69th Covering Brigade (2009–present) 128th Machine-Gun Artillery Division (1989–1993; 1997–2009) 173rd Mobile Fortress Brigade (1993–1997) 272nd Motor Rifle Division (1964–1989) 46th Motor Rifle Division (1957–1964) 46th Rifle Division (1955–1957) 50th Rifle Brigade (1947–1953) 272nd Rifle Division (1941–1947; 1953–1955)
Active	July 1941 – present
Country	Soviet Union
Branch	Red Army
Type	Fortress brigade
Part of	35th Army
Garrison/HQ	Babstovo
Engagements	World War II
Decorations	Order of the Red Banner  Order of the Red Star
Battle honours	Svir Pomeranian Amur Cossacks
Commanders
Notable commanders	Vasily Meshkov

The69th Covering Brigade (Russian:69-я отдельная бригада прикрытия,romanized: 69-ya otdelnaya brigada prikrytiya) is a unique border protection brigade of theRussian Ground Forces, stationed atBabstovo,Jewish Autonomous Oblast, and part of the35th Army. Military Unit в/ч 61424.

The brigade traces its heritage back to the 272nd Rifle Division, which was first formed in the summer of 1941 and fought in theContinuation War with Finland north of Leningrad on theKarelian Isthmus. After Finland left the war in September 1944, the division was sent to the front again in January 1945, fighting in theEast Pomeranian Offensive. Postwar, the division was relocated toKursk, where it became a rifle brigade in 1947. Upgraded into the 272nd Division again in 1953, it was renumbered the46th Rifle Division in 1955, became a motor rifle division in 1957, and was restored to its original World War II number in 1964. As a result of theSino-Soviet split, the division was relocated to Babstovo in the Far East in 1967. In 1989, the division became the 128th Machine-Gun Artillery Division but was downsized into the 173rd Mobile Fortress Brigade in 1993. Converted back into the 128th Machine-Gun Artillery Division in 1997, the brigade assumed its current name in 2009 as a result of the2008 Russian military reform.

The 272nd began forming on 10 July 1941 atTikhvin, part of theLeningrad Military District. Its basic order of battle included the 1061st, 1063rd, and the 1065th Rifle Regiments, as well as the 815th Artillery Regiment. The division was almost immediately sent toPetrozavodsk inKarelia, and was assigned to the7th Army on 31 July. The division fought in battles against Finnish troops north of Leningrad, part of theContinuation War. During theSvir-Petrozavodsk Offensive in summer 1944, which forced Finland to leave the war, the 272nd fought as part of the4th Rifle Corps. After Finland left the war by signing an armistice in September, the division became part of the32nd Army's134th Rifle Corps in theReserve of the Supreme High Command. It returned to the front in January 1945 as part of the19th Army in East Prussia. The division fought there until the end of the war, ending the war with the2nd Shock Army's40th Guards Rifle Corps.^[1]

The division received the honorifics "Svir-Pomeranian Red Banner" for its actions. On 29 May 1945, the 272nd and its corps, as part of the 2nd Shock Army, became part of theGroup of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany.^[2]In August, the division was withdrawn toKursk as part of the96th Rifle Corps in theVoronezh Military District. In the spring of 1947, the 272nd was downsized into the 50th Separate Rifle Brigade, but became a division again in October 1953. On 30 April 1955 it was renumbered the46th Rifle Division while part of the13th Guards Rifle Corps. On 25 June 1957, it became the 46th Motor Rifle Division.^[3] At the same time it became part of theMoscow Military District, and on 17 November 1964 was renumbered as the 272nd Motor Rifle Division, restoring its World War II designation.^[4]

In February 1967, the division was relocated toBabstovo,Jewish Autonomous Oblast, as a result of rising tensions with China. The 272nd left the 153rd Motor Rifle Regiment behind at Kursk to provide a cadre for the replacement245th Motor Rifle Division, and it was replaced by the new 695th Motor Rifle Regiment. At Babstovo, close to the Chinese border, the 272nd joined the2nd Army Corps, but in May 1969 transferred to the43rd Army Corps. In 1969, the 695th Motor Rifle Regiment transferred to the265th Motor Rifle Division and was replaced by the 265th's 424th Motor Rifle Regiment, and the 155th Motor Rifle Regiment transferred to the266th Motor Rifle Division, and was replaced by the 266th's 209th Motor Rifle Regiment. During the Cold War, the division was maintained at 30% strength as a Cadre High Strength division. On 27 July 1989, the 272nd was converted into the 128th Machine-Gun Artillery Division. At the same time, the 209th Regiment was disbanded, and was replaced by the 63rd Machine-Gun Artillery Regiment, formed from the3rd Fortified Area. In October 1989, the division transferred to the35th Army. The 159th Motor Rifle Regiment was disbanded in 1990, and in 1991 the 1192nd Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment was disbanded, and replaced by the 1092nd Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment.^[5]

On 4 February 1993, the division was converted into the 173rd Mobile Covering Brigade. In December, the 155th Motor Rifle Regiment was split into the separate mobile battalions: the 229th, 231st, and 308th. On 12 May 1997, the brigade became the 128th Machine-Gun Artillery Division again. On 1 June 2009, the division was downsized into a brigade as part of the2008 Russian military reform.^[5] The 69th Covering Brigade's mission is to provide protection for the Chinese border of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast. At some point after 2009, it received the honorific "Amur Cossack."^[6] In January 2017, its commander, Colonel Marat Gadzhibalayev, was sentenced to four years in a general regimeCorrective labor colony on charges of abusing his powers, forgery, and taking bribes.^[7]

There are indications that the brigade has been committed to action as part of theRussian invasion of Ukraine.^[8]

• Feskov, V.I.; Golikov, V.I.; Kalashnikov, K.A.; Slugin, S.A. (2013).Вооруженные силы СССР после Второй Мировой войны: от Красной Армии к Советской [The Armed Forces of the USSR after World War II: From the Red Army to the Soviet: Part 1 Land Forces] (in Russian). Tomsk: Scientific and Technical Literature Publishing.ISBN 9785895035306.
• Sharp, Charles C. (1996).The Soviet Order of Battle World War II: An Organizational History of the Major Combat Units of the Soviet Army. Vol. 9. West Chester, Ohio: George F. Nafziger.OCLC 258366685.

• Brigades of Russia
• Military units and formations established in 2009
• Jewish Autonomous Oblast
• Military units and formations of Russia in the Russian invasion of Ukraine

• CS1 Russian-language sources (ru)
• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
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