informnapalm--2020-10-03--“Classified” brigade of the Russian Army: location, command and potential threat for Ukraine (invest

“Classified” brigade of the Russian Army: location, command and potential threat for Ukraine (investigation of Come Back Alive Foundation)

This open source intelligence ( OSINT ) investigation was prepared by the analytical section of the Come Back Alive Foundation .
It deals with the 152nd Separate Logistics Brigade of the 20th Army of the Western Military District of the Russian Armed Forces .
For over two years , the analytical section of the Come Back Alive Foundation has been doing research and analysis in the interests of the higher military command of Ukraine .
One of the team ’ s activity areas is the search for and publication of the information which may inflict damage on the armed forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data only from open sources ( mass media , social networks , enemy government portals , etc. )
.
Two years ago , InformNapalm volunteer intelligence community investigated probable formation of a new military logistics base in close proximity to the state borders of Ukraine and Belarus .
The reason for the conclusions made back then was the arrival of an inspection group headed by Lieutenant General Andrei Bulyga , Deputy Commander for Logistics of the Western Military District ( WMD ) , to the town of Unecha ( Bryansk Oblast , Russia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the group was tasked with finding a location for the deployment of a military logistics base .
However , in that investigation one of the Russian Army officers from that group and his shoulder patch could not be identified .
Therefore , it was impossible to determine a specific military unit or force of the Russian army to which the probable new logistics base could belong .
Analysts of Come Back Alive Foundation managed to find the information about the above-mentioned officer as well as about the military unit under his command .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ classified ” logistics brigade ?
And when was it formed ?
What are the distinctive features of the infrastructure of the brigade ’ s permanent station ?
What types of weapons and military equipment are normally operated by logistics brigades ?
What do the brigade insignia look like ?
Was the brigade ’ s command involved in planning the deployment of a military logistics base near the borders of Belarus and Ukraine , and does this also indicate that Russian Federation is preparing for an armed aggression in this area ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions in our OSINT investigation .
To begin with , it is important to get a broad understanding of the role and place of separate logistics brigades ( SLB ) in the Russian Armed Forces .
The general task of SLBs is to ensure the activity and advance of combat units and formations operating at a considerable distance from their permanent stations .
In fact , SLB subunits set off before or together with the troops to ensure their movement and advance on the route , to build bridges and crossings , supply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and armored vehicles of combat troops .
If necessary , SLB subunits can also deploy field fueling stations , lay pipelines ( e.g .
to supply water or fuel ) , organize bath and laundry points , field feeding points and even small field bakeries .
Also SLBs can be involved in the deployment of logistics bases .
The table of organization and equipment of of an SLB is usually quite standard , but it can still slightly differ depending on the deployment area characteristics .
The main components of SLBs are floating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and trucking subunits , as well as other subunits and support units ( of battalion level and below ) .
The brigade discussed below is locateded in the Western Military District ( WMD ) of the Russian Armed Forces bordering Ukraine , therefore , we will look at the SLBs deployed on the territory of this district .
According to the current tables of organization and equipment , each ground force Army of the WMD has its own logistics brigade , namely : Each of these brigades is subordinate to the logistics commander @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of individual SLBs of WMD on the map It should be noted that in recent years the military and political leadership of the Russian Federation has been keeping a special focus on the covert formation and deployment of troops , especially new units and combined forces .
These processes received minimal media coverage and were scarcely mentioned in the official sources of information .
Also , social media activity of the Russian Army servicemen and posting of potentially sensitive photo or video content has become much more tightly controlled .
All this has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amount of publicly available information , but it is impossible to hide everything .
The 152nd SLB is an interesting unit , in the first place , because until now there has been no summary information about it online .
At the same time , this brigade is related to the build-up of Russia ’ s military presence along the state border of Ukraine .
So , in January 2017 , the head of the press service of the Western Military District ( WMD ) , Igor Muginov , for the first time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new logistics brigade in Voronezh Oblast .
The designation of the brigade , its command and permanent station location were not disclosed .
But a year later , information began to leak to open sources .
In February 2018 , at the celebrations honoring the “ soldiers-internationalists ” in the city of Liski ( Voronezh Oblast ) , the designation number of the SLB , the location of its permanent station and the name of the deputy brigade commander were announced : “ About the valor of the warriors of the Afghan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Igor Afanasyev , deputy commander of the 152nd Separate Logistics Brigade of the Western Military District , stationed in Liski , Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Katkin … ” The purpose of the next stage of this investigation has been to find and confirm the exact location of the permanent station of the 152nd SLB in Liski .
The location of the 152nd SLB The town of Liski is the administrative center of the Liski raion of the Voronezh Oblast and a large railway junction on the South-Western railway of the Russian Federation , therefore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here is well justified .
In addition , the 152nd SLB stationed here is the closest to the state border of Ukraine among the logistics units of the WMD .
Also , 40 kilometers from the town of Liski , there is a Training Center for Junior Specialists of the Armored Service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation ( Ostrogozhsk ) – the largest in the territory of the Western Military District .
A training range is also located at this center .
Within the city itself , there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all official and unofficial sources listing military facilities of the Voronezh Oblast designate it as military unit 63796 .
Several sources indicate that the 1871st Artillery Armament Base was once located there , but at the moment has been liquidated .
The territory of the military unit and the railway station in Liski With the help of the Google Street View service , we confirmed the location of the 152nd SLB in the territory of the compound .
View of the entrance checkpoint of the military unit , from Information stand at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detailed analysis of Google satellite images for April 19 , 2019 reveals that there were almost 200 military vehicles in the permanent station territory stored in the open air , and probably even more equipment was in the storage garages .
There are more than 40 buildings on the territory of the military unit , including clearly distinguishable barracks , headquarters and storage garages for military hardware .
Recent social media posts of active servicemen and local residents of Liski provided us a drone view of the permanent station of the 152nd SLB @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unit compound .
Permanent station of the 152nd SLB , aerial view from a drone ( June 17 , 2020 ) Permanent station of the 152nd SLB ( photo from the barracks , posted on June 22 , 2020 ) Judging by Google satellite images history , this area stood abandoned from late 2014 to late 2017 .
Also , in a local news report from 2015 , it is called a “ former military unit.
” It should be noted that at the time when the 1871st Artillery Armament Base was still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hardware in this territory got significantly reduced precisely in the period when active hostilities were unfolding in the Donbas ( summer 2014 ) .
It is possible that in 2014 , some of the weapons from this base could have been transferred to the Russian occupation forces in the occupied territory of Eastern Ukraine .
Comparison of the mass of military hardware in 2013 and 2014 of regular military units of the Russian Army that participated in direct armed aggression on the territory of Ukraine , and analyzed their weaponry .
Only from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appear on this territory again as the active stage of forming a logistics brigade began .
Arrival of military equipment of the logistics brigade to the permanent station grounds in Liski ( 2018 ) It is also worth noting that individual parts and subunits of SLBs are often scattered over several towns or villages .
But so far it is known that the compound in Liski is the main station of the brigade , where most of the equipment and the brigade ’ s headquarters are located .
As a result of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Russian Youtube segment , we found the shoulder insignia of the 152nd SLB .
Image from VK : photo from the territory of the military unit Image from Instagram : serviceman of the 152nd SLB at the workplace ( has a profile photo from the territory of the military unit ) Image from Youtube – representatives of the 152nd SLB participating in celebrations at school No 12 , Liski The largest database of logistics military unit patches of the Russian army could be found .
As of early September 2020 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SLB .
In addition to the deputy commander of the military unit , we also could identify the commander of the 152nd SLB .
It turned out to be Colonel A.A. Fominykh .
We found some information on him in the community of the Liski City Palace of Culture on the OK social network ( dated February 26 , 2019 ) .
Images from the OK social network posting of the Liski City Palace of Culture It is worth noting that this post is not the only one that contains both the designation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , as well as the name and photo of the commander .
To prove that Colonel Fominykh is the commander of the 152nd SLB , it was necessary to prove that military unit 80504 was in fact the 152nd SLB .
Firstly , the shoulder patches of the servicemen standing behind the commander of military unit 80504 are identical to those of the servicemen of the 152nd SLB .
Secondly , the post states that the servicemen of military unit 80504 prepared an act for the show , and judging by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patches .
