The role of artillery remains very high

On December 28, 1982, the Minister of Defence of the USSR, Marshal of the Soviet Union Dmitry Ustinov, signed Order No. 314/1 on the formation of the 231st Artillery Brigade.

On December 28, 1982, the Minister of Defence of the USSR, Marshal of the Soviet Union Dmitry Ustinov, signed Order No. 314/1 on the formation of the 231st Artillery Brigade. The military unit was part of the 7th Tank Army of the Red Banner Belarusian Military District and was stationed in the settlement of Borovka, Lepel District. The first commander was Colonel Alexey Vasilyevich Suprunchuk. He was responsible for the formation of the brigade: selecting officers according to the штаты (staffing table), receiving equipment and armaments, and carrying out numerous administrative and logistical duties.

From the very beginning, the brigade received the most advanced artillery systems of that time – the 2S5 and 2S3M self-propelled guns. Their purpose was to destroy long-term fortifications, including concrete ones, to combat armoured targets, including tanks, and to defeat enemy manpower. Although the systems were complex, the training process was organised in such a way that soldiers reliably mastered their specialities during their service.

The 1990s were difficult for the 231st Brigade, as for all the Armed Forces. The great state of the USSR was disintegrating, and the Republic of Belarus was building its own Armed Forces. During this period, a number of military units and formations were disbanded. The 231st Brigade became a reduced-strength artillery regiment. The idea behind this type of military unit is that in peacetime, there is no need to maintain a large number of troops in deployed units. It is sufficient to have only a core – officers, warrant officers, and a certain number of soldiers – to maintain a certain level of combat readiness and train new recruits in military specialities. The 231st Artillery Regiment successfully coped with this task.

Over the subsequent decades, the military unit was reformed repeatedly, seeking an optimal structure, personnel strength, and armament composition. Today, it has been renamed back to the 231st Artillery Brigade. It is part of the North-Western Operational Command. On February 19, 2005, the brigade was presented with a new model battle flag.

Since December 2016, the brigade has been commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Alexey Khokhlov:

Based on the principle of territorial recruitment, the 231st Artillery Brigade primarily calls up conscripts from the Vitebsk region for compulsory military service. Orsha, Tolochin, Braslav, Glubokoye, Postavy, and Vitebsk itself, as well as Lepel – the region's geography can be studied through its towns and villages. In every conscription batch, there are soldiers who stand out. For example, Aleksandr Gurkov from Vitebsk. He was called up for service in May. Having completed his studies at the Smolensk branch of the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics before conscription, he will serve for one year only. Before his conscription, Aleksandr was offered training at the DOSAAF driving school by the military commissariat to obtain a driver's qualification. The young man agreed, especially since he already held a Category "B" license for cars at that time. He is now serving as a driver of a KAMAZ truck. During exercises, he tows artillery pieces, and is often assigned duty as a driver. Recently, Aleksandr was awarded the badge of the 231st Artillery Brigade in honor of Artilleryman's Day.

Conscripts from Lepel also serve with distinction in the brigade. In May, Aleksandr Krivets, Aleksey Paleev, Artyom Kurbaka, Sergey Palestka, and Nikita Azaronak were conscripted. With the latest conscription, Maksim Kuzmich, Erik Sudak, Dmitry Zolotukha, and Maksim Volakhovich joined the service. The young men recently took the military oath, have now been assigned to units, and have begun their service, mastering combat equipment.

The 231st Brigade possesses very powerful equipment. Alongside similar self-propelled 2S5 and towed "Msta-B" gun artillery systems, there is a division of "Uragan" multiple rocket launcher systems. Although all combat equipment is of Soviet production, it is properly maintained and serviced, and everything is kept in combat readiness. Even with the saturation of armies with electronic equipment, the role of artillery remains very significant. This is evidenced by the experience of armed conflicts erupting worldwide.

Vasily MATYRKO.
In the photos: veterans and the current brigade commander Aleksey Khakhlov (second from right). Photo from the archive of the 231st Artillery Brigade.