Spetsnaz GRU
Encyclopedia
The Spetsnaz GRU, or Russian army
special forces
, are the original Spetsnaz
and are generally considered the best trained and experienced units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
, as evidenced by both their seniority among the Special Forces (Spetsnaz GRU are 27 years older than their KGB (formerly Tcheka) Osnaz
counterparts and their colleagues from the MVD) and their reputation within the Union (Cf. V. Suvorov). They are a special unit under the control of GRU
(Glavnoye Razvedyvatel'noye Upravleniye is the acronym for the foreign military intelligence directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
). The Spetsnaz are also used for missions in Counter-Terrorism
. Much like the British SAS or Delta Force
, they carry out operations deep behind enemy lines.
GRU is the English transliteration of the Russian acronym ГРУ, which stands for "Главное Разведывательное Управление", meaning Main Intelligence Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff. The full name is GRU GSh (GRU Generalnovo Shtaba (or "GenShtaba"), i.e. "GRU of/for the General Staff").
. These forces were subordinate to the commanders of Front
s. The situation was reviewed after the war ended, and between 1947 and 1950 the whole of the GRU was reorganized. The first 'independent reconnaissance companies of special purpose' were formed in 1949, to work for tank and combined-arms armies. In 1957, the first Spetsnaz battalions were formed, five to eliminate enemy nuclear weapons systems such as MGR-3 Little John
and MGM-1 Matador
. The first brigades were formed in 1962, reportedly to reach up to 750 kilometres in the rear to destroy U.S. weapons systems such as the MGM-52 Lance, MGM-29 Sergeant
, and MGM-31 Pershing. Two 'study regiments' were established in the 1960s to train specialists and NCOs, the first in 1968 at Pechora near Pskov
, and the second in 1970 at Chirchiq
near Tashkent
.
Later operations included Operation Storm-333
.
was developed for the use of Spetsnaz. A powerful spring installed within the grip allows the blade to be ejected. Another form of Spetsnaz knife is the NRS-2 (Knife Reconnaissance, Shooting) knife with a built in handle single-shot firearm able to fire SP-4 suppressed cartridge (the same used in PSS Silent Pistol
).
Russian Ground Forces
The Russian Ground Forces are the land forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, formed from parts of the collapsing Soviet Army in 1992. The formation of these forces posed economic challenges after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and required reforms to professionalize the force...
special forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
, are the original Spetsnaz
Spetsnaz
Spetsnaz, Specnaz tr: Voyska specialnogo naznacheniya; ) is an umbrella term for any special forces in Russian, literally "force of special purpose"...
and are generally considered the best trained and experienced units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are the military services of Russia, established after the break-up of the Soviet Union. On 7 May 1992 Boris Yeltsin signed a decree establishing the Russian Ministry of Defence and placing all Soviet Armed Forces troops on the territory of the RSFSR...
, as evidenced by both their seniority among the Special Forces (Spetsnaz GRU are 27 years older than their KGB (formerly Tcheka) Osnaz
OSNAZ
For Russian special purpose forces in general see: spetsnazThe Dzerzhinsky Division is a internal security division of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR and then the Russian Federation.-USSR:...
counterparts and their colleagues from the MVD) and their reputation within the Union (Cf. V. Suvorov). They are a special unit under the control of GRU
GRU
GRU or Glavnoye Razvedyvatel'noye Upravleniye is the foreign military intelligence directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation...
(Glavnoye Razvedyvatel'noye Upravleniye is the acronym for the foreign military intelligence directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation is the military staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. It is the central organ of the Armed Forces Administration and oversees operational management of the armed forces under the Russian Ministry of Defence.The staff is...
). The Spetsnaz are also used for missions in Counter-Terrorism
Counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
. Much like the British SAS or Delta Force
Delta Force
1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta is one of the United States' secretive Tier One counter-terrorism and Special Mission Units. Commonly known as Delta Force, Delta, or The Unit, it was formed under the designation 1st SFOD-D, and is officially referred to by the Department of Defense...
