Western Military District


The Western Military District is a military district of Russia.
It is one of the five military districts of the Russian Armed Forces, with its jurisdiction primarily within the western central region of
European Russia. The Western Military District was created as part of the 2008 military reforms, and founded by Presidential Decree №1144 signed on September 20, 2010, as an amalgamation of the Moscow Military District, Leningrad Military District and Kaliningrad Special Region. The district began operation on October 20, 2010, under the command of Colonel-General Valery Gerasimov.
The Western Military District is the second smallest military district in Russia by geographic size. The district contains 26 federal subjects of Russia: Belgorod Oblast, Bryansk Oblast, Ivanovo Oblast, Kaliningrad Oblast, Kaluga Oblast, Karelia, Kostroma Oblast, Kursk Oblast, Leningrad Oblast, Lipetsk Oblast, Moscow, Moscow Oblast, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Novgorod Oblast, Oryol Oblast, Pskov Oblast, Ryazan Oblast, Saint Petersburg, Smolensk Oblast, Tambov Oblast, Tver Oblast, Tula Oblast, Vladimir Oblast, Vologda Oblast, Voronezh Oblast, Yaroslavl Oblast. On 1 December 2014, the Arctic Joint Strategic Command was split off from the Western Military District, removing Arkhangelsk Oblast, Murmansk Oblast, Komi Republic, and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, as well as the Russian Navy's Baltic Fleet and Northern Fleet, from the district's command.
The Western Military District is headquartered in the General Staff Building in Saint Petersburg, and its current district commander is Colonel-General Alexander Zhuravlyov, who has held the position since November 2018.

History

On 26 February 2014, during the Crimean crisis, President Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian Armed Forces to be "put on alert in the Western Military District as well as units stationed with the 2nd Army Central Military District Command involved in aerospace defense, airborne troops and long-range military transport." Despite media speculation it was for in reaction to the events in Ukraine, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said it was unrelated to the unrest in Ukraine.
A December 2018 Russian Ministry of Defense press release reported that an independent Spetsnaz company had been formed in a combined arms army of the district.

Units

Direct reporting units and formations

HQ: Odintsovo, Moscow Region
HQ: Saint Petersburg
HQ: Mulino, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast
In April 2017 it was reported by mil.ru that the 14th Army Corps had been formed in the Northern Fleet/Arctic Joint Strategic Command. It appears that this army corps, formed with its number in view of the World War II actions of the Soviet 14th Army, includes the 80th Motor Rifle Brigade and the 200th Motor Rifle Brigade.

Commanders

Chief of staff