Russian military presence in the Kuril Islands
Due to the fact that Japan does not stop challenging the results of World War II and makes claims to the southern part of the Kuril ridge - the Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan islands and the Habomai group, our country is forced to spend a lot of money on their defense.
Russia is vitally interested in maintaining its position in the North Pacific. Due to the fact that the Kuriles are under our jurisdiction, the Sea of Okhotsk is an internal sea of Russia, which ensures control over the production of marine biological resources and the unhindered exit of warships and submarines into the ocean.
Defense of Iturup and Kunashir Islands during Soviet times
After the liberation of the Kuril Islands from Japanese troops, units of the 355th rifle division were deployed on Iturup: three rifle regiments, an artillery regiment and auxiliary units. Due to difficult weather and living conditions, as well as difficulties with supply, in 1960, all land units were withdrawn from Iturup. After that, only border guards, radio engineering units and a fighter aviation regiment remained here.
One of the most important military facilities of Iturup Island during the Soviet era was the Burevestnik airfield, which began to be actively exploited in October 1945. At this military airfield, a fighter aviation regiment, armed with a Yak-9U, and a bomber aviation regiment on the Pe-2 were based.
Severe weather conditions, strong winds, frequent cold weather, fogs and snowstorms created more problems when operating aircraft on the island. Piston fighters and bombers, created in wartime and having a low operational resource, turned out to be poorly adapted to the conditions of the local climate.
In 1946, the fighter regiment was re-equipped with American-made P-63 Kingcobra fighters received under Lend-Lease, and the bombers were withdrawn from Iturup. In 1952, the fighter aviation regiment switched to jet MiG-15bis. In the first half of the 1960s, a new airfield was built on Iturup near the Vetrovoe settlement, intended for the temporary basing of Tu-16R long-range reconnaissance aircraft and Tu-16K naval missile carriers. At the same time, two radar companies were deployed in the vicinity of the village of Goryachy Klyuchi.
Fighter MiG-17F at the Burevestnik airfield
In the late 1950s, the 308th IAP switched from the MiG-15bis to the MiG-17F. In 1968, fighters from the 308th Aviation Regiment forced the American jet airliner Douglas DC-8 to land, which had invaded Soviet airspace.
A shot of the MiG-17F fighter taken from the DC-8
On board the plane were American Marines who were heading to Vietnam. After spending two days on the territory of the Burevestnik airfield, the passenger Douglas was released with all the passengers.
For a fairly long period of time, the simple and unpretentious MiG-17F of the 308th IAP were real workhorses providing Iturup air defense and aviation support for the ground units stationed here.
MiG-17F over Tyatya volcano
In 1979, a devastating typhoon destroyed much of the Petrel's infrastructure. Most of the fighters available at the airfield were seriously damaged or destroyed, there were also casualties among the military personnel.
In 1981, a new runway was built, airfield facilities were restored, and supersonic MiG-308SM fighters entered service with the 21th Aviation Regiment.
After the incident with the South Korean Boeing 747, which invaded Soviet airspace and was shot down 37 kilometers south-west of Sakhalin, the Americans undertook a series of provocations. F-14A carrier-based fighters repeatedly flew over Iturup and even imitated attacks from ground targets. Since the MiG-21SM fighter had a low potential as an interceptor, the 308th IAP flew to the Sokol airfield on Sakhalin. In 1983, the 308th regiment was transferred to the Postovaya airfield, located not far from Sovetskaya Gavan.
Instead of the 308th air regiment, the 41st IAP was transferred to the Burevestnik from the Postovaya airfield, the pilots of which flew the MiG-23ML. Compared to the MiG-21SM, the MiG-23ML fighter with variable wing geometry had much higher acceleration characteristics, was equipped with a very perfect avionics for that time and carried medium-range missiles with thermal and semi-active radar guidance.
Fighter MiG-23ML on the runway of the Burevestnik airfield
In Soviet times, a number of radar posts were deployed on the islands of the Kuril ridge.
At the time of the collapse of the USSR, radar posts with P-37, P-12, P-18 and P-19 radars were operating on the Iturup and Kunashir islands. Some stations, installed on natural heights, were covered with radio-transparent domes, protecting from adverse meteorological factors.
A separate radar company was deployed on the island of Matua, armed with a P-14 standby radar and a PRV-11 radio altimeter. There is information that in 1990 they tried to deploy the 22Zh6M radar complex here and managed to deliver part of the equipment to the island. However, the collapse of the USSR buried these plans.
The air defense of radar posts, service and residential premises located nearby was provided by 37-mm anti-aircraft guns, paired and quadruple 14,5-mm anti-aircraft guns ZPU-4 and ZPU-2, 12,7-mm machine guns DShK and MANPADS " Strela-2M ".
