Spetsnaz GRU
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| Spetsnaz GRU | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1949-2010 |
| Country |  Soviet Union (1949-1991) Russian Federation (1991-present, although no longer under GRU control) |
| Branch |  GRU |
| Type | Military special forces |
| Role | Reconnaissance Direct action Assassination Sabotage |
| Size | Classified[1] |
| Part of | Soviet Armed Forces (until 1991) Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (since 1991) |
| GRU Headquarters | Khoroshevskoye 76, Khodinka, Moscow |
| Mascot(s) | Bat |
| Engagements | Cold War conflicts Soviet War in Afghanistan Civil War in Tajikistan East Prigorodny conflict War in Abkhazia First Chechen War Invasion of Dagestan Second Chechen War Insurgency in the North Caucasus Russo-Georgian War |
Spetsnaz is an elite spetsnaz (special forces) military formation under the control of GRU. It was the first Soviet/Russian spetsnaz force, more than two decades older than its KGB/FSB and MVD counterparts. However, they are currently no longer under GRU control.
Nomenclature
The full acronym is GRU GSh (Template:Lang-ru) or Glavnoye Razvedyvatel'noye Upravleniye Generalnovo Shtaba (Template:Lang-ru) meaning Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff (of the Russian Federation). The acronym, however, is usually shortened to just GRU (Template:Lang-ru) which stands for Glavnoye Razvedyvatel'noye Upravleniye (Template:Lang-ru) (Template:Lang-en). The word "Spetsnaz" is often written in all capital letters ("SPETSNAZ").
History
The concept of using special forces tactics and strategies was originally proposed by the Russian military theorist Michael Svechnykov (executed during the Great Purge in 1938), who envisaged the development of unconventional warfare capabilities in order to overcome disadvantages that conventional forces may face in the field. Practical implementation was begun by the "grandfather of the spetsnaz" Ilya Starinov. During World War II, reconnaissance and sabotage forces were formed under the supervision of the Second Department of the General Staff of the Soviet Armed Forces. These forces were subordinate to the commanders of Fronts.[2]
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. The primary function of Spetsnaz troops in wartime was infiltration/insertion behind enemy lines (either in uniform or civilian clothing), usually well before hostilities are scheduled to begin and, once in place, to commit acts of sabotage (such as the destruction of vital NATO communications logistics centers) and the assassination of key government leaders and military officers. In 1957, the first Spetsnaz battalions were formed, five to eliminate enemy nuclear weapons systems. The first brigades were formed in 1962, reportedly to reach up to 750 kilometres in the rear to destroy U.S. strategic weapons systems. 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. According to Vladimir Rezun, a GRU defector who used the pseudonym "Viktor Suvorov", there were 20 GRU Spetsnaz brigades plus 41 separate companies at the time of his defection in 1978.
Its operations included Operation Storm-333, the successful mission to kill the Afghan president in 1979. During the 2000s, ethnic-Chechen Special Battalions Vostok and Zapad existed.
Since 2009-2010, Spetsnaz GRU forces have been disbanded,[3] and of the units were cut and turned into independent brigades and reconnaissance battalions attached to military districts, due to Anatoliy Serdyukov's military reforms. In 2011, it was announced that some Spetsnaz men might go back to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in some form separate and distinct from the GRU, and answering directly to the General Staff. However, most of the Spetsnaz GRU soldiers have been moved to the Russian Ground Forces as army special forces.
Training
During Soviet times, Spetsnaz GRU operatives would have to complete training that included the following: weapons handling, rappelling, explosives training, marksmanship, counter-terrorism, airborne training, hand-to-hand combat, climbing (alpine rope techniques), diving, underwater combat, long-range marksmanship, emergency medical training, and demolition.
Organization
An incomplete list of the Soviet Spetsnaz brigades and the locations at which they were stationed:[4]
- 2nd Detached Special Operations Brigade - Promezhitsy, Pskov Oblast; (Leningrad Military District)
- 3rd Guards Spetsnaz Brigade - Roshinskiy, Samara Oblast; (Volga-Ural Military District)
- 12th Detached Special Operations Brigade - Asbest-5, Sverdlovsk Oblast; (Volga-Ural Military District) transferring: Chaikovskyy (Perm). Began 1990s at Lagodekhi in the Transcaucasus Military District
- 14th Detached Special Operations Brigade - Ussuriysk, Primorsky Krai; (Far Eastern Military District)
- 16th Detached Special Operations Brigade - Teplyi Stan, suburb of Moscow, Moscow Military District
- 22nd Guards Detached Special Operations Brigade - Kovalevka, Rostov Oblast; (North Caucasus Military District)
- 24th Detached Special Operations Brigade - Kyakhta, Siberian Military District;
- 67th Detached Special Operations Brigade - Berdsk, Novosibirsk Oblast; (Siberian Military District)
- 216th Detached Special Operations Battalion - Moscow (Moscow Military District)
Spetsnaz weapons
NRS-2 is a knife with a built in single-shot firearm able to fire an 7.62x42mm SP-4 cartridge (the same used in PSS Silent Pistol).
It has been confirmed by former Spetsnaz agents that they were trained to utilize the saperka shovel. They are taught to use it as a knife, a throwing weapon, to restrain an adversary, or sometimes to stop a bullet from making a direct hit.
During the Cold War, the Spetsnaz were given the VSS Vintorez for stealthy, silent sniping at a distance. They also used the AK-74's new "poison bullet" for increased damage efficiency. According to Saulius "Sonny" Puzikas, who spent three years in the Spetsnaz corps., they were to have their AK rifle with them at all times. Their training exercises were a lot of times based around the weapon that you had. For example, they would do pushups on their AK rifles. So all the weight would be resting on just the magazine lock.
Puzikas has also said that they were trained to use every part of their AK-74 rifles in combat. Such as using the barrel to wrap their enemies arms around their back and use the rifle sling to take control of their head, and then use that person as a cover when on the battlefield.
Spetsnaz soldiers are trained to reload weapons even in the line of fire. When using an assault rifle, if a Spetsnaz soldier runs out of ammo, they cradle the weapon, still keeping it aimed at the enemies, pull out a secondary weapon, (most likely a pistol) and sling the rifle over there back and can continue fire with the secondary weapon from there.
Today, Spetsnaz soldiers still use regular issue weapons that other branches use.
References
- ^ Spionage gegen Deutschland — Aktuelle Entwicklungen Stand: November 2008 Template:De icon
- ^ Carey Schofield, The Russian Elite: Inside Spetsnaz and the Airborne Forces, Greenhill, London, 1993, p.34-37
- ^ UNHCR | Refworld | Putin’s Military: Let the Good Times Roll
- ^ Carey Schofield, The Russian Elite: Inside Spetsnaz and the Airborne Forces, Greenhill, London, 1993, Appendixes, p.259