1st Air Defense and Missile Defense Army
Unit Identification and Mission
The 1st Air Defense and Missile Defense Army (Special Purpose) of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) — 1-я армия ПВО-ПРО особого назначения — is responsible for the integrated air and missile defense of Moscow and the Central Industrial Region. The formation consolidates long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) regiments, the capital’s ballistic-missile defense (BMD) division, radar units, and command-and-control elements. It traces lineage to the Soviet/Russian Moscow Air Defense formations and was reorganized under the VKS on 1 August 2015.
Headquarters and Leadership
Headquarters: Moscow (Balashikha, Moscow Oblast is commonly cited as the Army staff location). Commander: Major General Konstantin Ogienko (also romanized Ohienko) has been reported in Russian open sources as the Army commander in 2023–2024. Public documentation of senior-command rotations is limited; if changes occurred after those reports, the Ministry of Defense has not widely released details.
Command Post “Amethyst” (military unit 51618)
Open Russian sources associate the Army’s principal command post, codename “Amethyst” (КП «Аметист»), with military unit 51618. The facility serves as the operational command-and-control node for continuous combat duty, providing hardened, redundant communications to subordinate air and missile defense units and to higher VKS echelons. Precise location, internal layout, and technical systems for this command post are not publicly disclosed.
Area of Responsibility and Defense Concept
The Army’s area of responsibility encompasses Moscow and the Central Industrial Region. Defense is organized in layered belts: long-range S-400 and S-300PM2 regiments provide area coverage; point-defense systems such as Pantsir-S protect key nodes and SAM sites; and a dedicated missile-defense component (A-135) provides endoatmospheric intercept capability against ballistic warheads. The construct is supported by a dense radar picture and automated command-and-control.
Organizational Structure
The formation includes multiple SAM regiments grouped in air defense divisions deployed around Moscow, a dedicated missile-defense division operating the A-135 system (commonly identified in open sources as the 9th Missile Defense Division), radio-technical units operating acquisition and height-finding radars, and support/training elements. Exact order of battle, manning, and disposition are not fully disclosed in public sources.
Principal Weapon Systems and Sensors
S-400 Triumf (SA-21) regiments form the long-range backbone; typical components include the 91N6 acquisition radar, 92N6 engagement radar, 55K6 command post, 96L6 all-altitude radar, and 5P85-series launchers. Missile types in service include 48N6DM (up to 250 km against aerodynamic targets) and, according to Russian claims, 40N6 (up to 400 km), plus 9M96 variants (up to 120 km). S-300PM2 systems continue to supplement coverage in some regiments. Pantsir-S family point-defense systems protect critical facilities and SAM positions (nominal engagement range approximately 20 km for Pantsir-S1 with 57E6-E; improved ranges are claimed for newer variants). The Army’s BMD element employs the A-135 Amur system anchored by the Don-2N large phased-array radar. Performance details for A-135 interceptors remain classified; open literature characterizes the 53T6 interceptor as a high-acceleration endoatmospheric missile.
New S-400 Positions Established January 2023 — Overview
In January 2023, new S-400 field positions were established in the Moscow area, documented by imagery and media reporting at the time. These sites placed S-400 assets within or immediately adjacent to the city, increasing the density of air-defense coverage. The positions were configured with standard S-400 elements (engagement radar, command post vehicle, and multiple 5P85-series launchers) and were operated on prepared but expedient pads rather than on long-standing permanent revetments.
New S-400 Site 1 (January 2023)
One of the January 2023 positions was reported in northeastern Moscow in the vicinity of Losiny Ostrov National Park. Imagery published mid-January 2023 showed an S-400 battery configuration with an engagement radar and several launchers deployed on a cleared area, along with generator and support vehicles. The site’s establishment aligns with early January 2023 per contemporaneous reporting.
New S-400 Site 2 (January 2023)
A second position was reported in northern Moscow near the Timiryazevsky District, with visuals of S-400 launchers and associated vehicles appearing in mid-January 2023. As with the northeastern site, setup was consistent with a field deployment intended to augment inner-ring air defense. Subsequent open reporting indicated periodic adjustments to such urban-proximate positions during 2023.
Ballistic-Missile Defense Component and Don-2N Radar
The missile-defense division operates the A-135 Amur system, declared operational in 1995 and centered on the Don-2N radar located in the Moscow region. The Don-2N provides 360-degree coverage for ballistic-missile detection, tracking, and fire control. Interceptor silos are dispersed around Moscow; their exact number and locations are classified. Russia has stated that modernization toward the A-235 “Nudol” system is ongoing; detailed configuration, timelines, and interceptor characteristics have not been publicly released.
Sensor and Command-and-Control Integration
The Army maintains a continuous recognized air picture through organic radars and integrates data from national early-warning assets. Automated control systems used by Russian SAM forces (such as Baikal-1M and Polyana-D4M1) are designed to network S-300/S-400 regiments with command posts, while the Don-2N radar and associated BMD command centers interface with the strategic warning system. Specific software, network topology, and communications links at the “Amethyst” command post are not publicly detailed.
Recent Operational Activity (2023–2025)
From 2023 through 2025, Russian federal and regional authorities repeatedly reported intercepts of uncrewed aerial vehicles and other air threats over Moscow and Moscow Oblast. Public statements and imagery showed the use of S-400 and Pantsir systems in and around the city during several incidents. Official releases typically did not identify specific regiments or batteries involved, and detailed battle-damage assessments were not provided in open sources.
Infrastructure and Basing Patterns
S-400 regiments assigned to the defense of Moscow are distributed in a ring around the capital at garrisoned sites with prepared launch pads and support infrastructure. In addition to permanent positions, temporary or expedient field sites have been used inside or adjacent to the city since January 2023. Facilities include technical positions for missile storage and maintenance, radar posts, and communications hubs. Training and live-fire activities for associated units are conducted at national ranges such as Ashuluk (Astrakhan Oblast), outside the Moscow area.
Information Gaps and Classification Constraints
Precise geographic coordinates, unit-level orders of battle, command-post layouts, interceptor inventory numbers, and readiness statuses are not comprehensively available in the public domain and are generally classified by the Russian Ministry of Defense. Where locations, dates, or equipment are referenced, the information is limited to open sources available as of 2023–2025. No sensitive technical details or undisclosed positions are provided.