among other buildings in the quarter was the building of the Swiss Embassy, which overlooked the square in front of the Reichstag and was an important element in the overall German defense system. On the same morning, the building of the Swiss embassy was cleared of the enemy by the companies of Senior Lieutenant Pankratov and Lieutenant M.F. Grankin. The next target on the way to the Reichstag was the building of the Ministry of the Interior, nicknamed by the Soviet soldiers "Himmler's House". It was a huge six-story building that occupied an entire block. The solid stone building was additionally adapted for defense. To capture Himmler's house at 7 o'clock in the morning, a powerful artillery preparation was carried out, immediately after which Soviet soldiers rushed to storm the building. For the next day, units of the 150th Infantry Division fought for the building and captured it by dawn on April 30. The way to the Reichstag was open.

Before dawn on April 30, the situation in the combat area was as follows. The 525th and 380th regiments of the 171st rifle division fought in the quarters north of Königplatz. The 674th regiment and part of the forces of the 756th regiment were engaged in cleaning the building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs from the remnants of the garrison. The 2nd battalion of the 756th regiment went to the moat and took up defense in front of it. The 207th Infantry Division crossed the Moltke Bridge and prepared to attack the building of the Krol Opera.

An attempt made on the morning of April 30 to seize the Reichstag on the move was unsuccessful. The attack of the units of the 756th and 674th regiments was repulsed by heavy fire from the Reichstag and the Kroll Opera.

The second assault was scheduled for 13:00. The actions of the infantry were to be preceded by a 30-minute artillery preparation. For its implementation, all the artillery of the 674th and 756th regiments of the 150th rifle division, part of the artillery of the 171st rifle division and several artillery units of corps subordination were allocated. By this time, Soviet sappers had cleared and strengthened the Moltke Bridge, which had suffered from the explosion, so that it could withstand heavy equipment. Part of the guns and tanks were transferred to the southern bank of the Spree and aimed directly at the Reichstag. Only 89 barrels were put on direct fire. They were to play a major role in the destruction of fortifications and the suppression of gun emplacements in the Reichstag. There was not enough free and relatively safe space to accommodate such a quantity of fire weapons, so part of the artillery had to be dragged to the second floor of the Ministry of Internal Affairs building. If necessary, the entire artillery of the 79th Rifle Corps could be involved in the suppression of enemy firepower - over 1,000 barrels.

All the time while preparations were being made and the assault on the Reichstag, fierce battles were going on on the right flank of the 150th Infantry Division in the band of the 469th Infantry Regiment. Having taken up defensive positions on the right bank of the Spree, the regiment fought off numerous German attacks for several days, aimed at reaching the flank and rear of the troops advancing on the Reichstag. Artillerymen played an important role in repelling German attacks.

By noon, the rifle subunits, under the cover of artillery fire, took up their starting position for the assault. At 13:00, all the guns intended to support the infantry opened fire on the Reichstag, the adjacent fortifications and gun emplacements. Participating in general artillery preparation, tanks of the 23rd Tank Brigade, the 85th Tank Regiment and the 88th Heavy Tank Regiment fired at the Reichstag. Parts of the 207th Infantry Division suppressed the firing points located in the building of the Krol Opera with their fire, blocked its garrison and thereby contributed to the assault. Under the cover of artillery preparation, the battalions of the 756th, 674th rifle regiments went on the attack and, on the move, overcoming the moat filled with water, started a fight in trenches and trenches in front of the Reichstag.

At 2:25 p.m. on April 30, 1945, Lieutenant Rakhimzhan Koshkarbaev and Private Grigory Bulatov crawled up to the central part of the building and attached a red flag to a column at the main entrance stairs.

Late in the evening on April 30, 1945, the 1st battalion of the 756th rifle regiment under the command of Captain S.A. Neustroev, the 1st battalion of the 674th rifle regiment under the command of captain V.I. Davydov and the 1st battalion of the 380th the regiment under the command of senior lieutenant K. Ya. Samsonov captured the main part of the Reichstag. Separate groups under the command of Major M. M. Bondar and Captain V. N. Makov, tankers of the 23rd tank brigade, also participated in the storming of the building.

