Operational-Investigative Activities Information Support Department
Scope and Temporal Reference
This survey summarizes verifiable, open-source information on Russian military sites and supporting infrastructure as of October 2024. It draws on official statements, statutory documents, defense-industrial disclosures, and widely documented site identifications. Classified details and operationally sensitive specifics such as precise coordinates, security procedures, or unpublished order-of-battle data are not included.
National Command and Military Districts
Russia organizes its forces under military-administrative districts. In early 2024, the Ministry of Defense re-established the Moscow and Leningrad Military Districts, restructuring the former Western Military District. The Southern, Central, and Eastern Military Districts continue to operate, and the Northern Fleet functions as a Joint Strategic Command with district-level status since 2021. Each district commands combined-arms armies, an air and air defense army, and support formations distributed across major population centers and strategic corridors.
Strategic Rocket Forces (RVSN) Basing and Systems
The RVSN operates both silo-based and road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missiles. The principal modern system is the RS-24 Yars (deployed in silo and mobile variants). A limited number of UR-100NUTTKh missiles have been converted to carry Avangard hypersonic glide vehicles, publicly associated with the Dombarovsky (Yasny) complex in Orenburg Oblast. Russia announced in 2023 the initial deployment of the RS-28 Sarmat at the Uzhur missile complex in Krasnoyarsk Krai; independent corroboration remains limited in open sources. Major RVSN divisions and garrison areas include: 28th Guards (Kozelsk, Kaluga Oblast), 54th Guards (Teykovo, Ivanovo Oblast), 14th (Yoshkar-Ola, Mari El), 29th Guards (Irkutsk Oblast), 35th (Barnaul, Altai Krai), 39th Guards (Novosibirsk Oblast), 42nd (Nizhny Tagil area, Sverdlovsk Oblast), 7th Guards (Vypolzovo/Bologoye, Tver Oblast), 60th (Tatischevo, Saratov Oblast), 13th (Dombarovsky/Yasny, Orenburg Oblast), and 62nd (Uzhur, Krasnoyarsk Krai). Legacy Topol (RS-12M) and R-36M2 systems have been in phased withdrawal.
Strategic Bomber Aviation Sites
Long-Range Aviation bases include Engels (Saratov Oblast), hosting Tu-160 and Tu-95MS bombers, and Dyagilevo (Ryazan Oblast), which serves as a strategic aviation base and maintenance/training hub. Ukrainka (Amur Oblast) in the Far East operates Tu-95MS. Tu-22M3 units operate from Shaykovka (Kaluga Oblast), Belaya (Irkutsk Oblast), and Soltsy (Novgorod Oblast). Olenya airfield (Murmansk Oblast) is used for staging long-range aviation assets to the Arctic. These airfields feature long runways (generally exceeding 3,000 meters), fuel and ordnance storage under specialized control, and infrastructure enabling dispersal and sustained operations.
Tactical Aviation Basing Network
The Aerospace Forces (VKS) maintain a nationwide network of tactical aviation bases aligned with district air and air defense armies. Representative sites include Voronezh-Baltimor (Voronezh Oblast), Millerovo and Morozovsk (Rostov Oblast), Krymsk (Krasnodar Krai), and Akhtubinsk (Astrakhan Oblast, 929th State Flight Test Center) in the west and south; Dzemgi (Komsomolsk-on-Amur), Domna (Zabaykalsky Krai), Tsentralnaya Uglovaya (Primorsky Krai), and Yelizovo (Kamchatka Krai) in the east. In the Arctic and far north, Monchegorsk (Murmansk Oblast) supports air defense interceptors. In Crimea, Belbek and Gvardeyskoye support tactical aviation. These bases host multi-role fighters, fighter-bombers, and ground-attack aircraft, with hardened shelters at selected sites, munitions storage under specialized units, and integrated air-defense coverage.
