Russia to expand marine forces with creation of five new marine divisions and a brigade
The Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, announced on January 10 that Russia will form five marine divisions and one brigade. TASS news agency reported that the new units will be created in the "medium-term future".
"To enhance the combat capabilities of the marines as an individual branch of the Navy, it is planned in the medium-term perspective to reorganize the existing five marine brigades on the fleets into marine divisions, and the marine regiment of the Caspian Flotilla into a brigade," said Yevmenov.
Earlier in December, the Russian Defence Minister, Sergey Shoygu, announced that the Russian military leadership was going to create these divisions and a brigade.
According to information from Russian sources, the Russian Navy currently includes five brigades and one regiment. Each fleet has one brigade: the Black Sea Fleet has the 810th Brigade, the Baltic Fleet has the 336th Brigade, and the Northern Fleet has the 61st Brigade, with the Pacific Fleet comprising two brigades, the 155th and the 40th. Meanwhile, the Caspian Flotilla has an independently formed 177th Marine Regiment.
Based on Yevmenov's statements, all the brigades will now be reorganized into divisions, and the regiment will be expanded into a brigade.
It was earlier reported that Ukraine is completing the formation of a Marine Corps for its Naval Forces. The new military formation will operate on NATO standards and will be able to create its own operational group for combat operations.