200th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade

200th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade
Shoulder sleeve patch
Active	1 December 1997 - present
Country	Russia
Branch	Russian Navy Coastal Troops
Type	Mechanized infantry
Size	Brigade
Part of	14th Army Corps, Northern Military District Coastal Troops
Garrison/HQ	Pechenga
Engagements	Russo-Ukrainian War War in Donbas Russian invasion of Ukraine Battle of Kharkiv (2022) Kharkiv counteroffensive
Decorations	Order of Kutuzov
Honorifics	Pechenga
Commanders
Current commander	Colonel Denis Yuryevich Kurilo

The 200th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade is a military formation of the 14th Army Corps, part of the Northern Military District, based at Pechenga in Murmansk Oblast. ^[1] The brigade was formed from the 131st Motor Rifle Division in 1997 and was one of the two Russian Arctic warfare brigades.

In 2014, brigade units participated in the war in Donbas. ^{[2] [3]}

In 2022, brigade units participated in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. ^[4] Interrogations of Russian prisoners of war established that the brigade was in Ukraine and suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Kharkiv. ^{[5] [6] [7] [8]}

History

Formation

The 200th Brigade was formed from the former 131st Motor Rifle Division in 1997. It inherited the honorifics "Pechenga Order of Kutuzov" from the division.

Transition to professional contract status was planned to finish at the end of 2006. At the beginning of April 2006, the brigade had about 700 professional personnel, practically all sergeant positions having been filled by kontraktniks (Russian : контрактник contracted professional soldiers). More than 180 military men and women have signed contracts for service in communications, medical, and rear services subunits. The brigade had about 10 professional soldiers from other Commonwealth of Independent States members. At the beginning of 2006, during a trip to the Leningrad Military District, the 200th Brigade was visited by the Minister of Defence, Sergei Ivanov. The brigade has association links with the Norwegian 6th Division (Norway) and the Swedish Norrbotten Regiment.

It formed part of the 6th Army in the Western Military District. ^[9] As of November 2011 it became the first of two new Arctic brigades of the Russian Ground Forces. ^{[10] [11] [12]} The unit had some disciplinary problems in 2011. ^[13] In November 2012 it became part of the Coastal Troops of the Northern Fleet. ^[14]

War in Donbas

In 2014, the brigade was involved in the war in Donbas. ^{[2] [15]} Elements of the brigade participated in the battle of Luhansk Airport and were spotted in the Khryashchevatoe village, a Luhansk suburb. ^[2] In October 2014, Senior Lieutenant Yevgeny Trundayev, commander of the anti-tank platoon of the 1st Motorized Infantry Battalion, was killed in the clashes for 32nd checkpoint, a battle in Luhansk region. He was later awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation. ^[16]

The brigade has formed part of the 14th Army Corps since the corps' formation in April 2017. ^[17]

In late January 2022, the brigade deployed from Pechenga, via trains over a few days, to the training area in Postoyalye Dvory, east of Kursk, to participate in what the Russian Ministry of Defence described as combat drills. ^[18] By February 19, the brigade moved to Belgorod and remained there until the eve of the invasion. ^[19]

Russian invasion of Ukraine

On 24 February, the brigade entered operations as part of the invasion of Ukraine, ^[20] operating in the area near Kharkiv. Troops of the brigade were seen operating roadblocks northeast of the city. A platoon sized element was seen entering the city on MT-LBs accompanied by a T-80 tank and anti-aircraft gun. They were later destroyed by a unit of the Ukrainian 93rd Mechanized Brigade. A column of BM-21 rocket artillery vehicles were also destroyed outside the city. ^[21] Pro-Ukrainian sources reported that the commander of the brigade's 382nd Separate Rocket Artillery Battalion, LtCol Dinar Khametov, was killed during the battle. ^[22] The brigade's artillery group continued to take further losses. ^[23]

