List of Russian military bases abroad

Troops of the Russian 102nd Military Base at Republic Square, Yerevan during the 2016 Armenian Independence Day military parade.

This article lists military bases of Russia abroad. The majority of Russia's military bases and facilities are located in former Soviet republics; which in Russian political parlance is termed the "near abroad".

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, many of the early-warning radar stations ended up in former Soviet republics. As of 2020, only the radar in Belarus is still rented by Russia.[1][2]

In 2003, Kommersant newspaper published a map of the Russian military presence abroad.[3] In 2018, it was reported that Russia operates at least 21 significant military facilities overseas.[4]

Map

Map
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3000km
2,000miles
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Map of current military installations (excluding Crimea)

Current bases

Country Details No. of personnel
 Armenia Russian 102nd Military Base in Gyumri and the Russian 3624th Airbase in Erebuni Airport near Yerevan. Est. 3,214[5] to 5,000[6]
 Belarus Russian military presence in Belarus: The Baranavichy Radar Station,[4][7][8] the Vilyeyka naval communication centre near Vilyeyka and a joint Air Force and Air Defense training center in Baranovichi[9] Est. 1,500
 Georgia
 Abkhazia
(disputed) 		Following the Russo-Georgian War in 2008, Russia has maintained a large presence in the partially recognised states of Abkhazia[10] and South Ossetia. The Russian 7th Military Base is located in Abkhazia and hosts approximately 4,500 personnel.[11] Est. 4,500
 Georgia
 South Ossetia
(disputed) 		Following the Russo-Georgian War in 2008, Russia has maintained a large presence in the partially recognised states of Abkhazia[10] and South Ossetia. The Russian 4th Military Base is located in South Ossetia and hosts approximately 3,500 personnel. Est. 3,500
 Kazakhstan The Baikonur Cosmodrome is rented to Russia but is now under civilian administration.[12][13] The Sary Shagan anti-ballistic missile testing range and the Kambala air base are also operated by Russia.[4][14][15]
 Kyrgyzstan The 999th Air Base (military unit 20022), the 954th test base of anti-submarine weapons (military unit 87366), the 338th naval communication centre (military unit 45682) and the 17th radio-seismic laboratory of the seismic service of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation.[4][16]
 Moldova
 Transnistria
(disputed) 		Russia maintains an operational group of forces in the Transnistria separatist region of Moldova for peacekeeping purposes and to guard an ammunition depot at Cobasna.[17] Est. 1,500
 Syria Tartus naval base, Khmeimim Air Base.[18][19][20] Est. 7,000
 Tajikistan Russian 201st Military Base, Okno space surveillance station. Est. 7,500
 Ukraine
 Russia
(disputed) 		Sevastopol Naval Base of the Black Sea Fleet, in Crimea,[5] rented by Russia prior to the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation in 2014.[4] In July 2015, Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev said that Crimea had been fully integrated into Russia[21] so the base in Sevastopol is no longer classed by Russia as overseas. However, this is contested; United Nations General Assembly Resolution 68/262 rejected Russia's annexation of Crimea,[22] which Russia defended by saying it was supporting the outcome of the 2014 Crimean status referendum, in which a majority voted to rejoin Russia. As of 2016, there were at least 18 Russian military facilities in Crimea.[4][23] Est. 26,000+

Former bases

Main article: List of Soviet Union military bases abroad
Country Details
 Afghanistan Soviet troops in Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989.
 Albania Pasha Liman Naval Base was used by the Soviet Navy between 1955 and 1962.
 Austria Central Group of Forces from 1945 to 1955.
 Azerbaijan Gabala Radar Station was rented until 2012. In 2013 the building itself was transferred to Azerbaijan,[24] but the equipment was dismantled and transported to Russia.[25]
LithuaniaLatviaEstonia Baltic states North Western Group of Forces from 1991 to 1994.
 Kampuchea Port of Kompong Som Naval Base was used by the Soviet Navy between 1980 and 1992.
 China Tuchengzi and Yingchengzi Air Bases along with Port Arthur Naval Base were used by the Soviet Navy between 1945 and 1956.

