Special Forces Day. Pdss, spetsnaz gr, sso of the ministry of defense: how special forces soldiers work. Day of "polite people"

MTR Armed Forces of the Russian Federation

Structure:

Special Operations Forces Command (KSSO)

Office (Special Operations)

Directorate (Marine Special Operations)

Office (counter-terrorism)

Special Purpose Center of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation "Senezh".

Department of Directions.

"Center for training military personnel of the military unit 01355, Moscow region, Kubinka-2"
The direction of special operations (airborne) - the main emphasis is on airborne training and other methods of penetration behind enemy lines by air. Parachute jumps are practiced, both protracted with oxygen masks, and with the opening of the parachute immediately after separation from the board. Jumps are carried out both day and night using night vision devices, in bad weather, in strong winds and fog. In addition to parachutes, fighters are also trained in the use of trikes and paragliders. Possession of such methods allows the special forces to fly tens of kilometers unnoticed by the enemy.

The direction of special operations (mountain) - specializes in conducting reconnaissance and combat operations in mountainous areas, training is carried out on the basis of the 54th training center for reconnaissance units, military unit 90091 (Republic of North Ossetia - Alania, Vladikavkaz) and in the mountain training center and surviving "Terskol" FAA MO RF "CSKA" (village Terskol, Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria).

The direction of special operations (assault) - specializes in penetration / capture / destruction of enemy objects (headquarters, buildings, structures, bunkers, etc.).

The direction of special operations (protection of high-ranking leaders) - the tasks are clear.

Special operations department (maritime) on the territory of the 561st emergency rescue center of the Navy, military unit 00317 (Russia, Crimea, Sevastopol, Kazachya Bay). The Naval Department of Special Operations is a multi-purpose naval formation trained and equipped to perform combat missions in the waters of the seas, oceans, rivers, lakes. Basically, the personnel operate from various watercraft (boats, jet skis) or operate under water in diving equipment using special tugboats, conducting reconnaissance and performing other combat missions at sea, on the coast or in river waters.

The direction of withdrawal means - specializes in the delivery of special forces to the area of ​​​​the operation by land, air and water, their subsequent withdrawal / evacuation. It is armed with Mi-8AMTSh and Mi-35M helicopters, boats, ATVs, all-terrain vehicles and various vehicles.

Several support units (communications, radio intelligence, electronic warfare, IT, special equipment).

Several support and security units that are staffed by conscripts - a company of reinforcements, a commandant's company (guards), a material support company, a technical platoon, a communications company, a company of young replenishment.

On the territory of the Senezh military camp there is a training, airborne and fire training complex, a dog training complex, an indoor pool, a sports town, a tactical town for practicing actions in populated areas, a heliport, as well as a platform for driving special equipment, medical and service premises.

Specialist training center (former 322nd training center), military unit 43292 (Moscow region, Solnechnogorsk district, Senezh township).

The main task is the training of MTR specialists, as well as the training of military personnel of other special forces of the RF Ministry of Defense.

Department of modernization, maintenance and storage of weapons, military and special equipment and military-technical property (Department of modernization, maintenance and storage of AMSE and VTI) - the tasks of this department are clear from its name.

Special Purpose Center of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (“Kubinka-2” or “Kuba”), military unit 01355 (Moscow Region, Odintsovsky District, Kubinka-2). Solves the same tasks as the CSN "Senezh".

Selection, combat training and personnel:

Selection in the SSO is carried out in different ways, representatives of the SSO can select themselves, study candidates with the necessary knowledge and skills, and then make them an offer. In addition, every month on the 15th at 9:00 a.m. the day of the candidate, when volunteer candidates can try to pass the entrance tests that are given at the part: physical (3km-12.00-12.30, 100m-13.0-14.0, pull-ups at least 18 times), professional selection, medical board.
Also, the military units included in the MTR periodically place announcements in the military registration and enlistment offices and selection points for contract service of the list of military registration specialties that they need.

Training is carried out at the specialist training center and directly at the points of permanent deployment, where the infrastructure necessary for this has been created and is being created.

Training of officers is carried out at the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School - RVVDKU (Faculty of Special and Military Intelligence and the Department of the Use of Special Forces) and the Novosibirsk Higher Military Command School - NVVKU (Faculty of Special Intelligence and the Department of Special Intelligence and Airborne Training).

