31st Missile Army
Organizational Overview
The 31st Missile Army is a major formation of the Strategic Rocket Forces of the Russian Federation (RVSN). It provides operational command over assigned intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) units, with a focus on silo-based systems in the Urals–Volga and adjacent regions. Its core missions are the maintenance of constant combat readiness, reliable command and control of strategic missile regiments and divisions, and the execution of tasking assigned by RVSN Headquarters.
Unit Identification and Leadership
The headquarters element is identified in open sources as military unit 29452, corresponding to the 31st Missile Army. Open-source reporting attributes command of the army to Major-General Sergey Talatynnik. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation does not routinely publish detailed appointment orders for army-level commanders; consequently, public-domain confirmation of exact tenure dates is limited. The formation is subordinate to RVSN Headquarters; the RVSN service chief is General of the Army Sergey Karakaev (publicly reported in this position since 2009).
Headquarters Location (Orenburg-40)
The headquarters is located in Orenburg Oblast within a closed administrative-territorial formation historically referenced by the postal designation Orenburg-40. This location is widely associated in open sources with the ZATO Komarovsky, a closed garrison supporting Strategic Rocket Forces infrastructure. Entry to the area is controlled under Russian legislation governing closed military-administrative sites. Precise facility layout, internal security arrangements, and detailed coordinates are not publicly disclosed.
Subordinate Formations and Garrison Footprint
Publicly available sources consistently associate the 13th Orenburg Red Banner Missile Division (based at Yasny/Dombarovsky, Orenburg Oblast) with the 31st Missile Army. This division operates silo-based ICBM infrastructure and is the host for the Avangard hypersonic boost-glide combat complex. Comprehensive and current official listings of all divisions subordinated to the 31st Missile Army are not routinely published; as a result, a complete, authoritative public-order-of-battle for the formation is not available.
Dombarovsky (Yasny) Missile Complex
The Dombarovsky missile complex (near the town of Yasny, Orenburg Oblast) comprises dispersed silo fields, regimental technical areas, command facilities, and rail-served logistics nodes. The site historically hosted silo-based heavy ICBMs and was also used for Dnepr (converted R-36M) commercial space launches in the 2000s–mid-2010s; publicly reported launches from Yasny ceased in 2015. As of late 2019, the Ministry of Defense announced the commencement of combat duty for Avangard-equipped missiles at this complex, with subsequent official statements indicating continued buildout in later years.
Missile Systems and Capabilities
Within the 31st Missile Army’s area of responsibility, the best-documented system is the Avangard hypersonic boost-glide complex deployed on UR-100N UTTKh ICBMs (Russian designation RS-18; NATO reporting name SS-19 Stiletto). Each missile carries a single Avangard glide vehicle (publicly referenced as 15Yu71). The initial regiment with Avangard was declared on combat duty in December 2019 at the Dombarovsky (Yasny) base. Russian official statements in 2022–2023 reported additional Avangard-equipped missiles entering service; exact launcher counts and the total number of operational silos are not disclosed in detail in the public domain. Separately, Russia announced first deployment of the RS-28 Sarmat heavy ICBM at Uzhur (Krasnoyarsk Krai) in 2023; as of the public reporting available through 2024, there was no official announcement of Sarmat deployment within the 31st Missile Army’s sites.
Infrastructure and Support Capabilities
The army’s infrastructure includes hardened command-and-control facilities, missile technical bases for preparation and maintenance, dedicated railheads for delivery of missile components and supplies, and multi-layered site security with controlled perimeters at silo fields. Communications are integrated into the Strategic Rocket Forces’ automated command-and-control system (ASBU), enabling connectivity to national-level command authorities. Routine maintenance, engineering support, and nuclear surety procedures are executed by specialized RVSN sub-units co-located with regimental areas.
Security and Access Control
Sites under the 31st Missile Army employ layered physical security around silo complexes and headquarters facilities, incorporating restricted zones, patrols, access control points, and technical surveillance measures in accordance with Russian regulations governing nuclear-armed strategic forces. Detailed security force compositions, guard schedules, and internal configuration of protected areas are not publicly released.
Operational Activities and Training
Units subordinated to the 31st Missile Army participate in routine RVSN training cycles, including command-staff exercises, communications drills, and security-penetration countermeasures at silo areas. In addition, the RVSN routinely takes part in nationwide strategic deterrence drills (commonly publicized as "Grom" exercises), during which missile armies practice alert procedures and command-and-control tasks. Public briefings generally describe training objectives and outcomes without disclosing site-specific technical details.
Arms Control and Transparency Context
Under the New START Treaty, Russia’s ICBM launchers and accountable warheads were subject to aggregate limits of 700 deployed launchers, 800 deployed and non-deployed launchers, and 1,550 warheads. On-site inspections were paused in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Russia announced a suspension of participation in February 2023; as of 2024, on-site inspections and routine notifications under New START were not being conducted. Avangard-equipped UR-100N UTTKh missiles are counted under treaty rules as ICBM launchers with one accountable warhead each; however, Russia’s suspension has curtailed verification activities and official data exchanges.
Recent Publicly Reported Milestones
Key publicly acknowledged milestones connected to the 31st Missile Army’s sites include: the start of combat duty for Avangard-equipped missiles at Dombarovsky (December 2019); subsequent Ministry of Defense announcements in 2022–2023 noting additional Avangard missiles entering service; and the cessation of Dnepr launches from Yasny by 2015. No official public releases through 2024 announced deployment of RS-28 Sarmat within the 31st Missile Army’s area of responsibility.
Associated Locations and Nomenclature
Headquarters: Orenburg-40 (closed administrative-territorial formation in Orenburg Oblast, commonly associated with ZATO Komarovsky). Principal associated missile garrison: Dombarovsky (Yasny), Orenburg Oblast, home to the 13th Orenburg Red Banner Missile Division and Avangard-equipped UR-100N UTTKh silo launchers. Alternate names frequently encountered in open sources include Yasny missile base and Dombarovsky missile complex.
Information Reliability and Gaps
Russia does not publish a detailed, continuously updated public order-of-battle for the Strategic Rocket Forces at the army/division level. Exact counts of launchers, warheads, alert statuses, facility layouts, and commander appointment decrees are often absent from official open releases. Where details are provided above (e.g., military unit 29452 for the headquarters; commander name; Avangard deployment at Dombarovsky), they are drawn from publicly available official statements and widely cited open sources. Information not present in public official releases or that would disclose sensitive operational specifics is not available for dissemination.