72nd Separate Motor Rifle Brigade
Unit Identification and Role
The 72nd Separate Motor Rifle Brigade (often abbreviated 72nd SMRB; Russian designation 72-ya otdelnaya motostrelkovaya brigada) is a formation of the Russian Ground Forces organized for combined-arms motorized infantry operations. Its mission set encompasses offensive and defensive actions with integrated armor, artillery, short-range air defense, engineers, reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and logistics at brigade level.
Formation and Higher Command Relationships
Publicly available reporting indicates the brigade was formed in 2022 within the newly established 3rd Army Corps, organized by the Russian Ministry of Defense to augment forces for the invasion of Ukraine. The 3rd Army Corps has been reported as subordinated to the Western Military District with a headquarters presence at Mulino in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. By spring 2023, elements of the brigade had been deployed to the theater in eastern Ukraine.
Known Command Leadership
Lieutenant Colonel Roman Venevitin was publicly identified as the brigade commander in early June 2023. Subsequent command appointments have not been officially published in open sources, and a comprehensive public roster of the brigade staff is not available.
Personnel Sourcing and Composition
Open-source accounts describe the brigade as comprising a mix of contract volunteers recruited during the 2022 volunteer mobilization campaign and personnel mobilized after the Russian partial mobilization announced on 21 September 2022. Exact authorized and actual strengths have not been publicly disclosed.
Equipment and Armament Observed
Imagery and combat footage from the Bakhmut sector in 2023 attributed to Russian motor rifle elements linked to the brigade show employment of T-72 series main battle tanks, BMP-1 and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, MT-LB armored carriers, BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers, 2S1 Gvozdika 122 mm and 2S3 Akatsiya 152 mm self-propelled howitzers, towed 152 mm D-20 guns, man-portable air defense systems such as Igla or Verba, short-range air defense assets such as Strela-10, anti-tank guided missiles, and unmanned aerial systems including Orlan-10 and commercial quadcopter first-person-view drones. Because unit markings are not always visible, this list should be treated as representative rather than a complete inventory.
Garrison and Training Sites
During the 3rd Army Corps formation cycle in 2022, training and staging activity for corps units was documented at the Mulino training area in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast; elements later associated with the 72nd Separate Motor Rifle Brigade were reported there during this period. Additional ground forces ranges such as Totskoye in Orenburg Oblast have been used for rotations and reconstitution by Russian formations, but an official permanent garrison location for the brigade has not been publicly announced.
Areas of Operation in Ukraine
The brigade has been documented operating in Donetsk Oblast in and around the Bakhmut sector, particularly on the southern and southwestern approaches. Engagement areas reported in 2023 include Klishchiivka, Andriivka, and Ivanivske, as well as positions along the Siverskyi Donets–Donbas canal.
Combat Activity Highlights in 2023
In early May 2023 Ukrainian forces attacked on the southwestern flank of Bakhmut; on 9–10 May 2023 the Wagner Group leader publicly alleged that the 72nd Separate Motor Rifle Brigade withdrew from positions south of the city. Geolocated combat footage published in that period showed Ukrainian advances near the canal and towards Klishchiivka. In early June 2023 a video circulated showing the brigade commander, Lieutenant Colonel Roman Venevitin, in Wagner custody after an incident between regular forces and Wagner personnel. In September 2023 Ukrainian forces liberated Klishchiivka and Andriivka, compressing Russian defensive lines south of Bakhmut; Russian units engaged in that sector included elements of the 72nd Separate Motor Rifle Brigade alongside airborne formations.
Reported Activity in 2024
Open-source references through 2024 continued to place elements of the brigade in the Donetsk direction, including areas adjacent to the Bakhmut sector. Precise locations, unit strength, and the timing of rotations were not officially disclosed.
Field Fortifications and Infrastructure in Sector
The southern Bakhmut sector features elevated ridgelines, wooded strips, the Siverskyi Donets–Donbas canal, and rail and road embankments that have been fortified with trench systems, dugouts, anti-tank ditches, and dense minefields. Russian motor rifle units operating there, including the 72nd Brigade, established layered defensive positions and fire points integrated with artillery and anti-tank coverage to control approaches to Klishchiivka and Andriivka.
Logistics and Sustainment Considerations
Russian forces supplying the Bakhmut axis commonly use road and rail networks running through Russian-held urban areas such as Horlivka and Yenakiieve, with onward movement along secondary roads to the southern approaches of Bakhmut. Typical brigade-level sustainment includes forward ammunition supply points, medical stabilization posts, repair and recovery sections, and transport columns using Ural and KamAZ trucks. Brigade-specific supply nodes for the 72nd Separate Motor Rifle Brigade have not been publicly identified.
Associated and Adjacent Units
In 2023 the brigade operated in proximity to and in conjunction with other Russian formations tasked to the Bakhmut sector, including airborne brigades and regiments and elements from army corps-level groupings. Public reporting during the September 2023 fighting around Klishchiivka and Andriivka mentioned the presence of 31st and 83rd Air Assault Brigades alongside motor rifle units; precise task organization and attachments for the 72nd Separate Motor Rifle Brigade have not been disclosed.
Administrative Data and Information Gaps
The Russian Ministry of Defense has not publicly released a comprehensive administrative dossier for the brigade, such as its permanent military unit number, peacetime garrison address, or authorized equipment tables. Specific details including current manpower, exact order of battle, command succession after June 2023, and present disposition remain unconfirmed in open sources.