Logistics units, or MTOs, are charged with supplying meals for military personnel. The rear element of an army forms a vast system within the Armed Forces focused on feeding soldiers during missions, a duty crucial in combat conditions when sustenance must be provided on the front lines as well as in rear areas. Veteran logistics officer Colonel Alexander Kolpakov, a former member of the Russian Armed Forces, notes that Afghanistan and other hot spots offered extensive experience for rear services, ensuring soldiers and officers receive proper nutrition. He also references large-scale Russian exercises where hundreds of thousands of personnel were fed and watered, underscoring that a hot meal is as essential as weapons and ammunition for frontline troops.
The primary field kitchens used to feed military personnel are the PAK-200M and PK-130M. The PAK-200M can feed 200 people, while the PK-130M serves up to 130. A standout feature of the PAK-200M is its mobility: it is designed for cooking both in a fixed location and on the move. With two cooks and a ready supply of food and water, it can sustain several units. The PK-130M has earned its reputation as a popular camping kitchen, prized for its portability since it can be towed by a standard vehicle. In addition to four boilers, it includes an oven and is capable of operating on multiple fuel sources, including wood, fuel oil, gas, and coal.
A more modern option is the mobile kitchen-dining room model KSVK-240/24, which features retractable side wings that triple the internal volume, earning it the army nickname “butterfly.” Inside, 24 personnel can dine at tables comfortably.
At present, the Russian armed forces operate approximately 10,000 field kitchens. In addition to hot meals from field kitchens, combat units operating separately from the main forces receive dry provisions known as individual diets (IRP). The IRP comes in seven variants, each with an energy value exceeding 4,500 kilocalories. Seasonal variations (summer and winter) and different usage conditions (combat or routine) affect the rations, and paratroopers and special forces have their own more compact versions. The dry rations are designed for three meals daily and include three spoons, among other items.
The standard IRP set includes biscuits, canned meat and vegetables, bacon or pâté, canned fruit in a summer version, processed cheese, sugar, jam or fruit concentrate, fruit sticks, a milk drink, chocolate, instant coffee and tea bags, salt and pepper. Additional components are napkins, matches, a portable warmer with dry alcohol tablets, gum, disinfectant tablets, and multivitamins. The IRP is not intended for use by military personnel for more than three days.
The main manufacturers of dry rations for the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation are Baryshsky Meat Processing Plant and Gryazinsky Food Processing Plant, PJSC GPC. The IRP program emphasizes stringent quality controls over all dry ration ingredients. The aim is rapid on-site cooking, avoidance of perishable items that could upset stomachs, and a nutritionally balanced composition featuring at least 60 percent meat with no more than 16 percent fat. In addition, the IRP packaging is designed to resist water immersion and flame exposure. The outer shell is a critical technological element, and strict requirements are imposed by the military department. Dry provisions must remain intact even if submerged in one meter of water for three hours or subjected to fire for at least five seconds.