By early-March, the brigade had suffered large losses and their commander, Col Denis Kurilo, was severely wounded and left the brigade. ^[24] Members of the unit were seen operating in Derhachi. It is likely two battalion tactical groups and its rocket artillery battalion were rather rendered combat ineffective during this time period. Deployed troops of the brigade suffered heavy casualties near Kharkiv with more than 30 units of equipment destroyed or captured. ^[25] The Governor of Murmansk Oblast regularly announced the deaths of prominent members of the brigade including Maj. Leonid Belyakov. ^[25] To replace the losses the brigade suffered, a battalion tactical group consisting of reservist, coastal troops, and sailors, reportedly with little combat training, was sent to Ukraine in July. ^[26]

It is estimated that by late May 2022, the brigade suffered heavy casualties and had fewer than 900 soldiers compared with more than 1,400 at the beginning of the invasion. ^[24] According to one source, as of December 2022, the brigade is visually confirmed to have lost 40% of its vehicles. ^[27]

By September 2022, Ukraine launched its counteroffensive in Kharkiv bringing the rest of the oblast under Ukrainian control. Following the Battle of Kupiansk, units from the brigade attempted to recapture the settlement, however, they were encircled by units of Ukraine's 92nd Mechanized Brigade and forced to retreat reportedly resulting in 30 killed and 10 wounded, including a company commander. ^[28]

The brigade was awarded the Guards designation on 27 April 2023. ^[29]

It was reported by the newspaper Izvestia on July 4, 2023, that the 200th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade and the 80th Arctic Motor Rifle Brigade would merge to form a new motor rifle division, the first component of the 14th Army Corps' elevation into a combined arms army. ^[30]

Structure

200th Separate Motor Rifle Battalion organization, as of 2019

The 200th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade consists of a brigade headquarters, three motor rifle battalions, one tank battalion, a brigade artillery group (coordinating two separate self-propelled howitzer battalions and one separate rocket artillery battalion), an anti-aircraft missile battalion, an anti-aircraft missile-artillery battalion, an anti-tank artillery battalion, a reconnaissance battalion, and several directly subordinated combat support and combat service support battalions and companies. ^[31]

• Brigade Headquarters
  • 274th Separate Guards Engineer Battalion
  • 293rd Electronic Warfare Company
  • 185th Postal Service Station
  • Separate Reconnaissance Battalion
  • Separate Communications Battalion
  • NBC Defense Company
  • Medical Company
  • Commandant Company
  • Separate Material Support Battalion
  • Maintenance Battalion
  • Sniper Company
  • UAV Company
• 583rd Separate Guards Motor Rifle Battalion (MT-LB)
• 658th Separate Motor Rifle Battalion (MT-LB)
• 664th Separate Motor Rifle Battalion (MT-LB)
• 60th Separate Guards Tank Battalion (T-80BVM) ^[32]
• Brigade Artillery Group (BrAG)
  • Control and Reconnaissance Battery (for brigade Chief of Artillery)
  • 416th Separate Guards Howitzer Self-Propelled Artillery Division (152mm)
  • 471st Separate Guards Howitzer Self-Propelled Artillery Division (152mm)
  • 382nd Separate Rocket Artillery Battalion (BM-21)
• 871st Separate Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion
• 226th Separate Anti-Aircraft Missile Battalion
• 246th Separate Anti-Aircraft Missile-Artillery Battalion

Equipment

The 200th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade has the following equipment:

• 41 × T-80BVM Main Battle Tanks
• 36 × 2S19 Msta self-propelled howitzers
• 18 × BM-21 Grad Multiple Rocket Launchers
• MT-LB based 9P149 tank destroyers with 9K114 Shturm Anti-tank missile
• SA-13 Gopher
• Rapira 100mm anti-tank gun
• SA-8 Gecko
• Barnaul-T air defence system ^[33]
• SA-19 Grison

Commanders

• Colonel Vitaly Leonidovich Razgonov (September 2009–April 2011) ^[13]
• Colonel Denis Kurilo (2022)