Air bases in Shanghai were used by the Soviet Air Force from 1949 to 1953.

 Cuba Lourdes SIGINT station was closed in 2002. In July 2014, after Putin's visit to Cuba, there were rumors about its reactivation,[26] quickly officially denied.[citation needed]
 Czechoslovakia Central Group of Forces from 1968 to 1991.
 Ethiopia During the Derg, Nokra is the base of the Soviet Navy between 1977 and 1991, while the Asmara airbase was the base of the Soviet Air Forces.
 Georgia In 1995, Russia and Georgia signed a 25-year agreement for rental of military bases in Vaziani, Akhalkalaki and Batumi. Due to the Rose Revolution eventually the Russian bases were liquidated by 2007,[27] with the exception of the breakaway territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. See Russia–Georgia relations.
 East Germany Western Group of Forces from 1945 to 1994.
 Finland Porkkala Naval Base was used by the Soviet Navy between 1944 and 1956.
Hanko Naval Base was used by the Soviet Navy between 1940 and 1941.
 North Korea 25th Army from 1945 to 1948.
 Hungary Central, then Southern Group of Forces from 1944 to 1991.
 Kazakhstan The Balkhash Radar Station was removed from service in June 2020.
 Mongolia Soviet troops in Mongolia from 1921 to 1927, 1939 to 1951, and 1962 to 1992.
 Poland Northern Group of Forces from 1945 to 1993.
 Romania Southern Group of Forces from 1944 to 1958.
 Syria Tiyas Air Base,[18][28] Shayrat Airbase
 Uzbekistan Karshi-Khanabad Air Base from 2006 to 2012, when Uzbekistan was part of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.[29]
 Vietnam Cam Ranh Air Base and Cam Ranh Naval Base were used by the Soviet Navy and the Russian Navy between 1979 and 2002.
 South Yemen Socotra was used as a base by the Soviet Navy between 1976 and 1979.[30]

Planned

Country Details
 Georgia
 Abkhazia
(disputed) 		An agreement was signed for the creation of a Russian naval base with the separatist Republic of Abkhazia.[31]
 Central African Republic Confirmed to be building a Russian military base.[32]
 Egypt Confirmed to be building a Russian military base.[32]
 Eritrea Logistics Center confirmed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.[33][34][35][32]
 Madagascar Confirmed to be building a Russian military base.[32]
 Mozambique Confirmed to be building a Russian military base.[32]
 Sudan Confirmed to be building a Russian naval base along the Red Sea coast.[32][36]

