During the years of the Soviet and Russian armed forces, there were several formations of the 58th army. All of them performed various tasks and were deployed in different places.
Soviet years
For the first time, the 58th army was formed in November 1941. The initial location is the Siberian Military District. However, immediately after the formation, the personnel was transferred to the Arkhangelsk Military District. This was done to create a line of defense from Beloye to Lake Onega. After the task was completed, this composition was reorganized into a new army - the 3rd Tank.
In the summer of 1942, colossal battles were fought on the strategically important Kalinin Front. There was a new 58 army. She was stationed in the vicinity of the city of Ostashkov, but did not directly participate in the Battle of Rzhev. At this time, many Soviet soldiers fell into boilers and German captivity. Mistakes of the leadership led to the fact that the army had to recruit again. The same thing happened with the 58th. Her soldiers became part of the 39th army.
On South
In the same August, the command and headquarters decided to create a new formation that could defend the Soviet Union in the Caucasus, where the battles with the Germans took a decisive turn. The new 58th army was located on the territory of the Dagestan and Chechen republics. Throughout the fall, its units fought against small enemy units, and also tried to keep the line of defense. Especially strong was the confrontation on the banks of the Terek, along the line from Upper Kurla to Mozdok.
With the onset of the new 1943, the 58th army became one of the leading forces of the Soviet counteroffensive in the North Caucasus. Terek was forced on January 3. The movement of troops was complicated by extreme weather conditions. One way or another, by spring, the formations reached the coast of the Sea of Azov. On this, the intended operation was completed, and the 58th Army was finally withdrawn from the armed forces. The victory of the USSR was approaching. The army was divided, and the personnel was transferred to the Volga Military District.
Fourth formation
Many years passed, and the USSR collapsed. The army needed reform, including administrative. In the North Caucasus, ethnic conflicts immediately began between many indigenous peoples. One of them was the Ossetian-Ingush, which flared up in the winter of 1992. The 42nd Army Corps took part in restoring order in this region. After the task was completed, this formation was liquidated, and the next 58th army was created on its basis - the fourth in a row.
She immediately found use, since in 1994 the war in Chechnya began. Parts of the 58th army were in the republic until December 1996. Moreover, they took part in the first attempt to enter Grozny. The movement was hampered due to the resistance of the local population, for example, in Ingushetia, roads and detours were blocked along the route.
When the military finally arrived near Grozny, it became clear that they would have to take the city by storm. By this time, the Dudaev units had brought there a large amount of equipment: guns, mortars, Grad launchers, tanks, armored personnel carriers, etc. Assault forces were assembled from the 58th Army, which were to carry out a surprise attack on New Year's Eve.
The operation was led by Colonel General Troshev. Heavy fighting continued until February, when the city was finally taken.
Second Chechen War
Despite the truce, the history of the Russian army was preparing another test for the soldiers. In August 1999, two thousand well-armed militants crossed the border of Dagestan. They managed to capture several auls and disarm the local police. When it became clear that the forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs could not cope with the situation, the army took up the matter, including the 58th.
She carried out a special operation in the mountainous regions to destroy militants who had a strategic advantage in a favorable position. Partisan warfare methods were used against federal troops . In September, the 58th and 22nd armies were united into the “West” group, which was supposed to resist the Wahhabis.
Throughout the fall, troops repulsed the aul after the aul, effectively using aviation. The key objects were roads, the control of which blocked enemy communications. By December, soldiers managed to enter Chechnya and free its entire plains from terrorists.
In January, the 58th Army launched an assault on Grozny. The attack was carried out from two directions. However, the militants were well trained, they had a lot of weapons, they terrorized the local population and carried out successful sorties. Still, they were driven out of the city, which nevertheless did not solve the problem completely.
The fugitives settled in the mountains, from where they could wage a guerrilla war. There were many groups, each of which was destroyed by the 58th Army of the North Caucasian Military District. Recent military operations took place in March 2000. On the 14th, the village of Komsomolskoye was cleared, as stated by the commander of the 58th army.
Beslan
Active hostilities ceased, but terrorist attacks on civilians in the North Caucasus continued. When the militants seized school No. 1 in Beslan on September 1, 2004, the 58th Army was also thrown there, which, together with the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, was supposed to destroy the terrorists and free the hostages.
Her units deployed a field hospital near the school to help those taken hostage. The operational headquarters was also located there, from where the leadership of the storming of the school building on the 3rd came.
South Ossetia
In August 2008, a conflict broke out in Georgia. Opponents were local authorities and South Ossetian autonomy. After the threat appeared for the Russian peacekeepers who were stationed in Tskhinval, the 58th army was the first to be sent to the rescue of compatriots.
The history of the Russian army received another lightning operation. Columns from tanks of the motorized rifle division from the 58th army successfully marched along the highway and fired on Georgian positions. Those had to retreat from Tskhinval. However, the danger of shelling from firing points remained. They were also suppressed an hour after completing the previous task. All this happened on August 8th.
As early as the 9th, units of the 58th Army successfully broke through to the positions of Russian peacekeepers. In the afternoon, one of the headquarters convoys fell into a Georgian ambush, from which only 5 out of 30 vehicles managed to get out. No one was killed, but many were injured, including Anatoly Khrulev, commander of the 58th Army, as well as Russian journalists.
Today it is the last combat operation of the compound. In both Russia and the USSR, the army successfully carried out command orders.