This article was automatically added from the community

For many years, there has been talk in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation about the need to create a new separate structure, a separate branch of the military - the Special Operations Forces (SOF). The need to create such a structure is ripe in view of the experience of past wars and counter-terrorist operations. One of the goals of the creation of the MTR was to unite military special forces under a single command. Before the appearance of the MTR as a full-fledged structure, the special forces brigades were subordinate to the commanders of the military districts, while the GRU formed the task of the special forces, but did not exercise direct command of the brigade. In many ways, a similar structure in the US armed forces, the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM or SOCOM), was taken as a model for the created MTRs.

The first unit of the MTR was the Senezh Special Purpose Center in Solnechnogorsk, a little later a similar body was created in Kubinka - the Kubinka-2 Special Purpose Center. Judging by the reports of various publications, before the departure of Anatoly Serdyukov, the new structure did not receive development. With the advent of the Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu, the situation changed dramatically and already in April 2013, selected journalists were invited to the MTR exercises in the Caucasus. The main combat unit of the MTR is the Senezh Special Purpose Center. The special operations forces are surrounded by an almost greater veil of secrecy than other GRU special forces brigades. This is one of the most secret and elite structures of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation; the TsSN is armed with the most modern weapons, not only Russian, but also foreign.

"Overheard" publication in the group of the village of Paltso

A few days ago, while monitoring social networks by our team, we came across a post in the group “ Overheard in Finger", which spoke about the death of a certain Zhuravlev Fedor. At the same time, in the comments, the author of the post said that Fedor died in Syria:

A little later, a second publication appeared in the same group, in the comments to which another person said that Zhuravlev died in Syria. Also in the comments, one person wrote that he died in Dagestan - we will consider this version below, but this person was corrected by the author of the first post, again saying that Fedor died in Syria:

Original entry
Saved copy

As always in such cases, we began to contact the authors of posts and comments under false legends and fake profiles. We asked for a link to Fedor's profile on the social network Vkontakte or Odnoklassniki (so that his profile and photographs could later be used to prove or disprove that he is an active serviceman of the Russian Armed Forces and was in Syria):

We also specified how he died, where he died:

After that, we clarified in what kind of troops the deceased served:

We checked where the information came from that he died in Syria:

The person in the screenshots above is a friend of the deceased, not the closest, judging by the fact that the last time he spoke with him was in the summer of 2014. We are painted in green on the messages, the friend of the deceased is in black. Then we talked to another friend of the deceased. We established the middle name of the deceased (Vladimirovich), confirmed his age (27 years), confirmed the existence of his brother Alexander, as well as his wife and daughter. In addition, the second friend also confirmed that Fedor died in Syria:

Our messages are shaded in green, friends are in blue.

We tried to find the profiles of the deceased Fedor in social networks, but as his friends said, he did not have profiles in social networks, which is quite typical for the GRUs. We observed a similar thing during ours - they also either did not have profiles on social networks, or they were under fake names. We also did not find the profiles of his brother and parents.

Field work

This information was too little to publish a full-fledged investigation, but the information itself was important, it was impossible to just pass by. Therefore, we passed the collected information to several journalists so that they could connect and conduct their own investigation, perhaps ask questions to relatives, officials, the Ministry of Defense. This was before the funeral. We also decided to make a trip to the place, to the village where the parents of the deceased live and where his funeral was to take place. In the course of working with local sources, it was found that on Monday, November 23, in the native military unit of Fedor, a farewell was held for him and his deceased colleague. According to sources, this happened in Solnechnogorsk, on the shores of Lake Senezh. Also, sources said that in addition to the two dead, there was another wounded.

There are two military units in Solnechnogorsk: 43292 and 92154. Judging by some news, both military units are located on the same territory. At the same time, on the Internet you can find many references about military unit 92154, with the description that this is the GRU special forces, from which the Senezh Special Purpose Center, SSO, was formed. There is very little information on the Internet about military unit 43292, and everything is either with the context “GRU special forces” (but there are much fewer such links than about 92154), or without mentioning the type of troops. Many links about military unit 43292 are redirected to topics, groups with names like "military unit 92154, GRU special forces." We believe that military unit 43292 is simply the headquarters / command / garrison of the same Senezh TsSN.

Also, from local sources, we found that the wife of the deceased lives in Solnechnogorsk, which additionally confirms that the deceased Fyodor belongs to the Senezh CSN.

