Southern Military District


The Southern Military District is a military district of Russia.
It is one of the five military districts of the Russian Armed Forces, with its jurisdiction primarily within the North Caucasus region of the country, and Russian bases in South Caucasian post-Soviet states. The Southern Military District was created as part of the 2008 military reforms, and founded by Presidential Decree №1144 signed on September 20, 2010, to replace the North Caucasus Military District, and absorbing the military commands of the Black Sea Fleet and Caspian Flotilla. The district began operation on October 22, 2010, under the command of Colonel-General Aleksandr Galkin.
The Southern Military District is the smallest military district in Russia by geographic size. The district contains 15 federal subjects of Russia: Adygea, Astrakhan Oblast, Chechnya, Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Kalmykia, Karachay-Cherkessia, Krasnodar Krai, North Ossetia-Alania, Rostov Oblast, Stavropol Krai, Volgograd Oblast, and since the annexation of Crimea in 2014, Crimea and Sevastopol.
The Southern Military District is headquartered in Rostov-on-Don, and its current district commander is Colonel-General Aleksandr Dvornikov, who has held the position since 20 September 2016.

History

The Southern Military District was formed on October 22, 2010, according to Presidential Decree of 20 September 2010 № 1144 "On the Military Administrative Division Of the Russian Federation" the Southern Military District was created along with two other new larger military districts: the Central Military District and the Eastern Military District. By order of then Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, on July 22, 2010, interim commanders were named for the new military districts. Thus, the new position of commander of the Southern Military District, was Lieutenant-General Aleksandr Galkin, former Commander of the North Caucasus Military District, with Major-General Nikolai Pereslegin as the chief of staff for the district. Galkin was later promoted to Colonel General soon after his appointment as district commander.
The Southern Military District also features two Russian military bases in Armenia: the 102nd Military Base in Gyumri, and the 3624th Air Base at the civil-military Erebuni Airport in the capital Yerevan, under the joint control of Armenian and Russian authorities.
In April 2014, Crimea and Sevastopol were added to the Southern Military District following the 2014 Crimean crisis in Ukraine, when they were annexed by Russia. The legal status of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol is currently under dispute: Ukraine and the majority of the international community considers them an integral part of Ukraine, while Russia considers them an integral part of Russia, with Crimea and Sevastopol approved as federal subjects of Russian Federation.
In 2016, the District was 98% staffed by contract servicemen.

District organization

As part of the larger reorganisation, the 49th Army appears to have reformed with its headquarters seemingly in the former Institute of Communications of the Strategic Rocket Forces at Stavropol. According to warfare.ru, 49th Army has under control the 4th Guards and 7th Military Bases and the 8th, 33rd Mountain Motor Rifle Brigade and 34th separate Mountain Motor Rifle Brigades, as well as the 66th Communications Brigade.
There are also three Spetsnaz brigades, plus two Russian Airborne Troops units also stationed in the district:the 7th Guards Airborne Division at Novorossiysk and the 56th Guards Air Assault Brigade at Kamyshin. The Russian Air Force has the 4th Air and Air Defence Forces Army in the district. Also under the district's control are the Navy's Black Sea Fleet and Caspian Flotilla, including their respective air and Naval Infantry components.
In early 2017, the formation of a new 8th Army, successor to the Soviet 8th Guards Army, began, as part of the Southern Military District. The army's headquarters is located at Novocherkassk and it is to include the 150th Motor Rifle Division and the 20th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade. The first phase of its formation is to be completed in June 2017.

Component units

58th Army
Note: the 42nd Guards Motor Rifle Division is reforming from late 2016 in Chechniya from the 8th Guards, 17th, and 18th Guards Motor Rifle Brigades
8th Army
49th Army
102nd Military Base
Airborne Troops
Special forces/Reconnaissance
Air Force units
Naval Forces