19th Motor Rifle Division
Formation and Command Relationships
The 19th Motor Rifle Division is a formation of the Russian Ground Forces subordinated to the 58th Combined Arms Army within the Southern Military District. Open-source reporting indicates the division was re-established from a brigade-level formation during 2020–2021 as part of a broader return to divisional structures. The division’s headquarters is reported at or near Vladikavkaz (Sputnik garrison), Republic of North Ossetia–Alania. The 503rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (military unit 75394) is a subordinate regiment of the division and is garrisoned in Troitskaya, Republic of Ingushetia. The 423rd Motor Rifle Regiment (military unit 01860) is not part of the 19th Motor Rifle Division; it is a subordinate regiment of the 4th Guards Kantemirovskaya Tank Division under the 1st Guards Tank Army in the Western Military District, with a garrison in the Naro-Fominsk area, Moscow Oblast. Military unit number 20634 is reported in open sources as associated with the 19th Motor Rifle Division headquarters; official ministry rosters are not publicly accessible for independent confirmation.
19th Motor Rifle Division HQ (military unit 20634) – Location and Infrastructure
The divisional headquarters is reported in open sources at the Vladikavkaz area (Sputnik garrison), North Ossetia–Alania. The site benefits from established military infrastructure in and around Vladikavkaz, including rail connectivity and road links across the North Caucasus. Nearby training areas commonly used by forces of the Southern Military District include the Tarskoye training range. As a division headquarters, the site’s functions include command-and-control, staff support, communications, logistics coordination, and staging for subordinate regiments; granular internal layouts and protected facilities at the site are not publicly disclosed.
503rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (military unit 75394) – Site and Capabilities
The 503rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment, part of the 19th Motor Rifle Division, is widely reported to be based in Troitskaya (Sunzhensky District), Republic of Ingushetia. The regiment is equipped with BTR-82A 8x8 armored personnel carriers, consistent with a motor rifle regiment organized on wheeled platforms. A standard Russian motor rifle regiment typically comprises multiple motor rifle battalions, a tank battalion, artillery, air-defense, reconnaissance, engineer, and logistics elements; specific manning and equipment counts for the 503rd are not publicly released. Local ranges in Ingushetia and adjacent North Ossetia support small-arms, mounted maneuver, and live-fire training for this unit.
423rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (military unit 01860) – Affiliation and Garrison
The 423rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment is a subordinate unit of the 4th Guards Kantemirovskaya Tank Division under the 1st Guards Tank Army (Western Military District). Open sources place its garrison in the Naro-Fominsk area of Moscow Oblast. The regiment has been reported as operating BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles. Military unit number 01860 is publicly associated with the regiment in multiple open-source references; however, Russian official unit registries are not publicly accessible for authoritative verification of current numbering or any recent changes.
Equipment Overview – BMP-3 Infantry Fighting Vehicle
The BMP-3 is a tracked infantry fighting vehicle in Russian service. Key characteristics include a 100 mm 2A70 low-pressure gun capable of firing 9M117-series laser-guided anti-tank missiles, a coaxial 30 mm 2A72 autocannon, and 7.62 mm machine guns; amphibious capability; a crew of three with capacity for up to seven dismounts; a diesel engine around 500 hp; road speed up to approximately 70 km/h; and an operational range on roads in the 600 km class. Numerous Russian motor rifle regiments, including the 423rd, are documented in open sources as fielding BMP-3 variants.
Equipment Overview – BTR-82A Armored Personnel Carrier
The BTR-82A is an 8x8 wheeled armored personnel carrier. It mounts a 30 mm 2A72 autocannon with a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun in a stabilized turret, features improved communications and crew survivability enhancements over earlier BTR-80 variants, retains amphibious capability, and typically achieves road speeds in the 80–90 km/h range. It is standard equipment for many wheeled motor rifle regiments, including the 503rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment as reported in open sources.
Operational Context Since February 2022
The 58th Combined Arms Army, which includes the 19th Motor Rifle Division, has been publicly reported as engaged in operations in southern Ukraine since 2022, with multiple sources attributing significant fighting in the Zaporizhzhia sector to formations of this army. Open-source reporting indicates that elements of the 4th Guards Tank Division, to which the 423rd Motor Rifle Regiment belongs, also deployed to the Ukraine theater at various times after February 2022. Detailed, official, unit-by-unit deployment rosters, loss figures, and precise timelines for these specific regiments are not publicly released.
Infrastructure and Mobility Considerations
Garrisons associated with the 19th Motor Rifle Division and the 503rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment in the North Caucasus have access to regional railheads and all-season road networks, supporting heavy equipment movement and rotational deployments. Training areas in North Ossetia and Ingushetia support live-fire and maneuver training. The 423rd Motor Rifle Regiment’s garrison in Moscow Oblast benefits from proximity to major Western Military District training grounds, including the Alabino range complex used by formations based near Naro-Fominsk. Specific rail-loading sites, ammunition storage layouts, and protected command facilities for the listed units are not publicly documented.
Administrative Notes on Military Unit Numbers
Russian military unit numbers (voyennaya chast, v/ch) function as administrative identifiers and postal references. They may change following reorganizations, relocations, or reflagging. Open-source materials consistently associate v/ch 75394 with the 503rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment and associate v/ch 01860 with the 423rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment; v/ch 20634 is reported as the 19th Motor Rifle Division HQ. Because official comprehensive registries are not publicly accessible, independent confirmation of any recent numbering changes is not possible from open sources alone.
Information Gaps and Verification Status
The 19th Motor Rifle Division is described as a recently re-established formation; full order of battle, exact manpower, and detailed garrison infrastructure are not disclosed publicly. The name "Colonel Dmitri Uskov" as commander of the division is not confirmed in authoritative public sources; no official announcement or current, verifiable documentation has been identified in open sources to confirm this appointment. Where specific details (e.g., internal site layouts, ammunition storage, and secure communications infrastructure) would be classified or operationally sensitive, they are not available to the public.