Russian Special Operations Regiment
Country Soviet Union (until 1991)
Type Special Forces
Role Special Forces
The generic term Spetsnaz (Russian:Спецназ) refers to multiple special intervention groups of the politsia (police), the Russian Ministries of Justice and Internal Affairs, the FSB (ex KGB) and the SVR as well as the army Russian.
Spetsnaz is a contraction of SPETSïal'nogo NAZnatchéniyé (full name in Russian:Войска специального назначения, special designation/purpose forces).
History
The spetsnaz descend from the group of supporters of Ilya Starinov (nicknamed the grandfather of the spetsnaz), who practiced numerous sabotages during the Spanish Civil War. It was at this time that the name spetsnaz appeared.
During the Second World War, more and more spetsnaz units (including that of the NKVD) were formed to intervene in front of the Red Army or to train resistance groups. Subsequently many soldiers from the VDV (Russian airborne troops) will come to swell the ranks of these units.
Intended purpose and use
The only watchword of these special forces is absolute efficiency in their missions by all available means.
The assassination of Afghan President Hafizullah Amin on December 27, 1979 in Kabul was their first major operation named Operation Chtorm-333. Spetsnaz landed from 2 Antonovs at Kabul International Airport dressed in Afghani uniforms and, guided by KGB agents, cleared the presidential palace and assassinated the president. A dozen Soviets lost their lives there, including Colonel Borianov, in charge of the operation, killed by friendly fire because he was mistaken for an Afghan guard.
Among the prestigious but bloody feats of arms of this elite corps.
The different groups
Alpha and Vympel of the FSB
Originally designated Grom and Zenit, the Alpha and Vympel (flagship) groups are tasked with counter-terrorism missions.
Created in 1974, Alpha took part in multiple operations, for example:in 1999 in Daghestan, from 1999 to 2001 in Chechnya, in 2001 in Mineralnyé Vody, in 2002 in Moscow during the hostage-taking at the Nord-Ost theater and in 2004 in Beslan.
As for the Vympel group, it was created on August 19, 1981 by General Youri Ivanovitch Drozdov within the "S" Directorate of the Pé-Gué-Ou of the KGB and its members carried out various armed missions and played the role of military advisers. with the local guerrillas, in Mozambique, Cuba, Vietnam, Angola, Nicaragua and Lebanon.
Alpha and Vympel participated with the Spetsnaz GRU in the assassination of Afghan President Amin in 1979 as well as in numerous operations during the war in Afghanistan and in Chechnya, where its members eliminated several leaders of the Chechen rebellion:Raduev, Baraev, Abu-Oumar, Abu-Habs, Basaev and Mas'hadov.
The special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
Intended for counter-terrorist missions on Russian territory. Composed of several detachments based in several cities, among them we can mention:Vityaz, which took part in the operations in Chechnya, Rus’ (Moscow) and Skif (Rostov-on-Don).
Also worth mentioning is the SOBR (СОБР, Специальный Отряд Быстрого Реагирования) special rapid reaction detachment, created in 1992 and also intended for the release of hostages and the fight against terrorism.
GRU Spetsnaz
Members of the Vostok Battalion. A GRU Spetsnaz unit usually stationed in Chechnya during their intervention in Georgia in 2008.
Created in the 1950s, they are the military special forces, GRU being the abbreviation of the General Directorate of Intelligence of the General Staff of the Russian and Soviet Armed Forces, high command of military intelligence.
At the time, their role was to counter the MGM-31 Pershing-type mobile nuclear weapon delivery systems. Later their mission extended to acts of sabotage, elimination of enemy leaders, capture of strategic objectives, reconnaissance, etc. in times of war.
They took part in military operations in Afghanistan, Chechnya and Georgia.
The GRU Spetsnaz includes elements of ground forces, combat swimmers as well as VDV.
Combat swimmers are also present among other response groups.
OMON
The OMON are special detachments of the militsia intended for anti-riot missions and the fight against crime.
Special forces of the Ministry of Justice
Intended for the fight against banditry, they include several detachments, including:Chturm, Sever, Pheniks and Jaguar.
Role and training
Their role, especially in Chechnya, remains controversial because these soldiers are seen by some as real death squads, to whom the methods of resistance to torture are taught in the same way as topography or camouflage. Nevertheless, they remain feared and respected units for their specific know-how. Their actions in Chechnya amount to a crime against humanity according to Amnesty International (rape, murder, torture of civilians including children).
Recruitment and training
Spetsnaz selection is extremely tough and difficult. A great emphasis is placed on the seasoning and hardiness of the troops, namely their ability to adapt in a hostile environment. Nevertheless, the subjects taught at the Spetsnaz are generally common with those of their counterparts in Western Europe, namely:
weapons handling, including the use of foreign weapons and marksmanship;
physical health with an emphasis on stamina and strength;
tracking, patrolling, camouflage, and surveillance techniques, including survival in a wide variety of hostile environments;
melee, unarmed, and knife or shovel combat trenching (in handgun or throwing). See Sambo and Systema;
sabotage and demolition of vital strategic objectives for the enemy;
interrogation techniques:this training is strongly criticized because it also includes learning torture techniques;
foreign language training:given at the University of Moscow, it aims to teach Spetsnaz the basics of certain foreign languages such as English, French, but also certain languages of Asia Minor and the Middle East.
Armaments and equipment
The armament of the Spetsnaz is still based on the Kalashnikov system:The AK-47 assault rifle and its variants with the AK-47M folding butt, and the compact AKS-47U but there are also the SR-3, 9A assault rifles -91 or the AS Val silent assault rifle chambering the SP-5, SP-6 and PAB-9 cartridges in 9x39mm caliber. Also available is the AN-94 Abakan originally intended to one day replace the AK-47 but also the AK-10x.
On the side of sniper rifles:the famous SVD and SVU as well as the so-called OSV-96 and KSVK anti-materiel rifles, both firing the 12.7x108mm cartridge and the three silent models intended for urban combat and in closed environments:VSK-94 , VSS Vintorez and 'Vyhlop'. The first two in caliber 9x39mm and the last in 12.7mm.
There are also the RPK, PKM and Pecheneg light machine guns, the single-shot assault rifle grenade launcher is the BG-15 while the automatic models remain the well-known RG-6, AGS 17 and AGS-30.
Spetsnaz marine units have two weapons:the APS underwater assault rifle and the SPP-1 underwater pistol. The first fires steel darts that are 5.66 millimeters in caliber and 120mm long. This weapon can fire single shots or bursts. The magazine holds 26 darts. The SSP-1 is a pistol that also fires darts.