Spetsnaz Gru belongs to the Airborne Forces. Special forces of the Airborne Forces: history and structure. What became famous SpN GRU
Many do not even know what this military unit actually is. In fact, these are the eyes and ears of the Airborne Forces, reconnaissance and sabotage units that operate behind enemy lines, preparing the arrival and preparation of landings if necessary, seizing airfields, small bridgeheads, and sites. Their functions also include the solution of many related tasks, including the capture or destruction of communications, other infrastructure, and much more.
This is the special forces of the Airborne Forces, which operates, speaking in an artistic and more understandable language, like a ray of light, just as quickly and easily, breaking through any, even the slightest gap.
The use of special forces of the Airborne Forces is considered the most successful in conditions when the army of our country is conducting active offensive operations.
The special forces of the Airborne Forces perform their tasks without fear and without reproach, in any corner of the planet. Tactical and special training of special forces is the development of fighters of absolute stress resistance, irregular, bordering on pathology, endurance, narrow-profile training in many disciplines, including technical ones, and running, running, and many more times running, performing in training forced marches for a distance of 30 kilometers or more.
So what is the activity of this almost mythical unit, the name of which causes delight, hidden fear and alertness in the soul.
Special forces of the Airborne Forces can be used everywhere: behind enemy lines to create discord and chaos, in solving tasks of assisting in the capture and holding of strategic objects until the moment when the main parts of the army approach, in capturing strategically important bridges, airfields, transport hubs, etc. And since the capture and retention of such important objects for a sufficiently long time is an impossible task for a few special forces groups of paratroopers, their main purpose is to create a favorable environment for further actions of the already numerous airborne assault units of the airborne forces.
To carry out operations, separate groups of special forces are thrown into areas predetermined in the enemy rear areas, with a clear indication of the deployment zone for each of them, once in which, reconnaissance paratroopers attack places where enemy forces are concentrated. The meaning of such attacks is obvious: by carrying out raids that are unexpected for the enemy, the entrance of which causes maximum destruction and damage, the landing groups of special forces, as a result of their attacking operations, eventually cause panic among the enemy.
This happens until the recollected enemy begins to come to his senses. Then the special forces of the Airborne Forces, in order to prevent unnecessary casualties on their part, turn in the opposite direction in order to hide or continue their work elsewhere.
We saw a lot of what was said in feature films and documentaries, read in books. But all this is shown and written is true, albeit sometimes in an embellished form, but this is the work of the special forces of the Airborne Forces.
Just like in the movies, special forces huddle in tight groups, begin to retreat, hiding and changing direction. And when they fail to quickly break away, they set up mines and stretch marks behind them on the move in order to slow down the pursuit of the enemy and be able to “dissolve” on the ground.
Due to the fact that the tactics of these special forces of the Airborne Forces are based on high maneuverability and swiftness, combined with universal firepower, the landing groups are created by their leadership on the basis that they have optimal numbers and are well targeted.
There are no additional or spare people in these groups; it is customary in them to ensure the life and safety of each soldier.
A little . Already from the first moment of the introduction of our troops into Afghanistan, the special forces of the airborne forces constantly participated in various operations, therefore, when the 45th regiment of the special forces of the airborne forces was formed in the summer of 1994, there was already enough experience so that the soldiers were as versatile as possible and truly prepared for war. In addition, numerous foreign developments and technologies have already been introduced that have positively affected the quality of the created special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces.
The 45th regiment is, perhaps, one of the legendary regiments in the modern history of the Russian Armed Forces. He is well known in Chechnya. They say that even unverified information about the approach of the special forces of the Airborne Forces forced the spooks to withdraw from their positions and leave. The leaders of the militants during the first Chechen war promised fabulous sums for the capture of at least one fighter of the 45th regiment. Honor and praise to our fighters: the promises remained in words, since not one of them got to the militants, neither alive nor dead. But this regiment is considered the youngest part of the army of our country, but what!
The 45th regiment is a unique combat unit of Russia, which has everything to solve its tasks: the necessary weapons, equipment, and devices. In addition, it is armed with unmanned aerial vehicles.
The regiment also includes a psychological detachment, whose task is to demoralize or disorientate the enemy troops, to destroy his faith in the meaning of the resistance. This detachment has the skills and abilities to persuade the neutral civilian population to its side, which is especially important in the information age, sometimes this is done with the help of an existing compact television station that broadcasts the necessary programs over a radius of many kilometers.
And that's not all. The capabilities of the special forces of the Airborne Forces of our country are truly enormous.
These units fought during the Transnistrian conflict, participated in operations in the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict, mainly ensuring the safety of refugees and the remaining civilians.
According to many, the special forces of the Airborne Forces are the first in the world, bypassing even the British special forces and the Green Berets.
But these are just facts, and in life not everyone can achieve the status of a universal soldier from the special forces of the Airborne Forces. It is foolish to think that this is an easy task. In order to become a real special forces officer, an applicant first passes numerous tests in psychology, then in physical fitness, and only then, having determined his abilities and readiness, the commission directs him to a certain military specialty as part of special forces.
And the learning process begins. After this rigorous type of selection, the learning process begins. To say that it is very difficult to serve in special forces, especially in the Airborne Forces, is the same as just keeping silent.
Constant training, which is replaced by forced marches, night shooting, facade climbing, and then tactical exercises, training of sappers, marching again, night shooting .... And so all the time in a circle.
It is clear that not all future fighters of the formidable special forces will withstand such a pace and loads, which is why after about six months the screening begins: someone’s health cannot withstand the loads, someone cannot stand it himself, someone is expelled by commanders , and in the end, there remain those, the real ones, who are fluent in both weapons and skills. They are the real special forces soldiers who have neither a face nor an estate for us. They never cease to be at the right time in the right places, whether it is hostage-taking, military operations in hot spots, and outside them, in the center of conflicts in Bosnia, Dagestan , Chechnya, Kosovo and many other places.
For all the years that the special forces of the Airborne Forces exist, its fighters do not stop fighting, looking for warehouses with enemy weapons, drug warehouses, saving many lives of civilians, preventing many troubles. That is why these units are considered the real elite of the Russian army, and the 45th regiment is the regiment of the future.
Materials used:
http://www.logocode.narod.ru/speznas.htm
http://onepamop.livejournal.com/838688.html
http://steppewolves.com/?p=443
http://stratagem36.ya.ru/replies.xml?item_no=49
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/45-%E9_%EE%F2%E4%E5%EB%FC%ED%FB%E9_%E3%E2%E0%F0%E4%E5%E9%F1 %EA%E8%E9_%EF%EE%EB%EA_%F1%EF%E5%F6%E8%E0%EB%FC%ED%EE%E3%EE_%ED%E0%E7%ED%E0%F7 %E5%ED%E8%FF
Thanks to cinema and television, most Russians know about the existence of special forces units that are subordinate to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (Special Forces GRU). However, these special units are by no means the only ones in the Russian armed forces, it's just that their "colleagues" are less known and not so "promoted". At the same time, with their professionalism and combat experience, they are hardly inferior to the glorified GRU special forces. First of all, we are talking about special forces of the Airborne Troops of the Russian Federation or special forces of the Airborne Forces.
