It was established at
Kapchagai in the
Turkestan Military District on 22 July 1976. On 3 April 1978 it became a separate unit. In 1983, elements of the brigade temporarily deployed to
Cuba.
Soviet–Afghan War On 15 March 1985, it was moved to
Lashkar Gah and fought in the
Soviet–Afghan War. The brigade received a zone of responsibility of 1,100 km along the front and 250 km in depth towards
Pakistan. Part of the brigade began fighting in April 1985, having stood in the way of caravans of weapons and drugs coming from
Pakistan and
Iran. Formed in December 1986, the 411th detachment, deployed in the province of
Farah, was responsible for controlling the caravan routes from Iran. In total, the 22nd brigade alone lost 199 troops in
Afghanistan and killed more than 5,000
Mujahideen.
Other conflicts In 1989, elements of the brigade deployed to participate in the
Angolan Civil War. In August 1988, the brigade moved to
Pirəkəşkül in
Azerbaijan and participated in the
First Nagorno-Karabakh War. Elements of the brigade have participated in the
Black January, the
First Chechen War, where it took part in the
Kizlyar-Pervomayskoye hostage crisis. The Brigade returned to participate in the
Second Chechen War. In 2001, the brigade received its Guards title in gratitude for its actions in Chechenya. In June 1992, the brigade moved to
Stepnoy,
Rostov Oblast in the
Southern Military District, where it is still located today. ==See also==