6th Combined Arms Army
Formation Overview
The 6th Combined Arms Army (6th CAA) is a field army of the Russian Ground Forces. It was part of the Western Military District (WMD) and, following Russia’s 2023–2024 force-management changes, is aligned with the re-established Leningrad Military District. The army’s peacetime headquarters is in Leningrad Oblast (Agalatovo area), and its formations are primarily garrisoned across Leningrad and Pskov oblasts. Its mission set includes defense of Russia’s northwestern approaches, force generation, and provision of combined-arms formations for operational employment.
Headquarters and Location
Headquarters military unit number 31807 corresponds to the 6th CAA HQ at Agalatovo, Leningrad Oblast, north of Saint Petersburg. Key associated garrison areas include Kamenka (hosting the 138th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade) and the Luga area (hosting the 26th Missile Brigade and the 9th Guards Artillery Brigade). Open-source reporting places the 25th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade in Pskov Oblast around Vladimirsky Lager (Strugi Krasnye) with supporting training infrastructure nearby.
Command Status
Public reporting in early 2022 identified Lieutenant General Vladislav Yershov (transliterated Ershov) as commander of the 6th CAA. Russian media subsequently reported he was relieved in March 2022. As of the 2024 timeframe, authoritative public sources do not consistently identify the current army commander. The specific brigade commander names provided (Colonel Ivan Smerdov; Colonel Sergei Maksimov) cannot be independently confirmed in open sources with sufficient reliability.
Order of Battle Summary (publicly reported)
Principal formations associated with the 6th CAA include: 25th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade (military unit 29760); 138th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade (military unit 02511); 26th Missile Brigade (military unit 54006); 9th Guards Artillery Brigade (military unit 02561); 5th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade (military unit 74429); 95th Command and Control Brigade (military unit 13821); 140th Guards Engineer-Sapper Regiment (military unit 18437); 51st Separate Logistics Brigade (military unit 72152); 67th Separate Automobile Battalion (military unit 11255); 6th NBC Protection Regiment (military unit 12086); 6th CAA HQ (military unit 31807). Wartime attachments can vary and may not be fully reflected in publicly available sources.
Ground Maneuver Brigades
The 25th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade (v/ch 29760) is equipped in open sources with T-72B series main battle tanks, MT-LB tracked carriers, BTR-80 armored personnel carriers, 2S1 Gvozdika 122 mm self-propelled howitzers, and BM-21 Grad 122 mm multiple rocket launchers. The 138th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade (v/ch 02511), garrisoned in Kamenka, is reported with T-72B3 tanks, MT-LB-based motor rifle battalions, 2S3 Akatsiya 152 mm self-propelled howitzers, BM-21 Grad rocket artillery, and short-range air defense such as Tor-M2 (9K332 series). Actual on-hand inventories can fluctuate due to combat losses and refits since 2022.
Operational-Tactical Missiles
The 26th Missile Brigade (v/ch 54006), based in the Luga area, fields the 9K720 Iskander-M system. Iskander-M employs 9M723 ballistic missiles (typical maximum range up to 500 km) from 9P78-1 transporter-erector-launchers, with a standard brigade authorization commonly cited as 12 launchers along with associated command, transporter-loader, and support vehicles. Several Iskander brigades also operate the 9M728 (R-500) ground-launched cruise missile; public sources do not definitively attribute 9M729 holdings to the 26th Missile Brigade.
Artillery and Rocket Forces
The 9th Guards Artillery Brigade (v/ch 02561), located in the Luga area, operates 2S19 Msta-S 152 mm self-propelled howitzers and BM-27 Uragan 220 mm multiple rocket launchers. Open sources also associate the brigade with 9K114 Shturm-S (9P149) self-propelled anti-tank missile systems. Typical army artillery brigades employ counter-battery radars such as 1L219M Zoopark-1M to support target acquisition and fire adjustment.
Army Air Defense
The 5th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade (v/ch 74429) is associated with Buk-M2 (9K317) medium-range surface-to-air missile systems. The Buk-M2 employs 9M317 missiles with engagement ranges commonly reported up to approximately 45 km against aerodynamic targets. Some reporting also links Tor-M1 (9K331) short-range systems to the brigade, though Tor batteries can alternatively be organic or attached to maneuver formations. Within the army, additional short-range air defense is provided by unit-level assets (e.g., MANPADS and SHORAD systems) in the motor rifle brigades.