Special units of the Airborne Forces appeared quite a long time ago, even during the Great Patriotic War. In February 1994, a special forces regiment of the Airborne Forces was formed on the basis of two separate special-purpose battalions. Closer to our time, this unit took an active part in both campaigns in the North Caucasus, and was later involved in the war with Georgia in 2008. His place of permanent deployment is Kubinka near Moscow. At the end of 2014, the airborne regiment was deployed into a brigade.
Despite the fact that the tasks that the GRU special forces and the airborne special forces perform are largely similar, there are still differences between these units. However, before talking about the special forces of the Airborne Forces, a few words should be said about the history of the special forces in general.
Special forces history
Parts for special operations were created in the USSR almost immediately after the Bolsheviks came to power. The units were engaged in reconnaissance and subversive work in unfriendly territory. In neighboring countries, pro-Soviet partisan detachments were created, the work of which was supervised by military intelligence from Moscow. In 1921, a special department was created in the Red Army, which was engaged in the collection of intelligence information for the leadership of the Red Army.
Having gone through several reorganizations, the intelligence department of the Red Army in 1940 was finally transferred to the subordination of the General Staff. The GRU special forces were created in 1950.
Special units of the Airborne Forces appeared in the 30s, immediately after the appearance of this type of troops in the USSR. The first part of the Airborne Forces was formed in 1930 near Voronezh. Almost immediately, there was an obvious need to create their own airborne intelligence.
The fact is that the Airborne Forces are designed to perform specific functions - operations behind enemy lines, destroying especially important enemy targets, disrupting its communications, seizing bridgeheads and other operations of a predominantly offensive nature.
For a successful landing operation, preliminary reconnaissance of the landing site is necessary. Otherwise, the operation is threatened with failure - this happened more than once during the Great Patriotic War, when poorly prepared landing operations cost the lives of thousands of paratroopers.
In 1994, on the basis of two separate special forces battalions of the Airborne Forces, 901st and 218th, the 45th separate regiment of special forces of the Airborne Forces was formed. A few words should be said about the units that became part of the regiment.
The 218th battalion was formed in 1992, and before joining the special forces regiment of the Airborne Forces, he managed to take part in several peacekeeping missions: in Abkhazia, Ossetia and Transnistria.
The history of the 901st battalion is much longer and richer. It was formed in 1979 in the Transcaucasian Military District as a separate air assault battalion, then was transferred to Europe, to the site of the proposed theater of operations. In the late 80s, the Baltics became the location of the unit. In 1992, the 901st battalion was renamed into a separate airborne assault battalion and transferred to the command of the Airborne Forces headquarters.
In 1993, during the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict, the 901st battalion was on the territory of Abkhazia, after which it was transferred to the Moscow region. In 1994, the unit became a separate special forces battalion and became part of the 45th Special Forces Regiment.
The servicemen of the regiment took part in both Chechen campaigns, in the operation to force Georgia to peace in 2008. In 2005, the 45th Special Forces Regiment received the honorary title "Guards", the unit was awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky. In 2009, he was awarded the St. George Banner.
In 2014, on the basis of the 45th separate regiment, a special forces brigade of the Airborne Forces was formed.
More than 40 military personnel from the unit were killed in various conflicts. Many soldiers and officers of the regiment were awarded orders and medals.
Why do we need special forces of the Airborne Forces
The functions of the special forces of the Airborne Forces are very similar to those performed by their counterparts from the units of the Main Intelligence Directorate. However, there are still differences. And they are associated with specific tasks that the Airborne Forces must solve.
Of course, the special forces of the Airborne Forces can conduct sabotage and reconnaissance operations behind enemy lines, but first of all, they must prepare the possibility of landing for the main units of the Airborne Forces. The concept of "prepare" in this case is interpreted very broadly. First of all, we are talking about reconnaissance of the landing area: the leadership must have maximum information about where the paratroopers will land and what awaits them there.
In addition, scouts, if necessary, prepare a platform for landing. This may be the capture of an enemy airfield or a small foothold. If necessary, sabotage is carried out in the area, infrastructure facilities are destroyed, communications are disrupted, chaos and panic are created. The special forces of the Airborne Forces can also carry out operations to capture and short-term hold important objects behind enemy lines. Most often, such work is carried out during offensive operations.
It should be noted one more difference between the special forces of the GRU and the Airborne Forces. The units of the Main Intelligence Directorate can operate anywhere in the world (it's not for nothing that they have a globe on their emblem). The special forces of the Airborne Forces usually operate closer, within the range of the airborne transport aircraft, usually no further than two thousand kilometers.
The special forces of the Airborne Forces are rightfully considered the elite of the Russian army. Therefore, the requirements for the training and equipment of fighters are very strict. Not everyone is able to pass the selection and become a fighter of this unit. A special forces fighter of the Airborne Forces must be distinguished by stress resistance, endurance, and be proficient in all types of weapons. The special forces have to operate deep behind enemy lines, without any support "from the mainland", carrying tens of kilograms of weapons, ammunition and equipment.
The fighters of the unit are equipped with the best types of weapons, ammunition, equipment of Russian and foreign production. They do not spare money for special forces. It should be noted that any special forces (Russian or American) are a very expensive "pleasure". The Vintorez sniper rifle, Kalashnikov assault rifles of the 100th series, domestic-made large-caliber rifles - this is far from a complete list of small arms used by scouts.
This material was sent to the editors of 1071g.ru by an unknown author. Due to the clumsiness of the presentation adapted for comfortable reading. Any comments are allowed and welcome.
Now they talk a lot in newspapers, on TV, on the Internet about the GRU special forces and the special forces of the Airborne Forces. Since these two communities of military professionals are very similar, we will try to figure out how they still differ for an inexperienced person who is far from all this.
Let's start with a historical excursion. Who came first? Spetsnaz GRU is definitely accurate in 1950. Since a lot of tactical blanks and other chips were borrowed from the partisan actions of the Great Patriotic War, it is still fair to designate its unofficial appearance in the second half of the thirties of the last century. The first sabotage groups of the Red Army successfully operated in the war in Spain. And if you look at an even earlier historical period, when the need to conduct sabotage operations forced many countries of the world (including the Russian Empire) to keep completely autonomous "scout" units in their armies, then the origins of the appearance of the GRU special forces go back to "the depths of centuries".
The special forces of the Airborne Forces appeared in 1930, along with the Airborne Troops. With the very first landing near Voronezh, when there was an obvious need to start our own intelligence. The paratroopers can't just land in "paws to the enemy", someone has to shorten these "paws", break off the "horns", and file the "hooves".
Main goals. GRU special forces - conducting reconnaissance and sabotage (and some other, sometimes delicate) operations behind enemy lines at a distance of 1000 km. and further (how long the radio communication range is enough) to solve the problems of the General Staff. Previously, communication was on short waves. Now on short and ultra-short via satellite channel. The communication range is not limited by anything, but still, in some corners of the planet there are "dead zones", there are no mobile, radio or satellite communications at all. Those. it is not for nothing that a stylized image of the globe is often found on the symbols of the GRU.
The special forces of the Airborne Forces - in fact the "eyes and ears" of the Airborne Forces, are part of the Airborne Forces themselves. Reconnaissance and sabotage units operating behind enemy lines to prepare for the arrival and preparation of the landing (if necessary) of the main forces ("cavalry"). Capturing airfields, sites, small bridgeheads, solving related tasks with the capture or destruction of communications, related infrastructure and other things. They act strictly on the orders of the headquarters of the Airborne Forces. The range is not as significant as that of the GRU, but still impressive. The main aircraft of the Airborne Forces IL-76 is capable of overcoming 4000 km. Those. there and back - about 2000 km. (refueling is not considered, although the range in this case increases significantly). Therefore, the special forces of the Airborne Forces operate behind enemy lines at a distance of up to 2000 km.
