50th Rocket Army

Remaining wall of the rocket base barracks near Vepriai, Lithuania. Construction date visible

The 50th Rocket Army was an army of the Soviet, later Russian Strategic Rocket Forces. It was created in 1960. Its first commander was General Lieutenant Feodor Dobish (ru:Добыш, Фёдор Иванович).

Vyru (Voru) was a deployment base for the 305th Regiment of the 23rd Missile Division (from 1982 40th Division) of the 50th Army.

29th Guards Rocket Division

The 29th Guards Rocket Division was part of the army from 1960 to 1986, and included the Plokštinė missile base, operated by the 79th Guards Missile Regiment. The division inherited its honours and awards from the disbanding 51st Guards Motor Rifle Division, In 1986 29th Guards Rocket Division was transferred to Irkutsk, Irkutsk Oblast, and came under command of the 53rd Rocket Army.

The 29th Guards Rocket Division was formed on the basis of the 85th Engineer Brigade RVGK (established in 1951 as a 54th Brigade of Special Designation RVGK) and personnel 51st Guards Motor Rifle Vitebsk Division of the Order of Lenin Red, which was disbanded in accordance with the directive of the Commander of the Baltic Military District № 006471 dated May 5, 1960.

In July 1960, RVGK engineer brigades were reformed into missile divisions, and engineering regiments became missile regiments.

On October 17, 1961 the 29th RD was given the fighting flag of the 51st Guards Rifle Division, and the division received the name "29th Guards Missile Vitebsk Division of the Order of the Red Banner of Lenin."

Date of the annual holiday - July 1 (last day of the formation of 54th Brigade Special Purpose RVGK in 1952).

In September 1960 the Division became part of the 50th Rocket Army, formed on the basis of the 50th Air Army long-range aviation Soviet Air Force.

Division Headquarters was deployed from July 1960 to September–October 1961 in Taurage Lithuanian SSR, from September–October 1961 to December 1985 in the city of Siauliai Lithuanian SSR.

On 1 February 1986, a Directive № 432/3/00846 RVSN Commander of 3 December 1985, the division moved to Irkutsk, in the 53rd Rocket Army, with a composition of five missile Regiments MRBM 15P653 "Pioneer UTTH", however, in connection with the INF Treaty between the USSR and the U.S. on alert shelf 29rd^{[Clarification needed]} since these missiles have not risen, and in May 1988 for duty in the division atonement first missile regiment with RT-2PM Topol intercontinental ballistic missiles.

On September 16, 2002, after the dissolution of the 50th Rocket Army, the division was transferred into the 33rd Missile Army.

Composition 1988

In 1988 its units comprised:

• 7th Guards Rocket Division
• 24th Guards Rocket Division (Gvardeysk, Kaliningrad Oblast),
• 31st Guards Rocket Division (Pinsk, Brest Oblast)(former 14th Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Division, which became 83rd Guards Bryansko-Berlinskaya Aviation (Missile) Division, renumbered July 1, 1960). Disbanded 31 December 1990.
• 32nd Rocket Division (Postavy, Vitebsk Oblast)
• 49th Guards Rocket Division (Lida, Grodno Oblast, 1963 to 1990). 18th Guards Red Banner Stanislavsky-Budapest Rifle Corps was reorganised as Headquarters 49th Guards Rocket Division, presumably in 1960.
• 58th Rocket Division (Karmelava, Lithuania) Activated 30.5.61 in Kaunas, Lithuania, from the 175th Fighter Aviation Division. Amongst the division's regiments were:
  • 637th Rocket Regiment (Siauliai, Lithuania), the complex P-12H until 1989, disbanded in 1989.
  • 324th Rocket Regiment (Ukmerge, Lithuania), a complex of P-12H until 1989, disbanded in 1989.
  • 42nd Rocket Regiment (Karmelava, Lithuania), the complex P-12H until 1990 (it was the last regiment of the R-12 Dvina?)

Moved to Karmelava 30.6 1964, disbanded 8.1990. The army was disbanded on 30 June 1990.