36th Army (Soviet Union)

Formed in mid-1941, the army spent much of World War II as part of the Transbaikal Military District guarding the Manchurian and Mongolian-Soviet borders.

During the Soviet invasion of Manchuria in August 1945, the army advanced over the Greater Khingan mountains and overran the Japanese Hailar fortified region in fierce fighting.

It initially included the 65th, 93rd, 94th, and 114th Rifle Divisions as well as the 31st and 32nd Fortified Regions, supported by a number of artillery units, among others.

As part of the Khingan–Mukden Offensive Operation, the army was tasked with an advance from the Dauriya area and positions northeast of Duroy to Hailar in order to secure the attack of the main force of the Transbaikal Front against a Japanese counterattack from the north.

Beginning their attack on the night of 9 August without artillery or aerial bombardment, the forces of the army swiftly overran Japanese covering units, captured the Jalainur-Manchuria fortified region on the right flank, and crossed the Argun River on the left flank to advance on Hailar.

The five fortified regions were merged to form regiments in the latter, while the 11th Guards Division was reduced to a weapons and equipment storage base in 1990.

[5] The corps was transferred to the Russian Ground Forces when the Soviet Union dissolved, and was redesignated as the 36th Army again in 1997.