Operational Group of Russian Forces in Transnistria
Overview of the Operational Group of Russian Forces (OGRF) in Transnistria
The Operational Group of Russian Forces in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova is the residual Russian garrison that remained after the dissolution of the Soviet 14th Guards Army and the 1992 conflict on the Dniester. Its publicly stated core tasks are guarding the large Soviet-era ammunition stockpile at Cobasna and supporting the trilateral peacekeeping mechanism established under the 21 July 1992 ceasefire. The OGRF’s structure identified in open sources includes the headquarters (military unit 13962), the 82nd Separate Guards Motor Rifle Battalion (military unit 74273), the 113th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Battalion (military unit 22137), and the 540th Separate Command and Control Battalion (military unit 09353), along with smaller support elements.
Historical Background and Legal Status
Following the 21 July 1992 Agreement on Principles of Peaceful Settlement of the Armed Conflict in the Transnistrian Region of the Republic of Moldova, Russian, Moldovan, and Transnistrian contingents established a Joint Control Commission and a Security Zone. Russia subsequently re-designated residual elements of the former 14th Guards Army as the OGRF in the mid-1990s. At the 1999 OSCE Istanbul Summit, Russia committed to the complete withdrawal of its forces and munitions from Moldova, initially by the end of 2002 and subsequently extended into 2003; these commitments remain unfulfilled. On 22 June 2018, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 72/282 calling for the unconditional withdrawal of foreign military forces and armaments from Moldova. The Government of Moldova has repeatedly stated that the continued presence of the OGRF is inconsistent with its sovereignty and constitutional neutrality, while Russia cites obligations related to guarding the Cobasna depot and peacekeeping under the 1992 framework.
Command and Leadership
Open-source reporting identifies Colonel Dmitry Zelenkov as a commander associated with the OGRF headquarters (military unit 13962). The Russian Ministry of Defence does not routinely publish current incumbents for this garrison; therefore, contemporaneous official confirmation of command appointments is not publicly available.
Headquarters — military unit 13962
The OGRF headquarters (military unit 13962) is garrisoned in Transnistria’s capital, Tiraspol. It provides operational command and control, personnel administration, logistics coordination for subordinate units, and liaison with the Joint Control Commission and the Russian peacekeeping contingent that operates within the Security Zone. The headquarters oversees security of the Cobasna ammunition depot, coordinates movement authorizations with local authorities, and manages routine garrison functions.
82nd Separate Guards Motor Rifle Battalion — military unit 74273
The 82nd Separate Guards Motor Rifle Battalion (military unit 74273) functions as a light motorized infantry battalion within the OGRF. Open sources place its garrison in the Tiraspol area, with duties that include guard and patrol tasks, training for peacekeeping support, and periodic staffing of observation posts within the Security Zone. Its equipment set is typical of light motorized units, with armored personnel carriers and general-purpose trucks, and its personnel are reported to be predominantly contract servicemen and locally recruited Russian passport holders.
113th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Battalion — military unit 22137
The 113th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Battalion (military unit 22137) is the OGRF’s second motorized infantry battalion, frequently cited as garrisoned in the Bender (Bendery/Tighina) area. Its mission set mirrors that of the 82nd Battalion, including installation security, patrols connected to the peacekeeping framework, and routine small-unit training. As with the 82nd, public information indicates a light motorized profile with limited heavy weaponry and standard small arms and support weapons.
540th Separate Command and Control Battalion — military unit 09353
The 540th Separate Command and Control Battalion (military unit 09353) provides the OGRF with communications, signals support, command-post infrastructure, and information systems necessary to connect the garrison with Russian higher headquarters and with liaison structures in the Joint Control Commission. Functions typically include secure communications for observation posts, dispatch and reporting networks, and technical support for headquarters and field command posts.
