| Armed Forces of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic | |
|---|---|
| Вооружённые силы Приднестровской Молдавской Республики | |
 Insignia of the Armed Forces | |
| Founded | 6 September 1991; 34 years ago (1991-09-06) |
| Headquarters | Tiraspol |
| Leadership | |
| Commander-in-chief | Vadim Krasnoselsky |
| Minister of Defence | Lieutenant General Oleg Obruchkov |
| Chief of the General Staff | Major General Pavel Mikhailov |
| Personnel | |
| Military age | 18 |
| Active personnel | 5,000 (2018)[1] |
| Reserve personnel | 16,000 (2018)[1] |
| Industry | |
| Domestic suppliers | Transnistria |
| Foreign suppliers |  Russia Abkhazia South Ossetia Soviet Union (Former) |
| Related articles | |
| History | Transnistria War |
TheArmed Forces of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic[a] are the military forces ofTransnistria, a self-proclaimed and internationallyunrecognized breakaway state located within the internationally recognized borders ofMoldova. The Armed Forces operate under the authority of theMinistry of Defence. The Armed Forces were established on 6 September 1991, with the stated purpose of maintaining the region's claimed sovereignty and independence, in accordance with Article 11 of theregion's constitution.[2]
On 6 September 1991, theSupreme Soviet of Transnistria adopted a resolution which called for the formation of a Transnistrian military unit. As a result, theTransnistriaRepublican Guard (Russian:Республиканская гвардия ПМР) was formed. It was the direct counterpart to theRepublic of Moldova's Republican Guard (Romanian:Garda Republicană).[3] Both were the predecessors to their respective countries armed forces. In its first major conflict, the guard repelled Moldovan troops from the cityDubăsari in December 1991. By the end of 1991, the organizational formation of the Transnistrian armed forces was generally completed. Shortly after the outbreak ofTransnistrian War in March 1992, the People's Militia was created, having been supported and armed by theRussian Armed Forces14th Guards Army. By the end of 1992, all main structures of theMinistry of Defence and theGeneral Staff were formed, including individual military units, government agencies, and specialized services. On 14 March 1993, personnel of the new armed forces took the militaryoath of allegiance to the country.
As of 2021, Transnistria is equipped mainly with Soviet-Era equipment including the T-64BV tank. Infantry fighting vehicles are the BMP-1 and BMP-2 with at least 15 in service as of 2021. APCs include the BTR family of APCs as well as over 70 MT-LBs, GT-MU, and BTRG-127 vehicles. Trucks are typically post-Soviet, Ural-375, GAZ-66, and Zil-131 trucks make up the logistics backbone. Rocket artillery is very important for the Armed Forces, given the limited number of conventional artillery Transnistria has. Rocket launchers include the Grad system, some of which were placed on ZIL-131 trucks. Transnistria also has a domestic rocket launcher industry which has built the Pribor-1 and Pribor-2 rocket launchers with 20 tubes and 48 tubes respectively; both systems are of 122mm caliber. Transnistria does have a small domestic drone industry which has been producing reconnaissance drones for the military since at least 2019. These have been jointly used with the Pribor-2 rocket launch systems in exercises to increase accuracy of the rockets via drone targeting.[4]
The armed forces are composed of 4,500 to 5,500 active duty soldiers, (with 15,000 - 20,000 personnel in the reserve).[1][5]
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In order of precedence, the current military leadership is composed of the following:
Additional support is provided by theOperational Group of Russian Forces of theRussian Army, based in the Transnistrian city ofCobasna.