On the evening of April 30, an assault group consisting of senior sergeants M.P. Minin, G.K. Zagitov, A.F. Lisimenko and Sergeant A.P. Bobrov under the command of Captain V.N. Makov broke into the Reichstag building. Unnoticed by the enemy, they found a locked door and knocked it out with a log. Climbing up to the attic, the group made their way through the dormer window to the roof above the western (front) pediment of the building. At 10:40 p.m., they installed a red banner in the hole in the crown of the sculpture of the Goddess of Victory.

Having lost the upper floors, the Nazis took refuge in the basement and continued to resist, hoping to break out of the encirclement, cutting off the Soviet soldiers who were in the Reichstag from the main forces.

In the early morning of May 1, 1945, A.P. Berest, M.A. Egorov and M.V. Kantaria, with the support of machine gunners from I.A. Syanov’s company, hoisted the assault flag of the 150th Infantry Division over the Reichstag, which later became the Banner of Victory.

Political officer of the 1st battalion of the 150th rifle division lieutenantA.P. Berest. Participated in the hoisting of the Banner of Victory over the Reichstag, his task was to cover M. A. Yegorov and M. V. Kantaria.

The banner of the 150th Order of Kutuzov II degree of the Idritsa Rifle Division, which was installed on May 1, 1945 over the Reichstag.

Participants in the assault on the Reichstag (from left to right): K. Ya. Samsonov, M. V. Kantaria, M. A. Egorov, I. Ya. Syanov, S. A. Neustroev at the Banner of Victory. May 1945.

Scouts of the 756th regiment of the 150th rifle division M.V. Kantaria and M.A. Egorov with the Banner of Victory.

Heroes of the battles for Berlin, battalion commander Captain Stepan Neustroev (left) and junior sergeant Pyotr Shcherbina (right).

Soldiers of the 674th Infantry Regiment of the 150th Idritskaya Infantry Division. In the foreground is Private Grigory Bulatov. It is believed that he, together with Lieutenant Rakhimzhan Koshkarbaev, set up the very first red banner over the Reichstag at 14:25 on April 30, 1945.

He also introduced the new commander of the Southern Military District to the audience. The re-establishment of the combat formation that hoisted the Banner of Victory over the Reichstag has become one of the most important recent events in military development in the country. About the heroic history of the division and the challenges that it faces today - in the material RT.

On January 14, 2016, Sergei Shoigu first announced the need for the appearance of a motorized rifle division in the Southern Military District (SMD). He noted that the new formation should be placed in three military garrisons of the Rostov region and at the Kuzminsky, Kadamovsky and Millerovo training grounds. Later, the head of the military department ordered the creation of a modern infrastructure.

Construction work began in the spring, when the engineering troops began demolishing dilapidated buildings, laying foundations for new houses in the garrisons, and modernizing the training grounds. Formally, the Idritsko-Berlin division was formed in May last year, it took a little less than a year to create the infrastructure.

According to the Ministry of Defense, dozens of residential, utility and administrative facilities, park and storage areas, cottages for command personnel were built in half a year, combat training facilities were modernized. Then 30 dormitories were erected, where soldiers and junior officers would live, three barracks for conscripts, 20 canteens, a guardhouse and two tent-mobile shelters for storing military equipment.

Sergei Shoigu got acquainted with how the 150th motorized rifle division is being equipped. During the inspection, the Minister of Defense ordered that the military equipment storage parks in the permanent readiness units be heated. “This applies to parks of all units of combat readiness,” Shoigu stressed.

In all other storage facilities, the minister said, heaters should be provided for heating in winter, which would allow the temperature to be quickly brought to positive.

Combat training of servicemen will take place at renovated training grounds with a total area of over 14,000 hectares. In particular, Kadamovskoye will house a tactical training field, a tank headmistress, a tank track, an autodrome, several military shooting ranges and two unified headmistresses for firing from combat vehicle guns.

The know-how of the training grounds is simulators, which will be equipped with training centers. The latest technical training aids will allow several military personnel to simultaneously practice shooting and driving skills in a single virtual space.