On November 13, Senior Researcher (RUSI) Igor Sutyagin published an article in which he described which units of the Russian Ministry of Defense are involved in the operation in Syria. This list also included a team of snipers from the Senezh Special Purpose Center:

Also, on November 17, when the FSB acknowledged that Airbus A321, flight 7K9268 had crashed as a result of a terrorist attack, Sergey Zhigarev, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee:

“Vladimir Vladimirovich quite clearly said that retaliation will overtake the terrorists, and I think that special operations forces can be used for this, and they operate not from the air, but on the ground.”

This is nothing more than a comment by a private person, these are not statements by the State Duma itself, but it is important to note these words. Together with the words of Vladimir Putin that the organizers of the terrorist attack must be found and punished, wherever they are, the appearance of Russia's elite special forces in Syria is more than expected.

When we started working on this investigation together with individual journalists, it seems that the locals noticed the attention and suddenly changed their behavior: they stopped making contact, they suddenly began to put forward the version that Fedor died during the counter-terrorist operation in Dagestan, and not at all in Syria. Fedor's relatives are also strictly on the version that Fedor was not in Syria and died during the counter-terrorist operation in Dagestan, and that he is not at all a commando of the SSO or GRU, but a simple paratrooper.

Recall that when in June 2015 we talked with the parents of the dead GRU special forces from the 16th separate GRU special forces brigade, that their sons died during the counter-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus, and not in the Donbass. In addition, they received documents from the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation with exactly this version of death.

Indeed, there was recently a counter-terrorist operation in Dagestan, but nothing is reported about the security forces who died in it. In addition, the counter-terrorist operation in Dagestan began on November 22, and the death of Fedor, according to his friends, “has been known since Thursday”, i.e. from 19 November.

Departure to Paltso

For further investigation, we needed to establish the exact date of death, as well as obtain photographs of Fedor's grave in order to prove that he was an active serviceman (by the wreaths and uniform in the photograph). To begin with, we tried to find assistants who could complete this task. We published a message about the search for helpers, while throwing in two additional cities known for their military units (Tambov and Baltiysk) as a distraction:

To carry out a secret mission, we need people from Tambov, Bryansk and Baltiysk. Write in telegram https://t.co/6ZZnHY0zUK

But in the end we decided to go on our own, partly because it is too dangerous a task and the assistant would risk health and freedom, partly because the assistant must be very trusted. After waiting for the funeral to end (so as not to attract too much attention), which took place on November 24, we boarded the train and arrived at night in Bryansk:

The road to the small village of Paltso took an hour and a half along deaf, snow-covered roads:

Arriving at dawn in Paltso, we were faced with the task of establishing the location of the cemetery. Since the village is too small (the population is only 968 people), its infrastructure facilities are not marked on navigators and maps. We were helped to find the cemetery by spruce branches with flowers, which we suddenly noticed on one of the roads in the village. These branches with flowers stretched in a straight line from the house of the parents of the deceased to the very cemetery, which was found on the outskirts of the forest. There we quickly found Fedor's grave:

So we established the exact date of Fedor's birth (09/11/1988) and the date of death (11/19/2015). The confirmed date of death did not coincide with the version of the counter-terrorist operation in Dagestan, which began three days after Fedor's death.

Near the grave of Fedor, we found exactly the same wreaths from the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and from colleagues, which we:

In the photo, Fedor is dressed in a military uniform with the rank of captain:

On the collar are visible buttonholes of the Airborne Forces, but this does not refute Fedor's service in the GRU special forces, special forces of the MTR. Recall that the dead soldiers of the 16th separate brigade of the GRU special forces, about whom, wear exactly the same uniform, with the same buttonholes:

Anton Savelyev, serviceman of the 16th Special Brigade of the GRU

For 10 days, we were supported by 57 people, thanks to which, at the moment, we have managed to collect 2% of the planned amount. This collection is very important to us, because it will allow us to conduct more thorough investigations, devote more time to them, as well as importantly, to undertake such field visits more frequently in search of additional evidence. For example, we spent 7,600 rubles on this trip to Paltso. We will write a more detailed report on the progress of fundraising in a separate post.

Note: we found out that many do not notice that our team can enter an arbitrary amount in the third field, including, for example, 50 kopecks.

The command of the special operations forces remains one of the most closed structures in the RF Armed Forces. It is known that only in the last six months, two MTR fighters died in Syria: Fedor Zhuravlev and Alexander Prokhorenko, who became posthumously Hero of Russia.
The military personnel of the special operations forces performed the most important tasks. They directed and corrected airstrikes, including with cruise missiles, on the positions of the Islamic State banned in Russia, saved the flight recorders of the Russian Su-24M front-line bomber shot down by the Turkish Air Force. This is a small part of the list.

