18th Machine Gun Artillery Division

the World War II March 2023 184th Rifle Division (II) (1941–1946) 18th Machine Gun Artillery Division (1946–1949; 1978–present) Sleeve patch of the 18th Machine Gun Artillery Division.svg 1941–1949; 1978–present Soviet Union (1941–1991) (1991-present) Russia Fortification Artillery 68th Army Corps, Eastern Military District Goryachiye Klyuchi, Kurilsky District, Sakhalin Oblast Dukhovshchinskaya (Духовщинская) World War II Eastern Front Battle of Kurskhttp://www.kursk1943.mil.ru/kursk/timeline/07_12/right.html Kursk1943.mil.ru 2006-11-23 https://archive.today/20120805070407/http://www.kursk1943.mil.ru/kursk/timeline/07_12/right.html 2012-08-05 dead Battle of Stalingrad,http://rusfront.media2000.ru/index.php?content=camp03 RusFront.media2000.ru 2006-11-23 https://web.archive.org/web/20030724133419/http://rusfront.media2000.ru/index.php?content=camp03 2003-07-24 dead Battle of Smolensk,WarHeroes.ru Third Battle of Kharkov,http://www.all.kharkov.ua/about_khar/vov_p2.html?SID=65aab1a235d9d1f963f All.Kharkov.ua 2006-11-24 https://web.archive.org/web/20070901144747/http://www.all.kharkov.ua/about_khar/vov_p2.html?SID=65aab1a235d9d1f963f 2007-09-01 dead Dukhovshchina–Demidov OffensiveRKKA.ru Invasion of Manchuria Russo-Ukrainian War Invasion of Ukrainehttps://fharbor.com/2022/07/20/russia-sends-pacific-island-machine-gun-artillery-division-to-ukraine-forbes/#:~:text=During%20World%20War%20II%2C%20the%2018%20th%20Machine,the%20bulk%20of%20the%20division%20on%20Iturup%20Island Russia Sends Pacific Island 'Machine Gun Artillery Division' to Ukraine - Forbes 20 July 2022 Eastern Ukraine offensive Battle of Siversk The 18th Machine Gun Artillery Division is a division of the Russian Ground Forces stationed in Sakhalin Oblast with administration over the Kuril Islands. In 2022 the unit participated in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.2022-07-20 Russia Sends Pacific Island 'Machine Gun Artillery Division' To Ukraine - Forbes https://fharbor.com/2022/07/20/russia-sends-pacific-island-machine-gun-artillery-division-to-ukraine-forbes/ 2022-07-20 Fharbor en-US First formation It was first formed as the 184th Red Banner Rifle Division (ru 184-я Краснознамëнная стрелковая дивизия, abbreviated: 184-я сд) which was a Soviet Red Army division during World War II (1920s till 1940 – 2nd Division of Lithuania).Stasys Knezys. Lietuvos kariuomenės naikinimas (1940 m. birželio 15 d.–1941 m.) It was with 29th Rifle Corps of 11th Army on June 22, 1941, as part of the Baltic Military District. Most of the soldiers rebelled and joined the cause of the Lithuanian Activist Front.Первые дни войны 5-ой танковой дивизии - часть третья - Правда.Ру Some of its remnants went to make up the Second Formation of the 16th Rifle Division. Second formation thumb|Soldiers of the 4th company of the 297th Rifle Regiment's 2nd Battalion, first to reach the East Prussian border on 17 August 1944. Company commander Senior Lieutenant Vasily Petrovich Zaytsev (first from left), killed in action 22 October, was posthumously made a Hero of the Soviet Union. Its Second Formation was activated in October 1941, a redesignation of the 4th NKVD Rifle Division, which had been active in the Crimea since September 1941. The division fought as part of the 62nd Army during the Battle of Stalingrad under Colonel Koida from July 17 to September 15, 1942.http://stalingrad.ic.ru/s62arm.html 62nd Army 2008-01-25 https://archive.today/20010716235321/http://stalingrad.ic.ru/s62arm.html 2001-07-16 dead Among the most notable division members was Roza Shanina. On July 12, 1944, the division occupied Trakai jointly with the 45th Rifle Corps. During the East Prussian Offensive, the