Special forces of the Russian Navy: history, service, standards. Naval reconnaissance points for special purposes Selection for naval special forces

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Yesterday, while looking through the event feed on the social network Vkontakte, I came across a photograph in one of the groups entitled “Somewhere in the forests of Russky Island.” It depicts a soldier with a flag of military unit 59190 42 OMRPSN. This rather outlandish abbreviation was left to us as a legacy from the USSR.

This part is known to all Primorye residents, and very many residents Far East generally under a different name - “Kholuai”. This is part of the combat swimmers of the Pacific Fleet, working in the interests of the fleet and the GRU.

Kholuai (there are 2 more variants of the name - Khaluai/Kholulai) can be considered one of the unique symbols of our region. And since I’m describing memorable/military sights of the Far East, I decided that I simply had to tell you about it, dear readers and colleagues.

I myself first heard this name - Kholuai (or rather, Kholulai) when I came from Sakhalin to study in Khabarovsk. The man from whom my friend and I rented an apartment for a long time had served in military service in the Pacific Fleet. Went on long ocean voyages. Then I learned a lot of new and interesting things about the Indian Ocean, Aden. I saw naval photographs from the late 70s - early 80s.

And among other things, we were then told about the top secret units of Pacific Fleet combat swimmers, who also served on ships. Solving, of course, your specific problems.

In general, when it comes to Kholuay, the question of extremely scant information about life/service/training methods in naval special forces units of the USSR Navy comes up. In general, about all parts. These were practically the most secret units in the country.

And where there is no reliable information, a lot of rumors and legends arise. Yes, exactly legends.

There is so much to hear about the fighters of this unit and what they did. Every “armchair expert” wants to say that he personally knew or served there. He saw everything and knows for sure.

I can say one thing. Those people who served/are serving in the MCI SPN are either completely silent, avoiding service issues, or limit themselves to general phrases about how they got there and what they did.

I know this on own experience. Simply because I once worked in a company where my senior colleague was a Kholulite. Common phrases. Common words. Non-disclosure agreement. State secret.

Only one thing - these are still people of a special cut. Marine. The sea makes a person different. Gives a different attitude towards life and death. A different perspective on many things.

Kholuai is still alive today. The part, after a long half-dead state of the troubled times of the 90s, is again operating in full force. As knowledgeable people say: “It’s not possible to get into the location. Already on the approaches - head straight into the ground" :)))

Personally, I do not have any secret information, and I am not going to reveal state secrets.

I just want you, dear colleagues, to taste at least a little of the sensations of the Far Eastern Primorye - a free region, with beautiful nature and wonderful people. And they knew that there was such a strange, tasty word - HOLUAY, behind which stands the glorious history of the Pacific Fleet.

SPECIAL PURPOSE MARINE INTELLIGENCE CENTER

Naval reconnaissance parachute units (naval reconnaissance points) were created in the early 50s in the naval reconnaissance system.

Back on May 20, 1953, Commander-in-Chief of the Navy N.G. Kuznetsov, in the “Plan of Measures to Strengthen Navy Intelligence,” approved the creation of units in the fleet special purpose. In the summer of the same year, the first special purpose naval reconnaissance point (MRp SpN) was formed in the Black Sea Fleet, the commander of which was appointed captain 1st rank E.V. Yakovlev. The naval reconnaissance point was stationed in the Kruglaya Bay area near Sevastopol and had a staff of 72 personnel. One of the types of combat training was airborne, where naval reconnaissance officers mastered parachute jumps, including water jumps.

Experimental exercises confirmed the need to create similar units in all fleets. As a result, a total of seven maritime reconnaissance points and the 315th training detachment of light divers (military unit 20884) were formed, which trained personnel, including for maritime special reconnaissance. The training detachment was stationed in Kyiv, and naval reconnaissance points were scattered across all fleets: two each in the Black Sea and Baltic fleets, one each in the Northern and Pacific, and one more was part of the Caspian flotilla.

The naval special forces adopted a special diver's parachute, SVP-1, which made it possible to land a naval reconnaissance officer in full diving gear. Scouts of the Black Sea Fleet repeatedly performed low-altitude parachute landings from a height of 60-70 m during exercises.