OnRepublic Day andVictory Day, two-hourmilitary parades of the Armed Forces of Transnistria is annually held onSuvorov Square, usually featuring over 15 military contingents overseen by the president, thePrime Minister and members of theSupreme Council. A historical mechanized convoy is usually assembled at the parade.[14] In 2020, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the two jubilee celebrations were merged on 2 September.[citation needed]
The official armed forces holiday isDefender of the Fatherland Day on 23 February, which celebrated similarly to Russia and theCommonwealth of Independent States. Other military holidays include:
The Military History Museum of the Armed Forces was opened on 13 November 1999 by President Smirnov together with Defense MinisterStanislav Hazheev. It has been visited by more than 20,000 servicemen, students, and tourists. The main attraction is the diorama "Storming the bridge over the Dniester", which depicts an episode of the battle on 20 June 1992. The museum is conventionally divided into two parts: exhibits and archival photographs. The central area is occupied by a ring in memory of fallen guardsmen.[18]
The Army Sports Club in Transnistria is a sports movement in the army that has the involvement of not only active military personnel, but also retired ones, as well as their family members, and pre-conscription youth. Almost anyone who wants to compete under the SKA banner are able to join the club. It was created as part of a return to the traditions of Soviet sports.[19]
| Name | Image | Origin | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tanks | ||||
| T-64BV |  | Soviet Union | 18[20] | [21] |
| Armoured Fighting Vehicles | ||||
| BRDM-1 | .jpg) | Soviet Union | N/A | [21] |
| BRDM-2 |  | [22] | ||
| MT-LB |  | [23] | ||
| GT-MU |  | [22] | ||
| GT-MU With 73mm SPG-9 RCL | Soviet Union Transnistria | [21] | ||
| Self-Propelled Anti-Tank Missile Systems | ||||
| 9P148 Konkurs |  | Soviet Union | N/A | [23] |
| Infantry Fighting Vehicles | ||||
| BMP-1P |  | Soviet Union | N/A | (Only a few in possession).[22] |
| BMP-2 Obr. 1984 |  | |||
| Armoured Personnel Carriers | ||||
| BTR-50 | .jpg) | Soviet Union | N/A | [22] |
| BTR-60PB |  | (Some locally up-armoured examples are also in service).[21] | ||
| BTR-70 |  | (Some equipped with pintle-mounted ATGMs).[23] | ||
| BTR-80 |  | [21] | ||
| BTRG-127 'Bumblebee' | Soviet UnionTransnistria | [22][24] | ||
| Infantry Mobility Vehicles | ||||
| 'Transvee' | Soviet UnionTransnistria | N/A | Humvee copy based on theGAZ-66 chassis.[21][25] | |
| Technicals And Fast Attack Vehicles | ||||
| Lada Niva | .jpg) | Soviet UnionTransnistria | N/A | [22] |
| UAZ-469 |  | Soviet Union | (Armed with ATGMs or SPG-9 RCLs).[21] | |
| Command Posts And Communications Stations | ||||
| BMP-1KSh Command And Staff Vehicle |  | Soviet Union | N/A | [21] |
| R-145BM1 Command Vehicle |  | [23] | ||
| BTR-60PU-12M Air Defence Command Vehicle |  | (Some used as driver-trainer vehicles).[22] | ||
| R-409 Radio Station | [23] | |||
| Engineering Vehicles And Equipment | ||||
| BAT-2 Heavy Engineering Vehicle |  | Soviet Union | N/A | [21] |
| IRM 'Zhuk' Engineer Reconnaissance Vehicle |  | [22] | ||
| UR-77 'Meteorit' Mine Clearing Vehicle |  | [21] | ||
| PTS Tracked Amphibious Transport |  | [21] | ||
| PTS-2 Tracked Amphibious Transport |  | [21] | ||
| GMZ-3 Minelayer | .JPG) | [23] | ||
| PMZ-4 Minelayer |  | [22] | ||
| PZM-2 Trench Digger |  | [22] | ||
| BMK-130M/BMK-150 Towing And Motor Boat |  | [21] | ||
| Towed Artillery | ||||
| 85mmD-44 Divisional Gun |  | Soviet Union | N/A | [21] |
| 100mmMT-12 Anti-Tank Gun |  | [23] | ||
| 100mmKS-19 AA Gun Used As Howitzer |  | [21] | ||
| Multiple Rocket Launchers | ||||
| 122mm 'S1T' or '1ST' ''Pribor-1'' | Soviet UnionTransnistria | N/A | [21] | |
| 122mm 'S2T' or '2ST' ''Pribor-2'' | [21] | |||
| Towed Anti-Aircraft Guns | ||||
| 14.5mmZPU-1 |  | Soviet Union | N/A | [21] |
| 14.5mmZPU-2 |  | [22] | ||
| 14.5mmZPU-4 |  | [23] | ||
| 23mmZU-23 |  | [21] | ||
| 57mm AZPS-60 |  | [21] | ||
| Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Guns | ||||
| MT-LB With Dual 12.7mm NSV Turret | Soviet UnionTransnistria | N/A | [21] | |
| 14.5mm ZPU-2 On Ural-4320 | [22] | |||
| 23mm ZU-23 On ZiL-131 | [21] | |||
| Radars | ||||
| P-12 'Spoon Rest A' |  | Soviet Union | N/A | [23] |
| Aircraft | Image | Origin | Type | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transport | |||||
| An-2 | .jpg) | Soviet Union | Transport | 2[26] | |
| Helicopters | |||||
| Mil Mi-8 |  | Soviet Union | Utility | 1[26][27] | |
| Mil Mi-2 |  | Soviet Union | Utility | 1[28][26] | |
Previous aircraft operated were theAntonov An-26,Antonov An-2,Yakovlev Yak-52 airplanes, andMil Mi-2 andMil Mi-24 helicopters.[29][30]