The history of the special operations forces began in 1999, when the Center for Training Specialists was created in Solnechnogorsk near Moscow, and in fact a special-purpose military unit, reporting directly to the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate. Later, the center was named "Senezh", and the fighters were called "sunflowers". One of the founding fathers was the then Chief of the General Staff, General of the Army Anatoly Kvashnin.
Sometimes this center is called a training center, but according to several interlocutors of the Military Industrial Courier, Senezh never wore such a “prefix”, and the wording “training of specialists” served more as a cover, and also emphasized the special status of the unit.
Initially, four areas of special operations were formed. The airborne fighters practiced complex jumps - both protracted and with the opening of a parachute immediately after separation from the side. Possession of such methods allows the special forces to fly tens of kilometers unnoticed by the enemy. Specialists jumped both day and night using night vision devices, in bad weather, in strong winds and fog.
Military personnel of the mountain direction became combat climbers, learned how to storm high mountain peaks, capture and hold passes, glaciers. The training of specialists took place, in particular, on the basis of the Terskol training center located in the Elbrus region. The fighters made difficult ascents, even climbed to the top of Elbrus.
The commandos of the assault direction learned not only to take houses and other buildings. The tasks were set much broader - the capture of enemy targets in various conditions, on any terrain.
The fighters of the maritime direction mastered all kinds of water areas, practiced actions in diving equipment using special tugboats and light boats. They learned to capture ships and coastal structures.
Based on the experience of military operations in Chechnya, a fifth direction appeared in the center - the protection of high-ranking military men. The Minister of Defense is protected by FSO employees. But in the conditions of hostilities, such officials as the chief of the General Staff, the commander of the district troops, used to be accompanied, at best, by scouts or special forces. The training of such "guards", to put it mildly, left much to be desired. Therefore, the question of creating a specialized unit dealing with the protection of high-ranking representatives of the Ministry of Defense, before the appearance of the fifth direction, was acute.
At the same time, according to the interlocutors of the Military-Industrial Courier, there has never been a rigid binding of fighters to a specific direction in the center. All "sunflowers" learned to jump with a parachute, go to the mountains, scuba dive, storm houses. But depending on the tasks, the individual elements of training for the fighters were more in-depth.
Moreover, the command tried to ensure that specialists worked in several directions during their service. There was an exchange of experience, knowledge, skills and abilities between departments. For example, a fighter who came from the airborne direction to the sea, not only learned the peculiarities of working on the water, but also shared with his comrades the skills of long parachute jumps.
From the moment of their formation, the directions were staffed exclusively by officers and ensigns. Conscripts served only in economic units or as drivers.
Future "sunflowers" were selected not only in units and subdivisions of the Airborne Forces and special forces, but also among tankmen, artillerymen, infantrymen, even air defense and RKhBZ officers. Several times a year, the "buyers" from the GRU visited military units, studied the personal files of military personnel and selected suitable candidates.
But this was just the beginning. Officers and warrant officers arrived in Solnechnogorsk, where the so-called training camps were held with them, and in fact entrance tests, where both the physical training of future MTR fighters, and personal qualities, and most importantly, the ability to work in a team were tested.
The sources of the "Military Industrial Courier" emphasize: the main principle of the center is not to prepare an individual fighter with excellent skills and abilities, but to create a team that acts as a single organism. This principle, strictly observed throughout the years of the existence of "Senezh", has always led the "sunflowers" to victories.
Your way and cars for him
In the special operations forces of NATO countries, it is considered necessary to create separate units trained to penetrate behind enemy lines, carry out raids and ambushes on specialized vehicles, such as the Land Rover Pink Panther in the 22nd SAS Regiment, the Pinzgauers in the American Delta ".
The experience of the Russian MTRs has shown that armored vehicles such as the domestic "Tiger" in most cases are not suitable for the tasks facing the special operations forces. Therefore, the choice fell on highly passable buggies, in Senezh highly appreciated the Israeli SUVs Zibar.
From the very beginning, the leadership of the Russian center paid close attention not just to training snipers, but to training specialists capable of conducting high-precision shooting and at the same time solving a wide range of tasks. Initially, Finnish high-precision Sako TRG-42 systems were purchased for these needs, later British AWPs developed by the legendary shooter Malcolm Cooper appeared. Large-caliber sniper rifles from various companies, in particular the South African Truvel, were studied separately.
In Chechnya and beyond the cordon
Immediately after the creation of the Center for the Training of Specialists, its fighters were at the forefront. In 1999, Wahhabi militants invaded Dagestan, but were defeated, and a few months later, Russian troops launched a counter-terrorist operation in Chechnya.
