MOSCOW. Nov 27 (Interfax) - The Russian marines will be reinforced with tanks, drones, and ECM systems, according to the Navy command.
"Nowadays the combat potential of the marines is being reinforced with tank, ECM, and drone units," Russian Navy Deputy Commander Lieut. Gen. Viktor Astapov told the Defense Ministry's newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda in connection with the Marines Day observed on November 27.
The newspaper Izvestia said in October that the Navy's marine brigades would be reformed. Each of them will have four additional battalions, including a tank one.
"The availability of heavy armored vehicles will enable the 'black berets' to operate independently in any part of the world, without relying on support of other branches. The 61st separate marine brigade of the Northern Fleet will be the first to get the new staffing table as early as this year," Izvestia said.
Meanwhile, the Pacific Fleet press service said in September 2019 that a marine brigade stationed in the Primorye Territory had been supplied with T-80BVM tanks. A marine brigade stationed in Kamchatka acquired a tank unit in 2018.
Tanks were attached to the Airborne Forces in the earlier period. The Russian Defense Ministry officially confirmed in April that two divisions and one brigade of the Russian Airborne Forces were reinforced with tank battalions operating modernized T-72B3 tanks.