3rd Guards Combined Arms Army
{{Short description|Russian Ground Forces formation}}
{{use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 3rd Guards Lugansk-Severodonetsk Combined Arms Army (2024–present)
2nd Army Corps (2014–2024)
| native_name = 3-я гвардейская Луганско-Северодонецкая общевойсковая армия
| image = Great emblem of the 3rd Guards Combined Arms Army.svg
| dates = 7 October 2014 – 31 December 2022 (as part of a breakaway state)
31 December 2022 – present (as part of Russia)
| country = {{RUS}}
| branch = {{army|Russia}}
| type = Combined arms
| size = Army
| command_structure = Southern Military District
| garrison = Lugansk
| identification_symbol_label = Sleeve patch
| identification_symbol = 100px
| decorations = {{GuardsUnitRussia}}
| battle_honours = Lugansk-Severodonetsk
| commander1 = Major General {{ill|Dmitry Ovcharov|ru|Овчаров Дмитрий Сергеевич}}{{cite web|title=2-й гвардейский Луганско-Северодонецкий армейский корпус|url=https://t.me/akutin_dpr_ru/31102|publisher=Бывший корреспондент|date=2024-07-26|accessdate=2024-08-17}}
| identification_symbol_3_label = Flag of the Luhansk People's Republic
| identification_symbol_3 = File:Flag of the Luhansk People's Republic.svg
}}
The 3rd Guards Lugansk-Severodonetsk Combined Arms Army ({{langx|ru|3-я гвардейская Луганско-Северодонецкая общевойсковая армия}}) is a military formation in the Russian Ground Forces as part of the Southern Military District. Formerly the 2nd Army Corps of the Luhansk People's Republic,{{Cite web |title=‘Sent there to be meat’ Why Russian draftees are suddenly publishing so many video pleas to Putin |url=https://meduza.io/en/feature/2023/03/09/sent-there-to-be-meat |access-date=2023-07-19 |website=Meduza |language=en}} it was officially incorporated into the Russian Federation on 31 December 2022, after the Russian annexation of the Luhansk Oblast,{{Cite web |date=2022-12-31 |title=В состав ВС России вошли армейские корпуса ДНР и ЛНР |url=https://ria.ru/20221231/korpusa-1842655719.html |access-date=2023-07-19 |website=РИА Новости |language=ru}} and then reformed into a Combined Arms Army in 2024.{{Cite web |title=Institute for the Study of War |url=https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-31-2024 |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=Institute for the Study of War |language=en}}
History
= War in Donbas =
{{Main|Russian people's militias in Ukraine}}The 2nd Army Corps was formed on 7 October 2014 as an effort to unite numerous volunteer units under one command. Considered by Ukrainian and Western analysts as a formal part of the Russian 8th Combined Arms Army, it nevertheless had a certain degree of autonomy.
The Corps was deployed along the contact line that stretched from the Russian border to the DPR border north of Debaltseve, where it met with the 1st Army Corps.
= Russian invasion of Ukraine =
Structure
- 25x25px 4th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade{{Cite news |title=Два полковника в одном бою: о чем говорит гибель российских офицеров под Бахмутом |language=ru |work=BBC News Русская служба |url=https://www.bbc.com/russian/features-65601346 |access-date=2023-07-19}}
- 27x27px {{ill|Leshiy Battalion|uk|16-й батальйон територіальної оборони «Лєший»}}{{Cite book |last=Crowther |first=Edward |title=Armed formations of the Luhansk People's Republic 2014-2022 |last2=Crowther |first2=Edward R. |date=2023 |publisher=Helion & Company Limited |isbn=978-1-80451-217-3 |series=War in Ukraine / Edward Crowther |location=Warwick}}
- {{flagicon image|Flag of the Ghost Brigade.svg}} 14th Territorial Defense Battalion "Prizrak"
- 2nd Motor Rifle Territorial Defense Battalion
- "Akhmat" Spetsnaz group{{Cite web |title=Institute for the Study of War |url=https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-october-30-2024 |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=Institute for the Study of War |language=en}}
- "Shustry" detachment{{Cite web |title=Institute for the Study of War |url=https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-december-2-2024 |access-date=2024-12-23 |website=Institute for the Study of War |language=en}}
