Russia's Western Military Districtair power 'Westend' air power

摘要

The Zapadnyy Voyennyi Okrug (Western Military District, WMD) is the Russian military's most important territorial command in terms of area of responsibility, covering the country's two biggest urban centres - Moscow and St Petersburg. It also includes a significant proportion of Russia's industrial capacity, concentrated in the so-called Central Industrial Region. Last but not least, this is the military district with the longest frontiers with NATO member states, both in the continental part of the country and the Kaliningrad exclave; its area of responsibility also extends over the vast majority of the Baltic Sea. Additionally, the WMD has long frontiers with the northern and eastern regions of Ukraine, which is currently regarded as a non-friendly neighbour, aspiring to join NATO in the foreseeable future.