Let's continue the research. An interesting question with the form of clothing. At first glance, everything is the same. Bertsy, camouflage, vests, blue berets. But this is only at first glance. Take, for example, takes. This piece of clothing is of medieval origin. Pay attention to the old paintings of artists. All beret wearers wear them asymmetrically. Either right or left. The special forces of the GRU and the special forces of the Airborne Forces are behind the scenes to wear a beret, bent to the right. If you suddenly see a commando in the uniform of the Airborne Forces and in a beret bent to the left, then this is just an ordinary paratrooper. The tradition has been carried on since the time of the first parades with the participation of the Airborne Forces, when it was necessary to open the face as much as possible to the podium, and this can be done only by breaking the beret on the left side of the head. And there is no reason to shine intelligence.
Let's move on to signs. During the Great Patriotic War, the Airborne Troops committed
many landings, landing operations. Many awarded heroes. Including the units of the Airborne Forces themselves were awarded the title of Guards (almost all). The GRU special forces for the period of that war were already in the process of formation as an independent branch of the armed forces, but were outside the legal framework (and in general everything was secret). Therefore, if you see a paratrooper, but without the "Guards" badge, then with almost 100% certainty - GRU special forces. Only a few GRU units bear the rank of Guards. For example, the 3rd Separate Guards Warsaw-Berlin Red Banner Order of Suvorov III Art. SPN GRU brigade.
About food. Those. about satisfaction. GRU spetsnaz, if it is in the format (i.e. under the guise) of an airborne unit, receives uniforms, clothing allowance, monetary allowance, and all the hardships and deprivations that are due, both in sickness and in health, and food, strictly in in accordance with the standards of the Airborne Forces.
Special forces of the Airborne Forces - everything is clear here. This is the airborne troops themselves.
But with the GRU, the issue is more tricky, and this detail always brings confusion. A friend wrote to me after the Pechora training of the GRU special forces in the eighties. "Everyone, ** ***, arrived at the place, in the company. We sit for the first day, ****, rip off blue shoulder straps, gave out fuel oil, everything is black, **** today is mourning (((((((. Berets , vests were also taken away. Am I now in the signal troops or something, *****?". So, they arrived in Germany, in the Western Group of Forces, and changed clothes. They immediately became signalmen. And changed their shoes (boots with lacing were replaced with ordinary boots). But Germany is small, there our sworn "friends" are also not fools. They are watching. There is a strange signal company. All signalmen are like signalmen, and these stir up something all day long. in full swing, then digging trenches (similar to a comfortable bed in a forest belt behind the autobahn), then hand-to-hand combat, then shooting for the whole day, then something happens at night. to a distant airfield." And for you, dear, there is a field post. Forward! The trumpet is calling! Soldiers! On a campaign!". - signalmen).
In this way, the GRU special forces can disguise themselves (at times successfully) under absolutely any branch of the armed forces (as the Motherland orders, and to what quiet / rotten distance they send).
The unmasking signs will be numerous badges with sports ranks, badges of paratroopers, all the same vests (stubborn boychins will still be put on them under any pretext, but you can’t see everyone, and it’s good that paratrooper vests are terribly popular in all branches of the military), tattoos in the form of clothing No. 2 (naked torso) again airborne theme with an abundance of skulls, parachutes, bats and all sorts of different living creatures, slightly weathered muzzles of faces (from frequent running around in the fresh air), always increased appetite and the ability to eat exotic, or completely artless .
An interesting question about another invisibility. This stroke will give out a commando who is used to getting to the place of "work" not on comfortable transport to invigorating music, but on his own two with all parts of his body worn in calluses. The gulley style of running with a huge load on the shoulders forces the arms to straighten at the elbows. Longer arm lever - more economical effort in transporting trunks. Therefore, when one day they first arrived at a unit with a huge concentration of personnel, then on the very first morning run they were shocked by the huge number of fighters (soldiers and officers) who ran with their hands down, like robots. Thought it was some kind of joke. But it turned out not. Over time, my personal feelings about this appeared. Although everything is strictly individual. Though pick your finger in your nose and wave your wings, but do what you have to do.
And the most important thing is not this. Clothes are clothes, but what is absolutely identical to both the GRU special forces and the special forces of the Airborne Forces is the eyes. The look is so completely relaxed, friendly, with a share of healthy indifference. But he looks right at you. Or through you. You never know what to expect from such a subject (only a megaton of trouble, if anything happens). Complete mobilization and readiness, complete unpredictability of actions, logic that instantly turns into "inadequate". And so in ordinary life, quite positive and inconspicuous people. No self-admiration. Only a tough and calm focus on the result, no matter how desperately hopeless it turns out to be. In short, for military intelligence, this is a kind of philosophical salt of being from ever-memorable times (a lifestyle, that is).
Let's talk about swimming. The special forces of the Airborne Forces must be able to overcome water obstacles. Are there many obstacles along the way? All sorts of rivers, lakes, streams, swamps. The same goes for the GRU special forces. But if we are talking about the seas and oceans, then for the Airborne Forces the topic ends here, the diocese of the Marine Corps begins there. And if they have already begun to distinguish someone, then more precisely, a very specific
area of activity of reconnaissance units of the Marine Corps. But the GRU special forces have their own units of brave combat swimmers. Let's reveal a little military secret. The presence of such units in the GRU does not at all mean that just the same, every special forces officer in the GRU has undergone diving training. The combat swimmers of the GRU special forces are a really closed topic. They are few, but they are the best of the best. Fact.
What can you say about physical training? There are no differences at all here. And in the special forces of the GRU, and in the special forces of the Airborne Forces, there is still some kind of selection. And the requirements are not that high, but the highest. Nevertheless, in our country there are a couple of every creature (and there are many who want to). Therefore, it is not surprising that all sorts of random people get there. Then they read books, from the Internet there are videos with window dressing, or they watch enough films. Often they have an abundance of sports diplomas, awards, categories and other things. Then, with such a hard-boiled porridge in their heads, they arrive at the duty station. From the very first forced march (named after the Great Special Forces), enlightenment sets in. Complete and inevitable. Oh fuck, where did I go? Yes, you got it ... For such excesses there is always a stock of personnel recruited in advance, just for the subsequent and inevitable screening.
Why go far for examples? Finally, for the first time in the Russian army, six-week survival courses for contract soldiers were introduced, which end with an examination 50-kilometer field trip, with shooting, overnight stays, saboteurs, crawling, digging and other unexpected joys. First (!). Twenty-five thousand contract soldiers in three military districts were finally able to experience for themselves what the average soldier-special forces intelligence officer has always lived for. Moreover, they have it for "a week before the second", and in special forces for every day and for the entire period of service. Even before the start (!) of the field exit, every tenth soldier of the personnel of our armed forces turned out to be a kalich, a slipper. Or even refused to participate in a safari show for personal motivation. Some parts of the body suddenly bench-press.
