Military base. Military bases of Russia abroad

The activity of the Russian army beyond the borders of the country is now much lower than in the times of the USSR, but the Russian military bases abroad continue to operate. Moreover, in recent years, talks have begun about restoring Russia's military presence in places where Soviet military bases were once stationed.

Well, now let us examine in more detail where the Russian military bases abroad are located and what their role is.

Abkhazia

The 7th military base, located on the territory of the Republic of Abkhazia, has a long and curious history. Once, as early as 1918, an infantry division was formed on the territory of the present Lipetsk and Kursk regions. Then, after a series of reorganizations, this part was sent to the Caucasus, where it managed to visit the infantry brigade, then the infantry division, the mountain division. During the Great Patriotic War, this division was opposed to the German mountain hunters rushing through the passes from the famous "Edelweiss". After the offensive of Soviet troops began, the division (by that time mainly consisting of the Cossacks of the Kuban) was reformed from a mountain rifle into a plastun army, fought as part of the 4th Ukrainian Front, participated in the liberation of Poland and the Czech Republic.

After the war, the division changed numbers again. It trained soldiers for the group in Afghanistan, formed engineering battalions to eliminate the Chernobyl accident. Finally, in 1989, parts of the division were used for the first time in the peacekeeping mission - they separated the hostile parties during the conflict in Azerbaijan.

When the Georgian-Abkhaz war broke out, a contingent of peacekeepers deployed in the territory of Abkhazia was formed from the division's parts. After the 2008 war and Russia's recognition of the independence of the Republic of Abkhazia, a military base was created on the basis of peacekeeping forces, intended for joint use by Russian and Abkhaz troops.

Armenia

Between Russia and Armenia, relations have traditionally been warm. And since 1995 on the territory of this republic were deployed military bases of Russia in Gyumri and Erebuni. The total number of Russian military there is about 4 thousand people - it's motorized rifles, air defense fighters and military pilots. The task of the Russian military in Armenia is to shield the CIS from a possible air attack from the south.

Under the agreement signed in 2010, Russia's military bases in Armenia will operate until 2044.

Belarus

Even more friendly relations link Russia and Belarus. By agreement between our countries, in Belarus are deployed Russian military facilities that provide radar surveillance of the western direction and long-distance communication with Russian submarines on duty in the World's oceans.

According to unconfirmed information: it is possible that Russia will place military bases on the territory of Belarus in excess of those already available. It is assumed that this will be either air bases or air defense facilities.

Kazakhstan

Russian military bases on the territory of Kazakhstan are among the most numerous among all facilities of the Russian Defense Ministry abroad.

Now in Kazakhstan, Russia uses:

• In part - the Baikonur Cosmodrome (for the period up to the complete transfer of all launches of military satellites to the Russian cosmodromes Vostochny and Plesetsk);

• Base of transport aviation in Kostanay;

• A test site in Sary-Shargan;

• Nodes of communication of space troops.

Tajikistan

Formally, only one Russian military base is located on the territory of this republic, but it is the largest of those located abroad: parts of a total of more than 7,000 people are deployed in three cities of Tajikistan. According to the agreement between our countries, the task of the Russian military in Tajikistan is to protect the republic in the event of aggression by neighboring countries (primarily, the possible invasion of armed groups from the territory of Afghanistan), as well as the stabilization of the situation in the republic. The latter is especially important, since in Tajikistan for a long time there was a civil war.

In addition, for a long time the protection of the southern border of Tajikistan was borne by Russian border guards. However, since 2004 they were withdrawn from the republic, and now there are only instructors training Tajik border guards.

Finally, in the territory of Tajikistan there is a unique complex of space surveillance "Window", which in 2004 was completely redeemed by Russia.

Kyrgyzstan

In Kyrgyzstan, there is a Russian military base - an airfield in Kant. Its task is to provide, in case of need, an operational transfer of military and transport aviation of the CIS countries. The number of Russian servicemen on the base is less than 500, but there are aircraft: Su-25 attack aircraft and Mi-8 multipurpose helicopters. For some time the Russian air base was side by side with the American air base.

In addition to the air base, Russia uses several other facilities on the territory of Kyrgyzstan. Among them, the communications station with submarines Marevo (Prometey), the test base Karakol of the Russian Navy (strangely enough, but in the country completely devoid of access to the sea, there is a fleet base!), As well as a military seismic surveillance station .

Transnistria

The status of Russian troops on the territory of this unrecognized republic remains rather complicated from the point of view of international law. On the one hand, one of the largest military depots in Europe, created in the area of the village of Kolbasna even in the times of the USSR, requires protection. On the other hand, the Russian military stationed in Transnistria serves as a guarantee that the conflict between the PMR and Moldova will not return to the "hot stage" again. Nevertheless, although Russia does not recognize Transnistria as a state and stands for preserving the unity of Moldova, the agreement on the deployment of Russian military in its territory has never been signed.

The current strength of the Russian military in the DMR is about one and a half thousand people: two peacekeeping battalions, protection of warehouses, a detachment of helicopter pilots and several parts of the security. This is all that remained of the 14th Army, which at one time repaid the Transnistrian war. By the time the conflict began, the strength of the troops was 22,000 troops, but most were either withdrawn, or (for parts stationed in Chisinau and other Moldovan cities) passed under the jurisdiction of Moldova.

Military bases of the Russian Federation in the world

In addition to the countries formerly part of the USSR, Russia has military facilities in the far abroad. At the moment there are two military bases:

• Syria is the base of the fleet in Tartus. Due to the lack of funding and the extremely difficult political situation in this country, the base is practically non-existent and exists purely nominally. Plans for the proposed modernization and expansion of the base have not yet been implemented, all military specialists from the site have been withdrawn. Due to the ongoing civil war in Syria , the restoration of the base planned for 2015 remains questionable.

• Vietnam - the base of aviation and navy in Cam Ranh. The base was actively used in Soviet times, but after the perestroika and disintegration of the USSR it fell into decay. In 2001, the base was closed, since the Russian fleet by that time had not been in the Indian Ocean for many years and, therefore, did not need a base. However, under a contract from 2013 in Cam Ranh, a joint Russian-Vietnamese submarine service station was planned. Since 2014, the airfield in Cam Ranh has begun to receive Russian tanker aircraft.

In addition, there is unconfirmed information that Russia will deploy military bases on the territory of several other countries. Usually such assumptions speak about Cuba (the restoration of the radio intelligence base in Lourdes), but there are rumors about the possible establishment of Russian Navy bases in Venezuela or Nicaragua. Whether this is so far is impossible to say.