Force Posture and Strength
Public statements by Moldovan authorities and international organizations have for many years cited an overall Russian military presence in Transnistria of roughly 1,500 personnel, encompassing both the OGRF and Russia’s peacekeeping contingent. Russia does not publish detailed official troop counts for the garrison, and precise current numbers are not publicly confirmed. The force is composed largely of contract servicemen, including local residents holding Russian citizenship; conscripts are not publicly acknowledged as serving in this garrison.
Deployment Locations and Facilities
The principal Russian garrisons are in Tiraspol and Bender, with additional security elements deployed around the Cobasna (Kolbasna) ammunition depot in northern Transnistria. The Security Zone along the Dniester River is administered by the Joint Control Commission and contains a network of checkpoints and observation posts staffed by Moldovan, Russian, and Transnistrian contingents. Tiraspol’s airfield does not host regular military rotation due to Moldovan airspace restrictions, and rail and road access to Ukraine has been constrained since 2022; as a result, the garrison is largely sustained in place and movement is subject to host-nation controls.
Cobasna Ammunition Depot
The Cobasna site, widely referenced as the 1411th artillery ammunition depot, is a Soviet-era storage complex holding large quantities of legacy munitions. Under OSCE auspices, removal and destruction operations took place between 2001 and 2003, after which withdrawals halted in 2004. As of 2024, open-source and OSCE statements indicate that substantial quantities of ammunition remain, but precise, up-to-date figures are not publicly verified. The OGRF’s assigned mission includes guarding this depot, and international actors have repeatedly highlighted the depot’s safety and security risks due to the age and condition of stored munitions.
Equipment and Materiel
Open-source imagery and reporting consistently depict the OGRF as a light motorized force equipped with armored personnel carriers of the BTR family and standard utility trucks such as Ural and KamAZ series, along with small arms, machine guns, and man-portable support weapons typical of motor rifle units. There is no public evidence of an organic heavy armor or long-range artillery capability assigned to the OGRF. Equipment at Cobasna consists of stored munitions rather than operational weapon systems issued to the garrison.
Logistics and Access Constraints
Since mid-2010s, Moldovan authorities have increasingly restricted rotation and transit for Russian military personnel, including denials of entry via Chisinau International Airport. Following the onset of the large-scale war in Ukraine in 2022, cross-border routes into Transnistria from Ukraine have been effectively closed, further constraining movement. There is no publicly documented regular air bridge to Tiraspol, and resupply and personnel changes rely on host-nation permissions and local contracting, limiting the garrison’s ability to rotate or expand.
Operations, Training, and Activities
Daily activities include garrison duties, guard missions for key sites such as the Cobasna depot, patrols and observation within the Security Zone under the peacekeeping framework, and routine small-scale training focused on infantry tactics, marksmanship, and internal security tasks. OGRF servicemen frequently appear in public ceremonial events in Tiraspol, including Victory Day commemorations. Exercises are typically limited in scope and tailored to peacekeeping support, security patrols, and base-defense scenarios rather than high-intensity combined-arms operations.
International Monitoring and Diplomatic Context
The OSCE Mission to Moldova monitors the Security Zone and has historically facilitated withdrawals and stockpile management discussions related to Cobasna, while emphasizing the need for political agreement among the parties. Moldova has consistently called for the replacement of the current peacekeeping format with an international civilian mission and for the withdrawal of Russian troops and munitions in line with the 1999 OSCE commitments and the 2018 UN General Assembly resolution. Russia maintains that its military presence is linked to the 1992 ceasefire arrangements and protection of the Cobasna depot; the issue remains unresolved diplomatically.
Unit Identifiers Provided
The following unit identifiers are corroborated in open sources for Russian forces in Transnistria: Operational Group of Russian Forces headquarters, military unit 13962; 82nd Separate Guards Motor Rifle Battalion, military unit 74273; 113th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Battalion, military unit 22137; 540th Separate Command and Control Battalion, military unit 09353. These identifiers are consistent with Russian Ministry of Defence nomenclature for garrison and battalion-level formations.