Image from the OK network – shoulder patches of servicemen of the military unit 80504 Thirdly , there is the Church of St. George the Victorious , at the military unit 80504 , located at the same address as the 152nd SLB – 7 Krasnykh Zor street , Liski .
Church of St. George the Victorious at military unit 80504 After analyzing the building of the church , we could determine its exact geographical position .
It really is on the territory of the military unit .
Exact coordinates : 50.981287 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Victorious at military unit 80504 – geolocation Moreover , posts of the mother of one of the conscripts on Instagram , as well as the list of Russian military units from the VK social network , also prove that military unit 80504 and 152nd SLB are one and the same unit .
Image from Instagram : shoulder patches of a serviceman of military unit 80504 Considering all of the above , we can confidently assert that military unit 80504 is the 152nd SLB , and Colonel Fominykh is its commander .
High-quality photos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the posting of the Liski Palace of Culture .
Images from the OK social network : Colonel Fominykh , commander of the 152nd SLB of the Russian Army What is known about Colonel Fominykh ?
There is scarce information about him on the web , but it is enough to draw preliminary conclusions .
Judging by the statements of the press service of the Western Military District , the 152nd SLB began to legally form in early 2017 .
Most likely , from that moment on , Colonel Fominykh was appointed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not aim to analyze in detail his career path , but we found a confirmation of his participation in a litigation at Stavropol Garrison Military Court in 2011 .
There he was involved as the commander of a military unit , then still “ Lieutenant Colonel A.A. Fominykh.
” The court case dealt with an illegal dismissal of one of his subordinates at an automotive battalion .
It suggests that as of 2011 he was in command of a logistics unit in the Southern Military District , as the case was considered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 32nd Logistics Regiment , which later provided the basis to form 78th SLB ( Budyonnovsk , Southern Military District ) .
But all this is actually not as significant as the fact that this officer already had experience of commanding a logistics unit , and was entrusted with the formation of a new brigade .
All this gives us grounds to believe that he enjoyed a good reputation among the higher command .
From the news reports , it became known that Colonel Fominykh was still the acting brigade commander as of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his first name was also mentioned – Alexey .
Although in the previous news story from 2019 he was called Alexander Andreevich .
Colonel Fominykh also has a number of awards .
Some of them immediately stand out : • For Service in the Caucasus – a distinction badge for officers and warrant officers of the North Caucasus Military District , which is another indication that he served in the southern region of the Russian Federation , even before the formation of the Southern Military District in 2010 on the basis of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Distinction for military personnel of the logistics units ; • medals For Military Valor of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation of I and II degrees .
These awards are given out personally by the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation and this may indicate high performance in combat training , outstanding achievements in military service/drills .
The brigade commander could have received the medals For Military Valor for the participation of parts of his brigade in the military campaign in Syria .
However , there is little evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the purpose of this investigation .
Armament and military equipment of the 152nd SLB As part of the investigation , we discovered a probable tactical identification marking born by the military equipment of the 152nd SLB .
Vehicles with such a sign were exhibited at an open-doors day at the military unit .
This marking could be valid as of May 2019 , but it is likely that the sign is different at this point .
A photo of the identification marking of the armament and military equipment of the 152nd SLB was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ garrison church located on the grounds of the military unit .
He is active on social media and has been the source of many valuable photos .
His followers on VK and Instagram also helped considerably .
Likely identification mark of the military equipment of the152nd SLB as of May 2019 Search for the tactical marking of the military equipment of the152nd SLB In general , the sets of automotive and armored vehicles of logistics brigades are quite standard .
However , part of the armament and military equipment of 152nd SLB could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certain vehicles of the brigade could have been changed to more modern the KamAZ chassis , namely , cross-country and heavy lift vehicles .
Find out more about some standard types of equipment operated by Russian logistics brigades in this video or under this link .
The role of the 152nd SLB in building up Russian military presence near the state border of Ukraine It is worth noting that at present , most of the combat units and subunits of the newly formed 144th Motorized Rifle Division ( MRD ) of the 20th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are deployed on the territory of Bryansk Oblast , namely : Military units of the Russian Army , concentrated on the territory of Bryansk Oblast ( namely , in the regions bordering on Ukraine and Belarus ) “ Unecha is a regional center of Bryansk Oblast , an important railway junction .
Population – 23,971 people ( as of 2017 ) .
It is located 79 km away from the Belarusian border ( towards Gomel ) , and 58 km from the Ukrainian border ( towards Semenivka ) .
The Gomel and Mogilev @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Gomel A-240 route is 5 km from the city .
Both the railway lines and the road running towards Gomel connect , along a straight line , Bryansk , Pochep , Unecha , Klintsy and Gomel.
” , – noted the Although the aforementioned InformNapalm investigation exposed the intentions of the military and political leadership of the Russian Federation , at the time of its writing , there was not enough data on the web to identify the individuals and the units they represented .
This open-source information has become available recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in October 2018 as part of the delegation of Lieutenant-General Andrey Bulyga , Deputy Commander for Logistics of the Western Military District , was identified as Colonel Fominykh described above , the commander of the 152nd Separate Logistics Brigade ( aka military unit 80504 ) permanently deployed in the city of Liski , Bryansk Oblast .
This is confirmed by the similarity of the faces , the name patch ( which was readable only partially ) and the identical brigade shoulder patches .
Commander of the 152nd SLB , Colonel Fominykh , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Liski ( 2019 ) Let us recall that according to the information stands captured by journalists in 2018 , it was planned to form a logistics base in Unecha , for : “ … storage of materials … stocks of materiel … other support assets… ” .
It is not known whether a final decision has been made to locate the logistics base in Unecha .
However , the presence of a large railway junction , as well as other relevant infrastructure and relative location of existing military units give us strong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ base could be located there .
We call on the Ukrainian intelligence to endeavor to identify such bases in advance by searching for potential alternative locations for their deployment in the area .
However , a few interesting facts are worth mentioning .
In 2019 , a decision was actually announced to hand over the necessary land and buildings to the Russian Ministry of Defense for the formation of a military unit .
The decision concerned the territory of that old Unecha Nodal Hospital which had been visited by the representatives of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , one of the hospital buildings was urgently turned into a 400-bed hospital to receive patients with COVID-19 from all over the Bryansk Oblast .
At the same time , in the fall of 2019 , work began in the field behind the old Nodal Hospital , which can indicate a preparatory stage for the construction of modular structures or a landing pad for helicopters ( see animation below ) .
Changes from August 2019 to August 2020 in the area where it was planned to deploy the logistics base in 2018 ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the work carried out near the church ( the smaller spot on the right ) was the construction of a new parking lot .
A new paved road was also built across the field .
New road and parking lot near the church The main site on the field ( 52.857826 , 32.670183 ) measures approximately 130 by 70 meters , but it is not yet known exactly whether anything will be built on this lot .
Perhaps sand and gravel for the development of the church grounds are simply stored there .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be kept under further observation .
Probable construction site for new buildings or aprons in the interests of the Russian Army It can not be ruled out that after the plans of the Russian Army were exposed in 2018 , all further information in the official Russian military sources and some actions of the authorities could have been aimed at misleading the military and political leadership of Ukraine and Belarus .
These measures could have been both a further imitation of the deployment of the base exactly there , or vice versa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the base there , although still planning its deployment elsewhere .
In fact , it is no longer important whether the Kremlin will locate a logistics base in Unecha or in a slightly different location .
Of principal significance , is the very fact that the Russian Army is planning or is already deploying a military logistics base ( or bases ) in the immediate vicinity of the state borders of Belarus and Ukraine , precisely in the area of a significant concentration of the newly formed military units making up the 144th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is important to note that logistics bases and units serve not only the brigades and regiments of their respective army or military district , but also all combat forces that operate or may operate in the area where these logistics units are deployed .
It is also worth noting that the 144th MRD has its own separate logistics battalion in Pochep .
Thus , the military units of the Division based in the Bryansk Oblast already have sufficient own logistics resources for their routine activities at permanent stations and for any local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a logistics base in the Bryansk Oblast may be required not only for the military units already deployed there , but also for the support of all combat units that could be involved in a probable offensive in this direction against the Republic of Belarus or Ukraine .
