326th Heavy Bomber Aviation Division


326th Tarnopolsky Order of Kutuzov Heavy Bomber Air Division is an Aviation Division of the Long Range Aviation of Russia. It was previously part of the 37th Air Army of the Supreme High Command. It was originally formed as the 326th Night Bomber Aviation Division, formed at Yegoryevsk in Moscow Oblast on 10 October 1943. On 23 June 1944, it was renamed the 326th Bomber Aviation Division.

History

In 1945, it had three regiments of Tupolev Tu-2 bombers. 12th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment was briefly part of the division in 1959–60 at Ostrov, Pskov Oblast, while flying Tu-16s.
Components in 1990 according to Michael Holm:
  • Division Headquarters, Tartu
  • *132nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment with Tu-22M3 and Tu-16K
  • *402nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment with Tu-22M3 and Tu-16K
  • *840th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment with Tu-22M3
Headquarters were located at:
From 1987 to 1991, Dzhokhar Dudayev, who later became president of the self-proclaimed Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, was the commander of the division.
The division's dispersal airfields included Ugolny Airport near Anadyr, Magadan Airport, and Tiksi.

Composition

The command of the division was at the Ukrainka airbase in the Far East.
The composition of the division included:
  • 182 Guards Red Berlin-Sevastopol Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment
  • 79th Red Star Order Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment
  • 200th Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment Brest Red
  • 444th Berlin Order of Kutuzov III, and Alexander Nevsky Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment
In 2007–2009, the 444th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment was disbanded.
As of 2020, the division was reported based at Ukrainka with one element reportedly operating Tu-22M3 bombers from the Belaya air base as part of Russian Long Range Aviation.