It is noteworthy that the name "sunflowers" was assigned to the fighters of the center after their first trip to the Caucasus. On that trip, the servicemen put on panama hats, which were not then available in other units and special forces. According to one version, the hats were from the newly appeared SPN-2 summer field kit. According to another, the panama hats that the fighters saw in one of the American action films were bought in a store selling Western uniforms and equipment. Be that as it may, for the unusual appearance, and also since the center is located near the commuter train station Podsolnechnaya, its fighters received the nickname "sunflowers". Later, the drawing of a solar flower against the background of a crossed sword and arrow ended up on the chevron of the center.
Despite the fact that his activities in Chechnya are still classified as "Top Secret", according to reports, the "sunflowers" eliminated and captured high-ranking militants, found and destroyed bases and caches of bandits, and solved other important tasks. As the interlocutors of the “VPK” recall, the fighters of the center were not required to have a 100 percent guarantee that the task would be completed, but all 300. They simply had no right to make a mistake.
One event in the center does not like to remember. In the fall of 1999, senior lieutenants Alexei Galkin and Vladimir Pakhomov were captured by Chechen fighters. How experienced fighters ended up in such a difficult situation is still unclear. But later, both officers, despite severe injuries, escaped from captivity and went out to their own. Alexey Galkin became the Hero of Russia.
According to some reports, the fighters of the Specialist Training Center not only fought in Chechnya, but also solved problems abroad. In particular, they participated in operations against pirates in the Horn of Africa.
The experience of military operations in Chechnya and foreign operations have shown that the subordination of the center to the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate is not the most optimal solution. The head of military intelligence, for example, cannot give an order to the commander-in-chief of the Air Force so that the “sunflowers” ​​are given an airplane or helicopters, a rather lengthy procedure for preparing a request, and then agreeing it, is required. Meanwhile, in some cases, the time for the operation is measured in hours and minutes.
Two centers in a new look
The activity of Anatoly Serdyukov as Minister of Defense of Russia is still subject to serious criticism, but it was under him that the command of special operations forces was created. Just during the transition to a new look, the "sunflowers", having received the official name of the special operations center of the Ministry of Defense "Senezh", began to report directly to the chief of the General Staff.
Serdyukov visited the base in Solnechnogorsk near Moscow more than once. Money was allocated for the purchase of weapons and equipment, several research projects were opened. A helicopter squadron from the Center for Combat Use of Army Aviation in Torzhok was transferred to the operational subordination of Senezh. And in Tver, military transport Il-76s were on duty around the clock, ready, if necessary, to deliver MTR fighters to designated points at any time.
It is believed that during the transition to a new look, Senezh, like the special forces brigades, was reduced, and many of its military personnel were either fired or removed from the state. But it's not. According to the "Military-industrial courier", the command of the center, taking advantage of the opportunity, conducted an attestation of its fighters, selecting the best.
In the late 2000s, a second Special Purpose Center appeared in the Russian Ministry of Defense, subordinate to the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, with a deployment in Kubinka near Moscow. The new TsSN, nicknamed Zazaborye, owes its appearance to Lieutenant-General Alexander Miroshnichenko, who came under Anatoly Serdyukov to the post of Deputy Minister of Defense, who previously headed Directorate A of the FSB Special Purpose Center, in other words, the Alpha detachment.
Between Miroshnichenko and the leadership of "Senezh" immediately developed, to put it mildly, tense relations. The former commander of "Alpha" believed that it was necessary to create a command of the special operations forces of the Ministry of Defense, relying only on the experience of his former command. The command of the "sunflowers" reasonably stated that they had their own, no less serious developments and training school, and the tasks of "Alpha" and the special operations forces of the military department are different.
In this situation, Serdyukov made a compromise decision - to create a second Special Purpose Center, the formation of which he entrusted to Alexander Miroshnichenko, who attracted former subordinates from the Central Security Service of the FSB to this work.
When creating Zazaborye, Alpha employees primarily focused on their own experience. At the forefront was the individual training of fighters, much attention was paid to physical training - at the level of the sport of high achievements. And collective work, the key principle of Senezh, was not a priority for the creators of the new center.
The interlocutor of "VPK" explains: "At Alpha everything is different. They were brought in a car to the place of the operation, they ran 50 meters and became heroes. Nobody wants to sniff footcloths and crawl through the mountains for weeks looking for militants.”
In 2013, this CSN of the Ministry of Defense was also subordinated to the command of the special operations forces. The post of commander of the KSSO was taken by Major General Alexei Dyumin, who, according to knowledgeable people, largely became a compromise figure against the background of the confrontation between the Senezh leadership and Alexander Miroshnichenko, who actively continued to implement the experience of the FSB TsSN.
It is noteworthy that Zazaborye has maintained close relations with Alpha. Its former employees, as noted by many with whom the "Military-Industrial Courier" met, instilled in the fighters of the newly created center the desire to be the best in everything at any cost.
We note the main thing - the fighters of both centers continued the traditions laid down by the founding fathers, performing the most difficult tasks: they defended the Olympics in Sochi, carried out a brilliant operation in the Crimea, and now they are working in Syria.
Alexey Mikhailov