New Commander of the Southern Military District

Sergei Shoigu presented to the command of the Southern Military District the new commander of the troops of the district, Colonel-General Alexander Dvornikov. The Minister of Defense noted his merits in organizing the successful actions of the Russian group in Syria.

According to the minister, "in this difficult area of work, he has proven himself to be a competent military leader with a broad operational mindset, able to achieve the effective implementation of the assigned tasks."

Shoigu introduced the new commander of the Southern Military District

Shoigu explained that "for the skillful leadership of troops and forces in the fight against international terrorism, Colonel-General Dvornikov was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation."

The Minister expressed confidence that in the new position, Dvornikov "will also be able to prove himself a real professional."

Sergei Shoigu wished the commander and all personnel of the Southern Military District endurance and perseverance and presented Alexander Dvornikov with the standard of the Commander of the Southern Military District.

They took Berlin

The reconstituted 150th Division has a heroic history. It originates from September 1943, when the 150th Rifle Division was created on the basis of three brigades (151st separate rifle, 127th cadet and 144th cadet brigades). The division was included in the 34th Army, then - in the 6th Guards Army. During the offensive in 1944-1945, the division fought as part of the 3rd shock army of the 1st Belorussian Front.

She received the name "Idritskaya" on July 23, 1944, according to the order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief No. 207 for the liberation of the village of Idritsa (Pskov region). Idritsa was a strategically important railway junction and concentration camp set up by the Nazis. Also, the village was one of the centers of the development of collaborationism, which, according to historians, predetermined the fierce nature of the battles.

On April 26, 1945, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the 150th division was awarded the Order of Kutuzov II degree for a heavy night battle. The formation participated in the liberation of Poland, in the Warsaw-Poznan (January 14 - February 2, 1945) and Vistula-Oder (January 12 - February 2) operations, but the division entered the world history forever as the advanced strike force of the Berlin operation (April 16 - 8 May).

On April 30, units of the 150th Infantry Division under the command of Major General Vasily Shatilov stormed most of the Reichstag building. Soldiers of the 756th Infantry Regiment Mikhail Yegorov and Meliton Kantaria hoisted an assault flag on the dome of the German parliament, which became the official symbol of victory in the Great Patriotic War.

On June 11, 1945, the division received the honorary name "Berlin". For almost three years of hostilities, 15 fighters were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, including Yegorov and Kantaria. After the surrender of the Nazis, the division was stationed in Germany for several months. In 1946, as part of the demobilization and large-scale reduction of the Armed Forces of the USSR, it was disbanded.

The re-creation of the legendary division is not only the memory of the Great Victory. As Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu explained, the new formation is designed to strengthen the country's defense in the face of a growing threat from foreign states. The Ministry of Defense plans to make the Idritsko-Berlin division an ultra-modern and highly mobile unit.

It is known that it will include tank and motorized rifle regiments, as well as artillery, anti-aircraft missile regiments, communications, intelligence and logistics units. The strike units of the division are armed with T-90A tanks, BMP-3 and BTR-80 armored vehicles. Experts suggest that the combat power of the formation will be provided by artillery pieces: multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), field howitzers and self-propelled artillery mounts.

10 thousand people serve in the Rostov division, including more than 1.5 thousand conscripts. Now in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the share of contract servicemen only slightly exceeds 50%. It was no coincidence that the Ministry of Defense made a choice in favor of professionals in the formation of the 150th division. The Western and Southern military districts are adjacent to the NATO borders, and it is here that it is logical to place the most combat-ready formations.

“Despite the fact that the 150th division is located in the Southern Military District, its creation is undoubtedly a strengthening of the western strategic direction. By a similar principle, at the end of 2016, two divisions were formed in the Western Military District. Their units are deployed in the Belgorod, Voronezh and Smolensk regions, and 70% of the personnel are contract soldiers. There is only one goal - countering NATO, ”Vadim Solovyov, candidate of historical sciences, military expert, told RT.

The analyst added that last year the 1st Guards Tank Army was created, which, like the 150th division, was established in 1943 and took part in the liberation of Germany. Solovyov believes that the Ministry of Defense in strategic areas is returning the system of recruitment of troops, which resembles the Soviet one.