Command, Control, and Communications
The 95th Command and Control Brigade (v/ch 13821) provides operational-level communications, automated command-and-control support, signal security, and field command post infrastructure for the 6th CAA. Functions include establishing multi-band radio, satellite, and wired communications; deploying mobile command posts; and supporting the integration of reconnaissance and fire assets through army-level C2 systems.
Engineering and EOD Capabilities
The 140th Guards Engineer-Sapper Regiment (v/ch 18437) provides mobility, countermobility, and survivability support, including route clearance, obstacle emplacement, field fortification, demolition, and explosive ordnance disposal. Engineer units commonly field bridging and ferry capabilities (e.g., pontoon bridge parks and truck-mounted assault bridges), mine-laying and mine-clearing systems, and armored engineer vehicles; specific equipment authorizations for this regiment are not comprehensively published.
Logistics and Transport Support
The 51st Separate Logistics Brigade (v/ch 72152) delivers material supply, maintenance and recovery, medical support, and field services at army level, including establishment of supply points and repair echelons. The 67th Separate Automobile Battalion (v/ch 11255) provides line-haul and distribution transport using tactical trucks and specialized vehicles. Army logistics may also include pipeline and fuel service units, field bakeries, water purification, and movement control elements as required.
CBRN Defense
The 6th NBC Protection Regiment (v/ch 12086) is responsible for radiological, chemical, and biological reconnaissance; decontamination of personnel, equipment, and terrain; and aerosol smoke camouflage. Typical CBRN equipment at the army level includes specialized reconnaissance vehicles, decontamination stations, and smoke-generation systems; publicly available sources do not enumerate the regiment’s complete table of equipment.
Garrison and Training Infrastructure
Principal garrisons include Agalatovo and Kamenka (Leningrad Oblast) and the Luga military area, with a major field training complex in the Luga region. The 25th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade is reported at Vladimirsky Lager (Strugi Krasnye) in Pskov Oblast, which is associated with regional training areas. These sites support unit basing, collective training, and equipment storage and maintenance.
Known Equipment Characteristics (selected systems)
Representative systems and commonly cited performance parameters include: T-72B/T-72B3 main battle tanks (125 mm gun, digital fire control on the B3 variant); MT-LB tracked multi-purpose carriers; BTR-80 8×8 armored personnel carriers (14.5 mm KPVT-armed); 2S1 Gvozdika 122 mm SPH; 2S3 Akatsiya 152 mm SPH; 2S19 Msta-S 152 mm SPH; BM-21 Grad 122 mm MRL (various rockets, up to roughly 40 km with modern munitions); BM-27 Uragan 220 mm MRL (up to roughly 35–40 km); 9K114 Shturm-S ATGM (typical range up to about 5 km); 9K317 Buk-M2 medium-range SAM (engagement range commonly cited up to ~45 km); 9K331 Tor-M1 short-range SAM (engagement range commonly cited up to ~12 km); 9K332M Tor-M2U SHORAD (engagement range commonly cited up to ~16 km); 9K720 Iskander-M operational-tactical missile (ballistic missile range commonly reported up to 500 km).
Operational Activity since 2022 (open-source reporting)
Open-source reporting from 2022–2024 places elements of the 6th CAA, including the 25th and 138th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigades, in combat operations within Ukraine, notably along the Kharkiv and Luhansk fronts (e.g., the Kupyansk–Svatove sector). Iskander-M units from the 26th Missile Brigade have been reported conducting strikes from positions inside Russia. Specific unit rotations, losses, and current dispositions are fluid and not comprehensively documented in publicly available, authoritative sources.
Unit Identifiers and Correlation
The following v/ch to unit correlations are publicly reported: 6th Combined Arms Army HQ – 31807 (Agalatovo); 25th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade – 29760; 138th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade – 02511; 26th Missile Brigade – 54006; 9th Guards Artillery Brigade – 02561; 5th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade – 74429; 95th Command and Control Brigade – 13821; 140th Guards Engineer-Sapper Regiment – 18437; 51st Separate Logistics Brigade – 72152; 67th Separate Automobile Battalion – 11255; 6th NBC Protection Regiment – 12086.
Information Gaps and Source Notes
Some details in the provided list cannot be fully verified in authoritative open sources as of 2024, including specific brigade commander names and the exact mix of short-range air defense systems at the 5th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade. Duplicate entries for the 5th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade likely reflect separate references to Buk-M2 and Tor-M1 systems. Due to wartime conditions, unit attachments, equipment holdings, and leadership can change frequently; where official releases are absent, only widely corroborated open-source information is included.