Separate Operational Purpose Division

Last updated

Separate Operational Purpose Division
Otdel'naya diviziya operativnogo naznacheniya
ODON
Great emblem of the Separate Operational Purpose Division.svg
ActiveJune 17, 1924 – present
CountryFlag of Russia.svg  Russia
Branch Internal Troops (until 2016)
National Guard Forces Command (since 2016)
Type Motorized infantry
RoleProtection of public order
Size~18,000
Part of Flag of the Ministry for Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (MVD of Russia).svg Ministry of Internal Affairs (until 2016)
Flag of National Guard of the Russian Federation.svg National Guard of Russia (since 2016)
Garrison/HQ Reutov
Balashikha
Nickname(s)Dzerzhinsky Division
Motto(s)"At any time, any place - any task!"
March"My Division"
AnniversariesJune 17
Engagements Winter War
World War II
Tbilisi tragedy
August Coup
Russian constitutional crisis of 1993
First Chechen War
Second Chechen War
Peace enforcement: Wagner Group rebellion
Decorations Order of Zhukov.jpg   Order of Zhukov
Order of Lenin.svg   Order of Lenin
Order of the October Revolution.svg   Order of the October Revolution
Order of Red Banner.svg   Order of the Red Banner
Commanders
Current
commander
Major General Nikolai Kuznetsov

The Separate Operational Purpose Division or ODON, formerly called OMSDON (a.k.a. Dzerzhinsky Division), is a rapid deployment internal security division of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR and then the Russian Federation, currently part of the National Guard Forces Command of the Russian Federation. [1] [ unreliable source? ] ODON (Russian : ОДОН) is an initialism for Отдельная дивизия оперативного назначения (Otdel'naya diviziya operativnogo naznacheniya, English: Separate Operational Purpose Division).

Contents

USSR

The precursor to the ODON was the 1st Automobile Fighting Detachment of the VTsIK (Russian : 1-й автобоевой отряд ) which was created in February 1918. The detachment was tasked with guarding the members of the VTsIK and the Sovnarkom and providing them with passenger cars. After the relocation of the government to Moscow in March 1918, it was assigned to guarding the Kremlin, along with the Red Latvian Riflemen and later the "Kremlin cadets" (Russian : Кремлёвские курсанты). The detachment was renamed 1st Armored Car Detachment 'Ya. M. Sverdlov' in 1919, and was transferred to VChK in 1921. At the peak of its strength, the detachment had over 400 troops.

In April 1921, VChK created the OSNAZ battalion which consisted of 1st Armored Car Detachment, three rifle platoons, a cavalry squadron, and various auxiliary units, with a total strength of some 1,100 men. VChK became OGPU in 1922, and the OSNAZ was renamed accordingly.

On 17 June 1924, the OSNAZ battalion, an OGPU rifle battalion and an OGPU rifle regiments formed the Special-Purpose Division (DON) of the OGPU Troops. The DON included 4 rifle regiments with an Armored Car detachment. In August 1926, the division was renamed Special-Purpose Division 'F. E. Dzerzhinsky' of the OGPU Troops. Throughout 1926, one more regiment and five more battalions joined the DON, raising its total strength to some 4,500 troops.

In 1929, the DON was reorganized as a full army division. In 1931, the Armoured Car detachment was reorganized into an armoured regiment. In 1934, OGPU was transferred to the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (the NKVD). The division fought on the front lines of the Winter War against Finland.

With the onset of World War II, parts of the division participated in the Battle of Moscow; the remaining unit guarded particularly important installations of the capital, patrolled the streets, and were involved in efforts to liquidate enemy infiltrator groups near the front and in the city.

Along with participation in hostilities, division elements in Moscow detained 485 enemy intelligence agents, 69,753 deserters, and over 320,000 offenders of the established regime.[ citation needed ]

The division took part in the 1941 October Revolution Parade on Moscow's Red Square.

In the battle against German troops, the snipers of the 4 Cavalry Regiment (later four motorized infantry) distinguished themselves. On the first deployment of the two sniper Regiments in 1942, they killed 853 German soldiers and officers. In total, in 1942 sniper division has killed 6,440 German soldiers and officers.

The OMSDON units protected the Allied leaders during the Yalta conference.

In preparation for the 1980 Moscow Olympics, an elite group of OMSDON troops was trained with special forces tactics; the core of this group later became the Vytyaz unit. The final USSR designation of the division was OMSDON (Independent Special-Purpose Motorized Rifle Division of the Internal Troops of the MVD of the Soviet Union 'F. E. Dzerzhinsky', Russian : ОМСДОН, Отдельная мотострелковая дивизия особого назначения ВВ МВД им. Ф. Е. Дзержинского).