See also

References

  1. ^ Podvig, Pavel (2002). "History and the Current Status of the Russian Early-Warning System" (PDF). Science and Global Security. 10 (1): 21–60. Bibcode:2002S&GS...10...21P. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.692.6127. doi:10.1080/08929880212328. ISSN 0892-9882. S2CID 122901563. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-15.
  2. ^ "ЦАМТО / Новости / Совет Федерации денонсировал соглашение с Казахстаном по узлу "Балхаш"". armstrade.org.
  3. ^ Российские войска за рубежом [Russian forces abroad] (in Russian). kommersant.ru. 18 March 2003. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Sharkov, Damien (3 June 2018). "Russia's military compared to the U.S. across the world". Newsweek.
  5. ^ a b Margarete Klein (12 October 2009). "Russia's military capabilities". Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  6. ^ "Medvedev Secures Long-Term Foothold in Armenia". The Moscow Times. 23 August 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  7. ^ "Днепр" на Балхаше ["Dnepr" in Balkhash] (in Russian). Novosti Kosmonavtiki. 4 July 2009. Archived from the original on 10 September 2009. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
  8. ^ Heurlin, Beurtel (24 August 2005). Missile Defence: International, Regional and National Implications. Routledge. pp. 84–111. ISBN 9780415361200.
  9. ^ "Russian Su-30SM planes arrive in Belarus for establishment of joint Air training center".
  10. ^ a b "ЦАМТО / Новости / Доля новейших образцов вооружения и военной техники на российской военной базе в Абхазии достигла 70 проц". armstrade.org.
  11. ^ Lavrov, Anton (2010). "Post-war Deployment of Russian Forces in Abkhazia and South Ossetia". In Ruslan Pukhov (ed.). The Tanks of August. Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies. ISBN 978-5-9902320-1-3.
  12. ^ "Kazcosmos chief Talgat Musabaev: Baikonur is still the core of Kazakh-Russian cooperation in space". interfax.kz. February 2008. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011.
  13. ^ "Kazakhstan Finally Ratifies Baikonur Rental Deal With Russia". spacedaily.com. 12 April 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  14. ^ Sean O'Connor (2009). "Russian/Soviet Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems". Air Power Australia: 1. Retrieved 7 January 2012. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  15. ^ 54th OVE Archived February 21, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ "Russian military base presence in Kyrgyzstan extended till 2032 - Ferghana Information agency, Moscow".
  17. ^ "Prime Minister of Moldova calls for withdrawal of Russian troops from Transnistria".
  18. ^ a b "Russian Military Forces: Interactive Map". GFSIS. 2016-09-14. Retrieved 2019-01-16.
  19. ^ "Russia Expanding Second Syrian Air Base Near IS-Held Areas". RadioFreeEurope. 4 December 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  20. ^ Bodansky, Yossef (2016). "Russia's war against DI'ISH". Defense & Foreign Affairs Strategic Policy. 44 (1): 6–16.
  21. ^ "Putin Eliminates Ministry Of Crimea, Region Fully Integrated Into Russia, Russian Leaders Say". International Business Times. 2015-07-15. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
  22. ^ United Nations News Centre - Backing Ukraine’s territorial integrity, UN Assembly declares Crimea referendum invalid. Un.org (1 March 2014). Retrieved on 28 March 2014.
  23. ^ "In Crimea, Russia signals military resolve with new and revamped bases". Reuters. 2016-11-01. Retrieved 2019-01-11.
  24. ^ Габалинская РЛС теперь находится под контролем азербайджанских военных [Gabala Radar Station is now under the control of the Azerbaijani military]. ng.ru (in Russian). 6 October 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  25. ^ Габалу завлекают в турбизнес [Gabala lures in the tourist industry]. ng.ru (in Russian). 9 October 2013. Archived from the original on 10 October 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  26. ^ "Russia Is Reportedly Reopening Its Spy Base In Cuba". Business Insider. 16 July 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  27. ^ Вывод российских войск из Грузии завершен досрочно [Withdrawal of Russian troops from Georgia completed ahead of schedule] (in Russian). ria.ru. 15 November 2007. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  28. ^ Pike, John. "T-4 Airbase / Tiyas". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 2019-01-16.
  29. ^ "Узбекистан второй раз выходит из ОДКБ"
  30. ^ "ТОП-6 самых экзотических стран-друзей СССР, где были советские военные базы" (in Russian). 2019-02-18. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  31. ^ Russia Signs Agreement To Open Naval Base In Abkhazia, Foreign Military Studies Office, 3 January 2024.
  32. ^ a b c d e f "Russian military expands in Africa by building bases in six countries". 10 August 2020.
  33. ^ "Russia in Talks with Eritrea to Set up 'Logistics Center' on Red Sea Coast". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. September 2018.
  34. ^ "Russia and Eritrea Ink Deal to Build a Logistic Base in the Horn of Africa Country". 4 September 2018.
  35. ^ "Russia-Eritrea Relations Grow with Planned Logistics Center". 2 September 2018.
  36. ^ Osborn, Andrew (November 16, 2020). "Putin, extending Russian footprint, approves new naval facility in Sudan". Reuters – via www.reuters.com.