Integrated Air and Missile Defense
Russia employs layered air defense centered on S-400 Triumf regiments protecting major cities, industrial zones, and strategic facilities, complemented by S-300 variants retained in several regions. The S-350 Vityaz system has been introduced to augment medium-range coverage, and the S-500 Prometey entered limited service as announced in 2021, with further details not fully disclosed publicly. The capital region is protected by the A-135 anti-ballistic missile system, which uses silo-based 53T6 interceptors; a modernization program toward the A-235 system (commonly associated with the 'Nudol' interceptor) has been reported in official and industry communications.
Missile Early-Warning Infrastructure
The ground-based early-warning network comprises Voronezh-series radars positioned to provide 360-degree coverage, including sites at Lekhtusi (Leningrad Oblast), Armavir (Krasnodar Krai), Kaliningrad (Pionersky), Mishelevka near Irkutsk, Barnaul (Altai Krai), Yeniseysk (Krasnoyarsk Krai), and the Orsk area (Orenburg Oblast). Legacy Dnepr and Daryal radars remain at Olenegorsk (Murmansk Oblast) and Pechora (Komi Republic), respectively. A Volga radar operates at Baranovichi (Belarus) under Russian control. The space-based component uses EKS ('Tundra') satellites to detect and characterize launches; precise constellation status and numbers are not fully disclosed in public sources.
Naval Fleets and Principal Bases
The Northern Fleet, headquartered at Severomorsk (Kola Peninsula), operates from bases including Severomorsk, Polyarny, Gadzhiyevo, Vidyayevo, and Olenya; nearby Severodvinsk hosts the Sevmash and Zvezdochka shipyards. The Pacific Fleet uses Vladivostok and Fokino in Primorsky Krai and Vilyuchinsk (Rybachiy) in Kamchatka Krai. The Baltic Fleet operates primarily from Baltiysk (Kaliningrad Oblast) and Kronstadt (Leningrad Oblast). The Black Sea Fleet is based at Sevastopol (Crimea) with an additional major facility at Novorossiysk (Krasnodar Krai). The Caspian Flotilla, relocated in 2018, operates mainly from Kaspiysk (Dagestan). These bases provide homeporting, maintenance, training ranges, and integrated coastal defense.
SSBN Basing and Submarine Support
Ballistic-missile submarines are homeported at Gadzhiyevo (Yagelnaya Bay) in the Northern Fleet and Vilyuchinsk (Rybachiy Peninsula) in the Pacific Fleet. Gadzhiyevo supports Project 667BDRM (Delta IV) and Project 955/955A (Borei/Borei-A) SSBNs equipped with R-29RMU2 Sineva/Liner and R-30 Bulava SLBMs, respectively. Vilyuchinsk supports the Pacific Fleet’s Borei-class SSBNs and associated support infrastructure. Sevmash in Severodvinsk constructs Borei-A and Yasen-M submarines, with Zvezdochka handling repairs and modernizations. Warhead storage, handling, and transport are under the 12th Main Directorate (12th GUMO) control, with details not publicly disclosed.
Arctic Basing and Infrastructure
Russia has established and expanded permanent Arctic infrastructure to support air defense, logistics, and domain awareness along the Northern Sea Route. Key sites include Nagurskoye airbase on Alexandra Land (Franz Josef Land), which features an extended runway and the 'Arctic Trefoil' installation; Rogachevo airbase on Novaya Zemlya; Temp airfield on Kotelny Island (New Siberian Islands); and a refurbished airfield at Tiksi (Sakha Republic). These locations support radar coverage, fighter deployments, maritime patrol operations, and search-and-rescue capabilities in high latitudes.
Space, Missile, and Weapons Test Ranges
Plesetsk Cosmodrome (Arkhangelsk Oblast) supports military and dual-use space launches and ballistic missile flight tests. Kapustin Yar (Astrakhan Oblast) is used for missile testing and evaluations. Nyonoksa (Arkhangelsk Oblast) serves as a naval missile test range. The Sary Shagan test site in Kazakhstan, operated under bilateral arrangements, is used for missile-defense and interceptor testing. The Kura impact range on Kamchatka is the designated terminal area for many strategic missile flight tests originating from European Russia.
