3rd Motor Rifle Division
Formation Overview and Subordination
The 3rd Motor Rifle Division (military unit 54046) is a Russian Ground Forces formation re-established in the mid-2010s and subordinated to the 20th Guards Combined Arms Army. Its headquarters is in Boguchar, Voronezh Oblast, with primary garrison sites in Boguchar and in the Valuyki/Soloti area of Belgorod Oblast near the border with Ukraine. The division’s structure follows standard Russian divisional organization with tank and motor rifle regiments, a self-propelled artillery regiment, and separate battalions for reconnaissance, anti-tank, engineers, communications, logistics, and medical support.
Headquarters, Leadership, and Identifiers
The divisional headquarters is located at Boguchar (Voronezh Oblast), associated with military unit (v/ch) 54046 in open sources. Colonel Eduard Shvab has been publicly identified in reporting as a commander of the division; however, current command appointments can change and are not always publicly confirmed. Russian military unit numbers (v/ch) serve as administrative identifiers and are commonly used in official correspondence, logistics, and payroll records.
Primary Garrisons and Strategic Positioning
The division’s main sites are Boguchar, Voronezh Oblast, and the Valuyki/Soloti complex in Belgorod Oblast. Boguchar lies along the M-4 Don corridor and provides depth within Russian territory while maintaining overland connectivity to operational areas in western Russia. Valuyki/Soloti is positioned close to the international border with Ukraine, enabling rapid staging, reception, and onward movement of forces. The Valuyki rail junction is a significant logistics node supporting heavy equipment transport and large-unit rotations.
Boguchar Garrison: Infrastructure and Functions
The Boguchar garrison was substantially expanded in the mid-2010s to accommodate divisional headquarters and multiple regimental-sized units. The site comprises multi-bay motor pools, maintenance and repair workshops, ammunition and POL (petroleum, oils, and lubricants) storage, barracks, administrative facilities, and training areas suitable for combined-arms battalion exercises. Road access via the M-4 facilitates sustainment and redeployment, while the complex supports routine peacetime training and mobilization activities.
Valuyki/Soloti Garrison: Infrastructure and Functions
The Valuyki/Soloti area contains a large permanent garrison and training complex built out during 2016–2017 and subsequently used as a staging area. It features barracks, vehicle parks, a rail-served logistics zone, and proximate ranges. Its location near the border with Ukraine enables fast concentration and dispersal of combat units, and the facility has been visibly employed during major force build-ups since 2021. The site’s design supports high-throughput reception, assembly, and onward movement of battalion and regimental echelons.
Rail and Road Access
Valuyki is a principal rail junction in Belgorod Oblast, enabling the movement of armored vehicles, artillery, and bulk materiel. The Soloti complex interfaces with rail spurs and loading platforms for rapid entrainment and detrainment. Boguchar benefits from the M-4 Don highway for heavy road movement, linking the division to key logistics hubs in western Russia. This dual rail-road access underpins the division’s capacity to deploy and sustain combined-arms groupings over operational distances.
Order of Battle and Military Unit Numbers
Open-source rosters associate the division with the following structure: 237th Guards Tank Regiment (military unit 91726); 252nd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (military unit 91711); 752nd Motor Rifle Regiment (military unit 34670); 99th Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment (military unit 91727); 159th Separate Anti-Tank Battalion (military unit 81989); 84th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion (military unit 22263); 337th Separate Engineer-Sapper Battalion (military unit 91717); 692nd Separate Communications Battalion (military unit 22463); 911th Separate Logistics Battalion (military unit 54366); and 231st Separate Medical Battalion (military unit 83833). Exact current manning levels, equipment counts, and dispositions are not publicly disclosed.
Maneuver Units and Armored Assets
Reported equipment holdings for the maneuver regiments include T-72B3 and T-72B3M main battle tanks and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles. The 237th Guards Tank Regiment (v/ch 91726) is reported with T-72B3/B3M and BMP-2. The 252nd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (v/ch 91711) is reported with T-72B3 and BMP-2. The 752nd Motor Rifle Regiment (v/ch 34670) is reported with T-72B3M and BTR-80/82A wheeled armored personnel carriers. The T-72B3/B3M fleet provides 125 mm firepower with modernized fire-control suites, with the B3M variant featuring Relikt explosive reactive armor and an uprated diesel (V-92S2F, approximately 1,130 hp). BMP-2 IFVs provide 30 mm 2A42 autocannon armament and anti-tank guided missile capability; BTR-82A adds a 30 mm 2A72 cannon over the BTR-80’s 14.5 mm armament.
Artillery and Rocket Fire Support
Divisional fire support is centered on the 99th Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment (v/ch 91727), reported with 2S19M2 self-propelled howitzers (commonly referred to as Msta-SM2) and BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers. The 2S19M2 is a 152 mm system with improved automation and multiple-round simultaneous impact techniques, with typical maximum ranges on standard and rocket-assisted ammunition in the mid-20s to high-20s kilometers. BM-21 Grad is a 122 mm 40-tube rocket launcher, with standard rockets reaching roughly 20 km and extended-range munitions up to about 40 km. At regimental level, towed 152 mm Msta-B howitzers (2A65) are reported in the 237th and 252nd regiments, while the 752nd regiment employs 120 mm self-propelled gun-mortars (2S23 Nona-SVK) consistent with a wheeled motor rifle regiment configuration.