Locating of a military logistics base in close proximity to the state borders of neighboring countries in itself indicates that the Russian Army is preparing for active ( in particular , offensive ) actions in this direction , or at least imitates such a readiness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involving 152nd SLB in the deployment of troops in Bryansk Oblast implies the possibility to use such standard assets as floating bridges , large and medium folding bridges , etc .
These types of assets are designed to ensure the advance of troops over water obstacles .
In the relevant area , such a need may arise only in the case of a massive cross-border offensive , i.e .
to cross the rivers Sozh and Iput ( Gomel Oblast , Belarus ) or the rivers Snov and Desna ( Chernihiv Oblast , Ukraine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these assets may be an imitation of activity to mislead the military and political leadership of neighboring countries .
This may create the need to maintain certain numbers of personnel and military equipment near the northern borders of Ukraine thus pulling resources from the war with the Russian occupation forces in the Donbas and weakening the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the conflict zone .
This investigation reconfirms that the Russian Federation continues to build up its military presence near its western borders .
Contrary to its public statements , the Kremlin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Ukraine and increase the political , economic and military pressure on the Republic of Belarus .
The better we know the enemy , the better we can predict his actions and fight back .
Therefore , we will continue to collect information about the activity and presence of the Russian Army near the borders of Ukraine .
By Anton Shevchenko , analytical section of Come Back Alive Foundation Translation by Artem Velichko.Distribution and reprint with reference to the source is welcome !
( Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook / Twitter / Telegram InformNapalm does not have any financial support from any government or large donors , the only sponsors of the project are its volunteers and readers .
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This open source intelligence (OSINT) investigation was prepared by the analytical section of the Come Back Alive Foundation. It deals with the 152nd Separate Logistics Brigade of the 20th Army of the Western Military District of the Russian Armed Forces.
For over two years, the analytical section of the Come Back Alive Foundation has been doing research and analysis in the interests of the higher military command of Ukraine. One of the team’s activity areas is the search for and publication of the information which may inflict damage on the armed forces of the Russian Federation. We use data only from open sources (mass media, social networks, enemy government portals, etc.).
Two years ago, InformNapalm volunteer intelligence community investigated probable formation of a new military logistics base in close proximity to the state borders of Ukraine and Belarus.
The reason for the conclusions made back then was the arrival of an inspection group headed by Lieutenant General Andrei Bulyga, Deputy Commander for Logistics of the Western Military District (WMD), to the town of Unecha (Bryansk Oblast, Russia) in October 2018. Apparently, the group was tasked with finding a location for the deployment of a military logistics base.
However, in that investigation one of the Russian Army officers from that group and his shoulder patch could not be identified. Therefore, it was impossible to determine a specific military unit or force of the Russian army to which the probable new logistics base could belong.
Image of Informnapalm
Analysts of Come Back Alive Foundation managed to find the information about the above-mentioned officer as well as about the military unit under his command.
What is the exact location the of the “classified” logistics brigade? And when was it formed? What are the distinctive features of the infrastructure of the brigade’s permanent station? What types of weapons and military equipment are normally operated by logistics brigades? What do the brigade insignia look like? Was the brigade’s command involved in planning the deployment of a military logistics base near the borders of Belarus and Ukraine, and does this also indicate that Russian Federation is preparing for an armed aggression in this area?
You will find answers to all these questions in our OSINT investigation.
What is a logistics brigade?
To begin with, it is important to get a broad understanding of the role and place of separate logistics brigades (SLB) in the Russian Armed Forces.
The general task of SLBs is to ensure the activity and advance of combat units and formations operating at a considerable distance from their permanent stations.
In fact, SLB subunits set off before or together with the troops to ensure their movement and advance on the route, to build bridges and crossings, supply ammunition, evacuate and repair damaged trucks and armored vehicles of combat troops. If necessary, SLB subunits can also deploy field fueling stations, lay pipelines (e.g. to supply water or fuel), organize bath and laundry points, field feeding points and even small field bakeries. Also SLBs can be involved in the deployment of logistics bases.
The table of organization and equipment of of an SLB is usually quite standard, but it can still slightly differ depending on the deployment area characteristics.
The main components of SLBs are floating bridge, pipeline, maintenance, headquarter and trucking subunits, as well as other subunits and support units (of battalion level and below).
Typically, such brigades number about 2,000 servicemen.
The brigade discussed below is locateded in the Western Military District (WMD) of the Russian Armed Forces bordering Ukraine, therefore, we will look at the SLBs deployed on the territory of this district.
According to the current tables of organization and equipment, each ground force Army of the WMD has its own logistics brigade, namely:
in the 6th Army (SAINT-PETERSBURG) – 51st SLB (KRASNOYE SELO / SAINT-PETERSBURG)
in the 1st Army (ODINTSOVO) – 69th SLB (DZERZHINSK)
in the 20th Army (VORONEZH) – 152nd SLB (LISKI).
Each of these brigades is subordinate to the logistics commander of the respective Army.
Schematic location of individual SLBs of WMD on the map
152nd SLB and its significance
It should be noted that in recent years the military and political leadership of the Russian Federation has been keeping a special focus on the covert formation and deployment of troops, especially new units and combined forces. These processes received minimal media coverage and were scarcely mentioned in the official sources of information. Also, social media activity of the Russian Army servicemen and posting of potentially sensitive photo or video content has become much more tightly controlled.
All this has led to a significant decrease in the amount of publicly available information, but it is impossible to hide everything.
The 152nd SLB is an interesting unit, in the first place, because until now there has been no summary information about it online. At the same time, this brigade is related to the build-up of Russia’s military presence along the state border of Ukraine.
So, in January 2017, the head of the press service of the Western Military District (WMD), Igor Muginov, for the first time mentioned to the media the formation of a new logistics brigade in Voronezh Oblast. The designation of the brigade, its command and permanent station location were not disclosed. But a year later, information began to leak to open sources.
In February 2018, at the celebrations honoring the “soldiers-internationalists” in the city of Liski (Voronezh Oblast), the designation number of the SLB, the location of its permanent station and the name of the deputy brigade commander were announced:
“About the valor of the warriors of the Afghan war … speaks the military enlistment officer Igor Afanasyev, deputy commander of the 152nd Separate Logistics Brigade of the Western Military District, stationed in Liski, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Katkin …”
Photos from the event
The purpose of the next stage of this investigation has been to find and confirm the exact location of the permanent station of the 152nd SLB in Liski.
The location of the 152nd SLB
The town of Liski is the administrative center of the Liski raion of the Voronezh Oblast and a large railway junction on the South-Western railway of the Russian Federation, therefore, the deployment of a logistics brigade here is well justified. In addition, the 152nd SLB stationed here is the closest to the state border of Ukraine among the logistics units of the WMD.
Google Pictures
Background information: Also, 40 kilometers from the town of Liski, there is a Training Center for Junior Specialists of the Armored Service of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (Ostrogozhsk) – the largest in the territory of the Western Military District. A training range is also located at this center.
Within the city itself, there is a large military compound, however, all official and unofficial sources listing military facilities of the Voronezh Oblast designate it as military unit 63796. Several sources indicate that the 1871st Artillery Armament Base was once located there, but at the moment has been liquidated.
The territory of the military unit and the railway station in Liski
With the help of the Google Street View service, we confirmed the location of the 152nd SLB in the territory of the compound.
View of the entrance checkpoint of the military unit, from 50.980498, 39.502739 Krasnykh Zor street, Liski
Information stand at the entrance checkpoint of the military unit
A detailed analysis of Google satellite images for April 19, 2019 reveals that there were almost 200 military vehicles in the permanent station territory stored in the open air, and probably even more equipment was in the storage garages. There are more than 40 buildings on the territory of the military unit, including clearly distinguishable barracks, headquarters and storage garages for military hardware.
Permanent station of the 152nd SLB
Recent social media posts of active servicemen and local residents of Liski provided us a drone view of the permanent station of the 152nd SLB and a direct glimpse inside the military unit compound.
Permanent station of the 152nd SLB, aerial view from a drone (June 17, 2020)
Permanent station of the 152nd SLB (photo from the barracks, posted on June 22, 2020)
Photo geolocation
Judging by Google satellite images history, this area stood abandoned from late 2014 to late 2017. Also, in a local news report from 2015, it is called a “former military unit.”
