Russian Army Mobile Artillery Unit Redeploys to the Ukrainian Border

SPC “Akatsiya” of the 138th Motorized Rifle Brigade Deployed at the Ukrainian Border

November 4, 2014

Irakli Komahydze

We have obtained evidence of the presence of another artillery detachment of the Russian Armed Forces at the Ukrainian border, this time from the 138 Motorized Rifle Brigade (MRB), Military Unit 02511 of the Western Military District. The Brigade’s place of permanent deployment is Kamenka, Vyborgsky District, Leningrad Oblast. 

The artillery detachment of the 138th MRB was redeployed to the Ukrainian border in the second half of October 2014, presumably as part of a rotation that took place to substitute other artillery groups.  During October a partial withdrawal of some units was recorded from Rostov oblast. Units identified as withdrawn over this period were the 19th Separate MRB (Vladikavkaz), and the 15th Separate MRB “peacekeeping forces” (Samara), amongst others.

The camp of `Kamenka artillerymen’ is located in the fields near the Sambek – Uspenskoe route, South-West of Pokrovskoe village, Rostov oblast. This unit is armed with 152 mm 2S3 “Akatsiya” self-propelled artillery (SPA). While the size of the detachment is unknown, the detachment probably consists of a battery of up to 6-8 artillery guns. It's likely that besides with SPA vehicles and crews, there are other sub-units of this brigade in the same camp. The location of the camp has not been chosen by chance. Though it is situated some distance from the border, at the same time it is not so far from it. From this point rapid redeployment is possible to the strategic conflict points – in other words to Mariupol as well as to Donetsk or Lugansk. We have noted that other Russian units, including an artillery detachment of the 136th MRB (Dagestan), have also been deployed to field camps in this area. 

Quick overview of the 138th MRB: 

The Brigade traces its history to the 45th Guards Rifle Division of the former Leningrad Military District (reorganized as the Western Military District since 2010). Unit manpower is about 4000 troops. The Brigade includes 3 motorized-rifle battalions, an armored battalion; 2 self-propelled howitzer artillery battalions; a rocket artillery battalion; an anti-tank artillery battalion; an air defense artillery battalion; an anti-aircraft artillery missile battalion; and various logistical units. 

Original Source - InformNapalm (Russian language)