Carpathian Military District
Encyclopedia
The Carpathian Military District was a military district
of the Soviet Armed Forces
from 1945 after the conclusion of the Second World War to 1990-91. It became part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 1991 and was disbanded by being redesignated the Western Operational Command later in the 1990s.
Two districts were formed in what was to become the district's territory in 1944-45. During May 1944 in the freed territory of the West Ukraine the Lviv Military district was activated, headed by the former deputy commander of the 2nd Ukrainian Front. In July 1945 the Carpathian military district (PriKVO) was created during from the staff of the 4th Ukrainian Front
in Chernivtsi
. The two districts were amalgamated on 6 May 1946 with the headquarters at Lviv. The District's territory included 10 regions of the Ukrainian SSR
- Vinnytsya, Volyn, Zhytomyr
, Transcarpathian, Ivano-Frankivsk
, Lviv
, Rivensku, Khmel'nytskiy, Ternopil
, and Chernivetskyy.
Troops of the district, including 57th Air Army, took part in 'Operation Danube,' the 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
. The District became subordinate to the Western Strategic Direction in the late 1970s/early 80s. The 8th Tank (formed from 8th Mechanised Army in 1957, which in its turn was formed from the 18th Army
circa 1945), 13th, and 38th Armies were stationed in the District for most of its existence. The 14th Air Army
and 2nd Army of the Soviet Air Defence Forces were also located there. Scott and Scott reported the HQ address in 1979 as Lviv-8, Vulytsa Vatutina, Bud 12.
Former Soviet and Western sources agree on an end-1980s figure of three tank divisions and nine or ten motor rifle divisions in the District. In its last years under Ukrainian control the District saw a large reduction in the number of troops within it as Ukraine reduced the 780,000 troops it had inherited from the Soviet Union to a figure more appropriate to its new needs.
Military district
Military districts are formations of a state's armed forces which are responsible for a certain area of territory. They are often more responsible for administrative than operational matters, and in countries with conscript forces, often handle parts of the conscription cycle.Navies have also used...
of the Soviet Armed Forces
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
from 1945 after the conclusion of the Second World War to 1990-91. It became part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 1991 and was disbanded by being redesignated the Western Operational Command later in the 1990s.
Two districts were formed in what was to become the district's territory in 1944-45. During May 1944 in the freed territory of the West Ukraine the Lviv Military district was activated, headed by the former deputy commander of the 2nd Ukrainian Front. In July 1945 the Carpathian military district (PriKVO) was created during from the staff of the 4th Ukrainian Front
4th Ukrainian Front
The 4th Ukrainian Front was a front of the Red Army during World War II...
in Chernivtsi
Chernivtsi
Chernivtsi is the administrative center of Chernivtsi Oblast in southwestern Ukraine. The city is situated on the upper course of the River Prut, a tributary of the Danube, in the northern part of the historic region of Bukovina, which is currently divided between Romania and Ukraine...
. The two districts were amalgamated on 6 May 1946 with the headquarters at Lviv. The District's territory included 10 regions of the Ukrainian SSR
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...
- Vinnytsya, Volyn, Zhytomyr
Zhytomyr
Zhytomyr is a city in the North of the western half of Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Zhytomyr Oblast , as well as the administrative center of the surrounding Zhytomyr Raion...
, Transcarpathian, Ivano-Frankivsk
Ivano-Frankivsk
Ivano-Frankivsk is a historic city located in the western Ukraine. It is the administrative centre of the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast , and is designated as its own separate raion within the oblast, municipality....
, Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
, Rivensku, Khmel'nytskiy, Ternopil
Ternopil
Ternopil , is a city in western Ukraine, located on the banks of the Seret River. Ternopil is one of the major cities of Western Ukraine and the historical region of Galicia...
, and Chernivetskyy.
