BTR-D - Service History

Service History

BTR-D entered service with the Soviet Army in 1974 and was used by Soviet airborne troops during the Soviet war in Afghanistan where it was seen for the first time by the West in 1979.

As of now BTR-D and vehicles based on it are used by the following units of Russian Army or are stationed in following bases:

• 76th airborne (CDO) division from Pskov which is part of Leningrad Military District (90 BTR vehicles, 30 BTR-RD and 49 BTR-ZD as of 2000), the subunits of this division include

104th airborne regiment from Pskov (34 BTR-D, 6 BTR-RD, 13 BTR-ZD and 6 BMD-1KSh)

234th airborne regiment from Pskov (32 BTR-D, 6 BTR-RD, 12 BTR-ZD and 5 BMD-1KSh)

1140th artillery regiment from Pskov (14 BTR-RD, 3 BTR-ZD, 1 BMD-1KSh and 18 2S9 Anona)

165th independent air defense division from Pskov (4 BTR-ZD and 1 BMD-1KSh)

656th independent engineer battalion from Pskov (8 BTR-D and 1 BMD-1KSh)

728th independent commandos battalion from Pskov (2 BTR-D, 6 BMD-1KSh, 3 BMD-1R and 2 R-440-ODB )

7th independent repair battalion from Pskov (2 BTR-D).

• 98th airborne division from Ivanovo (92 BTR vehicles, 27 BTR-RD and 38 BTR-ZD as of 2000), the subunits of this division include

217th airborne regiment from Ivanovo (32 BTR-D, 6 BTR-RD, 11 BTR-ZD, 7 BMD-1KSh and 1 BMD-1R)

331st airborne regiment from Kostroma (33 BTR-D, 6 BTR-RD, 15 BTR-ZD, 5 BMD-1KSh and 1 BMD-1R)

1065th artillery regiment from Kostroma (15 BTR-RD, 3 BTR-ZD and 2 BMD-1KSh)

318th independent air defense division from Ivanovo (4 BTR-D, 8 BTR-ZD and 1 BMD-1KSh)

661st independent engineer battalion from Ivanovo (7 BTR-D and 1 BMD-1KSh)

674th independent commandos battalion from Pskov (2 BTR-D, 6 BMD-1KSh, 4 BMD-1R and 3 R-440-ODB )

15th independent repair battalion from Pskov (7 BTR-D).

• 106th airborne division from Tula which is a part of the Moscow Military District (132 BTR vehicles, 33 BTR-RD and 49 BTR-ZD as of 2000), the subunits of this division include

51stairborne regiment from Tula (32 BTR-D, 6 BTR-RD, 13 BTR-ZD, 2 BMD-1KSh and 1 BMD-1R)

137th airborne regiment from Ryazan (38 BTR-D, 6 BTR-RD, 13 BTR-ZD, 7 BMD-1KSh and 1 BMD-1R)

1182nd artillery regiment from Yefremov (4 BTR-D, 3 BTR-ZD, 2 BMD-1KSh and 18 2S9 Anona)

107th independent air defense division from Donskoy (18 BTR-D, 6 BTR-ZD and 1 BMD-1KSh)

332nd independent engineer battalion from Tula (8 BTR-D and 1 BMD-1KSh)

731st independent commandos battalion from Tula (2 BTR-D, 6 BMD-1KSh, 5 BMD-1R and 2 R-440-ODB )

15th independent repair battalion from Tula (4 BTR-D and 1 BREM-D).

• 7th CDO mountain division from Novorossyysk (121 BTR vehicles, 27 BTR-RD, 38 BTR-ZD and 55 2S9 Anona as of 2000), the subunits of this division include

108th airborne regiment from Novorossyysk (35 BTR-D, 9 BTR-RD, 13 BTR-ZD, 7 BMD-1KSh and 19 2S9 Anona)

247th CDO regiment from Stavropol' (26 BTR-D, 9 BTR-RD and 13 BTR-ZD )

1141st artillery regiment from Anapa (5 BTR-D and 9 BTR-ZD )

30th independent air defense division from Novorossyysk (4 BTR-D and 8 BTR-ZD )

629th independent engineer battalion from Starotitarovskaya (8 BTR-D)

743rd independent commandos battalion from Novorossyysk (2 BTR-D, 8 BMD-1KSh and 3 R-440-ODB )

6th independent repair battalion from Novorossyysk (4 BTR-D and 1 BREM-D).

• 31st independent airborne brigade from Ul'yanovsk which is a part of the Volga-Ural Military District (57 BTR-D, 24 BTR-RD, 19 BTR-ZD, 8 BMD-1KSh and 2 BMD-1R as of 2000).

• 45th independent Spetznaz regiment from Kubinka, Moscow (1 BTR-D).

• Ryazan airborne troops institute (6 BTR-D, 5 BTR-RD, 2 BTR-ZD and 2 BMD-1KSh).