Evolution of Russian assault-breaching subunit

Abstract

In the Russian military art, the effectiveness of combat operations is largely dependent on the capabilities of the military engineering. It can be assumed that the capabilities of engineering forces are one of the major determinants of the efficiency of military operations. Taking into account the assumptions of contemporary operational art and tactics, the military engineering forces are constantly evolving, which results in their adaptation to the changing requirements of the environment of the operations being carried out. In this light, urbanized areas, including large agglomerations, are supposed to be places where engineering tasks will be executed. Based on the experiences of modern armed conflicts, Russian military engineers are primarily prepared for actions in the built-up environment. In the opinion of Russian specialists, the implementation of tasks in urban agglomerations requires the involvement of subunits, which ensure the maintenance of maneuverability, thereby increasing the effectiveness of combat measures used. One of the preferred solutions is to form, mainly on the basis of engineering troops, specialist task forces as assault-breaching subunits. Such an approach to adjusting (modernizing) the Russian Federation’s military engineering forces to the requirements of modern warfare is not revolutionary, but a permanent evolutionary process.