Zapad-2021 Strategic-Operational exercise – part 10 (Reserve)

As reservists were being called up in support of Zapad, between 18 and 28 August between 50 to 250 main battle tanks were removed from the 7024th (?) Storage and Maintenance Base in Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy. This is noteworthy because the unit is subordinated to the Southern Military District (SMD) Command, not the Western MD. With these tanks, the Russian Armed Forces could generate between two to eight tank battalions using just this depot.

It was a coincidence (or rather not) that as Western MD logistics exercises were ongoing, SMD was undertaking their own rear-support exercise. The exercise that started on 26 August involved personnel of one of the arsenals organising a mass distribution of missiles and artillery ammunition. “A special exercise with military command and control bodies, formations, military units and organizations MTO YuVO is carried out simultaneously at 25 training grounds“, according to the MoD. “During the exercise, material and technical support is practiced during the operational deployment of troops under the influence of illegal armed formations, as well as control of forces and assets during the preparation and conduct of a strategic operation.” This all indicates that there was a large mobilisation exercise occurring in the SMD.

It is possible that as the WMD-based forces will form the first-echelon forces during the active phase of Zapad, the second one will actually be provided by SMD and CMD units.

FYI, we don’t know where these MBTs from Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy went. Good luck. There was an Instagram video from a couple of weeks ago that showed T-62s on the move around Ukraine.

Konrad Muzyka