Kiev Military District

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kiev Military District
Active 1921 - November 1, 1992
Country Soviet Union
Size 150,000(1990)
Part of South-Western Strategic Direction
HQ Kiev
Tanks
APCs
Artillery
Helicopters
1,500
1,500
700
100
Engagements World War II

The Kiev Military District (KMD) was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces, active from around 1939 to the 1990s.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] First Formation

The District was formed after the Russian Revolution and active by 1921.[1] In 1935 the eastern half of the Ukrainian Military District became the new Kharkov Military District, and at that point the Kiev MD was probably reformed as well.

When the German Operation Barbarossa began on June 22, 1941, the then Kiev Special Military District became the Soviet Southwestern Front.

[edit] Second Formation

The District was formed again on October 25, 1943, with the Headquarters in Kiev.[2] In June of 1946, 7 oblasts of the disbanded Kharkov Military District were added to the KMD. The District now included: Kyiv Oblast, Cherkasy Oblast, Uman Oblast, Voroshilovgrad Oblast, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Poltava Oblast, Stalin Oblast, Sumy Oblast, Kharkiv Oblast and Chernihiv Oblast.

Units stationed in the District were 1st Guards Army and 6th Guards Tank Army. 69th Air Army was active from the early 1950s to at least 1964 in the district.(See ru:Колесник, Василий Артёмович) In 1959 the 17th Air Army was relocated to the District from Mongolia to provide air support. The 60th Corps of the 8th Air Defense Army provided air defense for the District.[3]

[edit] Disbanded

In 1991, Colonel General Viktor S. Chechevatov[4] was dismissed as District commander for refusing to take an oath of loyalty to Ukraine. The District was disbanded after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, by November 1, 1992[5], and its structure utilized as the basis for the new Ukrainian Ministry of Defense and General Staff[6].

[edit] Order of Battle

[edit] 1920

In the early 1920s the District included the following divisions:[7]

[edit] 1943-1991

[edit] Commanders

[edit] References

  1. ^ Leon Trotsky: 1921-1923 - How The Revolution Armed/Volume IV (The Case of Red Army Man Kozlov)
  2. ^ Kiev RedStar. M., 1974 pg431
  3. ^ Feskov et al, The Soviet Army during the period of the Cold War, Tomsk University, Tomsk, 2004 pg 8
  4. ^ Persons - NUPI
  5. ^ Про розформування Київського військового округу| вiд 16.10.1992 № 497/92
  6. ^ ANALYSIS: Ukraine adopts program for military reform (03/02/97)
  7. ^ Lenskii 2001
  8. ^ Feskov et al, The Soviet Army during the period of the Cold War, Tomsk University, Tomsk, 2004 pg 16