74th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade

The 74th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade is a military formation of the Russian Ground Forces's 41st Army, part of Central Military District, stationed in Yurga, Kemerovo Oblast, Russia.

94th Guards Rifle Division (1943–1957) 94th Guards Motor Rifle Division (1957–1992) 74th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade (1992–present)
Brigade shoulder sleeve insignia
Active	1992–present
Country	Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Russian Federation
Branch	Soviet Army, Russian Ground Forces
Type	Motor Rifles
Size	Division
Part of	41st Army
Garrison/HQ	Yurga
Engagements	World War II, Syria civil war
Decorations	Order of Suvorov

The 74th Motor Rifle Brigade was created from the disbanded 94th Guards Zvenigorod-Berlin Order of Suvorov Motor Rifle Division, formerly of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany. The 94th Guards Rifle Division was formed on 23 April 1943 in the eastern Ukraine with the consolidation of the 14th Guards and 96th Rifle Brigades. It took part in the liberation offensives in southern Ukraine through the remainder of 1943 and into 1944 as part of the 5th Shock Army. It remained with the Army through the remainder of the war and ended in the streets of Berlin. Post-war, it remained with the 5th Shock Army for a period, then transferring to the 3rd Army. In 1957, it was one of the few Rifle Divisions to be reorganized into a Motor Rifle Division and still retain its original number. In the mid-1980s, it was transferred to the 2nd Guards Tank Army, where it remained until withdrawn from Germany in 1991.

94th Guards Motor Rifle Division Units, 1989-90

Assigned units:[1]

• Division Headquarters – Schwerin 53° 37’ 00” North, 11° 25’ 00” East
• 204th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (BMP) – Schwerin 53° 36’ 10” North, 11° 25’ 20” East
• 286th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (BTR) – Schwerin 53° 35’ 40” North, 11° 26’ 00” East
• 288th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (BTR) – Wismar 53° 53’ 30” North, 11° 26’ 00” East
• 74th Guards Tank Regiment – Schwerin 53° 36’ 20” North, 11° 25’ 20” East
• 199th Guards Self-Artillery Regiment – Wismar 53° 53’ 30” North, 11° 26’ 00” East
• 896th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment – Schwerin 53° 36’ 50” North, 11° 22’ 30” East
• 28th Separate Tank Battalion – Schwerin 53° 36’ 50” North, 11° 22’ 30” East
• 496th Separate Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion – Schwerin 53° 38’ 40” North, 11° 25’ 30” East
• 12th Separate Reconnaissance & Radio EW Battalion – Schwerin 53° 34’ 40” North, 11° 26’ 30” East
• 159th Separate Guards Signals Battalion – Schwerin 53° 37’ 00” North, 11° 25’ 00” East
• 107th Separate Guards Engineer-Sapper Battalion – Schwerin 53° 35’ 40” North, 11° 26’ 00” East
• Unidentified Independent Chemical Defense Battalion
• 52nd Separate Repair-Reconstruction Battalion
• 90th Separate Medical-Sanitation Battalion
• 1130th Separate Material Support Battalion

Reorganisation into a brigade

After arriving in Yurga (near Tomsk) in the Siberian Military District, it was reorganized into the 74th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade, where it remains today. Other units also became part of the 74th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade including a guards engineering battalion and the 386th Tank Regiment.

By 30 December 1994 Warfare.ru says the brigade was in Chechnya in reserve: 3000+persons, 45 tanks, 115 BMP. Fought in street fights in Groznyy. 02.1995 moved to Sever Group, attacked south part of Groznyy. 20-23.03.1995 attacked Argun and Mesker-Yurt, blocked Argun, captured Gudermes, Petropavlovskaya, Il'inskaya. 1999 Vostochnaya zone, Chechnya, 01.2000 Serzhen' Yurt. 1994-1996 losses in Chechnya - 120 persons (?). 09.2003 regional comd.-staff trainings.

On February 3, 2005, Russian defense minister Sergei Ivanov visited the brigade and promised by the end of 2006, the brigade would consist fully of professional soldiers, not conscripts.[2] He also said the brigade is one of the most combat ready and a new barracks would be constructed.

As of 2005 the commander was Major General Farid Balaliyev.[3] Warfare.ru says the brigade's address is 652053, Kemerovo distr, Yurga. Elements of the brigade are participating in the Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War.[4]

Brigade units include

• HQ 74th Independent Motor Rifle Brigade - Yurga
  • total 3000 troops[5]
  • 867th Separate Motor-rifle Battalion
  • 873rd Separate Motor-rifle battalion
  • 880th Separate Motor-rifle battalion
  • 13th Separate Tank Battalion
  • 227th Separate Self-propelled Howitzer artillery Battalion
  • 230th Separate Self-propelled Howitzer artillery Battalion
  • 237th Separate Anti-tank artillery battalion
  • 243rd Separate Antiaircraft rocket-artillery Battalion

References

1. Craig Crofoot, Group of Soviet Forces Germany, Version 3.0.0, manuscript available at www.microarmormayhem.com
2. RIA Novosti, '74th Motorized Brigade to be manned with professionals by Year End 2006', YURGA/Kemerovo Region, February 3, 2005 (10:41)
3. Krasnaya Zvezda, 5 Sept 2002, via fas.org
4. "Russian soldiers geolocated by photos in multiple Syria locations, bloggers say". Reuters. 2015-11-08. Retrieved 2016-02-08.
5. Soldat.ru forum data, http://www.soldat.ru/forum/?gb=3&action=prn&thread=1177313439

• Craig Crofoot, Group of Soviet Forces Germany, Version 3.0.0, manuscript available at www.microarmormayhem.com
• GlobalSecurity.org, 74th Brigade
• 94th Guards Rifle Division (Russian)