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Military Unit Number
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You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Russian. (May 2023) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
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A Military Unit Number (Russian: войсковая часть, в/ ч; Ukrainian: військова частина, в/ ч) is a unique numeric code assigned to military units of the Soviet Union and some Post-Soviet states. It is usually a four or five digit code for the purpose of identifying units of the armed forces and internal troops.
Military Unit Numbers for ground forces are assigned for a specific military unit (corps, division, brigade, etc.) while for the navy it is assigned to an individual ship. The number is also used for the unit's military mail and other logistics.
Military Unit Number standards for post-Soviet states
[edit]| Country | Forces type | Code rules | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armed Forces | 5 digits | 28376 | |
| Armed Forces | 1 Cyrillic letter and 4 digits | А0104 | |
| National Guard | 4 digits | 2837 | |
| Armed Forces | 5 digits | 37615 | |
| Internal Troops | 4 digits | 2837 | |
| Armed Forces | 5 digits | 32363 | |
| National Guard | 4 digits | 6506 | |
| Armed Forces | 5 digits | 08050 | |
| Internal Troops | 4 digits | 6506 | |
| Armed Forces | 5 digits | 08050 | |
| National Guard | 4 digits | 6506 |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- Ogarkov, Nikolai (1979). Советская военная энциклопедия [Soviet Military Encyclopedia]. «ВАВИЛОН — ГРАЖДАНСКАЯ»[Babylon–Civilian] (in Russian). Vol. 2. Moscow: Voenizdat. p. 304.
Military Unit Number
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A Military Unit Number (Russian: воинская часть, abbreviated в/ч; transliterated as voyskovaya chast') is a unique numeric code, typically consisting of five digits, assigned to individual military units, subunits, and separate establishments within the armed forces and internal troops of the Soviet Union and its post-Soviet successor states.[1] This designation serves primarily as an administrative identifier for postal services, correspondence, and official records, functioning analogously to a U.S. Army Post Office (APO) number in Western militaries.[1] It enables discreet communication and logistics without revealing unit locations or compositions, a practice rooted in operational security.[2]
Originating in the Soviet era following the 1918 formation of the Red Army, the system was expanded during World War II to manage the vast structure of millions of personnel across numerous fronts. By assigning sequential or categorized numbers—often prefixed with "в/ч" in documents—the Soviet military could track units efficiently amid frequent reorganizations, such as the activation of guards units or the redeployment of divisions.[1] Following the 1991 dissolution of the USSR, the practice persisted in the Russian Armed Forces and those of countries like Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan, with numbers retained, reassigned, or adapted (such as Ukraine's alphanumeric format) to maintain continuity in military administration.[2]
In contemporary usage, Military Unit Numbers are integral to Russian and post-Soviet military operations, appearing on official paperwork, vehicle markings, and personnel documents to denote affiliation without disclosing sensitive details.[3] For instance, elite formations like the 74th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade are identified as в/ч 21005, linking them to specific garrisons such as Yurga in the Kemerovo Region.[3] The codes also facilitate intelligence analysis, as leaks or captures of documents can reveal force structures, though their opacity limits full disclosure of capabilities.[2] This enduring system underscores the emphasis on centralized control and secrecy in these militaries.