Therefore, why talk for a long time? Survival courses in the conventional army, ie. something so unusual and stressful, they are equated with the average way of unremarkable ordinary service in the GRU special forces, and in the special forces of the Airborne Forces. Nothing new seems to be here. But the special forces also have an extreme pastime. For example, "races" have been traditionally arranged for many years. In ordinary language - competitions of reconnaissance and sabotage groups of different brigades, different military districts, and even different countries. The strongest fight the strongest. There is someone to take an example from. There are no longer any standards or limits of endurance. At the full limit of the capabilities of the human body (and far beyond these limits). Just in the GRU special forces, these events are very common.
Let's sum up our story. In this article, we did not pursue the goal of dumping stacks of documents from staff briefcases on the reader, we did not hunt for some "fried" events and rumors. At least some secrets must remain in the army. Nevertheless, it is already clear that the GRU special forces and the special forces of the Airborne Forces are very, very similar in form and content. It was about the real Big Special Forces, which is ready to complete the assigned tasks. And they do it. (And any group of military special forces can be in "autonomous navigation" from several days to several months, occasionally getting in touch at a certain time.)
Recently, exercises took place in the USA (Fort Carson, Colorado). First. Representatives of the special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces took part in them. And they showed themselves, and looked at "friends". Whether there were representatives of the GRU, history, the military and the press are silent. Let's leave everything as it is. Yes, and it doesn't matter. One point is interesting.
With all the differences in equipment, weapons and approaches to training, joint exercises with the "Green Berets" demonstrated an absolutely amazing similarity between representatives of the special forces (the so-called special operations forces based on parachute units) in different countries. And here you don’t go to a fortuneteller, you even had to go overseas to get this long unclassified information.
As it is now fashionable, let's give the floor to bloggers. Just a few quotes from the blog of a man who visited the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces during an open press tour. And this is a completely unbiased view. Here's what everyone found out:
“Before the press tour, I was afraid that I would have to communicate mainly with oak martinet special forces who beat off the remnants of their brains by breaking bricks on their heads. This is where the stereotype collapsed ...”.
“Immediately, another parallel stamp dissipated - the special forces turned out to be not at all two-meter ambals with bull necks and pood fists. I think I won’t lie too much if I say that our group of bloggers, on average, looked more powerful than the special forces group of the Airborne Forces ... ".
"... for the entire time of my stay in the unit, out of hundreds of military men, I did not see a single ambal there. That is, absolutely not a single one ...".
"... I did not suspect that the obstacle course could be more than a kilometer long and that it could take an hour and a half to complete it...".
"... Although at times it really seems that they are cyborgs. How they carry such heaps of equipment on themselves for a long time, I do not understand. Far from everything has been laid out here, there is no water, food and cartridges. The main cargo itself is not there! .. .".
In general, such drooling does not need comments. They go, as they say, from the heart.
(From the editors of 1071g.ru, we will add about the obstacle course. In 1975-1999, at the height of the Cold War between the USSR and the USA and later, there was an obstacle course in the Pechora training of the GRU special forces. The officially common name for the entire GRU Special Forces is "trail reconnaissance officer". The length is about 15 kilometers, the terrain was successfully used, descents and ascents, there were impassable areas, forests, water barriers, some in Estonia (before the collapse of the Union), some in the Pskov region, a lot of engineering structures for classes. battalions (9 companies, in others up to 4 platoons, this is about 700 people + a school of ensigns of 50-70 people) could disappear there in small units (platoons and squads) for days at any time of the year and in any weather, day and night. the units not only did not intersect, but could not enter into visual contact at all. The cadets ran "admittedly", now they are dreaming about it. A fact based on real events.)
Today in Russia there are only two, as we found out, exactly the same (with the exception of some cosmetic details) special forces. This is the GRU special forces and the special forces of the Airborne Forces. To perform tasks without fear, without reproach, and anywhere in the world (by order of the Motherland). There are no more subdivisions legally authorized by various international conventions. Forced marches - from 30 kilometers with a calculation or more, push-ups - from 1000 times or more, jumps, shooting, tactical and special training, development of stress resistance, abnormal endurance (on the verge of pathology), narrow-profile training in many technical disciplines, running , run, and run again.
Complete unpredictability by opponents of the actions of reconnaissance groups (and each fighter separately, in accordance with the current situation). Skills to instantly assess the situation, and also instantly make decisions. So move on (guess how fast)...
Yes, by the way, does the dear reader know that the burden of hardships of military intelligence during the entire war in Afghanistan was assumed by the special forces of the Airborne Forces and the special forces of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Ministry of Defense? There, the now known abbreviation "SpN" was born.
Finally, let's add. "Graduates" of the harsh school of the Special Forces of the Airborne Forces and Special Forces of the GRU are ready to accept with open arms any law enforcement agencies and departments, from the FSB to small private security companies. This does not mean at all that the Bolshoy Spetsnaz are ready to accept employees of any power structures, even with an impeccable track record and the highest level of training. Welcome to the club of real men! (If you are accepted...).
This material was prepared based on the forum of the Landing Forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan, various open sources, the opinions of professional experts, the blog gosh100.livejournal.com (credit to the blogger from military intelligence), reflections (based on personal experience) of the author of the article. If you have read this far, thank you for your interest. (With)
The capture by the SBU of former or not quite former Russian special forces near Luhansk, their interviews and various information that surfaced in the press made it possible to take a fresh look at what is happening in the Donbass and in the Russian army. medialeaks collected what is known about the Special Forces of the GRU, where Evgeny Erofeev and Alexander Alexandrov served / are serving and summarized what the captives told.
What is the GRU special forces?
Full title: "Special Forces Units of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation". Tasks: deep reconnaissance and sabotage activities. This is what the boys dream about and what the heroes of Call Of Duty do: the special forces get deep behind enemy lines and run through the forest, collecting information about the enemy’s weapons, destroying its fortified points and communications.
Secret troops
Since officially no special forces existed, in Afghanistan, for example, they were called individual motorized rifle battalions. Until now, the GRU has not been mentioned in the names of the compounds. Let's say Alexandrov and Erofeev were / are employees 3rd Separate Guards Warsaw-Berlin Red Banner Order of Suvorov 3rd Class Special Forces Brigade . Now no one denies the existence of these troops, but the composition of the units is still classified. The number of troops of the Special Forces of the GRU is unknown, it is believed that now there are about 10 thousand of them in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
What became famous SpN GRU
The most famous operation carried out by the Special Forces was the capture of the palace of Hafizullah Amin in Kabul in 1979. Due to the irregularity of hostilities in Afghanistan, the GRU special forces were widely used against the Mujahideen. Intelligence units were attached to all military formations, so everyone who served in Afghanistan knew about the existence of intelligence officers. It was in the late 80s that the number of this type of troops reached its maximum value. The hero of Michele Placido, Major Bandura in "The Afghan Break" is more of a bully than a paratrooper, but in 1991 it was still impossible to talk about this.
What is the difference between the SpN GRU and the Airborne Forces?
Special forces are often confused with paratroopers for a completely understandable reason: for conspiracy, the combat uniform of some units of the Special Forces of the GRU of the USSR was the same as that of the Airborne Forces. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the tradition remained. For example, the same 3rd separate brigade of the Special Forces wears vests and blue berets on the parade ground. Scouts also skydive, but paratroopers have larger combat missions. Accordingly, the number of airborne forces is much higher - 45 thousand people.