In the late 1970s, due to the growth of the combat capabilities of the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the aggravation of the international situation, the Soviet leadership decided to strengthen the defense of the southern Kuril Islands.
In May 1978, at the ground forces training center located near the village of Knyaze-Volkonskoye, near Khabarovsk, the 18th machine-gun and artillery division was formed, designed to defend the Iturup and Kunashir islands.
During the Cold War, 8 PulADs were created in the Far East, which were mainly reassigned for actions on the defensive, relying on fortified areas. Long-term defensive structures were erected on the border with China, as well as on the islands of Kunashir and Iturup.
Initially, in the antiamphibious defense of the Kuril Islands, not the newest models of equipment and weapons were mainly used, such as 76-mm ZiS-3 guns, 100-mm BS-3 field guns, 120-mm PM-38 mortars, 122-mm howitzers M- 30, 130 mm M-46 guns, heavy Tanks IS-2 and IS-3.
Heavy tank IS-2, abandoned on Iturup
As of 1990, the 18th PulAD consisted of the following parts:
- 484th machine gun and artillery regiment (Yuzhno-Kurilsk);
- 605th machine-gun and artillery regiment (v. Goryachy Klyuchi);
- 1527th separate machine-gun and artillery battalion (item Krabozavodskoe);
- 110th separate tank battalion (Goryachy Klyuchi village);
- 209th separate anti-aircraft missile and artillery battalion (v. Goryachy Klyuchi);
- 911th separate battalion of material support (v. Goryachy Klyuchi);
- 584th separate repair and restoration battalion (v. Goryachy Klyuchi);
- 614th separate engineer battalion (Goryachy Klyuchi village);
- 1114th separate communications battalion (Goryachy Klyuchi village);
- 308th separate medical battalion (Yuzhno-Kurilsk);
- a separate repair company (v. Goryachi Klyuchi);
- a separate company of chemical protection (v. Goryachy Klyuchi);
- military counterintelligence department (v. Goryachy Klyuchi).
The machine gun and artillery regiment consisted of separate battalions with their own individual combined arms number. Each machine-gun and artillery battalion consisted of 2 companies of tank firing points (10 heavy tanks IS-2 or IS-3 in each) and 6 artillery platoons of tank towers - each with 6 towers of T-54 tanks installed on a concrete base.
At the time of the collapse of the USSR, the machine-gun and artillery regiment included: a tank company (10 T-55 tanks), an artillery division (2 batteries of 152-mm "Hyacinth-B" guns), a MLRS battery "Grad-1", an anti-tank battery 100- mm guns BS-3, anti-aircraft missile and artillery battalion (battery ZSU-23-4 and battery "Strela-10"), as well as 3 separate companies: reconnaissance, communications, repair and chemical protection platoon.
This composition of weapons formally remained until about 2010, but by that time almost all tank turrets installed on concrete bases and heavy IS-3 tanks were inoperative.
The radical rearmament of the military units that survived on Iturup and Kunashir began relatively recently.
Apparently, the 18th PulAD was the last division in the Russian armed forces to operate T-55 tanks. The division headquarters was located in the village of Goryachy Klyuchi. Border protection was provided by border units, they had armed patrol boats, cross-country vehicles and tracked all-terrain vehicles.
A number of sources say that engines were dismantled on heavy tanks IS-2 and IS-3, delivered to the Kuril Islands. But this is not the case. In a conversation with a local resident, who served as an urgent in 1983-1984 and later stayed on Iturup, it was possible to find out that the IS-3 tanks in his company were on the move.
After receiving the order, heavy tanks were to move to prepared positions on the coast. As the tank engines went out of order, the ISs turned into fixed firing points.
Heavy tank IS-3 on a pedestal in Kurilsk
Climatic conditions, terrain and dense vegetation led to the fact that in the combat units stationed in Iturup and Kunashir, mainly tracked vehicles were used.
Until now, one of the most common military vehicles in the Kuril Islands is the MT-LB multipurpose light armored transporter-tractor.
MT-LB on a pedestal in Yuzhno-Kurilsk
This tracked vehicle weighing about 10 tons was originally armed with a 7,62-mm PKT machine gun and can tow various artillery systems, deliver a variety of cargo and carry an armed assault force of 10 people.
Also in the past, on the Kuril Islands, the military widely used tracked transporters-tractors GT-T and light multipurpose armored tractors GT-MU, capable of transporting people and goods in off-road conditions, snow drifts, on highly rugged terrain with deep water obstacles and shallow vegetation. ...
Light armored tractor GT-MU in a sanitary version on a pedestal in Yuzhno-Kurilsk
Defense of the Kuril Islands after the collapse of the USSR
After the collapse of the USSR, the defense of the Kuril Islands began to rapidly degrade. This primarily affected fighter aircraft and radio-technical troops.
