| 80th Arctic Motor Rifle Brigade | |
|---|---|
| 80-я мотострелковая бригада | |
 Brigade badge | |
| Active | 2014–Present |
| Country |  Russia |
| Branch |  Russian Navy |
| Type | Mechanized infantry |
| Role | Arctic Warfare |
| Size | 2,000 servicemen[1] |
| Part of | 14th Army Corps |
| Garrison/HQ | Alakurtti,Murmansk Oblast |
The80th Arctic Motor Rifle Brigade(80-я мотострелковая бригада) (Military Unit Number: 34667) is a specialistarctic warfare formation of theCoastal Troops of the Russian Navy formed in 2014.
The brigade was formed on 31 December 2014, and its battle flag presented on 17 January 2015 by the commander of theNorthern Fleet, AdmiralVladimir Korolev. The brigade was formed to be the second specialized arctic brigade in the Arctic, along with its sister unit the200th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade.[2][3][4][5]
As of 2020, the brigade falls under the command of the specially formed14th Army Corps, itself part of theNorthern Fleet Joint Strategic Command. The brigade's mission is to patrol the border and protect permanent locations along the Russian-Norwegian Border. The brigade is based in the village ofAlakurtti in theMurmansk Oblast.[3][5][6]
Recruits of the new brigade undergo severe psychological, physical, and arctic training and testing.[5]
It took part in theRussian invasion of Ukraine. It was sent to theDonbas region at the end of June 2022.[7]
In July 2023, theRussian Ministry of Defense awarded service members of the brigade for destroying Ukrainian military equipment inKherson Oblast.[8]
It was reported by the newspaperIzvestia on July 4, 2023, that the200th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade and the 80th Arctic Motor Rifle Brigade would merge to form a new motor rifle division, the first component of the14th Army Corps' elevation into a combined arms army.[9]
In September 2024,Newsweek reported that the 80th Arctic Motor Rifle Brigade suffered 80 percent casualties around theDnieper–Bug estuary the previous April.[10]
Many recruits tend to want to join these new "specialist units." The arctic brigades are significantly smaller than theTable of Organization and Equipment of other motor rifle brigades. These brigades also have new arctic equipment.[3][5][11][12][13][14]
Two sources in 2017 and 2020 give some of the following units as part of an Arctic motor rifle brigade:[6][12][13][15][16]
The brigade's transport equipment consists mainly ofMT-LBVMK AFVs, articulated tracked vehicles likeDT-10,DT-30 and TTM-4902,[17] snowmobiles A-1 and TTM-1901 "Berkut" with a heated cabin[18] and all-wheel driveUral andKAMAZ trucks, adapted to extremely low temperatures.[19]
The brigade is also armed with2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers.[20]
The Russian MoD also demonstratively awarded servicemen of the 80th Arctic Motorized Rifle Brigade (14th Army Corps, Northern Fleet) - a unit within the Russian 'Dnepr' Group of Forces - for destroying Ukrainian military equipment in Kherson Oblast.
 Brigades of theRussian Ground Forces | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motor rifle |
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| Tank | |||||
| Artillery |
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| Anti-aircraft missile | |||||
| Rocket | |||||
| Engineer | |||||
| NBC protection | |||||
| Signal | |||||
| Logistics |
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| Reconnaissance | |||||
| Other | |||||
Currently inactive units marked initalics. Guards units marked inbold. | |||||