“Obviously, we are witnessing the enlargement of formations of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. At the same time, we are not talking about a numerical increase and the creation of huge armies. It's just that separate brigades and regiments are combined into a single, more powerful operational-tactical link, which is designed to carry out large-scale tasks. The 150th motorized rifle division is not an armored armada, but a modern mobile unit that meets the requirements of the current situation, ”concluded Solovyov.

Shoigu introduced the new commander of the Southern Military District

Almost everyone knows that the result of the struggle between the USSR and Nazi Germany was the raising of the Victory Banner to the dome of the Reichstag. Not everyone knows that the 150th Rifle Division played the main role in this event. However, even this is now debatable.

The beginning of the way

The first division was created in the early autumn of 1939, and at first there was nothing heroic in its deeds. Politics is an extremely dirty business, therefore, in fact, Churchill did not advise delving into the secrets of its “preparation”. In the past of almost every country there are pages that can hardly be proud of. Unfortunately, the history of the 150th Rifle Division, which took a direct part in the division of Poland in 1939, also contains them.

Today, a great many discussions have unfolded about the Second World War and its perpetrators. Some tend to demonize the Soviet Union, calling it an accomplice of Hitler. A lively debate is going on around the so-called secret protocols to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. The harsh truth is that history does not forgive the state for only one thing - weakness.

The first pancake is lumpy

Poland was defeated and divided, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany signed an agreement "On Friendship and the State Border". The USSR was replenished with almost 13 million new citizens (not all of them, of course, were delighted with this), and the 150th rifle division of the first convocation set off to conquer new heights. She participated in the Finnish and Bessarabian campaigns, and after the start of the Second World War, she entered into battles with yesterday's insidious allies.

The first years of the Great Patriotic War were very difficult and by no means joyful for the Soviet people. The Red Army suffered defeat after defeat, the losses were huge, the conduct of hostilities often turned out to be mediocre. During the defensive campaign, having barely entered the battles, the 150th Rifle Division also suffered significant losses - its composition was reduced by almost a third in less than two months. At the end of June 1942, she ceased to exist (disbanded as dead).

Further fate

A month later, a new composition of the 150th division began to form. Her fate was more successful: she participated in successful battles for the city of Bely, liberated Velikiye Luki, Loknya. In April 1943, it was reorganized into the 22nd Guards Rifle Division.

Finally, in September 1943, the 150th Infantry Division was revived for the third time, the combat path of which ended on the roof of the Reichstag. The basis for the creation was the 151st Rifle Brigade, which participated in the battles of the Second World War since 1942, under the command of then Major Leonid Vasilyevich Yakovlev.

The connection was quite large. The structure included 4 rifle battalions, artillery and anti-tank divisions, battalions of reconnaissance, mortar, sappers, signalmen. The brigade fought either successfully or not very well: one of the regimental doctors Ginzburg recalled that during the assault on Staraya Russa, the losses were huge. From the 674th regiment, where he served, only 50-60 people remained. The Germans fortified on a hill, they had to attack from a swampy lowland, where even equipment could not help the Soviet soldiers. Unfortunately, there are many such examples of chosen strategies during World War II. Okudzhava wrote the song about victory, where there were words that we won’t stand up for the price, only in 1970, but the impression is that some military commanders knew it long before that and for some reason perceived it as a guide to action.

Way to victory

During the formation of the 150th Rifle Division, in addition to the already mentioned 151st, it also took on the 127th and 144th brigades. The picking took place right on the positions, without the withdrawal of the composition to the rear. Immediately after the end of the formation, it became part of the 79th Rifle Corps of the 22nd Army of the 2nd Baltic Front. Yakovlev took command of the division, by this time already a colonel.

Since 1943, the course of the war, as they say, turned around. The significance of the Battle of Stalingrad and the operation on the Kursk Bulge, it seems, cannot be overestimated. Sometimes the division passed 40 km to the East a day. There was a rapid offensive against the Nazis. For the successful campaign to liberate the city of Idritsa, the formation received the right to be called the 150th Idritsa Rifle Division, and for the offensive operation near Lake Woshwansee, it was awarded the Order of Kutuzov, 2nd degree.

