200th Independent Motor Rifle Brigade

The 200th Independent Motor Rifle Brigade is a military formation of the Russian Ground Forces based at Pechenga in Murmansk Oblast.

The 200th Brigade was formed from the former 131st Motor Rifle Division in 1997.

Transition to professional contract status was planned to finish at the end of 2006. At the beginning of April 2006 the brigade had about 700 professional personnel, practically all sergeant positions having been filled by kontraktniks (контрактник contracted professional soldiers). More than 180 military men and women have signed contracts for service in communications, medical, and rear services subunits. The brigade has about 10 professional soldiers from other Commonwealth of Independent States members. At the beginning of 2006, during a trip to the Leningrad Military District, the 200th Brigade was visited by the Minister of Defence, Sergey Ivanov. The brigade has association links with the Norwegian 6th Division (Norway) and the Swedish Norrbottens Regiment.

It forms part of the 6th Army in the Western Military District. As of November 2011 it became the first of two new Arctic brigades of the Russian Ground Forces. The unit has had some disciplinary problems.

Equipment
The 200th Independent Motor Rifle Brigade has the following equipment:


 * T-80 MBTs
 * 2S3 Akatsia self-propelled howitzers
 * SA-13 Gopher
 * Rapira 100-MM AT gun
 * SA-8 Gekko
 * SA-19 Grison
 * 9M22U MRLS
 * MT-LB

Commanders
Colonel Vitaliy Leonidovich Razgonov