It should be noted that at the time when the 1871st Artillery Armament Base was still stationed there, the amount of military hardware in this territory got significantly reduced precisely in the period when active hostilities were unfolding in the Donbas (summer 2014). It is possible that in 2014, some of the weapons from this base could have been transferred to the Russian occupation forces in the occupied territory of Eastern Ukraine.
Comparison of the mass of military hardware in 2013 and 2014
Background information: InformNapalm volunteer intelligence community compiled the largest database of regular military units of the Russian Army that participated in direct armed aggression on the territory of Ukraine, and analyzed their weaponry.
Abandoned compound in 2016 and 2017
Only from February 2018, military equipment started to appear on this territory again as the active stage of forming a logistics brigade began.
Arrival of military equipment of the logistics brigade to the permanent station grounds in Liski (2018)
It is also worth noting that individual parts and subunits of SLBs are often scattered over several towns or villages. But so far it is known that the compound in Liski is the main station of the brigade, where most of the equipment and the brigade’s headquarters are located.
Identification marks (shoulder patches) of the 152nd SLB
As a result of a deep social media search and an analysis of the Russian Youtube segment, we found the shoulder insignia of the 152nd SLB.
Image from VK: photo from the territory of the military unit
Image from Instagram: serviceman of the 152nd SLB at the workplace (has a profile photo from the territory of the military unit)
Image from Youtube – representatives of the 152nd SLB participating in celebrations at school No 12, Liski
Background information: The largest database of logistics military unit patches of the Russian army could be found here. As of early September 2020, there was no data on the 152nd SLB.
Command of the 152nd SLB
In addition to the deputy commander of the military unit, we also could identify the commander of the 152nd SLB. It turned out to be Colonel A.A. Fominykh. We found some information on him in the community of the Liski City Palace of Culture on the OK social network (dated February 26, 2019).
Images from the OK social network posting of the Liski City Palace of Culture
It is worth noting that this post is not the only one that contains both the designation of the brigade (military unit 80504), as well as the name and photo of the commander.
To prove that Colonel Fominykh is the commander of the 152nd SLB, it was necessary to prove that military unit 80504 was in fact the 152nd SLB.
Firstly, the shoulder patches of the servicemen standing behind the commander of military unit 80504 are identical to those of the servicemen of the 152nd SLB.
Secondly, the post states that the servicemen of military unit 80504 prepared an act for the show, and judging by the photo, they have the same shoulder patches.
Image from the OK network – shoulder patches of servicemen of the military unit 80504
Thirdly, there is the Church of St. George the Victorious, at the military unit 80504, located at the same address as the 152nd SLB – 7 Krasnykh Zor street, Liski.
Church of St. George the Victorious at military unit 80504
After analyzing the building of the church, we could determine its exact geographical position. It really is on the territory of the military unit. Exact coordinates: 50.981287, 39.500430
Church of St. George the Victorious at military unit 80504 – geolocation
Moreover, posts of the mother of one of the conscripts on Instagram, as well as the list of Russian military units from the VK social network, also prove that military unit 80504 and 152nd SLB are one and the same unit.
Image from Instagram: shoulder patches of a serviceman of military unit 80504
Image from the VK social network: military unit 80504
Considering all of the above, we can confidently assert that military unit 80504 is the 152nd SLB, and Colonel Fominykh is its commander.
High-quality photos of the brigade commander are also available in the posting of the Liski Palace of Culture.
Images from the OK social network: Colonel Fominykh, commander of the 152nd SLB of the Russian Army
What is known about Colonel Fominykh? There is scarce information about him on the web, but it is enough to draw preliminary conclusions. Judging by the statements of the press service of the Western Military District, the 152nd SLB began to legally form in early 2017. Most likely, from that moment on, Colonel Fominykh was appointed to the position of brigade commander. We did not aim to analyze in detail his career path, but we found a confirmation of his participation in a litigation at Stavropol Garrison Military Court in 2011. There he was involved as the commander of a military unit, then still “Lieutenant Colonel A.A. Fominykh.” The court case dealt with an illegal dismissal of one of his subordinates at an automotive battalion. It suggests that as of 2011 he was in command of a logistics unit in the Southern Military District, as the case was considered in Stavropol. Probably it could be the 32nd Logistics Regiment, which later provided the basis to form 78th SLB (Budyonnovsk, Southern Military District). But all this is actually not as significant as the fact that this officer already had experience of commanding a logistics unit, and was entrusted with the formation of a new brigade. All this gives us grounds to believe that he enjoyed a good reputation among the higher command.
From the news reports, it became known that Colonel Fominykh was still the acting brigade commander as of May 2020. Alongside his surname, his first name was also mentioned – Alexey. Although in the previous news story from 2019 he was called Alexander Andreevich.
Colonel Fominykh also has a number of awards. Some of them immediately stand out:
For Service in the Caucasus – a distinction badge for officers and warrant officers of the North Caucasus Military District, which is another indication that he served in the southern region of the Russian Federation, even before the formation of the Southern Military District in 2010 on the basis of the North Caucasus District;
a Badge of Distinction for military personnel of the logistics units;
medals For Military Valor of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation of I and II degrees. These awards are given out personally by the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation and this may indicate high performance in combat training, outstanding achievements in military service/drills.
Some awards of Colonel Fominykh
The brigade commander could have received the medals For Military Valor for the participation of parts of his brigade in the military campaign in Syria. However, there is little evidence of this, and it is beyond the purpose of this investigation.
Armament and military equipment of the 152nd SLB
As part of the investigation, we discovered a probable tactical identification marking born by the military equipment of the 152nd SLB. Vehicles with such a sign were exhibited at an open-doors day at the military unit. This marking could be valid as of May 2019, but it is likely that the sign is different at this point.
Background information: A photo of the identification marking of the armament and military equipment of the 152nd SLB was found through the priest who serves at the garrison church located on the grounds of the military unit. He is active on social media and has been the source of many valuable photos. His followers on VK and Instagram also helped considerably.
Likely identification mark of the military equipment of the152nd SLB as of May 2019
Search for the tactical marking of the military equipment of the152nd SLB
In general, the sets of automotive and armored vehicles of logistics brigades are quite standard. However, part of the armament and military equipment of 152nd SLB could have been modernized, in particular, certain vehicles of the brigade could have been changed to more modern the KamAZ chassis, namely, cross-country and heavy lift vehicles.
Find out more about some standard types of equipment operated by Russian logistics brigades in this video or under this link.
The role of the 152nd SLB in building up Russian military presence near the state border of Ukraine
It is worth noting that at present, most of the combat units and subunits of the newly formed 144th Motorized Rifle Division (MRD) of the 20th Army of the Western Military District, are deployed on the territory of Bryansk Oblast, namely:
488th Motorized Rifle Regiment (Klintsy) of 144th MRD;
254th Motorized Rifle Regiment (Zaymishche) of 144th MRD;
856th Self-propelled Artillery Regiment (Pochep-2) of 144th MRD;
1032nd Separate Logistics Battalion (Pochep) of 144th MRD;
150th Separate Medical Battalion (Pochep) of 144th MRD.
Military units of the Russian Army, concentrated on the territory of Bryansk Oblast (namely, in the regions bordering on Ukraine and Belarus)
“Unecha is a regional center of Bryansk Oblast, an important railway junction. Population – 23,971 people (as of 2017). It is located 79 km away from the Belarusian border (towards Gomel), and 58 km from the Ukrainian border (towards Semenivka). The Gomel and Mogilev railway lines run through the city; the Gomel A-240 route is 5 km from the city. Both the railway lines and the road running towards Gomel connect, along a straight line, Bryansk, Pochep, Unecha, Klintsy and Gomel.”, – noted the investigation of Informnapalm in 2018.
Although the aforementioned InformNapalm investigation exposed the intentions of the military and political leadership of the Russian Federation, at the time of its writing, there was not enough data on the web to identify the individuals and the units they represented. This open-source information has become available recently.
The officer who came to Unecha in October 2018 as part of the delegation of Lieutenant-General Andrey Bulyga, Deputy Commander for Logistics of the Western Military District, was identified as Colonel Fominykh described above, the commander of the 152nd Separate Logistics Brigade (aka military unit 80504) permanently deployed in the city of Liski, Bryansk Oblast. This is confirmed by the similarity of the faces, the name patch (which was readable only partially) and the identical brigade shoulder patches.
