2nd Air Defense Division
Unit Overview
The 2nd Air Defense Division (Russian: 2-я дивизия ПВО) is a formation of the Air Defence and Missile Defense Troops within the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS). It is tasked with the air defense of the Saint Petersburg metropolitan area and surrounding approaches in northwest Russia. The division’s military unit number is 10953. Its headquarters is located at the Khvoynyy garrison in the Saint Petersburg area.
Headquarters Location
Headquarters: Khvoynyy (Khvoynyy garrison), Saint Petersburg region. Khvoynyy is a long-established PVO (air defense) military settlement in the Saint Petersburg area that hosts command and support infrastructure for air defense units. Exact internal layout and access procedures are not publicly disclosed.
Command Relationships
The division is subordinate to the 6th Red Banner Leningrad Army of Air and Air Defense Forces of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS). The 6th Army is part of Russia’s unified regional air defense structure for the northwest. In 2023–2024, the Ministry of Defense announced the reestablishment of the Leningrad Military District; public reporting continues to identify the 6th Army as the higher headquarters for the division within the VKS command system.
Mission and Area of Responsibility
Primary missions include continuous airspace surveillance, identification and tracking of aerial objects, and layered air and missile defense of Saint Petersburg and key facilities in the Leningrad Region, including the approaches from the Gulf of Finland, Karelia, and the Novgorod direction. Tasks encompass intercepting aerodynamic targets (aircraft, cruise missiles, UAVs) and selected classes of ballistic or quasi-ballistic threats within the engagement envelopes of fielded systems.
Order of Battle (open-source reporting)
Russian official sources do not publish a complete order of battle for the division. Open-source reporting consistently indicates that the division includes multiple anti-aircraft missile regiments positioned in a ring around Saint Petersburg and supported by radio-technical (radar) units. Units repeatedly referenced in regional and defense media as part of the Saint Petersburg air defense grouping include: the 500th Guards Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Gatchina area), the 1488th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (north-western approaches to the city), and the 1489th Guards Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Karelian Isthmus/Vyborg direction). Composition and basing may be adjusted due to re-equipment and organizational changes; not all subordinate elements are publicly confirmed.
Principal Weapon Systems
The division fields long- and medium-range surface-to-air missile systems, primarily S-400 Triumf (Russian designation 40R6) and S-350 Vityaz, complemented by short-range point defense systems (commonly Pantsir-S1) to protect key sites. S-400 capabilities publicly reported include engagement of aerodynamic targets at up to 250–400 km (missile-dependent, e.g., 48N6DM and 40N6) and intercepts at high altitudes; ballistic target engagement is at shorter ranges. S-350 Vityaz employs the 9M96-series missiles with active radar homing, providing medium-range, high-capacity engagements against aircraft, cruise missiles, and UAVs. Pantsir-S1 provides close-in defense (nominal missile range around 20 km) for batteries and command nodes.
Sensors and Command-and-Control
Organic S-400/S-350 batteries employ associated engagement and acquisition radars (e.g., 92N6 and 91N6 families for S-400, 50N6A for S-350) and sector/low-altitude radars such as 96L6 and 48Ya6 Podlet-K1. Regional air picture generation is supported by radio-technical units using long-range 3D radars; open sources frequently cite the deployment of Nebo-M (55Zh6M) and Gamma-S1 series within the northwest. Automated control systems in Russian service for air defense formations include Baikal-1M and Polyana-D4M1; these systems are used to integrate regiments and coordinate with fighter aviation and adjacent services.
Infrastructure and Disposition
The division’s regiments are dispersed in hardened or semi-fixed positions around Saint Petersburg to provide 360-degree coverage, with garrisons and technical positions located to the north (Karelian Isthmus), west (Gulf of Finland approaches), south (Gatchina axis), and east/northeast toward Lake Ladoga. Sites typically include prepared launch positions, radar pads, command posts, logistical depots, and security perimeters. Movement to alternate positions and periodic redeployment are part of standard Russian air defense practice; detailed position lists and exact inventories are not officially released.
Recent Developments
The first serial S-350 Vityaz systems entered service in the Leningrad Region in 2020, per Russian Ministry of Defense announcements, enhancing the medium-range layer within the Saint Petersburg air defense belt. In parallel, S-300PS/PM series systems in the region have been progressively superseded by S-400 units through the 2010s and early 2020s. Organizational adjustments since 2014 restored divisional-level command structures in the VKS air defense branch, under which the 2nd Air Defense Division operates.
Training and Exercises
Division units routinely conduct alert drills, electronic launches, and command-post exercises in the Saint Petersburg region. Live-fire training for VKS air defense units is typically carried out at established ranges such as Ashuluk (Astrakhan Oblast) and Telemba (Republic of Buryatia); units from the northwest rotate through these ranges as scheduled. Elements participate in larger operational-strategic exercises (e.g., Zapad-series) as part of the 6th Army’s integrated air defense operations.
Operational Integration
The division operates within Russia’s unified regional air defense network, coordinating with fighter aviation under the 6th Army and with adjacent services in the Western (and, as reorganized, Leningrad) military district framework. It interfaces with civil-military airspace control structures in the Saint Petersburg Flight Information Region. Strategic early warning assets in the region, such as the Lekhtusi early warning radar site (Space Forces, missile attack warning system), are separate commands but contribute to broader situational awareness; they are not subordinate to the division.
Security and Classification Notes
Specific details such as real-time readiness states, exact numbers of launchers and missiles, internal command procedures, and precise siting coordinates for batteries and command posts are not publicly released and are considered sensitive. Information above is derived from verifiable public reporting, official Ministry of Defense statements, and widely documented characteristics of fielded systems. Where unit composition is described, it reflects consistent open-source references; official confirmation of complete regimental listings is not available.