In the second half of the 1990s, all radar stations operating in the Kuril Islands, with the exception of several P-18 radars in the vicinity of the Burevestnik airfield, were decommissioned, and the infrastructure built for them was abandoned and partially looted.
The anti-aircraft machine guns covering the radar posts and the most valuable equipment were removed from the islands, and the 37-mm anti-aircraft guns installed on the shore became monuments of a bygone era.
In 1994, the 41st Aviation Regiment was disbanded, the serviceable aircraft flew to Komsomolsk-on-Amur, where, after several years of storage without protection in the open air, they became completely unusable and were disposed of. The same fate befell the 308th Aviation Regiment, which had been rearmed by that time on the MiG-23MLD (Postovaya airfield).
Only the aviation commandant's office, several Mi-8 helicopters and an aviation cemetery remained on the Burevestnik. Currently, the runway is in need of repair, and the airfield infrastructure needs to be restored.
Passengers arriving at Iturup can see 3 Su-30SM fighters in the parking lot at the Yasny airport.
Su-30SM fighters in the parking lot of the Yasny airfield
Two-seater combat aircraft are open. There are no shelters and hangars for servicing the fighters here.
The Yasny airport, located near the Bogdana Khmelnitsky volcano, was commissioned in June 2017. Currently, due to the unsatisfactory state of the runway of the military airfield "Burevestnik", the airport "Yasny" is jointly used by civilian and military departments.
Su-35S fighters in the parking lot of the Yasny airfield in 2018
The first combat aircraft landed at Yasnoye in August 2018. According to information published in open sources, these were three Su-35S fighters from the 23rd IAP, which flew from the Dzemgi airfield (Komsomolsk-on-Amur).
The two-seat Su-30SM fighters currently deployed on Iturup most likely belong to the 120th Guards Separate Mixed Aviation Regiment, based at the Domna airbase in Transbaikalia. This regiment is armed with Su-30SM fighters and Su-25 attack aircraft.
Su-30SM two-seat fighters are better suited for long flights over the sea and have a greater strike potential when used against ground and surface targets.
The deployment of Russian fighters on Iturup sparked protests in Tokyo.
In fairness, it should be said that the temporary basing on a rotational basis of three combat aircraft at the Yasny civil airport is, rather, a political step and signals to the Japanese leadership that the Russian position on the South Kuriles is unshakable. For a real air cover for the Russian military group in this area, it is necessary to restore the Burevestnik airfield and deploy a full-fledged fighter regiment there.
On the islands, it is required to immediately restore the network of radar posts, without which it is impossible to timely record and prevent the entry of foreign aircraft into our airspace and control the actions of our military aviation.
The reforms of the armed forces, carried out in the 1990s and 2000s, rolled like a heavy roller through the units of the 18th machine-gun and artillery division deployed in Iturup and Kunashir. The equipment left over from the reduced military units was abandoned where the moment of disbandment found it. Many settlements were depopulated, and the buildings left by the military were gradually destroyed.
As a result of underfunding and a series of reductions, the current strength of the 18th PulAD almost reaches 4, which is closer to the brigade value, but not divisional.
Loading the T-55 tank onto the ship
Changes for the better began in 2010, when the leadership of the RF Ministry of Defense finally took care of strengthening the defense of the South Kuriles. By 2011, all obsolete T-55 tanks were removed and replaced with T-72Bs.
Currently, T-72B tanks are part of the tank battalions of the 46th machine-gun and artillery regiment (Lagunnoye settlement on Kunashir Island) and the 49th machine-gun and artillery regiment (Goryachy Klyuchi settlement on Iturup Island). In the village of Goryachy Klyuchi, the division's command and control bodies are also located.
Tank T-72B on the island of Kunashir
Each machine-gun and artillery regiment has two battalions serving long-term field fortifications, one motorized rifle battalion, and one tank battalion.
Modernized MT-LB on the Kurilsk - Goryachy Klyuchi road
Based on personal observations, I can note that the main means of movement of motorized infantry on the island of Iturup is the modernized MT-LB, on which turrets with 7,62 mm machine guns are replaced by large-caliber 12,7 mm machine guns.
BTR-80 on the island of Kunashir
However, on the island of Kunashir, where the quality and length of roads are greater, the 46th PulAP has a number of wheeled BTR-80s.
For transportation of various cargoes, wheeled vehicles and weapons over very rough terrain and through water obstacles on the island of Kunashir, PTS-2 tracked floating transporters are used.
Transporter PTS-2 on Kunashir Island
The transporter has a high cross-country ability, a large buoyancy reserve and can be used in sea conditions with sea waves up to three points.