In a certain sense, special forces soldiers can be compared to doctors. Both of them save lives. Often, in order to stop a war and save an entire region, or even a country, special forces soldiers must work quickly, accurately, by performing “local surgery”. However, acting as part of special forces is not as easy as it seems at first glance.
Sea Devils
Even from the point of view of planning an operation, PDSS (short for "Underwater sabotage forces and means") fighters face tasks atypical for the ground forces. Behind a short description of the tasks that "sea devils" can perform lies something more than just extremely difficult work. Combat swimmers are referred to the navy only nominally. In fact, the battlefield for such specialists is air, water and land.

Landing on a captured object? Please. Stealth approach to a given area and complete the task? Good. To land from the sea and do the work on the shore? No problem. The equipment and weapons of combat swimmers are as unusual as the people themselves. What is the special underwater pistol SPP-1 specially designed for the PDSS fighters, or the equally unusual special underwater machine APS. "Needle" ammunition for such weapons even outwardly differ from conventional rifle and pistol cartridges.

They are significantly longer and fire such ammunition mainly underwater. The timid and frail are not taken to the PDSS. Even from the point of view of ordinary service in the army, the health requirements of candidates for the PDSS are much higher than usual. It is difficult not only physically, but also psychologically, to withstand landing from a submarine, when the exit in full equipment is carried out through a torpedo tube. The special equipment and “clothes” of the PDSS fighters are much more complicated. The technologies for manufacturing special heavy-duty fabric for a diving suit, its composition, place of production - all this information is top secret. In exactly the same way, the situation is with the special set of underwater equipment "Amphora". The closed-loop breathing system is one of the most modern developments for special forces. Contrary to popular belief, Amphora is not just fancy, modern military scuba gear.
In addition to the breathing apparatus, the system also includes a special communication complex, and even a special body armor with a suspension system. All specialized equipment, including protective equipment and weapons, is needed by the "sea devils" with one goal - to act as discreetly and as quickly as possible. Experts explain that although the number and organizational structure of the PDSS in the Russian Navy is classified, one thing is for sure - the geography of the work of combat swimmers is not limited to the borders of the Russian Federation.
Spetsnaz GRU
The history of the special forces of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces is a topic for a separate film, if not for a voluminous scientific work. The period of combat work of the GRU special forces in Chechnya during the first and second campaigns in this case is worth studying especially. In order to effectively counter the militants in mixed terrain, it took not only all the experience of combat work, but also great courage. Experts still talk with admiration about the enormous effectiveness of the GRU General Staff special forces during the hostilities in the Caucasus.
They say about special forces soldiers - generalists. During the fighting in Chechnya, the special forces soldiers performed, perhaps, in all possible roles. They acted as part of sabotage and reconnaissance groups, directed aircraft at the target, destroyed caches and caches of militants, hunted leaders and field commanders, and much more. A high degree of autonomy and secrecy are the two main qualities that helped the GRU special forces to operate in difficult conditions. One of the main achievements of the special forces fighters and the command of special operations was the violation of the logistics of the militants.
Caravans with weapons for Chechen fighters from the territory of neighboring states were organized according to all the rules of military science. Special Forces soldiers who retired long ago say that "on the other side" they knew well who was hunting for militants. “It was well understood that foreign sponsors were working on the issue of organizing the supply of weapons, equipment, money and everything that provided the “work” of the militants. When approximate routes were discovered and successful sorties began, tactics were changed almost immediately. They began to let in one or several "false" caravans, empty, and along the way they threw in "misinformation" via satellite channels. It was necessary to find out what paths the real caravan was taking with valuable cargo, ”one of the former scouts explained in an interview with the Zvezda TV channel.
To track the "recipients" and destroy the caravan with weapons and money, not only modern means of electronic intelligence and interception were required, but also high intelligence. Experts note that the leadership of special forces of this level is trusted only by the most experienced officers who have proven themselves more than once.
surgeons of war
The MTR of the Russian Ministry of Defense is in some way the quintessence of experience, technology, methods and the result of colossal work. Experts say that numerous speculations about SOF fighters and ways of entering the service are largely untrue. Retired military men say that it is unlikely that they will be able to get into such a unit of their own free will. In most cases, a candidate with combat experience, an impressive track record and special skills is “invited for an interview”, and only then is the issue of enrollment in the detachment decided.