Troops of the district, including 57th Air Army, took part in 'Operation Danube,' the 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
On the night of 20–21 August 1968, the Soviet Union and her main satellite states in the Warsaw Pact – Bulgaria, the German Democratic Republic , Hungary and Poland – invaded the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic in order to halt Alexander Dubček's Prague Spring political liberalization...
. The District became subordinate to the Western Strategic Direction in the late 1970s/early 80s. The 8th Tank (formed from 8th Mechanised Army in 1957, which in its turn was formed from the 18th Army
18th Army (Soviet Union)
The 18th Army of the Soviet Union's Red Army was formed on 21 June 1941 on the basis of HQ Kharkov Military District and armies of the Kiev Special Military District.The Army's commander in 1941 was General-Leitenant Andrew Kirilovych Smirnov...
circa 1945), 13th, and 38th Armies were stationed in the District for most of its existence. The 14th Air Army
14th Air Army
The 14th Air Army of the Russian Air Force, was first formed in World War II as part of the Soviet Air Force. It was disbanded in 2009....
and 2nd Army of the Soviet Air Defence Forces were also located there. Scott and Scott reported the HQ address in 1979 as Lviv-8, Vulytsa Vatutina, Bud 12.
Order of battle
The District's forces at the end of the 1980s included:- 8th Guards Tank Army (ZhytomyrZhytomyrZhytomyr is a city in the North of the western half of Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Zhytomyr Oblast , as well as the administrative center of the surrounding Zhytomyr Raion...
)- 23rd Tank Training Division (OvruchOvruchOvruch is a city in the Zhytomyr Oblast of northern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Ovruch Raion . The current estimated population is around 17,000 . It is home to Ovruch air base....
), in 1987-88 turned into a training division and in 1989 turned into a military equipment storage (6065th БХВТ) - 30th Guards Tank Division (Novograd-Volynsky) (now 30th Mechanized Brigade (Ukraine)30th Mechanized Brigade (Ukraine)The 30th Mechanized Brigade is a formation of the Ukrainian Ground Forces.The full name of the Brigade is 30th Separate Guards Mechanized Novohrad-Volynskyi Rivne Orders of the Red Banner and Suvorov Brigade, .-World War II:...
)
- 23rd Tank Training Division (Ovruch
- 13th Red Banner Army13th Army (Soviet Union)The 13th Army was a name given to several field armies of the Soviet Union's Red Army, first created during the Russian Civil War...
(RivneRivneRivne or Rovno is a historic city in western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Rivne Oblast , as well as the administrative center of the surrounding Rivne Raion within the oblast...
)- 17th Guards Motor Rifle Division (Khmelnytskyi, UkraineKhmelnytskyi, UkraineKhmelnytskyi is a city in Ukraine in the region of Podillia. It is located on the Southern Buh River and about from the Ukrainian capital, Kiev. The town's original name was Płoskirów, later Proskurov, but in 1954 was renamed Khmelnytskyi. It is the center of the Khmelnytskyi Oblast in western...
) - 51st Guards Motor Rifle Division
- 97th Guards Motor Rifle Division
- 161st Motor Rifle Division
- 17th Guards Motor Rifle Division (Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine
- 38th Army38th Army (Soviet Union)The 38th Red Banner Army of was a field army of the Soviet Union that existed between 1941 and 1991.The army headquarters was formed in July 1941 by redesignation of the staff of 8th Mechanised Corps.On 1 May 1945, the army was part of 4th Ukrainian Front...
(Ivano-FrankivskIvano-FrankivskIvano-Frankivsk is a historic city located in the western Ukraine. It is the administrative centre of the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast , and is designated as its own separate raion within the oblast, municipality....
)- 70th Guards Motor Rifle Division (Ivano-FrankivskIvano-FrankivskIvano-Frankivsk is a historic city located in the western Ukraine. It is the administrative centre of the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast , and is designated as its own separate raion within the oblast, municipality....