152-mm self-propelled gun "Hyacinth" on the island of Kunashir
Each island regiment is optimized for defensive actions, has a sufficiently high firepower and can fight autonomously for some time.
MLRS "Grad-1" on the island of Kunashir
Artillery battalions of 152-mm self-propelled howitzers "Hyacinth", multiple launch rocket systems "Grad-1" (a light version of the BM-21 on the ZIL-131 chassis) and "Uragan" should provide fire support to the troops defending the islands.
MLRS "Uragan" on the island of Kunashir
In addition to heavy artillery systems, the troops have 82 and 120-mm mortars, which are of great value in highly rugged terrain and can destroy the enemy on the return slopes of hills and in ravines.
120mm mortar on Kunashir Island
Orlan-10 UAVs are used for reconnaissance of targets and adjustment of artillery fire. Thanks to drones, artillery can hit targets with guided munitions with high accuracy.
Until recently, the regiments covered the combined divisions of the Strela-10 and ZSU-23-4 Shilka anti-aircraft systems from air attack weapons. To transport the calculations of Igla MANPADS, MT-LB were used. Also in service with anti-aircraft units there is a number of towed artillery mounts ZU-23.
Several years ago, the obsolete Strela-10 air defense systems were replaced by the Tor-M1-2U multichannel complexes. This air defense system is capable of firing at four targets simultaneously, with two missiles aiming at each.
Military equipment on the island of Iturup
At the end of 2020, information was published that an S-300V4 anti-aircraft missile division was delivered to Iturup Island. This anti-aircraft system belongs to the 38th Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade, with a permanent deployment in the village of Ptichnik, near Birobidzhan.
How the S-300V4 air defense system was delivered to the island and how long it will stay here is unknown.
The publicly available satellite images show that in the vicinity of the village of Lagunnoye on Kunashir and not far from the Burevestnik airfield on Iturup, capital, well-equipped positions have been built, where long-range anti-aircraft missile systems can be permanently deployed.
Satellite image of Google Earth: the position of the air defense missile system in the vicinity of the village of Lagunnoye
The choice of the S-300V4 air defense system as a long-range air defense system of the grouping deployed on Iturup is ambiguous.
Compared to the S-400 air defense system, the S-300V4 self-propelled chassis have better cross-country ability. But with a comparable firing range at aerodynamic targets, the military anti-aircraft system is significantly inferior to the S-400 in terms of fire performance. It can be assumed that the deployment of one S-300V4 division on Iturup is a temporary solution. So, a few years ago, the S-300V air defense missile system was deployed on Sakhalin, near the Khomutovo airfield. Now in this place the S-300PM air defense missile system is on alert.
The most optimal solution to ensure a stable air defense of Iturup and Kunashir would be to deploy a full-fledged anti-aircraft missile brigade here, equipped with the latest modifications of the Buk anti-aircraft missile system. Unfortunately, the information about the transfer of the Buk-M1 / M2 air defense missile system to the Kuril Islands is unreliable.
Self-propelled ballistic missile launcher "Ball" on the island of Kunashir
In 2018, a number of domestic media published information that the battalion of the BRK "Bastion" was on combat duty on Iturup, and the BRK "Bal" on Kunashir. In the future, anti-ship missile systems are supposed to be deployed on the islands of Paramushir and Matua.
Transport and launch containers with Kh-35 anti-ship missiles
It is reported that the BRK "Bastion" and the BRK "Bal" belong to the 72nd separate coastal missile brigade, stationed in the village of Smolyaninovo in the Primorsky Territory. I would like to believe that, as in the case of the S-300V4 air defense system, the deployment of anti-ship missile systems on the Kuril Islands is not temporary.
At the fork in the Kurilsk-Goryachy Klyuchi roads, on the site of the former VAI post, an exposition dedicated to the 18th PulAD was installed. It consists of the IS-2 and IS-3 tanks, as well as the MT-LB light armored multipurpose towing vehicle and the GT-T tracked towing vehicle.
Hack and predictor Aviator
Thus, the main force capable of defending the islands of Iturup and Kunashir is still the 46th and 49th PulAD, permanently stationed in the Kuril Islands. In fact, separate divisions of the S-300V4 air defense missile systems, the Bastion / Ball missile systems are still here on a temporary basis and do not have the necessary infrastructure for long-term deployment.
It is quite obvious that against the background of Tokyo's refusal of a purely defensive military doctrine and the growth of the offensive potential of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, the 18th Machine Gun Artillery Division is in dire need of additional reinforcement with modern equipment and weapons.
Also, in addition to increasing our defensive capabilities, it is high time to move on to practical matters in terms of developing the economy of the Kuril Islands and ensuring a decent life for the population.
Articles from this series: Kuril Islands. View from the outside.
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