division hoisted the flag of the Soviet Union on the Soviet state border.WarHeroes.ru It was then transferred to the Far East and fought as part of 45th Rifle Corps, 5th Army, during the invasion of Manchuria.http://www.niehorster.org/012_ussr/45-08-08/land/army_05.html 5th Army, 1st Far Eastern Front, Far East Command, 9 August 1945 Niehorster Leo niehorster.org 14 June 2017 During the war, the division was part of the 2nd Guards Corps (39th Army), 3rd Tank Army, 5th Army, 62nd Army. It disbanded in 1945-46.Feskov et al 2013, 147. Some 12 men of the 184th Division were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union, among them Vasily Petrovich Zaytsev Vasily Zaytsev ru Зайцев, Василий Петрович (Герой Советского Союза).Ostreyko G.A. August 1987 184th Rifle Division's Role in Kaunas Operation https://archive.org/details/DTIC_ADA346347/page/n35/mode/2up?q=Kaunas Soviet Union Military History Journal 8 34 The 109th Fortified Region had been serving in the Far East. Circa 1946 it became the 18th Machine Gun Artillery Brigade.Feskov 2013, 155. On June 8, 1946, on the basis of the 184th Rifle Division and the 18th Machine Gun Artillery Brigade, the 18th Machine-Gun Artillery Division was created in Primorski Krai, comprising the: 38th, 40th, and 49th Machine-Gun Artillery Regiments. It was disbanded in 1949.Feskov et al 2013, 156. Third formation The division was reformed in mid-May 1978 in Knyaze-Volkonskoye, Khabarovsk Krai, without inheriting the lineage of the previous formation.http://www.ww2.dk/new/army/msd/18pulad.htm 18th Machine-Gun Artillery Division Holm Michael www.ww2.dk 19 January 2017 It was transferred to the Kuril Islands during the summer of 1978. Defense of the Kuril Islands The main responsibility for the defense of the Kuril Islands falls to the 18th Machine Gun Artillery Division of the Eastern Military District. The headquarters of the division are located in Goryachiye Klyuchi on the Iturup Island. It also has garrisons on Kunashir Island and Shikotan Island.http://www.interfax.com/newsinf.asp?id=220126 Russian defense minister visits garrisons in South Kurils (Part 2) Interfax 2011-02-04 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20151117024926/https://www.interfax.com/newsinf.asp?id=220126 2015-11-17 The division was previously the only division-strength military formation remaining in the Armed Forces of Russia, along with the 201st Military Base in Tajikistan.http://mdb.cast.ru/mdb/2-2010/item5/article1/ Russia's Army Reform Enters New Stage Moscow Defense Brief Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies 2010-08-28 2015-11-13 https://web.archive.org/web/20100828043526/http://mdb.cast.ru/mdb/2-2010/item5/article1/ dead The division's aging infrastructure is in need of overhaul.http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/russia-may-deploy-rockets-on-southern-kurils/431064.html Russia May Deploy Rockets on Southern Kurils Reuters 2011-02-11 There are also Border Guard Service troops stationed on the islands. http://solariatimes.com/backgrounder-importance-of-southern-kuril-islands-xinhua/ https://web.archive.org/web/20201107234436/http://solariatimes.com/backgrounder-importance-of-southern-kuril-islands-xinhua/ dead November 7, 2020 Backgrounder: Importance of Southern Kuril Islands – Xinhua Xinhuahttp://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-02/04/c_13719152.htm Russian defense minister visits disputed islands 2015-11-13 2015-11-17 https://web.archive.org/web/20151117023759/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-02/04/c_13719152.htm dead In case of attack by Japan, the Russian forces on the Kuril Islands are expected to hold out for only one to four days unless they