Patches

Patches on uniforms were used in the Soviet Union and are used in Russia today.

Sleeve Patches
In this system, one patch is worn on the left arm with a flag and a text denoting which branch of the armed forces the soldier is a part of (Armed Forces, Navy, Air Force, etc). On the right arm a patch is worn that shows which part of the branch the soldier is a part of (Naval Infantry, VDV, etc). Specific unit or operational patches are also worn on the right sleeve.

Current Patch System
The current patch system was introduced in 2002 and has unified the look and standards of application of patches.

Sleeve Patches
One patch is worn on the right arm with the army branch and troop type insignia. This patch replaces two patches in the old system as no flag patch is worn. Specific unit and operational patches are worn on the left arm.