6th Motor Rifle Division
Identification and Current Status
The 6th Motor Rifle Division (Russian: 6-я мотострелковая дивизия; 6 MRD) is a Russian Ground Forces formation that has been reported in open sources since 2022 as part of the 3rd Army Corps. The Russian Ministry of Defense has not released an official public order of battle detailing this division; however, consistent references in Russian- and foreign-language reporting identify a division under this designation associated with the 3rd Army Corps. It should not be confused with the 6th Combined Arms Army, which is a separate higher-echelon headquarters operating in Russia’s western strategic direction.
Formation History (2022–present)
The 6th Motor Rifle Division is linked to the creation of the 3rd Army Corps in mid-2022, a wartime expansion effort built largely on contract-based recruitment (so-called volunteer formations). In late August 2022, official Russian media showcased newly formed 3rd Army Corps units training at the Mulino training area in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, after which elements of the corps were deployed to the war in Ukraine. Open-source reporting since late 2022 has referenced a divisional formation under the “6th Motor Rifle Division” designation within this corps. Specific internal orders establishing the division and its full table of organization have not been publicly released.
Higher Command and Administrative Alignment
At formation, the 3rd Army Corps (and units attributed to it, including the reported 6th Motor Rifle Division) were subordinated to the Western Military District. In 2024, Russia re-established the Leningrad and Moscow Military Districts from the former Western Military District. As of open-source reporting through 2024, the Ministry of Defense has not publicly specified any change in the administrative reassignment of the 3rd Army Corps or formally detailed the district alignment of the 6th Motor Rifle Division. No official public source provides an authoritative, current chain of command for this division.
Garrison and Training Sites
Publicly available evidence ties the stand-up and preparation of 3rd Army Corps units to the Mulino training area (Nizhny Novgorod Oblast), home to the Russian Ground Forces’ 333rd Combat Training Center. This facility provides mechanized and combined-arms training infrastructure, including armored maneuver ranges, live-fire ranges, simulators, and rail-loading facilities that enable rapid onward movement. After initial formation and training cycles, elements associated with the corps were staged via large training areas and rail nodes in western Russia; the Kadamovsky training ground near Persianovsky (Rostov Oblast) has been repeatedly used as a pre-deployment staging site for units deploying into Ukraine. The permanent peacetime garrison and divisional headquarters location for the 6th Motor Rifle Division have not been officially disclosed.
Organizational Structure (General Motor Rifle Division Model)
While the exact internal structure of the 6th Motor Rifle Division has not been published, Russian motor rifle divisions typically comprise three motor rifle regiments, one tank regiment, one self-propelled artillery regiment, and an anti-aircraft missile regiment, supported by divisional-level reconnaissance, engineer-sapper, signal, electronic warfare, NBC defense, UAV, logistics (material-technical support), medical, and repair/recovery units. A fully manned motor rifle division generally fields on the order of 10,000–15,000 personnel, although actual strengths vary significantly in wartime conditions. Without official documentation, the precise regimental numbering, battalion counts, and manning levels for the 6th Motor Rifle Division remain unconfirmed in the public domain.
Equipment and Materiel (Observed and Typical)
Ministry of Defense media from late August 2022 showed 3rd Army Corps units at Mulino equipped with modern and modernized systems, including T-90M main battle tanks and BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles. In line with Russian motor rifle division practice and wider 3rd Army Corps imagery, equipment typically associated with such formations includes T-72B3/B3M and T-80BV/BVM tanks; BMP-2/BMP-3 IFVs and BTR-82A APCs; 2S19 Msta-S and 2S3 Akatsiya self-propelled howitzers; BM-21 Grad/Tornado-G multiple launch rocket systems; divisional short- to medium-range air defense assets such as Tor-M2 and Buk family systems; and standard-issue UAVs (for example, Orlan-10/ZALA types) and electronic warfare suites. Specific equipment holdings of the 6th Motor Rifle Division have not been officially enumerated.
Operational Deployment (Ukraine, 2022–2024)
By September 2022, elements of the 3rd Army Corps had been deployed to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Through 2023–2024, open-source reporting and geolocated media placed 3rd Army Corps formations operating primarily along the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia fronts. Units attributed to the corps have been documented in offensive and defensive roles, with the precise operational sectors of sub-units fluctuating over time. References to the 6th Motor Rifle Division’s subunits appear in this context; however, consistent, officially confirmed location data at regiment or battalion level for the division is not publicly available. Public sources do not provide a full, authoritative chronology of the division’s combat deployments.
Infrastructure Capabilities and Sustainment
The Mulino training complex provides the scale and infrastructure required to generate and refresh mechanized units up to brigade/division level, including accommodations, maintenance areas, ammunition storage, rail spurs, and combined-arms live-fire ranges. Pre-deployment staging sites such as Kadamovsky enable final integration, equipment issue, and rail or road movement toward the theater. At the divisional level, Russian motor rifle divisions maintain organic maintenance, supply, medical, and recovery assets designed to sustain continuous operations, with repairs typically echeloned from battalion/company field teams to divisional workshops and onward to factory-level depots when necessary. Public reporting does not disclose the specific rear-area depots, repair bases, or ammunition supply points assigned to the 6th Motor Rifle Division.
Nomenclature Deconfliction
The 6th Motor Rifle Division should be distinguished from similarly named entities to avoid misattribution. Notably, the 6th Combined Arms Army (a separate higher echelon) operates in the western strategic direction and has long-standing headquarters and subordinate formations, while the 6th Motor Rifle Division refers to a divisional-level formation reported under the 3rd Army Corps since 2022. There are also motor rifle brigades and regiments with different numbering that may be cited in reporting; these are distinct from a division-level formation even when similar numerals appear.
Information Availability and Classification Notes
Key details regarding the 6th Motor Rifle Division—such as its exact headquarters location, full order of battle, regimental numbering, manpower strength, equipment tables, and current operational tasking—have not been released in official public documents. Where reporting exists, it is based on open sources, media footage, and battlefield observations that do not always provide comprehensive or enduring confirmation. If such information is held by the Russian Ministry of Defense, it is not publicly available and may be classified. Accordingly, any specifics not contained in official releases cannot be verified to an authoritative standard in the public domain.