What is armed with SpN GRU?
In general, the armament of the special forces is the same as that of the rest of the motorized rifle units, but there are several specific technologies. The most famous are: the special “Val” assault rifle and the special “Vintorez” sniper rifle. This is a silent weapon with a subsonic bullet speed, which at the same time, due to a number of design features, has a high penetrating power. It was "Val" and "Vintorez", according to the SBU, that were captured on May 16 from the fighters of the "Erofeev detachment". There is, however, no convincing evidence that such weapons did not remain in the warehouses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Who serves in the Special Forces of the GRU?
Due to high requirements and the need for lengthy training, most of the special forces are contract soldiers. Young people with sports training, healthy, with knowledge of a foreign language are accepted for service. At the same time, we see that these are completely ordinary people from the provinces, for them service is rather a good job, it can be difficult and dangerous, but not a battle for an abstract idea.
Everything in life is not like in the movies
Patriotic cinema and bravura stories on TV inspire us that special forces soldiers are universal terminators. On a combat mission they can not sleep for three days, they shoot without a miss, alone with their bare hands they can scatter a dozen armed people and, of course, they don’t abandon their own. But if you believe the words of the captured soldiers, then quite unexpectedly for themselves, a rather large group of special forces fell into an ambush and, firing randomly, retreated in a hurry, leaving two wounded and one killed on the battlefield. Yes, they are well trained, they can run for a long time and shoot fairly accurately, but these are ordinary people who are afraid of bullets and do not always know where the enemy is waiting for them.
Not a word to the enemy
Scouts operate behind enemy lines, where the risk of being captured is quite high, respectively, soldiers and officers of the GRU special forces must be trained on how to behave in captivity, and before being sent on a mission, they must be instructed and receive a “legend”. Since these are secret troops, a secret mission, the command should have warned the fighters: you will be captured, we don’t know you, you yourself came there. It is all the more surprising that, as we see, both Alexandrov and Erofeev were absolutely not ready either for captivity, or for the fact that the country and their relatives refuse them.
SBU torture
It can be seen that both (former) members of the special forces are genuinely shocked that the Russian authorities (and even Alexandrov's wife) stated that they are not in the service of the Russian troops and it is not known how they ended up near Luhansk. This can be explained by torture, but people who are forced to say something against their will often do not make eye contact, pronounce words slowly and abruptly, or speak too correct phrases as if they had memorized the text. We do not see this on the Novaya Gazeta recording. Moreover, their words contradict the version of the SBU, which claims that the “Yerofeev group” was engaged in sabotage, while the captives speak only of observation. People who have been forced to say what they need by torture do not change their testimony so boldly.
Are there Russian troops in Donbass? How many are there and what are they doing there?
The Kremlin consistently denies participation in the conflict in the Donbass of the Russian Armed Forces. The capture of the special forces, according to Kyiv, proves the opposite. However, the SBU does not say how many Russian soldiers and units are fighting in eastern Ukraine.
If you study blogs and interviews with members of the DPR and LPR militia, the picture is as follows: a large-scale military operation involving Russian units, if there was, then once in late August - early September, when the forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were suddenly thrown back from Ilovaisk, and the front line reached the border of Mariupol. According to various sources, there are military emissaries from Moscow in the headquarters of the DPR and LPR (just as specialists come from Washington to teach officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine). There is a possibility that separate groups of military from Russia operate on the territory of the self-proclaimed republics, but in limited numbers. As the captives rightly point out, there are a lot of people here, including real retired officers who want to fight. Alexandrov and Erofeev say that their tasks included only observation without any sabotage, this does not coincide with either the version of the General Staff of the Russian Federation or the version of the SBU.
45th Separate Special Purpose Regiment of the Airborne Forces
Special forces units are such separate units of the troops that are designed to perform special tasks and operations. They can be either part of the fleet, ground and air forces, or part of the police and internal organs. They use special tactics and means to carry out operations.
One of the types of special forces is the special forces of the Airborne Forces. This is a special forces unit that is part of the airborne troops. The special forces of the Airborne Forces were formed in Russia in 1994. On the basis of two special-purpose battalions - the 901st OBSpN and the 218th OBSpN, a single 45th special forces regiment of the Airborne Forces was formed. By July 1994 it was fully staffed. Already in December, the 45th regiment of the special forces of the Airborne Forces was sent to war in Chechnya to destroy armed gangs.
Separate units of the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces took part in the hostilities until February 1995, and from March to June of the same year, a free detachment of the regiment continued to operate in Chechnya. The 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces is considered one of the most legendary in the military history of Russia - many of its soldiers and officers were awarded medals and orders, including the titles of Heroes of the Russian Federation.
Armament of the special forces of the Airborne Forces
The special forces of the Airborne Forces are equipped with better equipment, equipment, weapons than the rest of the troops, and this requires a lot of funding. The special forces of the Airborne Forces use weapons that are rarely available to ordinary troops. For example, the SVD rifle is often used, which is very powerful and reliable. There is a known case when a good shooter shot down a jet attack aircraft from an SVD rifle, hitting the pilot.
Very often the so-called "Vintorez" is used - a silent sniper rifle. With its help, a well-trained sniper can hit a target at great distances. The Vintorez rifle is so powerful that it can penetrate a steel helmet at a distance of up to 400 meters. The first use of "Vintorez" falls on the First Chechen War. "Vintorez" is available only to special forces, ordinary troops do not have access to this weapon.
Many countries use the Steyr AUG universal rifle to equip special forces. This weapon is designed for combat in urban environments and for performing lightning-fast combat missions. The rifle magazine is made of translucent material, which allows you to even visually control the number of remaining cartridges in the magazine.
The Steyr rifle is automatic - it is also possible to install a grenade launcher, which makes it truly universal and indispensable for performing tasks by special units. It was not for nothing that at the end of the 19th century, Austria-Hungary adopted the very first sniper rifle of this company, the Steyr Mannlicher, into service with the troops. This already at that time indicated that the weapon was distinguished by reliability and efficiency. Since then, the rating of Steyr's weapons has not decreased. The Steyr rifles entered service with the special forces of the Airborne Forces quite recently, but they have already managed to earn the respect of the fighters for their fighting qualities.
One of the types of weapons that the soldiers of the special forces of the Airborne Forces are supplied with is AS "Val". This machine is a silent weapon, which is why it is used by a special forces detachment in sabotage operations. AS "Val" has the ability to attach night and sniper sights to it, which allows you to identify targets at a distance of up to 300 meters. AS "Val" is usually transported in a special case, its assembly takes from 30 to 60 seconds, depending on how prepared the shooter is.
Many countries buy into service Russian export, so-called "hundredth" versions of the Kalashnikov assault rifle. This list also includes the AK-103 assault rifle. This weapon is much more effective than the usual "Kalash", and therefore is used by the armies of many countries. Moreover, AK-103 is also used by some special forces units.
Another interesting version of the modernization of the Kalashnikov assault rifle is the AK-74M. AK-74M has the ability to mount an optical and night sight, a stock that can be folded to the side. It is possible to use an attached grenade launcher, which is very important and convenient for special units. That is why the AK-74M is used by many special types of troops.
Also, the AKS-74 model, a shortened Kalashnikov assault rifle, stands out from the modifications. Moreover, the mobility and compactness of the machine does not make it worse in terms of characteristics in comparison with versions with a long barrel. AKS-74 is complete in every sense, and is capable of hitting a target at a distance of more than 400 meters.
