Russian Forces in the Western Military District

This paper provides an updated order of battle assessment of existing units in Russia’s Western Military District (mainland Russia and the Kaliningrad Oblast),  analyzes roles assigned to them, and places Russian force posturing into a context of the post-2014 security situation. It analyzes how the Russian armed forces have  developed their capabilities and how they have reorganized their forces in the last six to eight years and, subsequently, how they have prepositioned their presence to  address threats emanating from the western operational direction. This is placed within the context of military operations in Georgia and Ukraine as well as increased  NATO presence in the Baltic States. The paper also examines scenarios practiced during the Zapad-17 strategic-operational exercise and efforts needed for Russia to fully engage in high-end, high-tempo combat operations in its immediate neighborhood. Although the document lists equipment that is fielded into specific units, it does not seek to provide a detailed table of organization and equipment (TO&E).