Armed Forces of Transnistria

Armed Forces of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic
Вооружённые силы Приднестровской Молдавской Республики Forțele armate ale Republicii Moldovenești Nistreene Збройні сили Придністровської Молдавської Республіки
Insignia of the Armed Forces
Founded	6 September 1991 (1991-09-06)
Service branches	Transnistrian Army Transnistrian Air Force Transnistrian Border Guard
Headquarters	Tiraspol
Leadership
Commander-in-chief	Vadim Krasnoselsky
Minister of Defence	Major General Oleg Obruchkov
Chief of the General Staff	Colonel Sergey Gerasyutenko
Manpower
Military age	18
Active personnel	5,500
Reserve personnel	20,000
Industry
Domestic suppliers	Transnistria
Foreign suppliers	Russia Abkhazia South Ossetia
Related articles
History	Transnistria War

The Armed Forces of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (Russian: Вооружённые силы Приднестровской Молдавской Республики; Vooruzhyonniye Sily Pridnestrovskoy Moldavskoy Respubliki, Romanian language: Форцеле армате але Републичий Молдовенешть Нистрене

Forțele armate ale Republicii Moldovenești Nistreene, Ukrainian

Збройні сили Придністровської Молдавської Республіки; Zbroini syly Prydnistrovśkoi Moldavśkoi Respubliky), are the military forces of the semi-recognised state of Transnistria. The Armed Forces were created on 6 September 1991 to protect the sovereignty and independence of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, in accordance with Article 11 of the Republic's Constitution.

History

On 6 September 1991, the Supreme Soviet of Transnistria adopted a resolution which called for the formation of a Transnistrian military unit. As a result, the Republican Guard (Russian: Республиканская гвардия ПМР) was formed. It was the direct counterpart to the Republic of Moldova's Republican Guard (Romanian language: Garda Republicană ). Both were the predecessors to their respective countries armed forces. In its first major conflict, the guard repelled troops of the Moldovan National Army against the city Dubasari in December 1991. By the end of 1991, the organizational formation of the Transnistrian armed forces was generally completed. Shortly after the outbreak of Transnistrian War in March 1992, the People’s Militia was created, having been supported and armed by the Russian Armed Forces 14th Guards Army. By the end of 1992, all main structures of the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff were formed, including individual military units, government agencies, and specialized services. On 14 March 1993, personnel of the new armed forces took the military oath of allegiance to the country.

Organization

Leadership

Vadim Krasnoselsky

Oleg Obruchkov

• Commander in Chief - President of Transnistria Vadim Krasnoselsky
• Minister of Defense - Major General Oleg Obruchkov
• Chief of the General Staff - Colonel Sergey Gerasyutenko

Units

The armed forces are composed of 4,500 to 5,500 active duty soldiers, (with 15,000 - 20,000 personnel in the reserve).

Army Headquarters (Tiraspol)

The PMR Honour Guard

Director of Music of the General Staff Band, Colonel Vitaly Voinov

• General Staff of the Armed Forces – It is the commanding and managing body of the armed forces. It is tasked with enforcing military strategy which comes from the ministry of defense.
• PMR Honour Guard – Since its establishment on 6 November 1997, the PMR Honour Guard has taken part in the welcoming of honoured guests and festive and ceremonies. Notable commanders of the unit include Yaroslav Isak, Valentin Rasputin and Artem Chernichenko.
• General Staff Band – The band's musicians have at least a year of experience in the musical services of the Russian, Moldovan, and Ukrainian armed forces. Their repertoire includes over 500 works by foreign composers. The band is led by Colonel Vitaly Voinov.
• Special Forces Battalion
• Security Battalion
• Intelligence Company

Regular Army

• 1st Motorised Infantry Brigade (Tiraspol)
• 2nd Motorised Infantry Brigade (Bender)
• 3rd Motorised Infantry Brigade (Rîbniţa)
• 4th Motorised Infantry Brigade (Dubăsari)
• Tank Battalion
• Artillery Regiment
• Anti-aircraft Regiment
• Peacekeeping Force
• PMR Border Guard

Additional support is provided by the Operational Group of Russian Forces of the Russian Army, based in the Transnistrian city of Cobasna.

Military education

Cadets of the Military Institute of the Ministry of Defense dressed in historical parade uniforms

• Military Institute of the Ministry of Defense (Военный институт Министерства обороны) – Founded in May 1993, it is the seniormost military institution in the armed forces. It was reorganized as an independent institution from the Shevchenko Transnistria State University on 30 April 2008. In August 2009, the institute was awarded a battle flag and was given the honor of being renamed to honor Alexander Lebed in July 2012.
• Tiraspol Suvorov Military School – It was founded on 1 September 2017 and is based on the Suvorov Military Schools in Russia and Belarus.
• Dzerzhinsky Republican Cadet Corps
• Basic training courses for military specialists

Equipment

Small arms

The PMR Honor Guard with AK-74 rifles

Name	Origin	Type	Variant	Notes
Makarov PM	Soviet Union	Semi-automatic pistol
SVD Dragunov	Russia	Sniper rifle
AK-47	Russia	Assault rifle
AKM	Russia	Assault rifle
PKM	Soviet Union	General-purpose machine gun
RPG-7	Russia	Rocket-propelled grenade
RPG-18	Russia	Rocket-propelled grenade
RPG-22	Russia	Anti-armor
RPG-26	Russia	Anti-armor
RPG-27	Russia	Anti-armor

Armor

A BTR-60PB armored personnel carrier

Name	Origin	Type	In service	Notes
Armored fighting vehicle
T-64BV	Soviet Union	Main battle tank	18
T-55	Soviet Union	Main battle tank
BMP-1	Russia	Infantry fighting vehicle
MT-LB	Russia	APC
GMZ-3	Russia	APC
BTR-70	Soviet Union	APC
BTR-60	Soviet Union	APC		Amphibious capable vehicle
BRDM-2	Soviet Union	APC		Amphibious capable vehicle
Artillery
BM-21 Grad	Soviet Union	Multiple rocket launcher
D-44	Soviet Union	Field gun
ZU-23-2	Soviet Union	Anti-aircraft
ZPU-4	Soviet Union	Anti-aircraft
KS-19	Soviet Union	Anti-aircraft
AZP S-60	Soviet Union	Anti-aircraft		Self-propelled
9K38 Igla	Soviet Union	MANPADS

Air Force

Aircraft Roundel

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Variant	In service	Notes
Transport
Antonov An-2	Ukraine	transport		3	One has damaged wings and is not airworthy.
Antonov An-26	Ukraine	transport		1	Not airworthy.
Helicopters
Mil Mi-2	Russia	utility / transport		4
Mil Mi-8	Russia	utility / transport		6	One is missing rotor-blades and is not airworthy.
Trainer Aircraft
Yakovlev Yak-52	Soviet Union	trainer		2

Gallery

PMR Motorized Unit on pararde

The PMR Border Guard

A T-55 Main battle tank

Peacekeeping force of Transnistria.jpg

The peacekeeping force

The guard of honor of the Tiraspol Suvorov Military School

See also

• Transnistria War
• 14th Army involvement in Transnistria
• Moldovan Ground Forces

External links

• Prednestrovie.net, Law enforcement and armed forces of Pridnestrovie (archived link)