But of all the versions of the Kalashnikov weapon, the machine gun remains the most powerful, of course. Moreover, there are so many variations of the Kalashnikov Machine Gun that it is used from arming vehicles to infantrymen. The Kalashnikov machine gun was developed back in the 60s of the last century, but its popularity and the popularity of modified versions have not faded to this day. Many countries use the Kalashnikov machine gun, including for arming special units.
If the conventional troops are armed with the well-known Kalashnikov assault rifle, then the special forces use the PKM - a modernized Kalashnikov machine gun. The power of the PKM is much more than a conventional machine gun and therefore the machine gun is used in special forces for assault operations.
Another popular weapon among all the weapons of the special forces of the Airborne Forces is the "Pecheneg" machine gun. The Pecheneg machine gun was developed on the basis of the PKM and is suitable both for destroying enemy manpower and for destroying firing and transport positions, air targets. Widely used in many countries, Russia is actively exporting the "Pecheneg" machine gun.
In addition to the Kalashnikov assault rifle, a very outwardly similar weapon, the AN-94 Abakan, is widely used. This machine was created according to the classical scheme, with a clip in front, like the Kalash. AN-94 Abakan is distinguished by its special accuracy and accuracy of shots. For example, from a distance of one hundred meters, a good shooter can hit two shots at the same point on the target. This makes the AN-94 Abakan suitable for combat special operations, where the lives of many people depend on the accuracy of the shot.
In addition to all rifles, machine guns and machine guns used by special troops and airborne troops, RPG-26 grenades are widely used. These grenades were developed back in the 80s of the last century and since that time have been in constant service with the army. This once again confirms the effectiveness of RPG-26 grenades both against manpower and against equipment and various fortifications and positions. RPG-26 grenades generally play a big role in the conduct of any hostilities, which is why they are used so widely in any wars.
Features of special forces units
The special forces of the Airborne Forces have a special status due to their specific activities. Each task of special forces requires special weapons, equipment, equipment. Consequently, the financing of special forces units is much greater than the financing of the rest of the troops. The preparatory level of soldiers has a reinforced training base and special training centers. The strongest centers are preparing special forces for the Airborne Forces.
Usually, in the special forces of the Airborne Forces they serve under a contract. The contract is explained by the high cost of training and preparatory tests. The contract in the Airborne Forces is, as a rule, not less than three years. The special forces of the Airborne Forces have a very high level of moral, physical, ideological and psychological training, which is due to the need for future special forces soldiers to work in special conditions.
The special forces of the Airborne Forces require special weapons and equipment, as mentioned earlier. This is due to the specific working conditions of the units. Therefore, the equipment and weapons of the troops are of a very narrow profile. Reconnaissance companies, battalions and other special forces perform tasks autonomously and in extreme conditions. This type of unit is also engaged in reconnaissance. Usually, special forces are thrown behind enemy lines, where the most important strategic points and centers are located.
The special forces of the Airborne Forces (Russian landing) travel very long distances on foot and wear all the equipment and equipment, which requires special training under the contract in the Airborne Forces. In our military store, a wide range of symbols of paratroopers is presented, which can be purchased at the best prices. Photo of a fighter of the 45th OPSPN:
A Brief History of the Special Forces of the Airborne Forces
There was no official special forces of the USSR Airborne Forces. Similar units in Russia originate from the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces in 1994. After the withdrawal of these troops from Chechnya in 1995, a monument was opened in Sokolniki in honor of those killed during military operations. In May of the same year, the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces was awarded a diploma of the President of the Russian Federation, and the regiment took part in the parade on Poklonnaya Hill in honor of the victory over the Nazis 50 years ago.
From winter to spring of 1997, a detachment of the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces took part in peacekeeping operations in Gudauta, the zone of separation of the forces of Abkhazia and Georgia. In the summer of the same year, 45 Guards. The OPSPN were awarded the Battle Banner and the Order of Kutuzov, 3rd class. From the autumn of 1999 to the spring of 2006, a detachment of the regiment participated in operations against terrorists in the North Caucasus. In the summer of 2001, a memorial was opened in Kubinka in honor of the fallen soldiers of the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces. Every year within the regiment there are Days of Remembrance for the fallen soldiers. The glory of the Airborne Forces comes precisely from such heroes, in whose honor the monument was erected.
In February 2008, it was renamed the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces of the Order of Alexander Nevsky. In the summer of the same year, separate units participated in operations to persuade Georgia to peace. Officer Anatoly Lebed was awarded the Order of St. George IV degree. In the spring of 2010, a group of soldiers of the regiment carried out tasks for the security of Russian citizens on the territory of Kyrgyzstan. In 2012, the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces participated in joint exercises with the Green Berets in America, at Fort Carson.
Creativity associated with the special forces of the Airborne Forces
Many films have been made about the heroic deeds and operations of the special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces and many songs have been written. Many materials are presented in the information tape "Voenpro". Read about it in our many articles. Watch movies and listen to music - Voenpro has it all. The special forces of the Airborne Forces in Chechnya went through a lot, and greatly influenced the course of the war. Therefore, war veterans deserve eternal memory and respect. Many documentaries tell about how it was in Chechnya for the soldiers. They talk about the horrors they have seen and what they have gone through.
A huge number of songs are still composed about veterans of the Chechen war and about those who died on it. Comrades-in-arms sing songs in honor and memory of their dead friends, in honor of those with whom they were in conditions of life and death. Also on the Internet there are many amateur filming, both military operations and other special operations. The special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces are very popular among young people and many want to serve in it too.
The media have made a certain cult of the special forces of the airborne forces, which is why it is so popular today. Young people are simply “blowing their heads” from the thought that they can freely use weapons and kill people. Computer games and television are filled with murder and violence, and people turn into beasts, ready to tear the enemy to pieces.
So, many films related to the actions of the special forces of the Airborne Forces in Chechnya can be found here. A video of the special forces of the Airborne Forces can be found, for example, such a landing video:
An interesting clip was shot about the special forces of the Airborne Forces "Leshy" - Vyacheslav Korneev. This clip can be viewed at the following link:
45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces - soldiers of the future
Oddly enough, in Chechnya, the special forces are well remembered and know about him. Only the information that the special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces would soon approach forced the militants to leave their positions and leave their place of residence. When there was the first Chechen war, the leadership of the Chechen fighters promised a huge bonus to anyone who could bring at least one soldier of the 45th regiment into captivity. But no one received such an award, because during those hostilities not a single commando of the Russian Airborne Forces got to the Chechens, either dead or alive.
The 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces is, one might say, the youngest part of the Russian army. The regiment was created from two battalions in order to be ready to wage the Cold War. The units were supposed to conduct active reconnaissance, sabotage operations, mainly behind enemy lines. They also had to prepare a place for the landing of landing troops. Considering that the special forces of the Airborne Forces were created after the Cold War, they are still capable of solving such problems and preventing such situations.
Ever since the time when Soviet troops entered Afghanistan, the Russian Armed Forces have been constantly involved in resolving various conflicts. Therefore, when the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces was formed, there was already enough experience to make the soldiers universal and truly prepared for war. In addition, many foreign developments and technologies were introduced, which affected the quality of the created special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces only in a positive way. Therefore, the main goal and purpose of the soldiers of the special forces of the Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation is to resolve any military conflicts and problems of a local nature.
