245th Motor Rifle Division

The 245th Motor Rifle Division was a division of the Soviet Army and later the Russian Ground Forces, active from 1967 to 1997 and later from 2001 to 2006.

On 31 August 1967 in the city of Kursk the 245th Motor Rifle Division was formed. The division consisted of the 39th, 153rd, and 376th Motor Rifle Regiments, the 507th Tank Regiment, the 820th Artillery Regiment, and an anti-aircraft rocket regiment of unknown designation which had fought in the Second World War. From 1971 the Division was deployed at Gusinoozyorsk (Гусиноозёрск) in Buryatia, as part of the Siberian Military District.

To replace the 245th Motor Rifle Division at Kursk, the 196th Motor Rifle Division (Military Unit Number 52299, including the 595th MRR) was formed. On 1 December 1987 the 196th MRD became a territorial training centre (ТУЦ), and then on 25 January 1989 the centre was disbanded. The 255th 'Spare' MRD also existed in outline form under the 196th MRD. The division was a part of the 29th Army, then the 57th Army Corps, and since 2003 a part of the 29th Army again. When the 205th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade of the North Caucasus Military District was formed, one of its battalions was formed on the basis of the 245th MRD, having absorbed personnel from all over the Transbaikal Military District.

On 1 September 1997, as part of the bilateral agreement between Russia and China on reductions of armaments covering the area up to 200 km from their mutual border, the 245th MRD was reduced to the 6803rd Base for Storage of Weapons and Equipment (VKhVT), codenamed army unit 46108. The 245th MRD was reformed from 6803rd VKhVT in 2001, and given the 'Combat Banner' of the disbanded 2nd Guards 'Tatsin' Tank Division. The reformed division included the 39th and 376th Motor Rifle Regiments and the 507th Tank Regiment. The 363rd Motor Rifle Regiment joined the 122nd Guards Motor Rifle Division in the city of Aleysk, and the 376th Guards Motor Rifle Yassy-Mukden Order of the Red Banner Order of Kutuzov Regiment joined the division from the 122nd Guards MRD.

In 2004 160th Guards Tank Regiment joined the division from the 5th Guards Tank Division, and the 507th Tank Regiment joined 5 GTD in its place.

By 1 February 2006 245th Guards Motor Rifle Division was reorganised as 6th Guards 'Tatsinsk' (Тацинская) Order of the Red Banner Order of Suvorov Base for Storage of Weapons and Equipment (Motor-Rifle forces).