For a general understanding of the differences between the fighters of the Special Operations Forces of the Ministry of Defense and other special forces in the Russian Armed Forces, it is important to understand that the MTR is a kind of "dad" to all special forces combined. Specialists of the special forces formed in 2009 can do everything. They are trained in sabotage work, they operate equally well under water and on land, they land from many kilometers in height, carrying, in addition to light small arms, even anti-tank missile systems.
MTR of the Russian Ministry of Defense - surgeons of modern warfare, acting in all directions at once. For a long time, the very fact of the existence of the MTR was hidden, but more recently, the presence of specialists from the Special Operations Forces was officially confirmed. The combat path of military personnel unique even by army standards in Syria is already being studied, because it was not least thanks to the actions of the MTR fighters in Syria that phenomenal accuracy was achieved when delivering air strikes.

A separate line in the combat work of the MTR fighters in Syria is the use of special equipment for reconnaissance and detection of the enemy. Infrared sights, thermal imagers, reconnaissance small drones and combat robotic platforms. The entire experience of the military-industrial complex and special training for ten years is combined into one. The actions of MTR specialists in Syria fit best into the concept of “military surgical intervention”: operating deep behind enemy lines with the help of sniper weapons, you can achieve significantly greater success than weeks of continuous bombing.
Despite the fact that the MTR is a young unit by army standards, certain qualitative changes are already on the way. One of the founders of the MTR of the Ministry of Defense, and now a member of the board of the Military-Industrial Commission of Russia Oleg Martyanov told the Special Operations Forces Day that the Ministry of Defense, together with the FPI, is implementing a project to combine all components of equipment into a single system. According to Martyanov, we are talking about the Defender of the Future project, in which sighting, observation and other devices, as well as communications and protection equipment, will be combined into a single whole. In general, in the history of domestic special forces, this happened extremely rarely. Of course, specialists performing unique tasks in the combat zone have always received the most modern equipment and weapons, but such a rapid qualitative leap forward in terms of support, equipment, and, as a result, efficiency has been observed for the first time. However, such a phenomenon cannot be called a surprise. Behind all this is competent planning, financing and control, thanks to which Russia will celebrate Special Operations Forces Day every year on February 27th.

February 27 is the Day of Special Operations Forces (SOF) in Russia. On this day, five years ago, Russian servicemen began an operation to blockade units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and ensure control over strategically important facilities in Crimea. This work was carried out by superbly equipped submachine gunners without insignia, in which the population immediately recognized Russian soldiers and greeted them as liberators.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and the Ministry of Defense remained silent, hiding the obvious fact of the introduction of troops. Later, the Russian authorities admitted that part of the "Crimean contingent" was represented by the military personnel of the Special Operations Forces. Their mission is still classified, but, most likely, they performed the most responsible and complex tasks. Part of the special forces by decree of the President of the Russian Federation was awarded the title of Hero of Russia.

However, most foreign analysts are inclined to believe that MTRs were created in 2009-2013. In particular, 10 years ago, on the basis of the Senezh Special Purpose Center (military unit No. 92154, Moscow Region), the Directorate of Special Operations Forces was formed.

The list of founding fathers of the SSO is unknown. However, it is believed that the chief of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, who during the period of Anatoly Serdyukov's tenure as Minister of Defense, worked as deputy head of the General Staff (since December 2010), played a crucial role in the construction of the Special Operations Forces. Nevertheless, it is obvious that Gerasimov was not the inspirer of the reform (at least he was not the only one).