, they carry out operations deep behind enemy lines.
GRU is the English transliteration of the Russian acronym ГРУ, which stands for "Главное Разведывательное Управление", meaning Main Intelligence Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff. The full name is GRU GSh (GRU Generalnovo Shtaba (or "GenShtaba"), i.e. "GRU of/for the General Staff").
History
During World War II, reconnaissance and diversionary forces were formed under the supervision of the Second Department of the General StaffGeneral Staff
A military staff, often referred to as General Staff, Army Staff, Navy Staff or Air Staff within the individual services, is a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer and subordinate military units...
. These forces were subordinate to the commanders of Front
Front (Soviet Army)
A front was a major military organization in the Soviet Army during many wars. It was roughly equivalent to an army group in the militaries of most other countries except Germany...
s. The situation was reviewed after the war ended, and between 1947 and 1950 the whole of the GRU was reorganized. The first 'independent reconnaissance companies of special purpose' were formed in 1949, to work for tank and combined-arms armies. In 1957, the first Spetsnaz battalions were formed, five to eliminate enemy nuclear weapons systems such as MGR-3 Little John
MGR-3 Little John
The MGR-3 Little John was a free flight artillery rocket system designed and put into service by the U.S. Army during the 1950s and 1960s.-Description:...
and MGM-1 Matador
MGM-1 Matador
The Martin MGM-1 Matador was the first operational surface-to-surface cruise missile built by the United States. It was similar in concept to the German V-1, but the Matador included a radio link that allowed in-flight course corrections. This allowed accuracy to be maintained over greatly extended...
. The first brigades were formed in 1962, reportedly to reach up to 750 kilometres in the rear to destroy U.S. weapons systems such as the MGM-52 Lance, MGM-29 Sergeant
MGM-29 Sergeant
The MGM-29 Sergeant was an American short-range, solid fuel, surface-to-surface missile developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Activated by the US Army in 1962 to replace the MGM-5 Corporal it was deployed overseas by 1963, carrying the W52 nuclear warhead or alternatively one of high explosives...
, and MGM-31 Pershing. Two 'study regiments' were established in the 1960s to train specialists and NCOs, the first in 1968 at Pechora near Pskov
Pskov
Pskov is an ancient city and the administrative center of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located in the northwest of Russia about east from the Estonian border, on the Velikaya River. Population: -Early history:...
, and the second in 1970 at Chirchiq
Chirchiq
Chirchiq also spelled as Chirchik is a city in Toshkent Province, Uzbekistan, about 32 km northeast of Tashkent, along the Chirciq River...
near Tashkent
Tashkent
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and of the Tashkent Province. The officially registered population of the city in 2008 was about 2.2 million. Unofficial sources estimate the actual population may be as much as 4.45 million.-Early Islamic History:...
.
Later operations included Operation Storm-333
Operation Storm-333
Operation Storm-333 was the codename of the Soviet special forces operation on December 27, 1979 in which Soviet special forces stormed the Tajbeg Palace in Afghanistan and killed President Hafizullah Amin and his 200 personal guards...
.
Organization
Here are the Spetsnaz brigades and the location at which they are stationed:- 2nd Detached Special Operations Brigade - Promezhitsy, Pskov OblastPskov OblastPskov Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Pskov Oblast borders the countries of Estonia and Latvia, as well as Belarus. It is the westernmost federal subject of contiguous Russia . Its major cities are the administrative center Pskov and Velikiye Luki . Area: 55,300 km²...
; strength around 960 (Leningrad Military DistrictLeningrad Military DistrictThe Leningrad Military District was a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In 2010 it was merged with the Moscow Military District, the Northern Fleet and the Baltic Fleet to form the new Western Military District.-History:...
) - 3rd Guards Detached Special Operations Brigade - Roshinskiy, Samara OblastSamara OblastSamara Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Samara. Population: In 1936–1990, it was known as Kuybyshev Oblast , after the Soviet name of Samara .-Demographics:Population:...