Anti-Armor Capabilities
The 159th Separate Anti-Tank Battalion (v/ch 81989) is reported with 9K114 Shturm-S tracked anti-tank missile systems mounted on MT-LB chassis. Shturm-S employs radio-command guidance with 9M114-series missiles and is capable of engaging armored targets at ranges up to approximately 5 km, complementing organic anti-tank guided weapons in the tank and motor rifle regiments. Additional regimental anti-armor capabilities are provided by vehicle-mounted and shoulder-fired systems integrated within maneuver battalions.
Reconnaissance and ISR
The 84th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion (v/ch 22263) provides divisional reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition. Tasks typically include ground reconnaissance, route and area recon, and battlefield surveillance. Russian reconnaissance battalions routinely employ a mix of optical, thermal, and unmanned aerial systems for target location and adjustment of fires; specific platforms and current inventories for this battalion are not publicly disclosed.
Engineering Support
The 337th Separate Engineer-Sapper Battalion (v/ch 91717) enables mobility, countermobility, and survivability. Core functions include mine and obstacle emplacement and clearance, route and gap crossing support, field fortification construction, camouflage, and expedient repairs. Such units typically operate bridging assets, earthmoving and obstacle-breaching equipment, and a range of mine warfare systems; detailed equipment lists for this battalion are not publicly available.
Communications and Command Support
The 692nd Separate Communications Battalion (v/ch 22463) supports the division’s command-and-control architecture by establishing wired and radio communications for command posts, radio-relay and tropospheric links, and secure communications services. The battalion enables redundant communications across echelons, integrates with automated command systems, and provides field communications survivability; specific station models and current holdings are not published in open sources.
Logistics and Medical Support
The 911th Separate Logistics Battalion (v/ch 54366) provides supply, transport, maintenance, recovery, and fuel services, sustaining maneuver and fire support units during training and operations. The 231st Separate Medical Battalion (v/ch 83833) delivers role 1/2-level medical support, including triage, stabilization, evacuation, and limited surgical capabilities, and coordinates onward evacuation to higher-echelon medical facilities. Precise subunit composition, stockage levels, and current medical capacity are not publicly disclosed.
Training Areas and Activity
The Boguchar and Valuyki/Soloti sites include adjacent training ranges and maneuver corridors used for live-fire exercises, combined-arms battalion tactical training, and pre-deployment certification. Public reporting and imagery have shown repeated use of the Valuyki/Soloti complex for large-scale staging and training cycles, particularly during the 2021–2022 force build-up. Routine divisional training integrates maneuver, artillery, engineers, logistics, and communications to support combined-arms operations.
Operational Employment Since 2022
Since February 2022, open-source reporting indicates elements of the division have operated on the Kharkiv and Luhansk axes in Ukraine, consistent with its garrison placement and higher-command tasking. Units from the division have been observed rotating through forward areas and rear staging zones in Belgorod and Voronezh oblasts. Specific unit-level operations, current disposition by battalion, and detailed loss or replenishment data are not comprehensively available in the public domain.
Equipment Notes and Capabilities
Key systems reported with the division include: T-72B3/B3M main battle tanks (125 mm smoothbore, modernized fire control, with B3M featuring Relikt ERA and an uprated V-92S2F engine); BMP-2 IFVs (30 mm 2A42 autocannon and ATGM capability); BTR-80/82A APCs (BTR-82A armed with a 30 mm 2A72); 2S19M2 self-propelled howitzers (152 mm, automated fire control, multiple-round simultaneous impact techniques, typical ranges in the 24–29 km class depending on ammunition); 2A65 Msta-B towed howitzers (152 mm, typical maximum range up to about 28–29 km with rocket-assisted projectiles); BM-21 Grad MLRS (122 mm, standard rockets about 20 km, extended-range up to approximately 40 km); 2S23 Nona-SVK (120 mm gun-mortar on BTR-80 chassis, with conventional and rocket-assisted rounds providing indirect and direct fire versatility); and 9K114 Shturm-S ATGM systems (radio-command, up to approximately 5 km).
Nomenclature and Verification Notes
Two nomenclature clarifications are relevant: the towed 152 mm Msta-B howitzer is designated 2A65 (not 2A63), and the 120 mm self-propelled gun-mortar on a BTR-80 chassis is designated 2S23 Nona-SVK (not “Nona-SBK”). Additionally, the correct ordinal style in English is “911th” Separate Logistics Battalion. These corrections align with standard Russian GRAU indices and accepted English-language nomenclature for the systems and units listed.
Information Gaps and Classification Considerations
Detailed personnel rosters, exact equipment counts by subunit, live locations, movement schedules, and current command appointments are typically not publicly released and may be classified. Open-source reporting provides a general picture of the division’s structure, garrisons, and equipment, but specific real-time dispositions and readiness states cannot be confirmed from public data. The information presented here reflects publicly available and widely reported facts; sensitive operational details are not included.