During the fighting, she was first part of the 2nd, and then at the end of the war - the 1st Belorussian Front, being among the formations of the 3rd shock army, whose combat mission was the direct capture of Berlin.

Official version of events

On April 16, 45, the political unit of the 3rd Army gathered for a meeting, during which (with the blessing of the top leadership), it was decided that the final defeat of the fascist Reich would be the capture of the Reichstag, the symbol of a united Germany.

A little later, on the 19th of the same month, 9 banners were handed out to all divisions of the army, sewn in the shortest possible time from ordinary calico, intended for hoisting on the roof of the specified building.

At first, the Soviet soldiers, intoxicated with victory, cared little about who exactly would decorate the dome of the German parliament, but later the question had to be thought about.

The official version of events was presented in early June, prepared by the political department of the 3rd Army. According to him, the assault flag of the 150th Infantry Division was transferred to the battalion of the 756th regiment under the command of Captain Neustroev.

Trying to find out the truth

The fighters of the unit crossed the Spree and captured the front staircase. After that, Sergeant Kantaria, Red Army soldier Yegorov and political officer Berest went to the roof, fighting their way through, and raised a red flag over the glass dome. It happened at two and twenty-five in the afternoon, and already at three o'clock a freshly minted commandant, Captain Neustroev, was at the taken building.

Numerous researchers, documents and memoirs report that the designated version of events had nothing to do with reality, and the 150th Idritsa Rifle Division misled the public, however, hardly maliciously.

There are different opinions about who first raised the flag over the Reichstag (and what kind of flag it was, too). There is evidence that the corps command hurried to report that the symbol of Nazi Germany had been successfully taken - hence the various information about the time the flag appeared.

Assault and defense

There are so many versions that it is simply not possible to find the only true one.

If you follow the chain of events, then the battles for Berlin began in mid-April. At the end of the month, Soviet troops approached the main Nazi citadel - the Reichstag. From the point of view of defense, it was very well located, because it was surrounded by water on three sides - the Spree River, 25 m wide. After the bombing, only one bridge survived, the anti-tank ditches and the square turned into a huge pit. The Berlin underground was flooded.

On the fourth side, the building was protected by well-fortified buildings, including the Ministry of the Interior, which was turned into a real fortress. All approaches to the Reichstag were well shot through - this caused a protracted assault and heavy losses suffered by the 150th Infantry Division and other formations. The Nazis resisted with the desperation of a mortally wounded animal, fighting for every step, room, floor.

First flag

The first assault attempt bogged down, it was decided to wait for darkness - and suddenly the command of the 150th Infantry Division at 25 minutes past three on April 30 reported that the Reichstag had been taken and the Red Banner had been hoisted on it. Rejoicing reigned in the USSR, but it was too early to rejoice. What prompted the hasty report is unknown. There is a version that some fighters managed to break through to the building and place several soldier's banners on the walls of the fortress, which was still defending.

Today, almost every school graduate (if he studied, of course) knows that the banner of the 150th Infantry Division was the first to appear over the Reichstag, which the well-known heroes hoisted over the dome of the German parliament. Meanwhile, there is evidence that when the mentioned soldiers climbed to the roof of the building, the flag was already there, and completely different people raised it.

Numerous contenders for the award

The Reichstag had two pediments: above one was a sculpture of the goddess of Victory (the winged Nike). Above the second, decorated with an equestrian statue of Emperor Wilhelm, the already mentioned heroes raised the flag they had brought with them. But this happened late at night at three o'clock, when the building was taken, and the red flag was already fluttering over Berlin and was on the opposite side, near the statue of Nike.

Portal for the student. Self-training

"Steelmonstr" at the suggestion of Russian propaganda

Reality

Summary

"Steel monster" with the filing of Russian propaganda

Reality

Summary

The beginning of the way

The first pancake is lumpy

Further fate

Way to victory

Official version of events

Trying to find out the truth

Assault and defense

First flag

Numerous contenders for the award

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