; (Volga-Ural Military District) - 10th (Mountain) Detached Special Operations Brigade - Molkino, Krasnodar KraiKrasnodar Krai-External links:* **...
; activated July 1, 2003 (North Caucasus Military DistrictNorth Caucasus Military DistrictThe North Caucasus Military District was a military district of the Russian Ground Forces, which became in 2010 the Southern Military District and lately also includes the Black Sea Fleet and Caspian Flotilla....
) - 12th Detached Special Operations Brigade - Asbest-5, Sverdlovsk OblastSverdlovsk OblastSverdlovsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia located in the Urals Federal District. Its administrative center is the city of Yekaterinburg formerly known as Sverdlovsk. Population: -Geography:...
; (Volga-Ural Military District) transferring: Chaikovskyy (Perm'). Began 1990s at LagodekhiLagodekhiLagodekhi is a small town and district in the Kakheti region of eastern Georgia. There is a border crossing there leading to Azerbaijan's Balakan Province.Lagodekhi Nature Reserve, established in 1911, is situated in this area.-External links:***...
in the Transcaucasus Military District - 14th Detached Special Operations Brigade - UssuriyskUssuriyskUssuriysk is a city in Primorsky Krai, Russia, located in the fertile valley of the Razdolnaya River, north of Vladivostok and about from both the Chinese border and the Pacific Ocean. Population: -Medieval history:...
, Primorsky KraiPrimorsky KraiPrimorsky Krai , informally known as Primorye , is a federal subject of Russia . Primorsky means "maritime" in Russian, hence the region is sometimes referred to as Maritime Province or Maritime Territory. Its administrative center is in the city of Vladivostok...
; (Far Eastern Military DistrictFar Eastern Military DistrictThe Far Eastern Military District was a military district of the Russian Ground Forces. In 2010 it was merged with the Pacific Fleet and part of the Siberian Military District to form the new Eastern Military District....
) - 16th Detached Special Operations Brigade - formerly Teplyi Stan, suburb of Moscow, now Chuchkovo, Moscow Military DistrictMoscow Military DistrictThe Moscow Military District was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In 2010 it was merged with the Leningrad Military District, the Northern Fleet and the Baltic Fleet to form the new Western Military District.-History:In the beginning of...
- 22nd Guards Detached Special Operations Brigade - Kovalevka, Rostov OblastRostov OblastRostov Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in the Southern Federal District. Rostov Oblast has an area of and a population of making it the sixth most populous federal subject in Russia...
; (North Caucasus Military DistrictNorth Caucasus Military DistrictThe North Caucasus Military District was a military district of the Russian Ground Forces, which became in 2010 the Southern Military District and lately also includes the Black Sea Fleet and Caspian Flotilla....
) - 24th Detached Special Operations Brigade - KyakhtaKyakhtaKyakhta is a town in the Republic of Buryatia, Russia, located on the Kyakhta River near the Russian-Mongolian border. Population: The town stands directly opposite the Mongolian border town of Altanbulag.-History:...
, Siberian Military DistrictSiberian Military DistrictThe Siberian Military District was a Military district of the Russian Ground Forces. In 2010 it was divided between the two newly formed Central and Eastern Military Districts.- History :...
; - 67th Detached Special Operations Brigade - BerdskBerdskBerdsk is a town in Novosibirsk Oblast, Russia, a satellite of Novosibirsk, situated on a bank of the Berd River. Population: It was founded in 1716 as a fortress. Town status was granted to it in 1944...
, Novosibirsk OblastNovosibirsk OblastNovosibirsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia located in southwestern Siberia. Its administrative and economic center is the city of Novosibirsk. Population: -Overview:...
; (Siberian Military DistrictSiberian Military DistrictThe Siberian Military District was a Military district of the Russian Ground Forces. In 2010 it was divided between the two newly formed Central and Eastern Military Districts.- History :...
