263rd Storage, Repair and Disposal of Communications Equipment Base
Identification and Nomenclature
The site is identified as the 263rd Storage, Repair and Disposal of Communications Equipment Base, a Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) logistics formation associated with communications materiel. In Russian, this type of formation is referred to as a “База хранения, ремонта и утилизации средств связи” (BHRU SS). Reported military unit designations linked to this base include military unit 33190 and military unit 01313, with the latter also cited as a disposal branch.
Reported Military Unit Numbers and Structure
Open-source references link the title 263rd Storage, Repair and Disposal of Communications Equipment Base with military unit 33190 and with military unit 01313; some listings describe a Disposal Branch of the 263rd Base as military unit 01313. In the Russian MoD system, a parent base and its branch or detachment can carry distinct unit numbers while sharing the same base title. Authoritative, current MoD publications explicitly confirming the detailed internal structure, exact manning, or garrison locations of these two unit numbers are not publicly available.
Mission and Core Functions
This class of base supports the Signal Troops by providing centralized long-term storage of communications equipment and spare parts, depot-level maintenance and overhaul, and controlled declassification, demilitarization, and disposal of obsolete or damaged communications assets. Core tasks include technical inspection, preservation and de-preservation, calibration and metrological support, parts cannibalization within regulations, documentation and accountability of materiel, and compliant scrapping and materials recovery in accordance with federal law and MoD orders.
Organizational Subordination
Bases for storage, repair and disposal of communications equipment support the Signal Troops (Voyska Svyazi) and function within the MoD’s logistics framework. At the central level, communications support policy is directed by the Main Communications Directorate of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (Glavnoye Upravlenie Svyazi, GUS). Specific chain-of-command details for the 263rd Base and its reported branches are not published in open official sources; however, bases of this type operate under the MoD’s material-technical support and communications directorates.
Infrastructure and Technical Capabilities
Facilities typical for this category of base include enclosed and climate-controlled storage for electronic equipment; electronics repair workshops equipped for board-level and module-level repair; test and calibration benches for RF, HF/VHF/UHF, and baseband equipment; metrology laboratories for verification of frequency, time, and electrical parameters; paint and finishing areas; electrostatic discharge (ESD) protected zones; battery servicing rooms; and segregated areas for hazardous materials, precious-metal-bearing scrap, and controlled destruction of sensitive components. Exact facility layouts and installed capacities for the 263rd Base are not publicly disclosed.
Equipment Categories Handled
As a communications-focused logistics base, handled materiel typically includes tactical and operational radios (HF/VHF/UHF), field telephony and switching gear, multiplexers and routers, antenna systems and masts, satellite communication terminals, cable and fiber systems, associated power supplies and chargers, vehicular and manpack mounting kits, and spare parts for the above. Items incorporating cryptographic or other state-secret-relevant modules are subject to special accounting and destruction procedures before disposal, in compliance with Russian state secrets legislation.
Repair and Overhaul Processes
Depot-level repair processes generally cover diagnostic testing, module replacement, soldering and rework to established technical standards, firmware or software reloading where authorized, alignment and calibration to technical specifications, environmental stress screening where required, and final acceptance testing with documentation. Metrological support entails periodic verification and calibration of instruments and supported equipment according to assigned intervals and accredited procedures. Specific technical documentation sets and repair standards for the 263rd Base are not publicly released.
Disposal and Demilitarization Procedures
Disposal operations for communications equipment follow a controlled sequence: declassification and removal of sensitive components pursuant to the Law of the Russian Federation No. 5485-1 of 21 July 1993 On State Secrets and MoD implementing orders; separation of hazardous constituents (e.g., batteries, mercury-containing lamps or switches, beryllium-containing components, leaded solder, and select capacitors); mechanical shredding or disassembly for materials recovery; accounting and transfer of precious-metal-bearing scrap to authorized channels; and issuance of destruction and materials accounting certificates. Where legacy equipment contains persistent organic pollutants (e.g., PCB-containing capacitors), handling is subject to international and federal controls.