Consequently, the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces is a unique combat unit in Russia, which has all the necessary weapons, equipment, and devices to solve its tasks. In addition to the battalions directly in the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces, it also has a detachment of aircraft that do not need pilots, a special-purpose detachment for solving super-important tasks, and a detachment for performing psychological operations.
The main task of the psychological detachment of the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces is the demoralization and disorientation of the enemy troops - that is, the destruction of his faith in victory, in the meaning of resistance. Moreover, the detachment can set up "for" the civilian population of a neutral nature, which has not yet decided which side to defend. And this is especially important in our information age. Therefore, the psychological detachment of the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces, among other things, also has a compact television station, which makes it possible to broadcast programs within a radius of ten kilometers. That is, the impact on the civilian population is thus increasing.
The capabilities of the special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces are enormous. The core of the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces are special units. These units did not appear, of course, without reason - under the feet of the battalions consolidated into one regiment, there was already accumulated experience. Battalion fighters fought during the Transnistrian conflict, and already regimental fighters participated in operations during the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict. Basically, during the Georgian-Abkhaz war, the special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces ensured the safety of civilians and refugees.
But not only in the war, the fighters showed themselves. For several years, during international competitions of special units that take place in Bulgaria, the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces takes first place, bypassing the Green Berets and British special forces.
But the goal to achieve the status of a universal soldier of the special forces of the Airborne Forces is not so close. If earlier ordinary conscripts entered the school, now there are few of them. Consequently, there is no one to choose soldiers from. Previously, almost all applicants had sports categories in several categories, but now there are only a few such recruits.
Basically, they enter the service under a contract in the Airborne Forces, and from these recruits it is practically impossible to choose anyone sensible. Few have only a higher or specialized education, while the majority have a regular completed secondary education. And that is joy - if finished. But even from such applicants they make a real special forces of Russia. First of all, the applicant passes many tests in psychology and physical fitness to determine his readiness and ability to serve in these troops.
After personal characteristics are determined, they say which military specialty you are going to. For example, people of a very calm and balanced nature, like no one else, are suitable for working as a sniper or a sapper of the special forces of the Airborne Forces. The rest of the recruits, who have not been assigned anywhere, are transferred to support units, or to other military units.
After this type of selection, there is a quarantine, an oath, then, of course, they move on to the exercises. To say that it is very difficult to serve in the special forces of the Airborne Forces, for example, in military unit 33842, is the same as keeping silent. Constant training is replaced by forced marches and night shooting, facade climbing is replaced by tactical exercises or the training of sappers. And so constantly in a circle.
Naturally, not all potential soldiers of the special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces can withstand such loads and rates. Therefore, after about six months, of those newcomers who entered, only forty percent of the strength remains. Moreover, the number decreases for various reasons. Someone gets health problems from such loads, someone can not stand it physically, someone is expelled by commanders because of poor progress. Those places that remain from the departed special forces of the Airborne Forces are filled at the expense of the best paratroopers. As a result, after the first year of the exercises, real fighters of the Airborne Forces elite, who are fluent in weapons and various devices, turn out of no one.
But it should be noted that, despite the complexity of the exercise and the workload, there are no fewer people who want to serve in the special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces. All this because the service is very interesting and useful for guys. There is no hazing here, and service in 45 OPSPN is an excellent start for work and service in other structures of the internal organs of the state. After the end of the service, you will be happy to be taken to any type of security, security and protection, secret units. The 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces is an excellent military and career prospect for a young man who is able to endure difficult service and workloads.
The result of your studies can be, at your request, participation in hostilities. Although the experience that has been accumulated by previous generations is little used according to custom in our country, the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces solves many issues on its own. The soldiers have manuals that are printed by some officers of the regiment, which leads to the correspondence of what is written with reality. In our time, when the main operations in Chechnya have ended, the role of the special forces of the Airborne Forces, which can be very useful in carrying out reconnaissance, search and all sorts of raid missions, is significantly increasing. Therefore, the complete withdrawal of the special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces from Chechnya is not yet planned in the near future.
At present, the special forces of the Airborne Forces in Chechnya operate as a free detachment near the village of Khatuni. The importance of this place is very great for the state, and therefore the special forces have huge tasks and responsibilities on their shoulders. The consolidated detachment also includes units of the FSB, special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and others. Everyone has their own tasks within the framework of a common goal. Especially important is the fire training of fighters in this operation, so the exercises train the fighters as needed. The loads are huge, because of this, the fighters lose five or even eight kilograms in a couple of months, even taking into account the fact that the food here is enhanced.
Moreover, the special forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB sometimes have to perform tasks that are not in their competence. Therefore, they work together with the special forces of the Airborne Forces in Chechnya, which has a specialization in precisely this type of combat operations. All these parts of the detachment are friends with each other and actively help and support each other in difficult situations in order to achieve a common goal. No one pays attention to the subordination of departments in this situation.
Some of the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces is stationed in Sokolniki. There they are in the barracks of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. And this part is very actively fighting to be part of the Preobrazhensky Regiment according to all official papers. And there are several reasons for this.
Historically, the Preobrazhensky Regiment is the first regular armament regiment in Russia. And the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces can be said to be the first regiment of the new Russian army, the regiment of the future. And the attitude towards the fighters is completely new, compared to the old views. Now every soldier of the special forces of the Airborne Forces is a value in which a lot of finance and other resources have been invested. Previously, the fighters were cannon fodder without special specific training, which no one appreciated and did not consider in the war.
Now the fighters are highly professional and qualified. Now the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces is a place where experienced and skilled personnel of special forces are trained. Many of those who went through this school serve in the internal organs, Alpha, Omega, and many other promising places. But it is worth noting that after many years of service in the regiment, most officers do not want to be transferred to other places for a service that is more promising. This is because for many years the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces has become for them really a family and a home, which you cannot and do not want to leave.
In the regiment itself, special psychological and moral principles have developed that make its officers friendly and fraternal. This can be seen from the fact that those officers who retired and settled down regularly sponsor those fighting in Chechnya. It is interesting to note that veterans of the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces help not only with material resources.
It was such that when it was necessary to replace fighters in the Caucasus in 1999, a suitable replacement was not found. Then the reserve officers decided to come to the aid of the regiment. They abandoned their profitable official and career positions, and formed their own detachment of veterans, who went to the Caucasus. Their very first business was to occupy an important height and ensure there was a four-hour reflection of enemy attacks. At this time, the regiment was able to prepare new special forces soldiers of the Russian Airborne Forces to send them to the Caucasus.
For all the years of existence of the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces, its officers do not stop fighting. All conflicts that happened in Chechnya, Bosnia, Dagestan, Kosovo were resolved with the help of special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces. During this period, there were awards by the minister, and the awarding of five soldiers of the regiment with Heroes of Russia. And, oddly enough, various accusations were also present in the history of the regiment. But be that as it may, the special forces of the Airborne Forces are still the real elite of the Russian army.
His warriors have shown themselves excellently during the times of all conflicts and wars. A bunch of enemy weapons depots, drug depots were found, many lives of civilians were saved, many troubles were prevented. As a result, the officers deserved their proud existence with a strong and enduring body, and the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces is, indeed, the regiment of the future.