) - 128th Guards Motor Rifle Division128th Mechanized Brigade (Ukraine)The 128th Guards Mechanized Brigade is a formation of the Ukrainian Ground Forces.Full name of the Brigade is 128th Separate Guards Mechanized Turkestan-Zakarpattia twice Order of Red Banner Brigade, .-History:...
(Mukachevo) - 287th Training Motor Rifle Division (Yarmolyntsi), in 1989 turned into a military equipment storage (5194th БХВТ)
- 70th Guards Motor Rifle Division (Ivano-Frankivsk
- 66th Artillery Corps
- 26th Artillery Division (TernopilTernopilTernopil , is a city in western Ukraine, located on the banks of the Seret River. Ternopil is one of the major cities of Western Ukraine and the historical region of Galicia...
)- Included 897th Guards Gun Artillery Kiev Red Banner order of Bogdan Khmelnytsky Regiment, now the 11th Artillery Brigade11th Artillery Brigade (Ukraine)The 11th Artillery Brigade is a formation of the Ukrainian Ground Forces.Full name of the brigade is - 11th Separate Guards Artillery Kiev Red Banner Bogdan Khmelnitsky awards Brigade....
- Included 897th Guards Gun Artillery Kiev Red Banner order of Bogdan Khmelnytsky Regiment, now the 11th Artillery Brigade
- 81st Artillery Division (VynohradivVynohradivVynohradiv , , Yiddish: סעליש ) is a city in western Ukraine, Zakarpattia Oblast. It has 27,600 inhabitants . It is center of Vynohradiv Raion.-Location:The city lies near the river Tisza and the border with Romania...
)
- 26th Artillery Division (Ternopil
- District Troops
- 24th Motor Rifle Division24th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)style="float: right; clear: right; background-color: transparent"| The 24th Samaro-Ulyanovsk Division was a rifle, then a motor-rifle division of the Red Army of the USSR...
(LvivLvivLviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
) - 66th Training Motor Rifle Division
- 128th Guards Tank Training Regt 145th, 193rd, 195th Guards MR Training Regts.
- 117th Tank Training Division (BerdychivBerdychivBerdychiv is a historic city in the Zhytomyr Oblast of northern Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Berdychiv Raion , the city itself is of direct oblast subordinance, and is located south of the oblast capital, Zhytomyr, at around .The current estimated population is around...
)
- 24th Motor Rifle Division
Commanders since World War II
The District's commanders included:- General of the Army Andriy Yeremenko (September 1945-October 1946),
- Colonel General K.N. Galytskyy (101946-11 1951),
- Marshal of the Soviet Union Ivan KonevIvan KonevIvan Stepanovich Konev , was a Soviet military commander, who led Red Army forces on the Eastern Front during World War II, retook much of Eastern Europe from occupation by the Axis Powers, and helped in the capture of Germany's capital, Berlin....
(November 1951-March 1955), - General of the Army Pavlo Batov (03 1955-1958)
- General of the Army A.L. Getman (1958–1964),
- General Colonel P.N. Lashchenko (1964-09 1967),
- General Colonel V.Z. Bisyarin (September 1967-1969),
- General Colonel of Tanks G.I. Obaturov (01 1970-07 1973),
- General of the Army Valentyn Varennikov (07 1973-08 1979),
- General of the Army V.A. Belikov (08 1979-07 1986),
- General Colonel V.V. Skokov (с 07 1986)
Former Soviet and Western sources agree on an end-1980s figure of three tank divisions and nine or ten motor rifle divisions in the District. In its last years under Ukrainian control the District saw a large reduction in the number of troops within it as Ukraine reduced the 780,000 troops it had inherited from the Soviet Union to a figure more appropriate to its new needs.
Further reading
- Варенников В. И. Неповторимое. В 7 томах. Часть V. Прикарпатский военный округ. — М.: Советский писатель, 2001. — 320 стр. Тираж 7000 экз. ISBN 5-265-03489-7