- 22px 6th Separate Guards Cossack Motor Rifle Brigade
- 25x25px 7th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade{{Cite web |date=2022-01-22 |title="Был в полной экипировке": на Донбассе пьяный боевик "ЛНР" пришел на позиции ВСУ (фото) |url=https://focus.ua/voennye-novosti/504041-byl-v-polnoy-ekipirovke-na-donbasse-pyanyy-boevik-lnr-prishel-na-pozicii-vsu-foto |access-date=2023-07-19 |website=ФОКУС |language=ru}}
- 85th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade{{Cite web |title=Institute for the Study of War |url=https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-october-24-2024 |access-date=2024-10-25 |website=Institute for the Study of War |language=en}}
- 24x24px 88th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade{{Cite web |title=Institute for the Study of War |url=https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-november-11-2024 |access-date=2024-11-12 |website=Institute for the Study of War |language=en}}
- 25x25px 123rd Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade{{Cite web |title=RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, JULY 4, 2023 |url=https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-july-4-2023 |access-date=2023-07-19 |website=Institute for the Study of War |language=en}} (formerly 2nd Guards Motor Rifle Brigade)
- {{flagicon image|Flag of the Zarya Battalion.svg}} {{ill|Zarya Battalion|ru|Заря (батальон)}}
- 24x24px 2nd Guards Artillery Brigade{{Cite web |date=6 August 2024 |title=RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, AUGUST 6, 2024 |url=https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-6-2024 |website=ISW Press}} (formerly 10th Guards Artillery Brigade)
- {{ill|12th Territorial Defense Battalion "Rome"|uk|12-й батальйон територіальної оборони «Рим»}}
- {{ill|13th Territorial Defense Battalion "Kulkin"|uk|13-й батальйон територіальної оборони «Кулькин»}}
- 22px {{ill|15th Territorial Defense Battalion "USSR Bryanka"|uk|15-й батальйон територіальної оборони «СССР Брянка»}}
- 201st Motor Rifle Regiment{{cite web |title=RUSSIAN MILITARY TRANSFORMATION TRACKER, ISSUE 8: 16 JUNE-15 DECEMBER 2023 |url=https://gfsis.org/en/russian-military-transformation-tracker-issue-8-16june-15-december-2023/ |date=22 December 2023}}
- 39th Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Defense Regiment{{Cite web |title=Institute for the Study of War |url=https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-november-9-2024 |access-date=2024-11-10 |website=Institute for the Study of War |language=en}}
- {{ill|Separate Commandant's Regiment|uk|Окремий комендантський полк Луганська (РФ, Донбас)}}
- 4th Separate Tank Battalion (formerly Separate Mechanised Battalion "August")
- Separate Anti-aircraft Missile Defense Artillery Battalion
- Separate Repair and Recovery Battalion
- Separate Command and Security Battalion
- Separate Material Support Battalion
- Separate Reconnaissance Battalion
- Special Purpose Battalion
- 204th "Akhmat" Spetsnaz Regiment
- "Okhotnik" Detachment
- Chechen "Canada" group{{Cite web |title=Institute for the Study of War |url=https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-november-26-2024 |access-date=2024-11-27 |website=Institute for the Study of War |language=en}}
- Reserve units:
202nd Motor Rifle Regiment(disbanded September 2022){{Cite web |title=Institute for the Study of War |url=https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-september-15 |access-date=2024-09-07 |website=Institute for the Study of War |language=en}}204th Motor Rifle Regiment(disbanded September 2022)- {{ill|206th Motor Rifle Regiment|uk|206-й стрілецький полк (РФ)}}
- {{ill|208th Motor Rifle Regiment|uk|208-й стрілецький полк (РФ)}}{{Cite web |last=Zoria |first=Yuri |date=2022-05-19 |title=Russia sends Donbas musicians and historians as "cannon fodder" in Ukraine war |url=https://euromaidanpress.com/2022/05/20/russia-sends-donbas-musicians-and-historians-as-cannon-fodder-in-ukraine-war/ |access-date=2024-09-07 |website=Euromaidan Press |language=en-US}}
- 254th Motor Rifle Regiment
See also
- 51st Guards Combined Arms Army, formerly the 1st Donetsk Army Corps