News related to the special forces of the Airborne Forces
There is news that the special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces have recently adopted a foreign Steyr Mannlicher rifle. Their total number, which the soldiers received, amounted to more than thirty units. Alexander Kucherenko, representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense for airborne troops, spoke about this news. He says these are the first foreign-made Mannlicher rifles to have been supplied to the regiment. In general, the purchase of Austrian weapons began in 2010.
Moreover, they say that the supply of Austrian sniper rifles will not end there, and the regiment will be provided with them regularly. The fighters have already completed all the necessary training courses on the use of this weapon in the centers of the Ministry of Defense and are ready to use it. What exactly the model of the Mannlicher rifle was adopted is not specified. Prior to this, the special forces of the Airborne Forces used the SVD sniper rifle.
They also say that the replenishment also touched on equipment. Significantly increased the number of aircraft that do not need a pilot. Again, it is not said which devices were received. The special forces of the Airborne Forces also received about two dozen reconnaissance radar stations, more than three dozen other reconnaissance devices and several ground surveillance stations.
More about new
It was recently reported that a detachment of special forces of the Airborne Forces destroyed a monument to the fallen soldiers of the SS detachment in Lithuania. The state is trying by all possible methods to prove that no such order was officially issued from the headquarters. What is the matter, they are still trying to figure it out.
According to the first information, it turns out that the commander of the special forces detachment of the Airborne Forces took all the blame. It seems that he, having drunk, gave the order to his detachment, which at that moment was on exercises in the Pskov region, to cross the border with Lithuania and destroy the SS monument there. The state confirms this version, motivating it by the fact that there was no communication with the headquarters during the exercises, and therefore he could not give such an order for objective reasons. The commander of the special forces of the Airborne Forces himself is under guard, and cannot comment on this.
The fact is that no one would have known, probably, that it was the special forces of the Airborne Forces who destroyed the monument, but the surveillance cameras filmed the crime. But the detachment worked so quietly that not a single civilian and not a single policeman saw the action itself. In addition, microphones were installed on the cameras.
And the Lithuanian government heard everything that the Russian special forces of the Airborne Forces said about those who allowed the installation of the SS monument. In general, at first the Lithuanian government was at a loss, because not every day a detachment of special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces destroys a monument in the center of a Lithuanian city. It could not even believe it, if not for the video. The Russian government did not comment at first, but was forced to do so under the influence of photo evidence provided to it. Now all the details of the circumstances are being clarified.
One day of teaching
The detachment of the special forces of the Airborne Forces moved very secretly and quietly through the dense forest. From all sides, the muzzle of a weapon protruded from the detachment, ready to fire at any necessary moment. The soldiers walked, covering each other, constantly observing and analyzing the situation around. It was necessary to constantly listen and sniff everything around.
It was already the third day of training, and the scouts of the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces were actively preparing for the previous competitions. The main part of the detachment are soldiers under contract in the Airborne Forces and young conscripts. The instructor said that in order to fully prepare a full-fledged soldier of the special forces of the Airborne Forces, at least three years are needed. It turns out that there was no sense from the conscripts, and they do not reinforce the group with anything. Although, the commander of the detachment said that the conscripts showed themselves very well in recent days and they are not a burden.
In addition to the commanders of the detachment, the group also included snipers, demolition workers and signalmen. Of course, everyone has their own kind of activity, task and specialization, but in the case of a missing link, each of the fighters is able to replace the other in a full-fledged way. The special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces are, indeed, universal soldiers capable of performing a variety of tasks.
The armament of the detachment was the most diverse. Some fighters had SVD sniper rifles in their hands, others received Vintorez with their weapons. Some of the soldiers were armed with Kalashnikov machine guns. Of course, all fighters are trained in an excellent way to use edged weapons, so everyone must have a blade. In addition, all have pistols, and in some cases - with a silencer.
On this day of the exercises, the tasks were the most diverse and diverse. First, the special forces of the Airborne Forces had to carefully move through the forest, well disguised and preparing for a possible attack. After that, it was supposed to imitate the injury of one of the fighters and provide him with first aid. After that, it was necessary to capture the car, taking the enemy prisoner from it, and at the end it was required to overcome the water barrier.
The members of the detachment had the most diverse clothing and equipment, but mostly of high quality. In general, the soldiers of the special forces of the Airborne Forces wore what was not a pity and what was cheaper and better. This was due primarily to the fact that the soldiers dressed completely at their own expense. But, since the 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces are universal soldiers, they are used to working in a wide variety of and specific conditions.
The shoes got a lot of attention. It was, oddly enough, non-standard, but, apparently, comfortable, high-quality and expensive. It also aroused interest in what soldiers of the special forces of the Airborne Forces use - socks or footcloths. It turned out that there is no special law, you can wear both the first and the other. The only difference is that it is more convenient for someone to use. Shoes are very important for the special forces of the Airborne Forces, because they have to bear the weight on themselves, sometimes reaching forty or fifty kilograms, but in this case they told me that the weight was about twenty to thirty kilograms.
After the detachment left the forest, the fighters crossed the road and successfully played a clash with an unexpected enemy, as a result of which one of the fighters of the special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces was seriously injured. The wound was in the lower limb, and another bullet hit the eye. Everything was complicated by the fact that there was active bleeding that needed to be stopped.
The wounded soldier of the special forces of the Airborne Forces was pulled with a tourniquet on his leg, and his head was bandaged heavily with a bandage. After that, it was required to inject the drug into a vein. The injection was done for real, only instead of cardiac stimulants, ordinary harmless glucose was injected.
Before capturing the enemy, the special forces detachment of the Airborne Forces split up on different sides of the road. At the time when the truck drove up to the right distance, packages of paint flew into the windshield.
Under present conditions, bullets would have flown, but since there were exercises, paint packages flew. After that, the detachment performed a successful capture of a prisoner. This took about thirty seconds. The 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces, as always, worked promptly and professionally. It aroused interest in what they do with the prisoner, because the same one can be silent, as we often see in films. But I was informed that such situations, when the prisoner is silent, almost never happen in history.
If the prisoner refuses to speak, such psychological and physical methods are applied to him by the special forces of the Airborne Forces that his will breaks down and he gives out everything that is needed. After interrogation, the fate of the captured person can be decided in two ways. The first is that he will be left alive if the command of the special forces of the Russian Airborne Forces still needs him. Then his will is limited, but he remains alive. If there is no longer any need for a prisoner, he can be destroyed.
When the time came for the execution of the last task, that is, for the crossing of the river, the soldiers were visibly delighted. The special forces of the Airborne Forces took off everything except their hats and T-shirts. In combat conditions, black fins are used for swimming, but in exercises they are yellow, so that if they are lost, they can be found. After the complete collection of things and their packaging in special waterproof bags, the special forces of the Airborne Forces tied weapons to them. Next, a cable from plastic bottles is tied.
Two swimmers swim across to the other side, and the rest prepare for swimming and defend themselves. When two members of the Russian Airborne Special Forces have crossed over, the next two swim, using a rope made of bottles to facilitate movement. And so the swimming continues. After all the soldiers of the detachment moved to the other side, everyone was very tired and hungry. The commander said that the detachment had four or five hours to rest, and after that they could move on. If, of course, it is required.