Russian Federation

ODON soldiers marching in Alexander Garden on Victory Day in 2015. Vozlozhenie venka k Mogile Neizvestnogo Soldata - 09.jpg
ODON soldiers marching in Alexander Garden on Victory Day in 2015.

In 1994, the OMSDON was renamed as the Independent Operational Purpose Division or ODON. The unit has been once again named after F. E. Dzerzhinsky on October 22, 2014, [2] returning therefore to the full title of the Independent Medals of Zhukov, Lenin and October Revolution Red Banner Operational Purpose Division of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia 'F. E. Dzerzhinsky' (Russian : Отдельная орденов Жукова, Ленина и Октябрьской Революции Краснознамённая дивизия оперативного назначения Внутренних войск МВД России им. Ф. Е. Дзержинского). As always, they form the first line of security during important events held in Russia, and represent the Internal Troops during the yearly Moscow Victory Parade and the Moscow November 7 Anniversary Parade (the latter because they attended that very October 1941 Revolution Day parade which was the only parade held in the midst of the Great Patriotic War).

With the formation of the National Guard of Russia, the ODON was officially, in April 2016, retitled as the Independent Orders of Zhukov, Lenin and October Revolution Red Banner Operational Purpose Division of the National Guard Forces Command of the Russian Federation 'F. E. Dzerzhinsky' (Russian : Отдельная орденов Жукова, Ленина и Октябрьской Революции Краснознамённая дивизия оперативного назначения Войск национальной гвардии Российской Федерации им. Ф. Е. Дзержинского).

Composition

ODON division servicemen from Russian Internal Troops. Photo by Vitaly Kuzmin 13April-Rehearsal-Alabino-06.jpg
ODON division servicemen from Russian Internal Troops. Photo by Vitaly Kuzmin

The division includes the following military units (as of 1 January 2013):

Therefore, the entire division employs more than ten thousand personnel, hundreds of armoured vehicles, and divisional artillery (mortars and anti-aircraft guns).

On the territory of the division are:

Division commanders

See also

Related Research Articles

The Northern Front was a front of the Red Army during the Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Internal troops</span> Soviet paramilitary force

Internal troops, sometimes alternatively translated as interior troops or interior ministry forces, are military or paramilitary, gendarmerie-like law enforcement services, which are found mostly in the post-Soviet states, primarily Russia. Internal troops are subordinated to the interior minister of their respective countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vityaz (MVD)</span> Military unit

The 1st Special Purpose Unit of the Internal Forces "Vityaz", commonly known as Vityaz, was one of the special forces (spetsnaz) units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (MVD). Vityaz belonged to the Independent Operative Purpose Division (ODON) rapid deployment division of the Internal Troops of Russia, the gendarmerie force of the MVD, and was assigned specifically to counter-terrorism duties, with additional roles such as countering civil unrest, prison rebellions, and mutinies of regular army units.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1945 Moscow Victory Parade</span> Parade commemorating Soviet victory against Nazism in 1945

The 1945 Moscow Victory Parade also known as the Parade of Victors was a victory parade held by the Soviet Armed Forces after the defeat of Nazi Germany. This, the longest and largest military parade ever held on Red Square in the Soviet capital Moscow, involved 40,000 Red Army soldiers and 1,850 military vehicles and other military hardware. The parade lasted just over two hours on a rainy June 24, 1945, over a month after May 9, the day of Germany's surrender to Soviet commanders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moscow Military District</span> Administrative-territorial grouping of the Soviet and Russian military

The Order of Lenin Moscow Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Originally it was a district of the Imperial Russian Army until the Russian Empire's collapse in 1917. It was then part of the Soviet Armed Forces. The district was awarded the Order of Lenin in 1968. In 2010 it was merged with the Leningrad Military District to form the new Western Military District. In December 2022, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu proposed to reestablish it along with the Leningrad Military District, a decision confirmed in June 2023 by Deputy Chief of the General Staff Yevgeny Burdinsky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siberian Military District</span> Military unit

The Siberian Military District was a Military district of the Russian Ground Forces. The district was originally formed as a military district of the Russian Empire in 1864. In 1924 it was reformed in the Red Army. After the end of World War II the district was split into the Western and Eastern Siberian Military Districts. In 1956 the district was reformed. In 2010 it was divided between the two newly formed Central and Eastern Military Districts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russian Space Forces</span> Branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces

The Russian Space Forces are the space force branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces. Having been reestablished following August 1, 2015 merger between the Russian Air Force and the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces after the independent arm of service was dissolved in 2011.