It is quite possible that the laurels of the creator of the MTR were assigned to the current chief of the General Staff because of his article "The value of science in foresight", which was published in the journal "Military Industrial Courier" at the end of February 2013, when the organizational formation of the Forces was supposedly completed special operations.

“Asymmetric actions have become widespread, making it possible to neutralize the superiority of the enemy in armed struggle. These include the use of the Special Operations Forces and the internal opposition to create a permanent front... The ongoing changes are reflected in the doctrinal views of the leading countries of the world and are being tested in military conflicts, ”says the material authored by Gerasimov.

In this material, Gerasimov does not hide the fact that the Ministry of Defense carefully studied the experience of the US SOF and other Western states, especially in the Middle East theater of operations

The knowledge gained helped the Russian Federation to create its own Special Operations Forces, taking into account domestic specifics.

In the United States, MTR appeared in the second half of the 1980s. Now they are in almost all major states, and more recently they exist even in Ukraine. Russia was somewhat late with this process, although the idea of ​​​​creating Special Operations Forces appeared during the war in Afghanistan. Then this issue was on the agenda during the two Chechen campaigns.

However, before the arrival of Serdyukov, no changes occurred. One of the most likely reasons is the resistance offered by the GRU generals.

The military intelligence command did not want to lose experienced personnel and was afraid of losing its former influence in the system of the Armed Forces.

The US Army's Asymmetric Warfare Group (AWG) advisory division, in its report "A Handbook on the Russian Army of the New Generation", claims that the South Ossetian conflict served as the "point of no return", for which the Russian army was not prepared in the best way.

The leadership of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation finally realized the need to use small mobile formations in local conflicts, which are optimally suited for performing tasks in hot spots. According to the AWG, the backbone of the MTR is "battalion tactical groups" - highly maneuverable units sharpened for missions tens and hundreds of kilometers from the point of deployment.

Expeditionary force

Special Operations Forces are a single command structure that unites army special forces units of all types and branches of the RF Armed Forces. The MTR is directly subordinate to the head of the General Staff. In his study, Tor Bukvoll, a senior researcher at the Institute of the Norwegian Ministry of Defense, estimated the number of Special Operations Forces at 14,000 people, with 12,000 former employees of the GRU.

In general, MTR fighters perform tasks that are in many ways similar to the functionality of military intelligence officers. We are talking about the adjustment of fire, the extraction of intelligence information behind enemy lines, the elimination of the leaders of gangs, sabotage and counter-sabotage activities.

The advantages of the Special Operations Forces include a wider (than the GRU) resource base, high efficiency and mobility.

In addition, the creation of the MTR made it possible to remove barriers to the use of special forces. For example, if it is necessary to use a special forces unit of the Navy in any conflict (for example, in Syria), then it was necessary to obtain the consent of the fleet command. Now the entire army special forces are subordinate to the chief of the General Staff, who disposes of the fighters in agreement with the minister of defense and the president.

Such centralization is an adequate response to lightning-fast changes in the military-political situation, which are periodically observed near the borders of the Russian Federation. It makes no sense for modern Russia to transfer an airborne brigade with heavy equipment to the focus of threats. It is much more efficient to have the ability to send a more modest number and composition of the special forces.

The most important specificity of the MTR, in addition to the highest level of combat training, is the ability to interact with the local population and allied formations. For example, in Syria, Russian special forces performed tasks shoulder to shoulder with the Syrian army, the people's militia, the Shiite Hezbollah and various pro-Iranian groups. This component was lacking for Soviet troops in Afghanistan and federal units in Chechnya.

The main opponent of the MTR is terrorist groups in foreign countries.

Lecturer at the Institute of National Security in Tel Aviv, Sarah Feinberg, in the article “Russian Expeditionary Forces in the Syrian Operation,” reports that Russian special forces received an excellent opportunity to test knowledge and gain unique experience in the SAR.

Feinberg estimated that 230-250 special forces were in Syria at the height of the fighting. Moreover, MTR fighters appeared in the Arab Republic before the official announcement of the start of the air operation (September 30, 2015). The military personnel performed reconnaissance missions and identified targets for the airborne forces.

According to the Ministry of Defense, two special forces gunners died in the SAR - Captain Fyodor Zhuravlev (November 9, 2015) and Senior Lieutenant Alexander Prokhorenko (March 17, 2016). Both soldiers received state awards posthumously. Prokhorenko was awarded the title of Hero of Russia - being surrounded by militants, the MTR fighter called fire on himself. His feat caused a wave of admiration around the world.