Russian Ground Forces facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ground Forces of the Russian Federation Сухопутные войска Российской Федерации Suhoputnye voyska Rossiyskoy Federatsii
Greater emblem of the Russian Ground Forces
Founded	1992
Country	Russia
Type	Army
Size	350,000 active duty (2017) including Airborne Troops
Part of	Russian Armed Forces
Headquarters	Frunzenskaya Embankment 20-22, Moscow
Patron	Saint Alexander Nevsky
Colors	Green, White and other
Anniversaries	1 October
Engagements	Transnistria War Civil War in Tajikistan East Prigorodny conflict War in Abkhazia 1993 Russian constitutional crisis First Chechen War War of Dagestan Second Chechen War Russo-Georgian War Insurgency in the North Caucasus Military intervention in Ukraine Syrian Civil War Iraqi Civil War
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief	Army General Oleg Salyukov

The Russian Ground Forces (in Russian: Сухопутные войска Российской Федерации) are the main land army of Russia. They are a big part of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. This army was created in 1992, after the Soviet Union ended.

Since then, they have been involved in different missions. These include peacekeeping and other operations in countries that used to be part of the Soviet Union. They also fought in conflicts like the Chechen Wars.

The Headquarters of the Russian Ground Forces.

Russian T-90 tanks during a victory parade.

How the Russian Ground Forces are Organized

The President of Russia is the supreme commander-in-chief of the Russian Ground Forces. This means the President is the top leader of the army. The main office, or headquarters, is located in Moscow.

Different Parts of the Army

The Russian Ground Forces are made up of several important parts, or branches. Each branch has a special job to do.

• Motorised Rifle Troops: These are the main part of the army. They control most of the battle groups. They also have many weapons to defend against enemies on land and in the air.
• Tank Troops: This branch uses powerful tanks. They are very important for defending key areas and completing tough combat missions.
• Artillery and Rocket Forces: This branch has the most firepower. They use large guns and rockets to attack enemies from a distance.
• Troop Air Defense: This group protects the army from attacks by aircraft. This branch was once part of the Russian Air Force but is now back under the Ground Forces.
• Special Corps: This branch handles many important support tasks. They work on engineering, electronic warfare, and protection from chemical or biological threats. They also provide technical support for the army.

Equipment Used by the Russian Ground Forces

The Russian Ground Forces have a lot of military equipment. Much of this equipment was made during the time of the Soviet Union. For a while, other countries got newer equipment, while Russia often used older Soviet gear.

Russia wanted to update its military equipment. However, the country's economy sometimes made it hard to buy all the new machines and weapons needed.

Ranks and Badges

The ranks and badges used in the Russian Ground Forces are very similar to those used by the Soviet Army. Many of the names for the ranks come from different European languages. These include German, French, English, Dutch, and even Polish ranks. Very few changes have been made to these ranks since the Soviet Union broke apart.

Images for kids

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  A Russian airborne exercise in 2017

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  Sergey Shoygu meeting with Indian officials in 2018

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  The 3rd Spetsnaz Brigade on parade

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  A Russian soldier at a checkpoint in Kosovo in 2001

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  Russian soldiers on parade in Saint Petersburg in 2014

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  Ratnik equipment being worn by troops of the 4th Guards Tank Division

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  Russian Spetsnaz (Special Forces) snipers

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  A T-14 Armata tank

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  Igor Matvienko (composer of "Forward, infantry!") with Oleg Salyukov during the presentation of the anthem of the Ground Forces in 2016.

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  Russian Spetsnaz in mountainous area

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  Russian sappers unit during a demining operations in Aleppo, Syria

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  Officers of the Western Military District at the Union Shield 2019 Russian-Belarusian exercise in the Nizhny Novgorod region .

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  Training of the Military Police of the Western Military District

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  Russian Military Police training

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  Russian army gunner during Zapad 2017 military exercise

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  Russian troops conducting land operations

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  1st Guards Engineer-Sapper Brigade during exercises in Mulino. March 23, 2018.

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  Russian soldiers during winter exercise

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  Russian Artillery units during an exercise in 2019

See also

In Spanish: Fuerzas Terrestres de Rusia para niños