Commander of the 152nd SLB, Colonel Fominykh, in Unecha (2018) and at celebrations in Liski (2019)
Let us recall that according to the information stands captured by journalists in 2018, it was planned to form a logistics base in Unecha, for: “… storage of materials … stocks of materiel … other support assets…”.
Image of Informnapalm
It is not known whether a final decision has been made to locate the logistics base in Unecha. However, the presence of a large railway junction, as well as other relevant infrastructure and relative location of existing military units give us strong grounds to believe that a military logistics base could be located there. We call on the Ukrainian intelligence to endeavor to identify such bases in advance by searching for potential alternative locations for their deployment in the area.
However, a few interesting facts are worth mentioning. In 2019, a decision was actually announced to hand over the necessary land and buildings to the Russian Ministry of Defense for the formation of a military unit. The decision concerned the territory of that old Unecha Nodal Hospital which had been visited by the representatives of the WMD command in 2018. But instead, one of the hospital buildings was urgently turned into a 400-bed hospital to receive patients with COVID-19 from all over the Bryansk Oblast. At the same time, in the fall of 2019, work began in the field behind the old Nodal Hospital, which can indicate a preparatory stage for the construction of modular structures or a landing pad for helicopters (see animation below).
Changes from August 2019 to August 2020 in the area where it was planned to deploy the logistics base in 2018 (Unecha)
It should be noted that the work carried out near the church (the smaller spot on the right) was the construction of a new parking lot. A new paved road was also built across the field.
New road and parking lot near the church
The main site on the field (52.857826, 32.670183) measures approximately 130 by 70 meters, but it is not yet known exactly whether anything will be built on this lot. Perhaps sand and gravel for the development of the church grounds are simply stored there. However, we believe that this area should be kept under further observation.
Probable construction site for new buildings or aprons in the interests of the Russian Army
It cannot be ruled out that after the plans of the Russian Army were exposed in 2018, all further information in the official Russian military sources and some actions of the authorities could have been aimed at misleading the military and political leadership of Ukraine and Belarus.
These measures could have been both a further imitation of the deployment of the base exactly there, or vice versa an imitation of no longer locating the the base there, although still planning its deployment elsewhere.
In fact, it is no longer important whether the Kremlin will locate a logistics base in Unecha or in a slightly different location. Of principal significance, is the very fact that the Russian Army is planning or is already deploying a military logistics base (or bases) in the immediate vicinity of the state borders of Belarus and Ukraine, precisely in the area of a significant concentration of the newly formed military units making up the 144th MRD (Yelnya / Smolensk).
It is important to note that logistics bases and units serve not only the brigades and regiments of their respective army or military district, but also all combat forces that operate or may operate in the area where these logistics units are deployed.
It is also worth noting that the 144th MRD has its own separate logistics battalion in Pochep. Thus, the military units of the Division based in the Bryansk Oblast already have sufficient own logistics resources for their routine activities at permanent stations and for any local tasks.
Therefore, we assume that a logistics base in the Bryansk Oblast may be required not only for the military units already deployed there, but also for the support of all combat units that could be involved in a probable offensive in this direction against the Republic of Belarus or Ukraine.
Locating of a military logistics base in close proximity to the state borders of neighboring countries in itself indicates that the Russian Army is preparing for active (in particular, offensive) actions in this direction, or at least imitates such a readiness.
It should be noted that the involving 152nd SLB in the deployment of troops in Bryansk Oblast implies the possibility to use such standard assets as floating bridges, large and medium folding bridges, etc. These types of assets are designed to ensure the advance of troops over water obstacles. In the relevant area, such a need may arise only in the case of a massive cross-border offensive, i.e. to cross the rivers Sozh and Iput (Gomel Oblast, Belarus) or the rivers Snov and Desna (Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine).
Also, any future maneuvers of these assets may be an imitation of activity to mislead the military and political leadership of neighboring countries. This may create the need to maintain certain numbers of personnel and military equipment near the northern borders of Ukraine thus pulling resources from the war with the Russian occupation forces in the Donbas and weakening the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the conflict zone.
P.S.
This investigation reconfirms that the Russian Federation continues to build up its military presence near its western borders. Contrary to its public statements, the Kremlin is set to continue an armed aggression against Ukraine and increase the political, economic and military pressure on the Republic of Belarus. The better we know the enemy, the better we can predict his actions and fight back. Therefore, we will continue to collect information about the activity and presence of the Russian Army near the borders of Ukraine.
By Anton Shevchenko, analytical section of Come Back Alive Foundation
Translation by Artem Velichko.Distribution and reprint with reference to the source is welcome! (Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0) InformNapalm social media pages: Facebook / Twitter / Telegram
InformNapalm does not have any financial support from any government or large donors, the only sponsors of the project are its volunteers and readers. You can also help InformNapalm by signing up for monthly mini-contributions through Patreon.


informnapalm--2020-10-04--Conclusions on the military maneuvers of Russia and Belarus near the borders of NATO and Ukraine

We are publishing the comments of Denis Ivashin , the editor of the Belarusian service of the InformNapalm international volunteer community website , that he gave to Donbas Realities regarding the likelihood of joint offensive actions by Russia and Belarus against NATO and Ukraine .
In the second half of September , Belarus , together with Russia , conducted the Slavic Brotherhood 2020 military exercise near the Polish and Ukrainian borders .
They took place at a time when the Ukrainian military was concentrated in the South , near the Crimea .
Denis Ivashin told Donbas.Realities what happened during these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Belarusian service of the InformNapalm community .
This community , in particular , collects information about Russia ’ s aggression against Ukraine in the Donbas and Crimea .
Denis Ivashin , editor of the Belarusian version of the site of the international volunteer community InformNapalm / Photo RFE / RL On large-scale changes in the Slavic Brotherhood 2020 First of all , the format of the exercise was changed .
The participation of the Serbian side was announced , as in previous years .
However , Serbia refused to participate for its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which became only Russian-Belarusian .
But it ’ s more important to focus on the format of the exercise since it was fundamentally changed .
When Serbia was still expected to participate , it was supposed to include 1,500 troops , but in the end about 6,000 troops and about 500 units of military equipment were involved in the maneuvers .
Despite the declared tactical nature of the exercise , in its scale and the number of participants it could be compared to the strategic Zapad ( West ) 2017 exercise that took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , at the time of the exercise , there were 3 battalion-tactical groups of the Russian Air Force on the territory of Belarus .
These were the paratroopers of the 76th Pskov Division , 98th Ivanovo Division and 106th Tula Division .
According to the Inform Napalm community , one of the units was reinforced by a tank company .
This is very similar to the stage of active hostilities that took place in the Donbas in the summer of 2014 , when Russian battalion-tactical groups were fighting against the units of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian and Belarusian military practice ?
On September 23 , a large-scale airdrop of the Russian 98th Airborne Division was carried out – about 250 soldiers landed at the Brest training site out of twenty IL-76 aircraft .
Notably , this training range is located just a few kilometers from the border with Poland and , as importantly , 30 kilometers from the territory of Ukraine .
Our community believes that this could be training for offensive actions from the Belarusian jumping-off ground against NATO countries , as well as Ukraine .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategic bomber aircraft – Tu-160 and Tu-22M3 , which practiced bombing in Belarus .
Two missile-carrying planes flew along the whole border between Belarus and NATO countries and Ukraine .
I do not rule out that they could practice training missile and bomb strikes on critical infrastructure in Ukraine .
The same flights were also performed in October 2016 .
Motorized infantry units and paratroopers practiced advancing and landing from places of permanent deployment , and this indicates the offensive nature of the exercises , primarily on the Russian side .
As part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bridgehead , its maintenance , and fire support are worked out .
There can be no question of any defense here .
Last but not least , the Belarusian armed forces are no longer seen as an independent military .
The exercise was only described to be for protection of the western borders of the so-called Union State .
Belarus is no longer mentioned , and this is a cause for concern .
The country ’ s armed forces are performing the functions of the Russian armed units as their integral part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worth mentioning the servicemen of the 98th Division .
In August 2014 , 10 servicemen of this unit were captured by the Ukrainian Army .
Their testimonies were recorded on video .
This is one of the most striking cases confirming the involvement of Russian units , including Russian paratroopers , in the military aggression against Ukraine .