The Leningrad People's Militia Army was initially an all-volunteer formation of the Soviet Union raised during the Second World War for defense of Leningrad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Internal Troops of Russia</span> Russian paramilitary force (1991–2016)

The Internal Troops of the Ministry for Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation was a paramilitary force of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia from 1991 to 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">45th Guards Spetsnaz Brigade</span> Russian Airborne Troops unit

The 45th Guards Spetsnaz Detached Brigade is a special reconnaissance and special operations military unit of the Russian Airborne Troops (VDV), based near Moscow. It was formed in 1994 as the 45th Independent Spetsnaz Regiment, and expanded to a brigade in 2015.

The 14th Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Red Army. Formed in Moscow in 1922, the division spent most of the interwar period at Vladimir. After moving to the Kola Peninsula during the Winter War, the division fought on that front during the Continuation War. After the end of the Continuation War it became the 101st Guards Rifle Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">103rd Separate Guards Airborne Brigade</span> Belarusian Special Forces unit

The 103rd Separate Guards Airborne Brigade is an airborne brigade of the Belarusian Special Forces. Its predecessor unit was the 103rd Guards Airborne Division, which was a division of the Soviet Airborne Troops. It was established in 1946 and disbanded in 1993, a year after its transfer to the Armed Forces of Belarus. The division was formed from the 103rd Guards Rifle Division, which fought as infantry during the final months of World War II in the Vienna Offensive following its formation in late 1944.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Asian Military District</span> Military unit

The Red Banner Central Asian Military District was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces, which existed in 1926–1945 and 1969–1989, with its headquarters at Tashkent (1926–1945) and Almaty (1969–1989). By USSR Order No.304 of 4 June 1926, the Turkestan Front was renamed the Central Asian Military District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Moscow Victory Day Parade</span>

The 2018 Moscow Victory Day Parade was a military parade that took place in Red Square in Moscow on 9 May 2018 to commemorate the 73rd anniversary of the capitulation of Nazi Germany in 1945. The annual parade marks the Allied victory in World War II on the Eastern Front, on the same day as the signing of the German act of capitulation to the Allies in Berlin, at midnight of 9 May 1945. President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin delivered his fifteenth holiday address to the nation after the parade inspection presided over by Minister of Defense General of the Army Sergey Shoygu.

The Band of the Separate Operational Purpose Division also known by its original name, the Band of the Dzerzhinsky Division, is a military band of the National Guard Forces Command of the Rosgvardia. It is part of the Military Band Service of the National Guard of Russia. It is based out Reutov in the Moscow Oblast. The current director of the band is Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Kolesnikov.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sergey Iovlev</span>

Sergey Ivanovich Iovlev was a Red Army major general.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3rd Separate Special-Purpose Brigade</span> Minsk, Belarus Brigade: Special Forces

The Minsk-based 3rd Separate Red Banner Special-Purpose Brigade, also known as Military Unit 3214 and nicknamed the Uruchenskaya Brigade is a formation of the Internal Troops of Belarus. It is part of the special police system in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It has the specific role of performing crowd control and anti-terrorism tasks. It is based in the neighborhood of Uruchye in Minsk and is under the command of Vladimir Zhiznevsky, who is under sanctions by the European Union and was recommended to be sanctioned by the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Orsha-Khingan Red Banner National Guard District</span> National Guard of Russia

The Central Orsha-Khingan Order of Zhukov Red Banner National Guard District is a regional district of the National Guard Forces Command, National Guard of Russia. It is headquartered in Moscow and under the command of Colonel General Aleksandr Popov. General Popov was appointed to the post by a Ukaz of 30 July 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">50th Separate Operational Brigade</span> Military unit

The 50th Separate Operational Brigade is a mobile brigade of the Internal Troops of the National Guard of Russia (Rosgvardiya). Based at Kazachi Lageri, Rostov Oblast, the brigade is part of the Southern National Guard District. It was formed in 2006 from the 100th Operational Division (DON-100) of the Internal Troops that fought in the First and Second Chechen Wars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwestern Order of the Red Star National Guard District</span> District of Russias National Guard

The Northwestern Order of the Red Star National Guard District is a district of the National Guard Forces Command of the Russian Federation.

References

  1. "MVD Internal Troops - Russia / Soviet Intelligence Agencies".
  2. http://www.vvmvd.ru/news/news_5130.htm [ dead link ]
  3. Трофимов, Андрей (15 April 2012). "Сергиев Посад наградил роту Почетного караула". altgazeta.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 20 August 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2023.