receive support.http://english.pravda.ru/russia/politics/09-02-2011/116829-russia_japan_kuril_islands-0/ Will Russia be able to defend Kuril Islands if Japan attacks? Pravda.ru 2011-02-09 In 2011, it was reported that the K-300P Bastion-P system was being deployed in the islands.http://rusnavy.com/news/navy/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=11615 Russia to deploy Bastion coastal missile systems at Kurils Rusnavy.com 2011-02-03 2013-09-03 The division became part of the 68th Army Corps in 2014.http://www.ng.ru/armies/2014-04-21/3_kartblansh.html КАРТ-БЛАНШ. Курилам придают военно-стратегический облик Mukhin Vladimir 21 April 2014 Nezavisimaya Gazeta 18 March 2017 ru Carte Blanche: Kuriles get strategic military character In 2022 it was reported that the division had started to receive upgraded T-80BVM main battle tanks as part of its equipment.https://www.gfsis.org/russian-monitor/view/3112 Contact Support The division is estimated to have about 3,500 troops under its command and is currently made up of two machine-gun artillery battalions, a motor-rifle battalion, an artillery battalion, a tank company or battalion, one rocket artillery battery, a short-range air defense company, an air defense battalion, and a support company. Russo-Ukrainian War In May 2022 it was reported that the 18th Machine Gun Artillery Division was participating in the Russo-Ukrainian War near Izium.https://twitter.com/HN_Schlottman/status/1520828540584964096?s=20&t=NRa69Zkg5JUdO8OE8l2PLg Henry Schlottman Managed to get close to 22 BTG figure around Izium stated by 🇺🇸 gov officials 2022-05-01 2022-05-01May 2022 https://www.forbes.com/sites/sebastienroblin/2022/07/20/russia-sends-pacific-island-machine-gun-artillery-division-to-ukraine/?ss=aerospace-defense&sh=9060d4b36b24 Russia Sends Pacific Island 'Machine Gun Artillery Division' to Ukraine Forbes By July 2022, they were reported to be participating in combat near Sloviansk against the defending 81st Airmobile Brigade and a special forces unit from the National Guard of Ukraine.https://censor.net/ua/news/3354512/desantnyky_ta_spetspryznachentsi_omegy_znyschyly_grupu_okupantiv_18yi_kulemetnoartyleriyiskoyi_dyviziyi Десантники та спецпризначенці "Омеги" знищили групу окупантів 18-ї кулеметно-артилерійської дивізії ЗС РФ під Слов'янськом Цензор.нет uk Ірина Дашківська 16 July 2022 4 May 2025 Commanders + CommandersNameDate Kombrig (later Major General) Vladas Karvelis August 30, 1940 – May 1941 Colonel Vasily Abramov August–December 1941 Major-General Stanislav Poplavsky January–March 1942 Colonel Samuil Koyda March 15, 1942 – January 18, 1943; February 11 – March 1, 1943 Major Pavel Galuza January 23 – February 10, 1943 Colonel Stepan Khoteyev March 18 – May 23, 1943 Colonel Samuil Tsukaryov May 24 – December 12, 1943 Colonel Aleksandr Belov December 13, 1943 – June 1, 1944 Major-General Basan Gorodovikov June 10 – December 11, 1944; February 19 – September 3, 1945 Colonel Ivan Mayskiy December 12, 1944 – January 15, 1945 Major-General Rakhim Maksutov January 17 – February 18, 1945 References 2 Вооруженные силы СССР после Второй Мировой войны: от Красной Армии к Советской Feskov V.I. Golikov V.I. Kalashnikov K.A. Slugin S.A. Scientific and Technical Literature Publishing 2013 9785895035306 Tomsk ru The Armed Forces of the USSR after World War II: From the Red Army to the Soviet: Part 1 Land Forces 18 Category:Army divisions of the Soviet Union Category:Military units and formations established in 1978 Category:Military units and formations awarded the Order of the Red Banner Category:Military units and formations of Russia in the Russian invasion of Ukraine Category:Military formations of the Eastern Military District