4th Mixed Aviation Division
Designation and Headquarters Status
The entity referred to as the 4th Mixed Aviation Division is associated in some open-source reporting with Marinovka air base (Volgograd Oblast) as a divisional headquarters. Official Russian Ministry of Defence publications do not provide a publicly verifiable order of battle confirming a division by this exact title or its headquarters location. Marinovka is, however, a confirmed garrison for the 11th Separate Mixed Aviation Regiment (military unit 77978), which is assigned to the 4th Air and Air Defence Army of the Southern Military District. Any divisional headquarters attribution to Marinovka should therefore be treated as unconfirmed in open sources.
Order of Battle (Units and Locations)
The following units are relevant: the 11th Separate Mixed Aviation Regiment (military unit 77978) based at Marinovka air base, Volgograd Oblast, operating Su-24 series aircraft; and the 960th Assault Aviation Regiment (military unit 75387) based at Primorsko-Akhtarsk air base, Krasnodar Krai, operating Su-25 series aircraft. Both regiments are part of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) under the 4th Air and Air Defence Army. Public sources identify the 11th Regiment as a composite formation combining strike and reconnaissance squadrons, while the 960th Regiment is a dedicated assault unit.
Reported Aircraft Inventory (Unverified Counts)
The provided inventory lists 12 Su-24MP and 12 Su-24M for the 11th Separate Mixed Aviation Regiment, and 7 Su-25SM3, 15 Su-25SM, 2 Su-25, and 4 Su-25UB for the 960th Assault Aviation Regiment. These exact counts are not published by the Russian Ministry of Defence and should be treated as unverified; unit complements vary with rotations, overhauls, and attrition.
Aircraft Roles and Capabilities
Su-24M is an all-weather tactical bomber with a crew of two and a maximum external stores load of up to approximately 8,000 kg, capable of employing guided munitions such as Kh-25ML and Kh-29 missiles and KAB-series bombs as well as unguided bombs and rockets. Su-24MP is a specialized electronic warfare variant used for stand-off and escort jamming; it was produced in very limited numbers and is not normally associated with routine strike tasks. Su-24MR is the dedicated tactical reconnaissance variant equipped with imaging and radar sensors; it generally carries no strike ordnance beyond self-defense missiles. Su-25SM and SM3 are upgraded close air support aircraft with a typical payload up to approximately 4,400 kg; upgrades include improved navigation and weapons delivery, and the SM3 standard incorporates the SOLT-25 sighting system and the L-370 Vitebsk self-protection suite. Su-25UB is a two-seat training and conversion variant that can perform limited combat tasks.
Location Analysis: Marinovka Air Base (Volgograd Oblast)
Marinovka air base is located in Volgograd Oblast west of Volgograd city and serves as the home station for the 11th Separate Mixed Aviation Regiment. The airfield has a concrete runway and extensive dispersal areas suited to Su-24 operations, with revetted parking and maintenance facilities visible in commercial imagery. The base is connected to regional road and rail networks via Volgograd, supporting fuel, munitions, and spares flow. Its position provides access to the southern operational direction, including potential reach into the Black Sea and Ukrainian theaters within the combat radius of the aircraft.
Location Analysis: Primorsko-Akhtarsk Air Base (Krasnodar Krai)
Primorsko-Akhtarsk air base in Krasnodar Krai is the home of the 960th Assault Aviation Regiment and is situated on the Sea of Azov coast. The base layout includes multiple dispersal pads and revetments suitable for Su-25 operations, with standard front-line support infrastructure for arming and turnaround. Its coastal location allows short transit times to the southern Ukraine and Azov areas, which aligns with the regiment's close air support and battlefield interdiction roles. The airfield has been active for sustained operations since 2022 in publicly documented footage.
Operational Employment Since 2022
Since 2022, both regiments have been widely reported operating in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Su-25 units from Primorsko-Akhtarsk have been documented conducting low-altitude rocket and bomb attacks using S-8 and S-13 rockets and general-purpose bombs, relying on terrain masking and self-protection suites for survivability. Su-24M units perform strike and interdiction missions using a mix of unguided and guided munitions; Russian forces have also been observed employing glide kits (UMPK) on general-purpose bombs from Su-24 platforms. Su-24MR aircraft conduct tactical reconnaissance to support targeting and battle damage assessment. Official sortie counts and losses are not publicly disclosed.
Electronic Warfare and Reconnaissance Allocation
Open-source reporting consistently associates Marinovka with Su-24M strike and Su-24MR reconnaissance squadrons. The Su-24MP electronic warfare variant exists in very small numbers, commonly reported as fewer than a dozen aircraft built, and current unit-level allocation is not officially published. As a result, asserting that 12 Su-24MP are assigned to the 11th Separate Mixed Aviation Regiment conflicts with most public reporting; without official confirmation, any Su-24MP presence at Marinovka remains unverified. The reconnaissance mission at Marinovka is more commonly linked to the Su-24MR variant.
Infrastructure and Support Considerations
Both Marinovka and Primorsko-Akhtarsk bases possess the typical infrastructure for Russian front aviation regiments, including fuel storage, munitions depots, technical maintenance areas, and airfield rescue and support services. Regimental structures generally encompass two flying squadrons with associated aviation technical battalions and support companies, with on-hand aircraft numbers fluctuating due to maintenance cycles and operational rotations. These bases support turnarounds for sustained sortie generation and have dispersal features intended to reduce vulnerability on the ground.
Information Reliability and Gaps
Detailed, current unit-level aircraft inventories, engineering schematics of the airfields, and confirmed divisional headquarters locations are not publicly released by the Russian Ministry of Defence. Military unit numbers 77978 (Marinovka) and 75387 (Primorsko-Akhtarsk) and the base locations themselves are corroborated by multiple public records and imagery, but precise aircraft counts and the presence of specialized variants such as Su-24MP cannot be confirmed from open sources. Where information is not publicly available or is classified, it cannot be provided.