3rd Army Corps (Russia)
The 3rd Army Corps () is a military formation of the Russian Ground Forces formed in June 2022 to participate in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The 3rd Corps was raised in response to the depletion of trained manpower during the early months of the invasion. It was formed exclusively by volunteers, as at that point Russia had not yet begun the process of partial mobilization and preferred to avoid or delay doing so. Recruitment was on a regional basis, with federal subject administrations and local authorities conducting recruitment campaigns. Its current effective strength estimated at 15,500–60,000 personnel as of January 2023, and belongs to the Western Military District. Designation In Russian military jargon, an "Army Corps" is typically a formation larger than a division, but significantly smaller than a typical Western corps, often directly commanding separate brigades. The proxy militias of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) are operationally designated as the 1st and 2nd Army Corps respectively. As a force similar in composition and operational purpose to these formations, the new volunteer formation raised was designated the 3rd Army Corps. Creation The 3rd Army Corps' initial main base and training centre was