Odessa Military District The Odessa Military District ( ) was a military administrative division of the Imperial Russian military , the Soviet Armed Forces and the Ukrainian Armed Forces and was known under such name from around 1862 to 1998 . It was reorganized as part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Military of Moldova in 1992 . In 1998 most of its territory was transformed into the Southern Operational Command ( Ukraine ) . History . Russian Empire . The Odessa Military District was established during the reforms of the Russian military minister Dmitry Milyutin . It was the second of two districts on the territory of Ukraine , the other being Kiev Military District . OVO existed from 1862 - 1918 as part of the Imperial Russian Armed Forces . It encompassed the territories of Kherson , Yekaterinoslav , Tauride , Bessarabia guberniya s . The district bordered Kingdom of Romania , Kiev Military District , Don Voisko Oblast , and Black Sea . In the 1870s and 1880s ( until August 12 , 1889 ) the Commander of the district served as the interim Governor General of Odessa city concurrently . In January 1918 the Odessa Military District headquarters was transformed into the headquarters of the Soviet Romanian Front under the jurisdiction of Rumcherod . With the establishment of the Ukrainian government on its territory , it was terminated . OVO was reinstated as the Ukrainian forces were pushed out the area in April to August 1919 . Soviet Union . The district was reformed by the decision of October 11 , 1939 specifically for the occupation of Bessarabia after the Soviet Union signed Molotov - Ribbentrop Pact . At that time its territory included the newly created Moldovian SSR , six oblasts of the Ukrainian SSR ( Izmail , Odessa , Dnipropetrovsk , Zaporizhia , Mykolaiv , Kirovohrad ) and also the Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic as part of the Russian SFSR . The Odessa MD was reinforced by several units from the Ukrainian Front that took part in the Soviet invasion of Poland and Romania , previously formed on base of the Odessa Army Group of the " Kiev Special Military District " ( reformed Kiev Military District ) . By directives " OV / 583 " and " OV / 584 " of the Soviet People ' s Commissariat of Defense , units of the Odessa Military District were ordered into " battle ready " state in the spring of 1940 . Soviet troop concentrations along the Romanian border took place between April 15 and June 10 , 1940 . In order to coordinate the efforts of the Kiev and Odessa military districts in the preparation of action against Romania , the Soviet Army created the Southern Front under General Georgy Zhukov , composed of the 5th , 9th and 12th Armies . The Southern Front had 32 infantry divisions , 2 motorized infantry divisions , 6 cavalry divisions , 11 tank brigades , 3 paratrooper brigades , 30 artillery regiments , and smaller auxiliary units . Two action plans were devised . The first plan was prepared for the case that Romania would not accept to evacuate Bessarabia and Bukovina . The Soviet 12th Army was supposed in such a situation to strike Southward along the Prut river towards Iaşi , while Soviet 9th Army was supposed to strike East - to - West south of Chişinău towards Huşi . The target of this plan was to surround the Romanian troops in the Bălţi - Iaşi area . The second plan took into consideration the case that Romania would succumb to Soviet demands and would evacuate its military . In such a situation , Soviet troops were given the mission to reach quickly the Prut river , and take charge of the evacuation process of the Romanian troops . The first plan was taken as the basis of action . Along the portions where the offensive was supposed to take place , Soviets prepared to have at least a triple superiority of men and means . On June 22 , 1941 primary combat formations included : In August 1941 51st Independent Army was formed in the Crimea . On September 10 , 1941 the district was abolished as it was overran by the Armed Forces of Nazi Germany and its allies . Post World War II Development . The District was reformed on April 23 , 1944 with its headquarters at Kirovohrad , which in October 1944 relocated to Odessa . After the war the 57th Аrmy and the Seventh Guards Army were deployed in the District . In April 1960 the District consisted of three oblasts ( Mykolaiv Oblast , Izmail Oblast and Odessa Oblast ) as well as the Moldavian SSR and the three new oblasts from the disbanded Tavria Military District : Zaporizhia Oblast , Crimean Oblast , and Kherson Oblast . Tavria Military District . The Tavria Military District had previously been created in July 1945 from the headquarters of the Separate Coastal Army and 22nd Army with its headquarters in Simferopol . In April 1960 the District ' s contingent came under command of the Force Command in Southwestern Direction , with its headquarters at Kishinev where it was practically relocated . Its administrative representation in the Ukrainian oblasts came under responsibility of the Odessa MD . Later Developments . In the Odessa District ' s territory were additionally deployed the 14th Guards Army ( created on the basis of 10th Guards Rifle Corps ) , the 32nd Army Corps ( reformed on the basis of the headquarters units of former Tavria Military District ) in 1956 , the 82nd Army Corps ( disbanded in probably 1987 ) , complemented by the 98th Guards Airborne Division as well as seven additional motor rifle divisions . The 82nd Army Corps , located in Balti , Moldavian SSR , was part of the 14th Guards Army , and consisted of the 59th Guards Motor Rifle Division and 86th Guards Motor Rifle Division . The 5th Air Army of the Soviet Air Forces provided tactical air support for the District ' s units and the 49th Air Defence Corps , 8th Air Defence Army was tasked with national air defence for the territory . The Odessa Military District was transferred uto the jurisdiction of Ukraine after the dissolution of the Soviet Union on January 3 , 1992 at 18 : 00 . William E . Odom says that ' in accordance with the Minsk agreements [ from the CIS summit in Minsk of 30 – 31 December 1991 ] , Shaposhnikov sent an order on 3 January 1992 , formally transferring conventional forces to Ukraine . President Kravchuk then approved the firing of the three military district commanders ( . . ) . On 7 – 8 January each were removed , none resisting because within their headquarters Kravchuk ' s people had quietly created a network of officers loyal to his government . ' Its units were split between the Armed Forces of Ukraine and some units , mostly from the 14th Guards Army , in the former Moldovian SSR that became part of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation . Forces in the 1980s . Around 1988 , the District contained the following forces : Ukraine / Moldova . Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union the 14th Guards Army became entangled in the later War of Transnistria ( see 14th Army involvement in Transnistria ) . The 98th Guards Airborne Division was split between Russia and Ukraine ; the Ukrainian half became the 1st Airmobile Division and the Russian part was withdrawn to Ivanovo in the Moscow Military District and became part of the Russian Airborne Troops . The 5th Air Army was later redesignated the 5th Aviation Corps of the Ukrainian Air Force , while over the northern border , the Army was reformed in Russia ' s Volga - Urals Military District in 2001 . Colonel General Vladimir Shkidchenko commanded the Odessa Military District from December 1993 until it became the Southern Operational Command in February 1998 . Since January 3 , 1998 the Odessa Military District was transformed into the Southern Operational Command of the Ukrainian Ground Forces according to the Decree of Ministry of Defense of Ukraine from July 1 , 1997 . The command encompasses nine oblast s : Odessa , Mykolaiv , Kherson , Dnipropetrovsk , Zaporizhia , Donetsk , Luhansk , Kirovohrad , Kharkiv , and the autonomous republic of Crimea .