55th Motor Rifle Regiment
Designation Clarification
There is no publicly documented active unit titled 55th Motor Rifle Regiment in the current Russian Ground Forces. The active formation associated with the numeral 55 is the 55th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade (Mountain), military unit number 55115, based in Kyzyl, Tyva Republic. It is subordinate to the 41st Combined Arms Army of the Central Military District. The brigade is sometimes misidentified as a regiment in unofficial references.
Formation and Current Status
The 55th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade (Mountain) was established in 2014–2015 as part of an expansion of specialized mountain infantry forces. It has remained an active-duty formation since its inception. Official, detailed manning levels and internal tables of organization and equipment are not publicly released.
Garrison and Geographic Context
Primary garrison is Kyzyl, Tyva Republic, in southern Siberia. The brigade’s facilities are located on or near the urban outskirts with access to Kyzyl Airport (IATA: KYZ). Kyzyl does not have a rail connection to the national rail network; logistics are primarily supported by the R257 Yenisei federal highway toward Abakan and onward to the Trans-Siberian corridor. The surrounding region is mountainous, including the Western Sayan and Tannu-Ola ranges, enabling proximate high-altitude training.
Higher Command Relationships
The brigade is subordinate to the 41st Combined Arms Army within the Central Military District. The 41st Combined Arms Army commands multiple ground combat and support formations across Siberia and employs the 55th for roles requiring mountain warfare expertise.
Mission Profile and Capabilities
The unit is specialized for mountain warfare. Core tasks include dismounted operations in broken and high-relief terrain, mountain patrolling and ambush, route security through passes, and support to combined-arms operations in mountainous regions. Training emphasizes mountaineering, cold-weather survivability, and small-unit tactics adapted to limited road networks and high-altitude conditions.
Infrastructure and Training Areas
The Kyzyl garrison, built and expanded in the mid-2010s, includes barracks, motor pools, maintenance facilities, and small-arms ranges. Proximate mountainous training areas in Tyva and adjacent regions support mountaineering, live-fire, and mobility training cycles. Detailed internal layouts, security arrangements, and precise coordinates are not publicly disclosed.
Force Structure (Publicly Reported)
Open sources indicate a brigade-level structure comprising multiple motorized rifle battalions (mountain), an artillery group, reconnaissance elements, short-range air defense and anti-tank subunits, engineers, signals, logistics, and medical support. The Russian Ministry of Defense does not publish a complete official order of battle for this formation; specific subunit designations and authorized strengths are not publicly available.
Equipment Overview (Observed in Open Sources)
Public imagery and reporting associated with the brigade since 2015 show standard Russian light and medium equipment suited to mountain infantry roles, including wheeled armored personnel carriers of the BTR family, GAZ Tigr-M light armored vehicles, general-purpose Ural and Kamaz trucks, 120 mm mortars, and towed 122 mm howitzers. Exact inventories, quantities, and current serviceability are not disclosed.
Mobility and Lines of Communication
Operational and logistic mobility relies on the R257 Yenisei highway for ground movement and Kyzyl Airport for airlift. The absence of a local railhead requires road transfer to rail nodes in Khakassia, such as Abakan, for onward strategic movement. Seasonal weather and mountainous terrain impose constraints that are addressed through established winterization and cold-weather operating procedures.
Operational Activity (Public Reporting)
Since formation, the brigade has appeared in Central Military District training and readiness reporting and has participated in district- and army-level exercises. From 2022 onward, multiple public reports, regional government statements, and obituaries indicate that personnel from the brigade have taken part in Russian operations in Ukraine. The Ministry of Defense does not systematically release unit-level deployment details, and specific operation timelines and areas of employment are not officially disclosed.
Known Identifiers
Official title: 55th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade (Mountain). Military unit number: 55115. Garrison: Kyzyl, Tyva Republic, Russian Federation. Subordination: 41st Combined Arms Army, Central Military District.
Historical Note on Similar Designations
Historically, various Soviet and Russian formations have used the numeral 55 at regimental level. As of 2024, there is no widely documented active Russian Ground Forces unit designated 55th Motor Rifle Regiment. Contemporary references to a 55th Motor Rifle Regiment typically pertain to the 55th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade (Mountain).
Information Availability
Detailed technical specifications, full internal order of battle, precise garrison layout, and current operational taskings are not publicly released and, where applicable, are classified. Only verifiable information from open, public sources through 2024 is reflected here.