Odessa Military District

Years of existence • December 24, 1862 – January 1918 Russian Empire, transformed into headquarters of Romanian Front • April 9 – August 5, 1919 Russian SFSR, dissolved, remnants transferred to 12th Army • October 11, 1939 – September 10, 1941 Soviet Union, dissolved remnants transferred to Southern Front • March 23, 1944 – January 3, 1992 Soviet Union, passed on to Armed Forces of Ukraine • July 9, 1945 – April 4, 1956, portion of territory was under jurisdiction of Tauric Military District • January 3, 1992 – January 3, 1998 Ukraine, transformed into Southern Operational Command Russian Empire The Odessa Military District was established during the reforms of the Russian military minister Dmitry Milyutin. It was the second of two districts on the territory of the future Ukraine, the other being Kiev Military District. OVO existed from 1862–1918 as part of the Imperial Russian Armed Forces. It encompassed the territories of Kherson, Yekaterinoslav, Tauride, and Bessarabia guberniyas. The district bordered Kingdom of Romania, Kiev Military District, Don Voisko Oblast, and Black Sea. In the 1870s and 1880s (until August 12, 1889) the Commander of the district served as the interim Governor General of Odesa city (then spelled Odessa) concurrently. In January 1918 the Odessa Military District headquarters was transformed into the headquarters of the Soviet Romanian Front under the jurisdiction of Rumcherod. With the establishment of the Ukrainian government on its territory, it was terminated. OVO was reinstated as the Ukrainian forces were pushed out the area in April to August 1919. Soviet Union The district was reformed by the decision of October 11, 1939 specifically for the occupation of Bessarabia after the Soviet Union signed Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. At that time its territory included the newly created Moldovian SSR, six oblasts of the Ukrainian SSR (Izmail, Odesa (then Odessa), Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad) and also the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic as part of the Russian SFSR. The Odessa MD was reinforced by several units from the Ukrainian Front that took part in the Soviet invasion of Poland and Romania, previously formed on base of the Odessa Army Group of the Kiev Special Military District (reformed Kiev Military District). By directives OV/583 and OV/584 of the Soviet People's Commissariat of Defense, units of the Odessa Military District, currently commanded by Mjr. Gen. I.V. Boldin, were ordered into battle ready state in the spring of 1940. Soviet troop concentrations along the Romanian border took place between April 15 and June 10, 1940. In order to coordinate the efforts of the Kiev and Odessa Military districts in the preparation of action against Romania, the Soviet Army created the Southern Front under General Georgy Zhukov, composed of the 5th, 9th and 12th Armies. The Southern Front had 32 infantry divisions, 2 motorized infantry divisions, 6 cavalry divisions, 11 tank brigades, 3 paratrooper brigades, 30 artillery regiments, and smaller auxiliary units. Two action plans were devised. The first plan was prepared for the case that Romania would not accept to evacuate Bessarabia and Bukovina. The Soviet 12th Army was supposed in such a situation to strike Southward along the Prut river towards Iași, while Soviet 9th Army was supposed to strike East-to-West south of Chișinău towards Huși. The target of this plan was to surround the Romanian troops in the Bălți-Iași area. The second plan took into consideration the case that Romania would succumb to Soviet demands and would evacuate its military. In such a situation, Soviet troops were given the mission to reach quickly the Prut river, and take charge of the evacuation process of the Romanian troops. The first plan was taken as the basis of action. Along the portions where the offensive was supposed to take place, Soviets prepared to have at least a triple superiority of men and means. On June 22, 1941 primary combat formations included: • 9th Army was relocated to the District as 9th Separate Army in June 1941 from the Leningrad Military District after the Winter War and invasion of Romania • 2nd Mechanised Corps and 18th Mechanised Corps were associated with 9th Army. • 7th Rifle Corps was formed in the District in June 1941, • 9th Rifle Corps formed as part of the District on June 22, 1941, • 3rd Airborne Corps In August 1941 51st Independent Army was formed in the Crimea. On September 10, 1941 the district was abolished as it was overran by the Armed Forces of Nazi Germany and its allies. ==Post World War II Development==