Electronic Warfare and Sensor Sites
Russia fields national-level sensors and electronic warfare systems to support situational awareness and countermeasures. The 29B6 'Konteyner' over-the-horizon radar near Kovylkino (Republic of Mordovia) is operational and designed for wide-area air target detection. Space surveillance sites include the 'Krona' complex near Zelenchukskaya (Karachay-Cherkessia) and the 'Okno' optical complex at Nurek (Tajikistan), both supporting orbital object tracking. Arctic deployments of 'Rezonans-N' radars have been publicly reported, enhancing coverage over polar approaches. EW brigades employ systems such as Krasukha and Murmansk-BN, with garrisons distributed across military districts to support theater operations.
Nuclear Weapons Storage and the 12th GUMO
The 12th Main Directorate of the Ministry of Defense (12th GUMO) is responsible for the custody, storage, technical maintenance, and transport of nuclear warheads. It operates a network of centralized storage facilities and dedicated sub-units collocated with strategic platforms, including bomber bases and naval SSBN support areas. Specific site details, stockpile quantities, and security arrangements are not disclosed in public sources.
Defense Industrial Facilities Supporting the Armed Forces
Key defense-industrial sites include Sevmash (Severodvinsk) for nuclear submarines and Zvezdochka (Severodvinsk) for repair and overhaul; Admiralty Shipyards and Severnaya Verf (St. Petersburg) for diesel-electric submarines and surface combatants; Amur Shipyard (Komsomolsk-on-Amur) for submarines and corvettes; and Zelenodolsk Shipyard (Tatarstan) for small combatants. Ground systems production centers include Uralvagonzavod (Nizhny Tagil) for main battle tanks, Kurganmashzavod (Kurgan) for infantry fighting vehicles, and Omsktransmash (Omsk) for T-80 family work. Air and missile defense production is centered in Almaz-Antey enterprises. Aerospace production includes Kazan Aircraft Production Association (Tu-160M), KnAAZ in Komsomolsk-on-Amur (Su-57/Su-35S), Novosibirsk Aircraft Plant (Su-34), and Irkutsk Aviation Plant (Su-30SM/SM2). Votkinsk Machine Building Plant manufactures solid-fuel ballistic missiles (e.g., Topol-M/Yars families).
Logistics, Railheads, and Military Transport Aviation
National-level logistics rely on the broad-gauge rail network, military road transport units, and a system of central depots and arsenals for munitions, fuel, and matériel. Military Transport Aviation (VTA) supports strategic lift via bases such as Tver (Migalovo), Pskov (Kresty), Seshcha (Bryansk Oblast), and Ulyanovsk-Vostochny, operating aircraft including Il-76 variants and An-124. The logistics architecture supports mobilization, rotational deployments, and sustainment of forces across military districts and remote theaters.
Legal-Administrative Context: “Operational-Search” Structures
In Russian law, the term 'operational-search activity' (оперативно-розыскная деятельность) is defined by Federal Law No. 144-FZ of 12 August 1995. Agencies authorized to conduct such activities include, inter alia, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD), Federal Security Service (FSB), Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), Federal Protective Service (FSO), and other specified bodies. The term 'information support' is commonly used for units that provide analytical and technical backing to such activities. Publicly available sources do not provide comprehensive organizational charts for all such departments; specific internal departmental titles and leadership assignments are often not disclosed.
Entity Verification: “Operational-Investigative Activities Information Support Department”
The designation 'Operational-Investigative Activities Information Support Department' and the associated personal reference 'Commander: Viktor Krivoshlyapov' cannot be conclusively matched to a publicly documented Ministry of Defense or other Russian security-service structure in open sources as of October 2024. If this refers to an internal unit supporting operational-search activities, details on its mandate, subordination, and leadership are not publicly available. Absent authoritative public documentation, further specifics cannot be provided.