) - 216th Detached Special Operations Battalion - MoscowMoscowMoscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
(Moscow Military District)
Spetsnaz knife
A specialized ballistic knifeBallistic knife
A ballistic knife is a specialized combat knife with a detachable gas- or spring-propelled blade that can be fired to a distance of several feet or meters by pressing a trigger or switch on the handle.-History and usage:...
was developed for the use of Spetsnaz. A powerful spring installed within the grip allows the blade to be ejected. Another form of Spetsnaz knife is the NRS-2 (Knife Reconnaissance, Shooting) knife with a built in handle single-shot firearm able to fire SP-4 suppressed cartridge (the same used in PSS Silent Pistol
PSS Silent Pistol
The PSS silent pistol is the last completed weapon system resulting from the Soviet development of silent pistols operating on a sealed cartridge system. Two previous designs were considered unacceptable for use due to their limitation to two shots. Earlier systems included the MSP and SP-4M...
).
Spetsnaz shovel
One of the most famous weapons of the Spetsnaz is a small, metal hand shovel, much like a spade. It is balanced for throwing and has a flat head with sharpened edges. In the hands of a trained soldier, it can be used for numerous purposes ranging from hand-to-hand combat to use as a shield, with the soldier angling the blade to deflect an oncoming bullet. However, there is no proof of any actual combat use of a shovel by Spetsnaz in recent years (although the myth about Spetsnaz shovel is still alive on US TV shows).Notable Spetsnaz
- Saulius "Sonny" Puzikas – Documentary personality, actor, and weapons and SystemaRyabko's SystemaRyabko's Systema is a type of martial art headed by Mikhail Ryabko. Ryabko is a Colonel in the Russian military, and has past military, special forces, and traditional Russian martial arts training....
instructor - Maxim Franz – Former Naval Spetsnaz sniper, SystemaSystemaSystema is a Russian martial art. Training includes: hand to hand combat, grappling, knife fighting and fire arms training as well. Training involves drills and sparring without set kata. It focuses mainly on controlling the six body levers through pressure point application, striking and weapon...
instructor - Mikhail RyabkoMikhail RyabkoMikhail Ryabko is a Colonel in the Russian military, serves as a Special Advisor to the Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation and is the founder of Ryabko's Systema....
– SystemaRyabko's SystemaRyabko's Systema is a type of martial art headed by Mikhail Ryabko. Ryabko is a Colonel in the Russian military, and has past military, special forces, and traditional Russian martial arts training....
and bodyguardBodyguardA bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
instructor - Vladimir Vasiliev — Director and Chief Instructor of the Toronto School of Russian Martial Arts
See also
- Alpha GroupAlpha GroupThe Alpha Group , is an elite component of Russia's Spetsnaz as well as the dedicated counter-terrorism unit of the Federal Security Service...
- VympelVympelVympel , also known as KGB Directorate "B" ,Vega Group or Spetsgruppa V, Group B is a Russian special forces unit....
- RusRus (special forces)Rus was a special forces unit of the Interior Troops , of the interior ministry of the Russian Federation. It was a unit in the Independent Operative Purpose Division .Rus was created on August 1, 1994...
- Vityaz (MVD)Vityaz (MVD)Vityaz was a Russian Spetsnaz unit of the MVD, a unit in the Independent Operative Purpose Division of the Internal Troops.Vityaz was assigned specifically to counter-terrorism duties. Vityaz unit regularly conducts counter-terrorism patrols in Chechnya and along the Caucasus border...
- OMONOMONOMOH is a generic name for the system of special units of militsiya within the Russian and earlier the Soviet MVD...
- SOBRSOBRThe Special Rapid Response Unit or SOBR is an elite commando unit of the Russian Interior Ministry, involved in anti-criminal operations....
- Russian Airborne Troops
External links
- kamouflage.net Camouflage uniforms used by Russian Federation armed forces
- Russian Army
- Russia Military Guide Includes satellite photos of bases