It is also worth mentioning the 234th Airborne Assault Regiment that belongs to the 76th Pskov Airborne Assault Division .
According to our community , the military of this formation directly participated in the fighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role during the occupation of Crimea .
This was confirmed by documents .
In general , the fact that Russia is making such a gesture in the context of these exercises , namely uncoordinated and unannounced use of paratrooper units in the territory of Belarus , and doing it against the background of mass protests , looks like an additional demonstration of its guarantee of securing the Lukashenko regime .
Volunteers gathered evidence of 32 Russian military units taking part in the invasion of Crimea Intelligence data on 1st and 2nd Army Corps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military of Russian 76th Air Assault Division , which took part in the aggression against Ukraine , arrived in Belarus Russia Repeating Its Ukrainian Scenario of Hybrid Aggression in Belarus Belarusian IL-76MD military transport plane made several suspicious flights between Russia and Belarus This publication was prepared especially for InformNapalm .
Translated by Andrii Gryganskyi .
Edited by Max Alginin .
Distribution and reprint with reference to the source is welcome !
( Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0 ) Follow InformNapalm on Facebook / Twitter / Telegram and @ @ @ @ @ @ @

We are publishing the comments of Denis Ivashin, the editor of the Belarusian service of the InformNapalm international volunteer community website, that he gave to Donbas Realities regarding the likelihood of joint offensive actions by Russia and Belarus against NATO and Ukraine.
(EPA cover photo: Russian and Belarusian military during the Slavyanskoye Bratstvo (Slavic Brotherhood) 2020 exercise at a training ground near Brest, September 16, 2020)
In the second half of September, Belarus, together with Russia, conducted the Slavic Brotherhood 2020 military exercise near the Polish and Ukrainian borders. They took place at a time when the Ukrainian military was concentrated in the South, near the Crimea. Denis Ivashin told Donbas.Realities what happened during these exercises. Denis is the editor of the Belarusian service of the InformNapalm community. This community, in particular, collects information about Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in the Donbas and Crimea.
Denis Ivashin, editor of the Belarusian version of the site of the international volunteer community InformNapalm / Photo RFE / RL
On large-scale changes in the Slavic Brotherhood 2020
(As told by Denis Ivashin)
First of all, the format of the exercise was changed. The participation of the Serbian side was announced, as in previous years. However, Serbia refused to participate for its own reasons in these tactical exercises, which became only Russian-Belarusian. But it’s more important to focus on the format of the exercise since it was fundamentally changed. When Serbia was still expected to participate, it was supposed to include 1,500 troops, but in the end about 6,000 troops and about 500 units of military equipment were involved in the maneuvers.
Despite the declared tactical nature of the exercise, in its scale and the number of participants it could be compared to the strategic Zapad (West) 2017 exercise that took place in Belarus in 2017. For example, at the time of the exercise, there were 3 battalion-tactical groups of the Russian Air Force on the territory of Belarus. These were the paratroopers of the 76th Pskov Division, 98th Ivanovo Division and 106th Tula Division.
According to the Inform Napalm community, one of the units was reinforced by a tank company. This is very similar to the stage of active hostilities that took place in the Donbas in the summer of 2014, when Russian battalion-tactical groups were fighting against the units of the Ukrainian Army.
What did the Russian and Belarusian military practice?
On September 23, a large-scale airdrop of the Russian 98th Airborne Division was carried out – about 250 soldiers landed at the Brest training site out of twenty IL-76 aircraft. Notably, this training range is located just a few kilometers from the border with Poland and, as importantly, 30 kilometers from the territory of Ukraine. Our community believes that this could be training for offensive actions from the Belarusian jumping-off ground against NATO countries, as well as Ukraine.
It is necessary to mention the use of strategic bomber aircraft – Tu-160 and Tu-22M3, which practiced bombing in Belarus. Two missile-carrying planes flew along the whole border between Belarus and NATO countries and Ukraine. I do not rule out that they could practice training missile and bomb strikes on critical infrastructure in Ukraine. The same flights were also performed in October 2016.
Forcing a water barrier during the Slavic Brotherhood 2020 exercise, Belarus / EPA photo.
Motorized infantry units and paratroopers practiced advancing and landing from places of permanent deployment, and this indicates the offensive nature of the exercises, primarily on the Russian side. As part of the exercises, the capture of the bridgehead, its maintenance, and fire support are worked out. There can be no question of any defense here.
Last but not least, the Belarusian armed forces are no longer seen as an independent military. The exercise was only described to be for protection of the western borders of the so-called Union State. Belarus is no longer mentioned, and this is a cause for concern. The country’s armed forces are performing the functions of the Russian armed units as their integral part.
Russian paratroopers and Donbas
First of all, it is worth mentioning the servicemen of the 98th Division. In August 2014, 10 servicemen of this unit were captured by the Ukrainian Army. Their testimonies were recorded on video.
This is one of the most striking cases confirming the involvement of Russian units, including Russian paratroopers, in the military aggression against Ukraine. It is also worth mentioning the 234th Airborne Assault Regiment that belongs to the 76th Pskov Airborne Assault Division. According to our community, the military of this formation directly participated in the fighting in the Donbas and played a key role during the occupation of Crimea. This was confirmed by documents.
In general, the fact that Russia is making such a gesture in the context of these exercises, namely uncoordinated and unannounced use of paratrooper units in the territory of Belarus, and doing it against the background of mass protests, looks like an additional demonstration of its guarantee of securing the Lukashenko regime.
Read also:
Volunteers gathered evidence of 32 Russian military units taking part in the invasion of Crimea
Intelligence data on 1st and 2nd Army Corps of Russian Federation in occupied Donbas
List-1097: How the Russian 18th Brigade occupied Crimea
The military of Russian 76th Air Assault Division, which took part in the aggression against Ukraine, arrived in Belarus
Russia Repeating Its Ukrainian Scenario of Hybrid Aggression in Belarus
Lukashenko regime uses psychological influence technology (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
Belarusian IL-76MD military transport plane made several suspicious flights between Russia and Belarus
This publication was prepared especially for InformNapalm. Translated by Andrii Gryganskyi. Edited by Max Alginin. Distribution and reprint with reference to the source is welcome! (Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0)
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informnapalm--2020-10-05--Identified: three more Russian military units that participated in the aggression against Ukraine

Volunteers of the InformNapalm international intelligence community have collected new evidence regarding servicemen of three more military units of the Russian Army involved in the aggression against Ukraine , in particular , the operation of the seizure and occupation of Ukrainian Crimea .
This OSINT investigation shows facts about Russian servicemen of the 382nd Marine Battalion of the Russian Black Sea Fleet ( military unit 45765 ) , 727th Marine Battalion of the Russian Caspian Fleet ( military unit 20264 ) and establishes participation of the 205th Squadron of Support Vessels of the Russian Black Sea Fleet ( military unit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Ukraine .
Based on the results of this investigation the InformNapalm interactive database will be updated and expanded with more evidence of the Russian aggression against Ukraine .
It currently features materials about 99 military units of the Russian Federation which sent their regular servicemen to the war against Ukraine .
After the publication and translations of this investigation , 3 more military units will be added to the database taking the total number over 100 Russian military units .
This is the most comprehensive open database in the world featuring evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intelligence .
The database is available for viewing and distribution in 6 languages , whereas most of the investigations have been translated into 10 more languages .
It is noteworthy that this extensive and painstaking work has been carried out and continues to be carried out by volunteers without support from any government agencies or institutions , as well as without funding from any large international donors .
The project is being implemented independently by InformNapalm volunteers and supported by the readers .
Background information about the relevant military units of the Russian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these three military units have previously featured in the OSINT investigations of InformNapalm dealing with the Russian operations in Syria .
However , these units were not included in the general interactive database , since their participation in the aggression against Ukraine was not established or confirmed .
For example , servicemen of the 727th Marine Brigade ( military unit 20264 ) were spotted by InformNapalm in 2017 while performing covert military missions on the border between Syria and Turkey .
And in 2018 , a former contract serviceman of military unit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where he performed combat missions as a gunner of a tank company at Wagner private military company , a proxy force of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Army .
Previously we also found that the support vessels of the 205th Squadron of Support Vessels of the Russian Black Sea Fleet ( military unit 43535 ) were involved in the Syrian Express logistics operation .
