Global InformationMain Missile and Artillery Directorate information
| Main Missile and Artillery Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation (GRAU) | |
|---|---|
 GRAU emblem | |
| Active | 1862–present Current title from 1960 |
| Country |  Russia |
| Type | Central Military Authority |
| Part of | Chief of Armament and Munition of the Russian Armed Forces |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Major General Nikolay Romanovsky[citation needed] |
The Main Missile and Artillery Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (Russian: Гла́вное раке́тно-артиллери́йское управле́ние Министе́рства оборо́ны Росси́йской Федера́ции (ГРАУ Миноборо́ны Росси́и), tr. Glávnoye rakétno-artilleríyskoye upravléniye Ministérstva oboróny Rossíyskoy Federátsii (GRAU Minoboróny Rossíi)), commonly referred to by its transliterated Russian acronym GRAU (ГРАУ), is a department of the Russian Ministry of Defense. It is subordinate to the Chief of Armament and Munition of the Russian Armed Forces, a vice-minister of defense.
The organization dates back to 1862 when it was established under the name Главное артиллерийское управление (ГАУ – GAU). The "R" from "rockets" was added to the title from 19 November 1960.
In particular, the GRAU is responsible for assigning GRAU indices to Russian army munitions and equipment.
Arsenals (Russian: Арсенал) of the GRAU, according to Kommersant-Vlast in 2005, include the 53rd at Dzerzhinsk, Nizhniy Novogorod Oblast, the 55th in the Sklad-40 microraion at Rzhev, the 60th at Kaluga, the 63rd at Lipetsk, the 75th at Serpukhov south of Moscow, and the 97th at Skolin (all five in the Moscow Military District). An additional possibly disused arsenal in MMD is the 107th at Toropets.[1] The 5th at Alatyr, Chuvash Republic, the 80th Arsenal at Gagarskiy, the 103rd Arsenal at Saransk, Mordovia,[2] and the 116th at Krasno-Oktyabrskiy were all in the Volga–Urals Military District.[3]
A major series of explosions occurred at an arms depot of the 31st Arsenal of the Caspian Flotilla near Ulyanovsk on 13 November 2009. At least two people were killed in the explosion and 43 were rescued from a bomb shelter where they had taken refuge.[4]
There were fires and explosions at the 102nd Arsenal GRAU at Pugachevo (Malaya Purga) in Udmurtia (Volga-Urals Military District) in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2018, and two other incidents in 2011 at the 99th Arsenal in Bashkiria and at Ashuluk. There were three more fires in 2012.
On December 26, 2013, an Antonov An-12B transport aircraft of the Irkut company was flying along the route Novosibirsk - Irkutsk, but when landing, it crashed onto a warehouse of the 109th Arsenal GRAU located near the Irkutsk Northwest Airport (Siberian Military District).[5] All nine people on board were killed - six crew members and three passengers.
On 7 October 2020, a grass fire reached ammunition in open storage at Military Unit Number 55443 (once maybe the GRAU's 97th Arsenal) near Zheltukhino (ru:Желтухино (деревня, Рязанская область)) in Skopinsky District, Ryazan Oblast, igniting munitions.[6][7] Whether GRAU or the Western Military District was responsible for the depot was not clear. Interfaks-AVN wrote that there were 113 warehouses and bunkers with 75,000 tons of missiles, rockets, and artillery shells (including 152-mm) at the site. A woman died from injuries and there were at least another 15 victims in stable condition; the fire and explosions "damaged 430 structures, public facilities, apartment buildings, and private homes."
As of December 2021, the Chief of the GRAU is Major General Nikolay Romanovsky.[citation needed]
On 28 June 2022 the cell "BOAK-Vladimir" published a press release claiming sabotage action on railway of Military Unit Number 55443 VD Barsovo (51st Arsenal of the GRAU) near Kirzhach in Vladimir Oblast. The rails were damaged. BOAK's press release stated, "Every stopped train helps to get rid of missiles and rockets, which could hit peaceful Ukrainian cities!"[8]
- ^ "107th arsenal GRAU".
- ^ http://103arsenal.ru/istoriya
- ^ Kommersant 2005.
- ^ "Major fire at Russia arms depot". 13 November 2009.
- ^ Описание катастрофы на Aviation Safety Network; Катастрофа Ан-12 Корпорации Иркут в районе а/п Иркутск-2 (борт 12162), 26 декабря 2013 года.
- ^ "Минобороны РФ окажет помощь в ремонте жилых домов и инфраструктуры в военном городке, пострадавшем при пожаре на арсенале в Рязанской области -". www.militarynews.ru. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
- ^ "The Latest Arsenal Fire". Russian Defense Policy. 2020-10-13. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
- ^ "Sabotage action on the railway of military unit 55443 VD Barsovo (51th Arsenal of the Main rocket-artillery department of Russian Defense ministry) | Anarcho-Communists Combat Organization".