Environmental, Health, and Safety Compliance
Applicable Russian legal frameworks include Federal Law No. 7-FZ of 10 January 2002 On Environmental Protection; Federal Law No. 89-FZ of 24 June 1998 On Production and Consumption Waste, which establishes waste hazard classes; and Federal Law No. 116-FZ of 21 July 1997 On Industrial Safety of Hazardous Production Facilities. Russia is a Party to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (entered into force for Russia in 2011), relevant to disposal of certain legacy dielectric fluids and components. Oversight in these domains involves Rosprirodnadzor and Rostekhnadzor within their statutory competencies. Specific permits or inspections for the 263rd Base are not published in open sources.
Logistics and Transportation
Inbound and outbound flows for such bases typically use road and rail transport under military cargo procedures, with packaging conforming to relevant GOST standards and MoD technical conditions to protect sensitive electronics from moisture, shock, and electrostatic discharge. Chain-of-custody documentation and inventory control are maintained throughout acceptance, storage, issuance, and disposal cycles. Exact transport nodes, rail spurs, or schedules for the 263rd Base are not publicly detailed.
Security and Access Control
As an MoD installation handling controlled communications equipment, the base is expected to maintain guarded perimeters, controlled access points, internal restricted areas for sensitive storage, and procedures for handling classified and export-controlled items. Specific guard arrangements, surveillance systems, and security force composition for military unit 33190 or 01313 are not disclosed publicly and would normally be protected information.
Legal and Administrative Controls on Sensitive Components
Items incorporating cryptographic functions and other state-secret-bearing components are governed by the Law No. 5485-1 On State Secrets and related MoD and federal regulations. Disposal requires declassification protocols, including removal and destruction of memory modules, keying devices, or special blocks under controlled conditions, with documentation of destruction and inventory reconciliation. Public sources do not disclose the detailed destruction workflows or equipment used at the 263rd Base.
OSINT Availability and Confidence
Publicly accessible, authoritative documents that definitively fix the current garrison locations, internal organization, or on-hand inventories for the 263rd Base and its reported branches (military units 33190 and 01313) are limited or absent. References to these unit numbers and titles appear in open directories and secondary compilations, but without official confirmation those details should be treated cautiously. In the absence of official releases, only the broadly established role of such bases within the MoD communications logistics system can be stated with confidence.
Historical Context
During Russian military logistics reforms, particularly in the late 2000s and early 2010s, multiple storage and repair formations were restructured and consolidated. Within the Signal Troops support system, bases dedicated to storage, repair, and disposal of communications assets constitute an established echelon of depot-level support. Specific historical milestones, relocations, or reorganizations unique to the 263rd Base are not documented in publicly accessible official sources.
Indicators Relevant to Research and Verification
Potential open-source indicators for this class of unit include state procurement announcements for test benches, ESD workstations, metrology services, or disposal services referencing a “base of storage, repair and disposal of communications equipment”; court or oversight records related to environmental permitting and hazardous waste management; and MoD-affiliated publications noting depot-level communications support. Without direct official disclosures naming the 263rd Base, such indicators remain indirect and require corroboration.
Hazard Profile and Materials Management
Communications equipment disposal and repair commonly involve hazards including lead from solder, cadmium and nickel from batteries, mercury from certain lamps or switches, beryllium oxide in select RF components, and solvents used in cleaning and degreasing. Compliance requires segregation, labeling, storage, and transfer of hazardous wastes to licensed handlers, along with personnel protective measures and monitoring. Specific waste streams and volumes for the 263rd Base are not publicly reported.
Information Gaps
The precise geographic location(s), physical footprint, staff strength, subordinate elements, and current activity tempo for military units 33190 and 01313 associated with the 263rd Storage, Repair and Disposal of Communications Equipment Base are not confirmed in official public sources. If such details exist, they are either not publicly released or may be classified. Any unverified location lists or personnel rosters circulating online should be treated with caution pending authoritative confirmation.