Starting point of the new OSINT investigation A photograph of the medal for the occupation of Crimea posted on a Russian social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starting point of our new OSINT investigation .
Obviously realizing that he was involved in a war crime , the Russian invader hid behind a nickname .
However , after examining his page and the pages of his friends and relatives , we established his full name and place of service .
Under the photo of the medal , there is a comment by Marina Udodova-Matvienko : “ We are proud of our son .
” Apparently , this is the mother of the suspect .
Marina Udodova-Matvienko closed her account to non-friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the photo album remained open for free viewing .
The photographs and comments helped us supplement the information collected from the page of her son .
He was drafted for military service in June 2013 , as evidenced by this post : .
There is a comment on this status : .
” So , his name is Aleksander .
The name is confirmed by comments on the photographs in the mother ’ s album ( 1 , 2 , 3 ) .
In the list of relatives , Aleksander indicated his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ network is nicknamed “ Evgeny Maikop ” ( where Maikop , obviously , is his place of residence ) .
The father ’ s page is closed to viewing , but its URL gives us not only his first name , but also the last name – Evgeny Udodov .
The surname and place of residence are additionally confirmed by a photograph of the letter of the Udodovs ’ youngest son published in his mother ’ s photo album : So , the full name of main subject of this investigation , awarded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is Aleksander Evgenievich Udodov , born November 05 , 1994 , in the city of Maykop .
As Udodov indicated on his page , he served in Sevastopol as a marine .
The 810th Marine Brigade of the Russian Black Sea Fleet is based in Sevastopol , therefore , it was in this brigade that our subject began his military service .
However , already in November 2013 , he informed his friends in the comments about his plans to sign a contract to serve in the Marine Battalion in Temryuk .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the mother writes about her son ’ s new service location .
A few days later , Udodov writes about the new duty station – the 382nd Marine Battalion .
The 382nd Marine Battalion of the Black Sea Fleet ( military unit 45765 ) is based in the city of Temryuk , on the Azov coast of the Krasnodar Krai .
It is part of the 810th Marine Brigade ( military unit 13140 , based in Sevastopol , temporarily occupied Crimea ) .
So , Udodov received a medal for the occupation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the 382nd Marine Battalion .
Sealifting of marines from Russia to Ukraine on a ship from the 205th Squadron of Support Vessels of the Russian Black See Fleet .
On the eve of the capture of Crimea , on February 23 , 2014 , Udodov posted a photo taken on board of the ship ( screenshot ) .
In the comments he was asked : … “ We ’ re going to Sevas on a box , ” Udodov replied ( Sevas is the slang name for the Ukrainian city of Sevastopol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ship that transported marines from Russia to Crimea .
This is a KIL-158 , an anchor handling tug supply vessel ( AHTS ) , it is part of the 205th Squadron of Support Vessels of the Russian Black Sea Fleet , military unit 43535 based in Sevastopol , temporarily occupied Crimea .
Here is a photo of KIL-158 from syria.mil.ru site for comparison with Udodov ’ s photo : AHTS vessels are used for the construction of bases and ports , for the installation of dead anchors , mooring buoys and breakwaters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as for repair work .
However , as we can see , the Russians also use such vessels for the covert sealifting of manpower during the seizure of foreign territories .
At the time of the beginning of Russian armed aggression , Captain of 1st Rank of the Reserve Sergei Borisovich Zinchenko was in command of the 205th Squadron of Support Vessels , as evidenced by publications in the Russian media of December 2013 and April 2014. : the Flag of the Motherland newspaper of the Russian Black Sea Fleet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2014 , Zinchenko was appointed to another position – the General Director of the Crimean Sea Ports state enterprise .
Captain of 1st Rank Nikolai Vasilyevich Perun was the captain of the KIL-158 support vessel from the moment of its commissioning in 1989 .
In the fall of 2014 , under his command , KIL-158 lifted the large anti-submarine ship Ochakov , which the invaders sank to lock Ukrainian ships in the bay of Donuzlav during the special operation to seize Crimea .
On March 16 , 2014 , on the day of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Udodov posted a photo with the caption ( original photo ) .
In this photo , the occupier aims his weapon at the buildings below .
This photo is very symbolic .
It clearly demonstrates the Russian lies about the “ peaceful vote ” of Ukrainian citizens in Crimea at the so-called “ referendum ” which was actually held by the invaders at gunpoint : Note : so far we have not been able to establish the exact geolocation of this particular photo .
If our readers have recognized the area , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The following photo from Udodov ’ s album was taken at the Ukrainian airbase in Novofedorivka against the background of the Ukrainian Be-12 aircraft , coordinates 45.086442 , 33.579172 ( screenshot ) : This is the place on Google Maps : According to his mother , as of 2015 , Udodov had the rank of a sergeant ; and as of 2017 , he lived with his family in Temryuk .
The commander of the 382nd Marine Battalion , Lieutenant Colonel Aleksander Viktorovich Kartavkin led the capture of Ukrainian military units .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was seized : chronicle of the events of 2014 in particular deals with the blocking of the Ukrainian military unit A-0883 , with the participation of Kartavkin : Investigations confirmed that Kartavkin was also awarded a medal for the occupation of Crimea .
At the parade in 2016 in Astrakhan at a new duty station , in the video of the celebration of the Marines Day we see him with a medal for the occupation of Crimea [ saved video , screenshots and photos : 1 , 2 , 3 ] .
Additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecutor ’ s office of Ukraine regarding the participation of the 727th Marine Battalion in the special operation to seize Crimea Studying information about Aleksander Kartavkin , we found a video ( archiveed video ) , in which the deputy commander of the 3rd Platoon of the 2nd Company of the 727th Marine Battalion Ilshat Fatkhutdinov was also recorded with a medal for the occupation of Crimea .
It should be noted that the Ukraine ’ s Chief Military Prosecutor ’ s Office included 727th Marine Battalion on the list of units redeployed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The information we found provides a stronger confirmation to the data of the Ukraine ’ s Chief Military Prosecutor ’ s Office , for the first time supplementing textual testimonies with photo and video evidence of the involvement of the servicemen of this unit in the invasion of Crimea .
Pictured , Ilshat Fatkhutdinov with a medal for the occupation of Crimea , The results of this OSINT investigation give us grounds to add three more military units of the Russian Army to the InformNapalm database of the Russian aggression : 382nd Marine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Squadron of Support Vessels of the Russian Black Sea Fleet .
We appeal to the Ukrainian law enforcement agencies to carry out all the necessary legal proceedings regarding the established Russian military men and units of the Russian Army participating in the ongoing aggression against Ukraine .
• Volunteers gathered evidence of 32 Russian military units taking part in the invasion of Crimea • Intelligence data on 1st and 2nd Army Corps of the Russian Federation in the occupied Donbas Translated by Andrii Gryganskyi .
Edited by Artem Velichko .
Distribution and reprint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
( Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0 ) InformNapalm social media pages : Facebook / Twitter / Telegram

Volunteers of the InformNapalm international intelligence community have collected new evidence regarding servicemen of three more military units of the Russian Army involved in the aggression against Ukraine, in particular, the operation of the seizure and occupation of Ukrainian Crimea. This OSINT investigation shows facts about Russian servicemen of the 382nd Marine Battalion of the Russian Black Sea Fleet (military unit 45765), 727th Marine Battalion of the Russian Caspian Fleet (military unit 20264) and establishes participation of the 205th Squadron of Support Vessels of the Russian Black Sea Fleet (military unit 43535) in the military aggression aggression against Ukraine.
Updated OSINT InformNapalm Investigation Database
Based on the results of this investigation the InformNapalm interactive database will be updated and expanded with more evidence of the Russian aggression against Ukraine. It currently features materials about 99 military units of the Russian Federation which sent their regular servicemen to the war against Ukraine. After the publication and translations of this investigation, 3 more military units will be added to the database taking the total number over 100 Russian military units. This is the most comprehensive open database in the world featuring evidence of Russian military aggression collected through open-source intelligence. The database is available for viewing and distribution in 6 languages, whereas most of the investigations have been translated into 10 more languages. It is noteworthy that this extensive and painstaking work has been carried out and continues to be carried out by volunteers without support from any government agencies or institutions, as well as without funding from any large international donors. The project is being implemented independently by InformNapalm volunteers and supported by the readers.
