I was planning on taking a break from Post-Soviet miniature painting by focusing on some WWII miniatures, but that didn't go as planned. I waited a while for some Kelly's Heroes miniatures, got them, but then didn't like them (great character, but inconsistent sculpting and the weapons are far too small). After that I decided to go with AB Figures, I waited some more for those to arrive (pretty quick from Australia, however), but after I got those I didn't like them that much either (not enough character - a bit on the small side). I suppose I'm just picky and no one really makes the Eastern Front miniatures I really want to paint. I was also waylaid for two weeks because of bleach burns on my hands (tried to clean the outside of our house with bleach that wasn't diluted enough ... all healed now) and a work trip.
After finding some inspiration on the new RH Models forum I decided to go back to the Chechen Wars and start my Russian forces in earnest. I chose to first do my impression of some OMON troops I always liked the look of. To assemble these guys I chopped the back pockets off a batch of modern Russians and the heads and collars off some of these. I sculpted three back pockets on some and two long back pockets on others. Almost all got hoods sculpted on them. For variety I head swapped half of them. I painted them with a variety of camouflage schemes with the winter SMK (blue/gray) pattern being the main theme. The SMK pattern was used quite extensively during the First Chechen War (different variations can be seen) and to a lesser extent during the Second Chechen War (with even more variations, some even with brown not gray splotches).
It took a few weeks to modify and paint these guys, but in the end I'm very pleased with them. I have another nine to do in similar manner. I just have to get in the sculpting mood.
RH Models RUS20E; RUS20* with head swap; RUS26* with head swap
RH Models RUS20E; RUS20* with head swap; RUS25O; RUS20E
RH Models RUS20COME; RUS23E; RUS20E; RUS20* with head swap
RH Models RUS23* with head swap; RUS21* with head swap; RUS20BGE
January, 1995: Russian Interior Ministry troops near Grozny.
January 4th, 1995: OMON on patrol in Grozny.
January 4th, 1995: OMON on patrol in Grozny.
February 11th, 1995: Russians on APC in Grozny.
Russian OMON patrols village (April, 1996).
Russians working demonstration outside Samashki, April 15th, 1995.
Russians preparing at Pervomayskaya (January 12th, 1996).
