61st Separate Guards Naval Infantry Brigade

Kondopoga on 24 September 2020. The brigade was established on 20 November 1979 from the 61st Separate Naval Infantry Regiment. The regiment was activated at Sputnik on 14May 1966 from the 61st Motor Rifle Regiment of the 131st Motor Rifle Division. In 2014, according to an investigation published by Bellingcat, marines of the 61st Naval Infantry Brigade participated in the War in Donbas in the Luhansk region of Ukraine. Brigade personnel and vehicles, including the brigade's exotic 2S23 Nona-SVK, were spotted on the territory of the Ukrainian National Guard's military base (3035) in Luhansk. Evidences shows the brigade's direct participation in combat near Vishnevy Dol village in the Luhansk region. At least 5 soldiers received decorations, which included the Zhukov Medal, the Order of Suvorov and the Order of Courage. Brigade Lieutenant Colonel Vitaly Trofimov was reportedly killed in Ukraine. On 7 March the Ukrainian military claimed to have killed Lieutenant Colonel Dmitry Safronov, commander of the brigade's Marine Battalion, in action near Kharkiv. On 25 January 2024 the brigade received the "Guards" title. As of September 2025, elements of the brigade were reported operating in Dobropillya tactical area in eastern Ukraine. The brigade had previously been reported operating in the area of Kherson. == Organisation and order of battle ==

• Brigade Headquarters • 874th Marine Battalion • 876th Air-Assault (Desant) Battalion • 886th Reconnaissance Battalion • 125th Armored Battalion • 1611th Self-propelled Artillery Battalion • 1591st Self-propelled Artillery Battalion • 1617th Anti-aircraft Missile and Artillery Battalion == Commanders ==

The following officers commanded this unit: Commanders of the 61st Infantry Regiment: • Y. P. Pidust: 1944–1948; • I. S. Matveev: 1948–1950; • A. P. Vorobyov: 1950–1952; • M. P. Davydov: 1952–1954; • P. S. Lopatkin: 1954–1955; • V. G. Solovyov: 1955–1956; • B.C. Zatoka: 1956–1957. Commanders of the 61st Motor Rifle Regiment: • M. I. Belov: 1957–1959; • V. I. Varennikov: 1959–1960; • A. A. Fomichev: 1960–1965. Commanders of the 61st Marine Regiment: • V. A. Krukovsky: 1965–1967; • A. F. Pakhomov: 1967–1974; • N. B. Polyakov: 1974–1979; Commanders of the 61st Marine Brigade: • A. E. Ermakov: 1979–1984; • A. S. Pustoutov: 1984–1988; • A. N. Borzenko: 1988–1990; • Y. M. Shakalov: 1990–1993; • B. F. Sokushev: 1993–1995; • G. S. Semyonov: 1995–1999; • A. V. Chernov: 1999–2002; • N. I. Klimov: 2002–2005; • A. V. Sorogin: 2005–2008; • M. K. Magomedzhanov: 2008–2010. Commander of the 61st Marine Regiment: • A. V. Maslov: 2010-2014 Commanders of the 61st Marine Brigade: • A. V. Maslov: 2014–2016 • V. V. Fedyanin†: 2016–30.09.2017 (died of wound in Syria) • K. N. Nikulin: 2018–present == Notes ==