60th Missile Division
Formation Identity and Command Subordination
The 60th Missile Division (military unit 89553) is a formation of the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces (Raketnye Voyska Strategicheskogo Naznacheniya, RVSN). It operates silo-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and is subordinated to the 27th Guards Missile Army (HQ: Vladimir). The division’s headquarters and primary garrison are located in the closed administrative-territorial formation (ZATO) of Svetly, near Tatishchevo, Saratov Oblast.
Garrison and Geographic Context
The division is based in ZATO Svetly (historically referred to as Tatishchevo-5), west of the city of Saratov in Saratov Oblast. Its launch areas (silo fields) are dispersed regionally to provide geographic separation among regimental areas. Public sources acknowledge the general location and mission of the formation; however, detailed coordinates, facility layouts, and hardened infrastructure specifications for individual launch sites are not officially published in the public domain.
Order of Battle (Regiments and Military Unit Numbers)
- 31st Missile Regiment — military unit 97690 — RT-2PM2 Topol‑M (silo-based) reported in open sources. - 104th Missile Regiment — military unit 55555 — RT-2PM2 Topol‑M (silo-based) reported in open sources. - 122nd Missile Regiment — military unit 77980 — RT-2PM2 Topol‑M (silo-based) reported in open sources. - 165th Missile Regiment — military unit 74838 — RT-2PM2 Topol‑M (silo-based) reported in open sources. - 271st Missile Regiment — military unit 48205 — historically associated with the division; current equipment status not publicly confirmed. - 322nd Missile Regiment — military unit 52633 — historically associated with the division; current equipment status not publicly confirmed. - 626th Missile Regiment — military unit 52636 — historically associated with the division; current equipment status not publicly confirmed. - 649th Missile Regiment — military unit 93412 — historically associated with the division; current equipment status not publicly confirmed. - 60th Missile Division HQ — military unit 89553 — divisional headquarters at ZATO Svetly (Tatishchevo area).
Primary Weapon System: RT-2PM2 Topol‑M (Silo-Based)
The division’s Topol‑M is the silo-based variant of the RT-2PM2 (GRAU index 15Zh65; complex 15P165), a three‑stage, solid‑propellant ICBM. It is cold‑launched from hardened silos and is widely reported to carry a single (monoblock) thermonuclear warhead. Open-source estimates for range are approximately 10,500–11,000 km; reported warhead yield figures vary in the public domain (commonly cited ~0.8–1 Mt). Guidance is inertial with modernization for penetration aids and survivability features. NATO reporting name: SS‑27 (Topol‑M).
Infrastructure and Basing Pattern
Silo ICBM divisions in the RVSN typically comprise multiple regimental launch areas, each centered on a hardened regimental command post with associated launch control facilities, security perimeters, and a set of silos. Regiments traditionally are organized around roughly ten silos per regimental area, though exact dispositions are not officially disclosed. The divisional garrison area includes technical bases for missile and warhead handling, training facilities, logistics depots, and secured transport links. Detailed silo construction standards, hardness levels, and underground layouts are not publicly released.
Force Level and Inventory Notes
Open-source assessments have long attributed the silo-based Topol‑M force to the Tatishchevo (60th) Missile Division. Public tallies have consistently cited a total on the order of several dozen silo-based Topol‑M missiles deployed in this division following the rearmament completed in the late 2000s–early 2010s. The Russian Ministry of Defense does not publish regiment-by-regiment launcher counts, and current totals disaggregated by unit are not officially available in the public domain.
Modernization and Legacy Systems
Prior to Topol‑M rearmament, the division historically operated UR‑100NUTTH (SS‑19) silo-based ICBMs; these were phased out as Topol‑M silos entered service. Mobile Topol‑M deployments occurred at Teykovo (54th Guards Missile Division), not at Tatishchevo. Silo-based RS‑24 Yars deployments are publicly associated with Kozelsk (28th Guards Missile Division). The Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle is publicly associated with Dombarovsky/Yasny (13th Missile Division). RS‑28 Sarmat activities are associated with Uzhur (62nd Missile Division). There is no official public indication that the 60th Missile Division has transitioned from Topol‑M to another system as of the latest open-source reporting.
Readiness and Training Activity
RVSN formations maintain continuous duty rosters, conduct periodic command-and-staff training, and participate in scheduled strategic exercises. Reliability tests and demonstration launches for systems like Topol‑M are publicly reported from national test ranges (e.g., Plesetsk) rather than from operational silo fields. Specific readiness levels, duty cycles, and exercise schedules for individual regiments of the 60th Missile Division are not disclosed publicly.
Treaty and Transparency Context
Silo-based ICBMs such as Topol‑M are accountable under the New START Treaty (entered into force 5 February 2011; extended in 2021 to 4 February 2026). On 21 February 2023, the Russian Federation announced suspension of its participation in New START and subsequently halted treaty inspections and data exchanges. Consequently, verified, site-specific launcher counts and warhead loadings for the 60th Missile Division are not currently available through treaty data releases.
Information Gaps and Confidence Notes
The regimental list and military unit numbers provided correspond to designations widely circulated in open sources for the 60th Missile Division. The four regiments explicitly identified with RT‑2PM2 Topol‑M are consistent with public reporting. For the remaining regiments, current equipment and operational status are not officially confirmed in public documents and may reflect legacy structure, reorganization, or changes not publicly announced. Precise silo locations, counts by regiment, and detailed infrastructure parameters are not published by the Russian Ministry of Defense; therefore, granular assessments should be treated as unconfirmed unless corroborated by official releases.