Russia taps island base to counter Ukraine war losses

The Moscow Times reported that since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, more than 250 armored vehicles have been removed from the Russian military equipment base Dachnoye, near Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. This is another example indicating that the Russians are significantly depleting their stockpiles to make up for the losses suffered in Ukraine.

The base in Dachnoye is located farthest from the front line of all such Russian facilities — over 3,700 miles (6,000 kilometers) from Ukraine, on the border with Japan. It is located on Sakhalin Island; hence, as noted in The Moscow Times, the equipment requires a fleet or aviation.

Based on satellite image analysis, the portal determined that two years before the war, nearly 600 armored vehicles were stationed at the base. In October 2022, this number decreased to 556; by May 2024, it dropped to 342. Before the war with Ukraine, the base had nine hangars. By 2024, only five remained, as the rest were destroyed.

The Russian Defense Ministry employs a strategy of maintaining old military equipment in four categories. The most valuable equipment is stored in ventilated and heated rooms, the second in hangars, the third under tents, and the last category in the open air. At the 230th military base, the equipment was mainly in the open air. In 2020, there were about 92 pieces under tents; in 2022, there were 99; and by May 2024, there were only 39 pieces of military equipment.

According to The Moscow Times, before the war in Ukraine, the base stored tanks, mortars, self-propelled guns, and anti-aircraft guns. Among the equipment used on the front line in Ukraine were T-72B tanks, 2S3 Akatsiya howitzers, Strela-10 air defense systems, and BM-21 Grad rocket launchers.

The T-72B is an advancement of the T-72A and is one of the most widespread tanks of the T-72 family in the Russian army, including units fighting in Ukraine. They measure over 31 feet (9.5 meters) in length and nearly 23 feet (7 meters) in width. Armaments include a 125 mm gun with a rate of fire of approximately 6-8 rounds per minute and 7.62 mm and 12.7 mm machine guns.

The base in Dachnoye is part of the corps responsible for defending the Far East and the Kurils. After the attack on Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry carried out a rotation of equipment and soldiers from the Far East. Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is the headquarters of the 39th Independent Red Banner Motor Rifle Brigade, which is participating in the war in Ukraine. In July 2023, Vladimir Putin awarded this brigade the title of Guards Brigade. The independent portal Mediazona estimated that by September of this year, at least 677 soldiers from the Sakhalin region had died in the war.