Background information about the relevant military units of the Russian Army
It should be noted that servicemen of these three military units have previously featured in the OSINT investigations of InformNapalm dealing with the Russian operations in Syria. However, these units were not included in the general interactive database, since their participation in the aggression against Ukraine was not established or confirmed. For example, servicemen of the 727th Marine Brigade (military unit 20264) were spotted by InformNapalm in 2017 while performing covert military missions on the border between Syria and Turkey. And in 2018, a former contract serviceman of military unit 20264 Murat Yesaliev was spotted in Syria, where he performed combat missions as a gunner of a tank company at Wagner private military company, a proxy force of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Army. Previously we also found that the support vessels of the 205th Squadron of Support Vessels of the Russian Black Sea Fleet (military unit 43535) were involved in the Syrian Express logistics operation.
Starting point of the new OSINT investigation
A photograph of the medal for the occupation of Crimea posted on a Russian social network by a user nicknamed “Made in UssR” provided the starting point of our new OSINT investigation.
Caption: “Received today”
Obviously realizing that he was involved in a war crime, the Russian invader hid behind a nickname. However, after examining his page and the pages of his friends and relatives, we established his full name and place of service.
Step-by-step identification of the Russian occupier
Under the photo of the medal, there is a comment by Marina Udodova-Matvienko: “We are proud of our son.” Apparently, this is the mother of the suspect. Marina Udodova-Matvienko closed her account to non-friends. However, she did not notice that the photo album remained open for free viewing. The photographs and comments helped us supplement the information collected from the page of her son.
He was drafted for military service in June 2013, as evidenced by this post: “Going to Sevastopol tomorrow, marine.“ There is a comment on this status: “Good luck, Sasha.” So, his name is Aleksander.
The name is confirmed by comments on the photographs in the mother’s album (1, 2, 3).
In the list of relatives, Aleksander indicated his father, his page on the social network is nicknamed “Evgeny Maikop” (where Maikop, obviously, is his place of residence). The father’s page is closed to viewing, but its URL gives us not only his first name, but also the last name – Evgeny Udodov.
The surname and place of residence are additionally confirmed by a photograph of the letter of the Udodovs’ youngest son published in his mother’s photo album:
So, the full name of main subject of this investigation, awarded for the operation to seize Crimea, is Aleksander Evgenievich Udodov, born November 05, 1994, in the city of Maykop.
Place of service established: 382nd Marine Batallion
As Udodov indicated on his page, he served in Sevastopol as a marine. The 810th Marine Brigade of the Russian Black Sea Fleet is based in Sevastopol, therefore, it was in this brigade that our subject began his military service.
However, already in November 2013, he informed his friends in the comments about his plans to sign a contract to serve in the Marine Battalion in Temryuk. And in December 2013, under a photograph, the mother writes about her son’s new service location.
A few days later, Udodov writes about the new duty station – the 382nd Marine Battalion.
The 382nd Marine Battalion of the Black Sea Fleet (military unit 45765) is based in the city of Temryuk, on the Azov coast of the Krasnodar Krai. It is part of the 810th Marine Brigade (military unit 13140, based in Sevastopol, temporarily occupied Crimea). So, Udodov received a medal for the occupation of Crimea performing combat missions as part of the 382nd Marine Battalion.
Sealifting of marines from Russia to Ukraine on a ship from the 205th Squadron of Support Vessels of the Russian Black See Fleet.
On the eve of the capture of Crimea, on February 23, 2014, Udodov posted a photo taken on board of the ship (screenshot). In the comments he was asked: “Where are you?” … “We’re going to Sevas on a box,” Udodov replied (Sevas is the slang name for the Ukrainian city of Sevastopol).
InformNapalm OSINT researchers identified the ship that transported marines from Russia to Crimea. This is a KIL-158, an anchor handling tug supply vessel (AHTS), it is part of the 205th Squadron of Support Vessels of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, military unit 43535 based in Sevastopol, temporarily occupied Crimea.
Here is a photo of KIL-158 from syria.mil.ru site for comparison with Udodov’s photo:
AHTS vessels are used for the construction of bases and ports, for the installation of dead anchors, mooring buoys and breakwaters, for laying cables and other underwater work, as well as for repair work. However, as we can see, the Russians also use such vessels for the covert sealifting of manpower during the seizure of foreign territories. At the time of the beginning of Russian armed aggression, Captain of 1st Rank of the Reserve Sergei Borisovich Zinchenko was in command of the 205th Squadron of Support Vessels, as evidenced by publications in the Russian media of December 2013 and April 2014.
Sergey Zinchenko, photo source : the Flag of the Motherland newspaper of the Russian Black Sea Fleet (saved pdf)
At the end of April 2014, Zinchenko was appointed to another position – the General Director of the Crimean Sea Ports state enterprise.
Captain of 1st Rank Nikolai Vasilyevich Perun was the captain of the KIL-158 support vessel from the moment of its commissioning in 1989. In the fall of 2014, under his command, KIL-158 lifted the large anti-submarine ship Ochakov, which the invaders sank to lock Ukrainian ships in the bay of Donuzlav during the special operation to seize Crimea.
Seizure of Ukrainian military units
On March 16, 2014, on the day of the so-called “referendum” in Crimea, Udodov posted a photo with the caption “we took the height” (original photo). In this photo, the occupier aims his weapon at the buildings below. This photo is very symbolic. It clearly demonstrates the Russian lies about the “peaceful vote” of Ukrainian citizens in Crimea at the so-called “referendum” which was actually held by the invaders at gunpoint:
Note: so far we have not been able to establish the exact geolocation of this particular photo. If our readers have recognized the area, please send us a private messages on facebook or twitter.
The following photo from Udodov’s album was taken at the Ukrainian airbase in Novofedorivka against the background of the Ukrainian Be-12 aircraft, coordinates 45.086442, 33.579172 (screenshot):
This is the place on Google Maps:
According to his mother, as of 2015, Udodov had the rank of a sergeant; and as of 2017, he lived with his family in Temryuk.
Command of the 382nd Marine Battalion
The commander of the 382nd Marine Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Aleksander Viktorovich Kartavkin led the capture of Ukrainian military units.
Photo source
The article by Radio Liberty titled How Kerch was seized: chronicle of the events of 2014 in particular deals with the blocking of the Ukrainian military unit A-0883, with the participation of Kartavkin:
Investigations confirmed that Kartavkin was also awarded a medal for the occupation of Crimea. At the parade in 2016 in Astrakhan at a new duty station (in 2015, Kartavkin took command of the 727th Marine Battalion, military unit 20264, based in Astrakhan), in the video of the celebration of the Marines Day we see him with a medal for the occupation of Crimea [saved video, screenshots and photos: 1, 2,3].
Additional confirmation of the data of the military prosecutor’s office of Ukraine regarding the participation of the 727th Marine Battalion in the special operation to seize Crimea
Studying information about Aleksander Kartavkin, we found a video (archiveed video), in which the deputy commander of the 3rd Platoon of the 2nd Company of the 727th Marine Battalion Ilshat Fatkhutdinov was also recorded with a medal for the occupation of Crimea. It should be noted that the Ukraine’s Chief Military Prosecutor’s Office included 727th Marine Battalion on the list of units redeployed to Crimea during the invasion operation. The information we found provides a stronger confirmation to the data of the Ukraine’s Chief Military Prosecutor’s Office, for the first time supplementing textual testimonies with photo and video evidence of the involvement of the servicemen of this unit in the invasion of Crimea.
Pictured, Ilshat Fatkhutdinov with a medal for the occupation of Crimea, source.
Conclusions
The results of this OSINT investigation give us grounds to add three more military units of the Russian Army to the InformNapalm database of the Russian aggression: 382nd Marine Battalion, 727th Marine Battalion, 205th Squadron of Support Vessels of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
We appeal to the Ukrainian law enforcement agencies to carry out all the necessary legal proceedings regarding the established Russian military men and units of the Russian Army participating in the ongoing aggression against Ukraine.
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Translated by Andrii Gryganskyi. Edited by Artem Velichko. Distribution and reprint with reference to the source is welcome! (Creative Commons — Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0) InformNapalm social media pages: Facebook / Twitter / Telegram