Operational Group of Russian Forces

Operational Group of Russian Forces in Transnistria
Оперативная группа российских войск в Приднестровье
A unit of the group parading on Suvorov Square, Tiraspol, in 2017
Active	1995–present
Country	Russia
Allegiance	Moldova ( Transnistria)
Branch	Russian Ground Forces
Type	Task force
Role	Peacekeeping
Size	1,500 soldiers
Part of	Western Military District
Headquarters	Tiraspol

The Operational Group of Russian Forces in Transnistria (OGRF; Romanian: Grupul Operativ al Trupelor Ruse din Transnistria, GOTR; Russian: Оперативная группа российских войск в Приднестровье, ОГРВ) is a sizable overseas military task force of the Russian Armed Forces. It served as part of the tri-lateral Joint Control Commission in the region. All 1,500 soldiers of the military force are based at the former decommissioned Soviet-era ammunition depot at Cobasna, where it guards around 22,000 tons of military equipment and ammunition.^[1][2][3][4]

History[]

A platoon from the operational group during training.

14th Army background and Transnistrian war[]

The Soviet Army's 14th Guards Army (Russian: 14-я гвардейская армия) was formed in November 1956 in Kishinev as one of the only formation of the Odessa Military District to be stationed in the Moldovan SSR. The army headquarters was moved to Tiraspol, the capital of Pridnestrovian Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in the early 1980s.^[5][6][7] At the start of the Transnistrian War, soldiers of the 14th Guards Army who were sympathetic to the PMR cause defected and joined the Transnistrian Republican Guard, despite the Russian government's official adoption of neutrality.^[8] On 23 June, Major General Alexander Lebed of the 14th Guards Army, who had orders to evacuate the local logistics center, began an over two week battle which ended in an artillery strike on 3 July on a Moldovan unit in a forest near Bender (Tighina). It is generally accepted that this strike led to the strategic victory of the Transnistrian/Russian military and the tactical setbacks of the military of Moldova when installing a Moldovan government in the region.^[9]

OGRF establishment[]

After the war, the 14th Army was split between the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Russian Army, with most of the Russian contingent being absorbed into Western Military District. The conclusion of the conflict in a cease-fire resulted in the beginning of trilateral negotiations between the governments and militaries of Russia, Transnistria and Moldova, which eventually led to the discussion of a joint peacekeeping force.^[10] In June 1995, the Operational Group of Russian Forces in Transnistria was founded by order of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.^[11] In 2005, the force consisted of the 8th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade, the 1162nd Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment, 15th Signals Regiment, as well as other support units.^[12]

The OGRF today[]

It is used purely for so-called peacekeeping purposes and to guard the ammunition depot at Cobasna.^[13] It also provides additional support to the Armed Forces of Transnistria. Today, around 350-400 troops with the operational force report directly to the JCC and can be assigned to it at any given time.^[14] The task force provides the largest contingent of soldiers in the region. On 27 June 2016, the Transnistrian government passed new law which penalized any actions or public statements that criticize the OGRF. The punishment for committing this crime is 3-7 years in jail.^[15] In recent years, the OGRF has taken part in Victory Day Parades in on Suvorov Square, often to the dismay of Chisinau.^[16]

Calls for withdraw and UN resolution[]

Since its introduction, the OGRF has been met with criticism from both Moldovan and Western officials and observers, all of whom claim that the Russian military presence is either illegal or unnecessary. In November 2008, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly adopted a resolution, urging Russia to withdraw the force in accordance with its commitments at the 1999 Istanbul OSCE Summit.^[17]

In June 2018, United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution (document A/72/L.58), which essentially called on the Russian Federation to withdraw the OGRF from Moldovan territory immediately. While the Moldovan government led by Pavel Filip supported it, President Igor Dodon condemned the resolution, saying that the Russian presence led to the "creation of conditions for a political process of negotiations".^[18][19] Previously, Dodon supported the Moldovan parliament on this issue.^[20]

In 2020, Moldovan president-elect Maia Sandu declared that OGRF should withdraw from the breakaway Transnistria, saying to the RBK that although they guard ammunition depots, "there are no bilateral agreements on the OGRF and on the weapons depots.” She also stated that its her position that the "mission should be transformed into an OSCE civilian observer mission.”^[21]

Structure (as of 2015)[]

A motorized rifle battalion conducting a live fire exercise.

• General Office and HQ
• 82nd Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Battalion
  • Battalion HQ
  • 4 Motorized Rifle Companies
  • platoon control
  • Grenadier Platoon
  • Technical Support Platoon
  • Material Support Platoon
  • Medical Platoon
• 113th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Battalion
  • Battalion HQ
  • 4 Motorized Rifle Companies
  • platoon control
  • Grenadier Platoon
  • Technical Support Platoon
  • Material Support Platoon
  • Medical Platoon
• 540th Separate Battalion of the
  • Battalion HQ
  • Guard Company
    • Management Company
    • 4 guard platoons
    • Counterintelligence Department of the FSB
  • Communication Center
  • station courier mail;
  • Engineering Platoon
  • Storage Department
  • Maintenance Company
  • Material Security Company
  • Fuel Protection
  • Military band
  • Military Polygon Area

Commanders of the OGRF[]

Iosif Kobzon and Colonel Dmitry Zelenkov in November 2016.

The following generals commanded the unit:

• Lieutenant General Valery Yevnevich (November 1995–16 January 2002)
• Major General Boris Sergeev (16 January 2002–11 September 2009)
• Colonel Vyacheslav Sitchikhin (11 September 2009–2010)
• Colonel Sergey Nyrkov (2010–2011)
• Colonel Valery Plohotnyuk (1 December 2011–15 March 2013)
• Colonel Sergey Goryachev (15 March 2013–25 December 2014)
• Colonel Dmitry Zelenkov (25 December 2014–Present)

See also[]

• List of Russian military bases abroad
• 59th Guards Motor Rifle Division

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Operational Group of Russian Forces in Moldova.