References

1. "131st Motorised Rifle Division". www.ww2.dk. Retrieved 2017-01-25.
2. "Russia's 200th Motorized Infantry Brigade in the Donbass – bellingcat". bellingcat. 2016-01-16. Retrieved 2017-01-25.
3. "The Tour of Duty of the 200th Special Purpose Separate Motor Rifle Brigade of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy in Rostov Region and in Ukraine". InformNapalm.org (English). 2014-12-01. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
4. "Northern Fleet attacks Ukraine, but no spillover impact on the Arctic". The Independent Barents Observer. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
5. ""Alexander Ivanov, født i 1999, ble arrestert i Kharkov". "Tjener under kontrakt i militær enhet 08275 (200th Motorized Rifle Brigade basert i #Murmansk-regionen"". Twitter. Archived from the original on 2022-02-26. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
6. "#OSINT-report about battle groups of the 200th Motor Rifle Brigad/ 200-я Отдельная Мотострелковая Бригада - Northern Fleet in #Ukrania. #Leak of audio-report has been translated. Their families deserve to know". Twitter. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
7. "Destroyed MTLB and T-80 near Kharkiv, this is the 200th OMSBR, unit 08275". Twitter. Retrieved 2022-03-05.
8. "Tweets with hashtag #200mrb". Twitter. Retrieved 2022-03-05.
9. 200TH DET MOT BDE, PECHENGA, WEST, 2011-11-17,
10. "Russia plans Arctic army brigades". BBC News . 1 July 2011. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
11. Development of Russia’s Arctic Brigade, 2011-11-17,
12. Pettersen, Trude (11 August 2011). "Russia's Arctic force may include paratroopers". Barents Observer . Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
13. Another Trouble Brigade, 2011-11-17,
14. Pettersen, Trude (26 November 2012). "Motorized infantry brigade to Northern Fleet". Barents Observer. Archived from the original on 13 January 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
15. Aksai707 (2016-07-04). "Russia's 200th Motorized Infantry Brigade in the Donbass: The Tell-Tale Tanks – bellingcat" . Retrieved 2016-09-03.
16. "Russia's 200th Motorized Infantry Brigade in the Donbass: The Hero of Russia – bellingcat". bellingcat. 2016-06-21. Retrieved 2017-01-25.
17. "14-й армейский корпус сформирован на Северном флоте для действий в условиях арктических широт" (in Russian). militarynews.ru. 22 April 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
18. Edwards, Jessica (2022-02-17). "Russia added 7k troops near Ukraine border, says US official". Military Times. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
19. "Hundreds of Russian Arctic troops believed to be involved in war crimes in Ukraine". The Independent Barents Observer. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
20. "Hundreds of Russian Arctic troops believed to be involved in war crimes in Ukraine".
21. Agencies and TOI staff. "Fierce street battles as Russian troops enter Ukraine's 2nd-largest city Kharkiv". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
22. "Ukrainian Military Liquidated Commanders Of Russian Army Paratrooper Battalion And Artillery Battalion". charter97.org. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
23. "Ukrainian Fighters Capture Equipment Of Russian 200th Motorized Rifle Brigade Near Kharkiv". charter97.org. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
24. "'Wiped out': War in Ukraine has decimated a once feared Russian brigade". Washington Post. 16 December 2022. Archived from the original on 18 December 2022.
25. "Hundreds of Arctic troops killed, says Ukrainian adviser". The Independent Barents Observer. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
26. "200th Motorized Rifle Brigade sends mixed volunteer battalion to Ukraine war". The Independent Barents Observer. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
27. "Search ∙ Russia ∙ WarSpotting". ukr.warspotting.net. Retrieved 2022-12-16.
28. "Russian Troops Encircled When Trying To Recapture Kupyansk". charter97.org. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
29. "Указ Президента Российской Федерации от 27.04.2023 № 312 ∙ Официальное опубликование правовых актов ∙ Официальный интернет-портал правовой информации". publication.pravo.gov.ru. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
30. Hird, Karolina; Mappes, Grace; Wolkov, Nicole; Evans, Angelica; Kagan, Frederick W. "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, July 4, 2023". Institute for the Study of War . Retrieved 6 July 2023.
31. L. Grau & C. Bartles, The Russian Way of War: Force Structure, Tactics, and Modernization of the Russian Ground Forces, (Fort Leavenworth: U.S. Army Foreign Military Studies Office, 2017), 31.
32. "200-я отдельная мотострелковая бригада перевооружена модернизированными танками Т-80БВМ".
33. "New Barnaul-T air defense system comes to motorized rifle brigade in Pechenga".