According to the results of an audit conducted by a GRU commission in 1963, the combat readiness of naval special forces turned out to be quite high. The commission came to the conclusion that all naval reconnaissance points are prepared for landing from a submarine, as well as for parachute landing on rough terrain with cargo in night conditions. In addition, 23 reconnaissance personnel of the 42nd Marine Corps of the Pacific Fleet are prepared for parachute jumps onto the water.

A series of reorganizations by 1963 left each fleet with one naval reconnaissance point, and in the Northern Fleet, due to difficult climatic conditions, the naval reconnaissance point was disbanded.

Composition of special reconnaissance units of the USSR Navy:

17th ObrSpN military unit 34391, Black Sea Fleet, Ochakov, Pervomaisky Island;
42nd MRPSPN military unit 59190, Pacific Fleet, Vladivostok, Russky Island;
160th infantry regiment of the Black Sea Fleet, Odessa;
420th MRSPPN military unit 40145, Northern Fleet, Severomorsk;
431st MRSPSpN military unit 25117, KasFl, Baku;
457th MRPSPN military unit 10617, BF, Kaliningrad, Parusnoye village;
461st MRSPN, BF, Baltiysk.

SPECIAL FORCES TOF KHOLUAY: 42 OMRRP SN: Military unit 59190

The legendary “secret part of Kholuai” in Vladivostok celebrates its 60th anniversary on June 5. On this day in 1955, in accordance with the directive of the General Staff of the Navy dated March 18, 1955 with a location in Maly Ulysses Bay near Vladivostok, 42 ​​MCI Special Forces (military unit 59190) were created in the Pacific Fleet. Due to the lack of necessary premises, deployment in the indicated location turned out to be impossible, and only in December of the same year the personnel were located at the permanent deployment point on Russky Island in Kholuai Bay.

Map of English: Sights of the island, incl. and location of MCI

The history of the 42nd separate special-purpose maritime reconnaissance point began on March 18, 1955. At first, like other naval special forces units formed earlier in the Red Banner Baltic Fleet and the Black Sea Fleet, it was called the “Maritime Reconnaissance Point.” In the 1970s, naval reconnaissance points received the names RPSpN, retaining the point numbers.

Chevrons and badges 42 MRp SN

The founder of the unit is twice Hero of the Soviet Union, captain 1st rank Viktor Leonov. At the end of World War II, he commanded the 140th Guards Marine Reconnaissance Detachment of the Pacific Fleet. This detachment became famous for its daring operations and rightfully bore the title of Guards.

Considering that military unit 59190 was created precisely on the basis of this detachment, the command repeatedly came up with the initiative to return the former name of the unit. The first commander of the 42nd RSPPN was Captain 2nd Rank Pyotr Kovalenko. The location of the unit at the founding of the 42nd MCI was designated Maly Ulysses Bay near Vladivostok, but there were no premises there. During 1955, the point changed its location more than once, choosing a convenient location. Only at the beginning of December 1955, the personnel of the 42nd MCI were relocated on Russky Island to Kholuai Bay - the place of permanent deployment of military unit 59190. Subsequently, the staff of the 42nd OMRPSpN changed several times.

On the day of the 60th anniversary of the “secret part of Kholuai”, a monument to Viktor Leonov was unveiled on its territory.

Monument to twice hero of the USSR Viktor Leonov

Also, the underwater sabotage carrier “Triton-2” was installed as a monument on the territory of the unit. Exactly the same one can be seen today in the courtyard of the KTOF Museum on Svetlanskaya Street. The Triton-2 midget submarines were in service with the fleet from 1975 to the 1990s. They were intended for patrolling the waters of ports and roadsteads, delivering and evacuating reconnaissance divers, mining piers and enemy ships, and exploring the seabed.

Chairman of the Council of the Primorsky regional branch of the “Combat Brotherhood”, reserve colonel, who retired from the post of chief of staff of a marine division in 2000, Alexander Fedorov recalls with warm feelings the years spent serving in the naval special forces.

“Only healthy guys according to all medical criteria could get into the special forces. In this unit there was completely different training, special tasks were performed. Service in the naval special forces is an honorable, but extremely difficult job, which not everyone can handle,” noted the reserve colonel.

Military unit 59190 included the following ships: MTL - a naval torpedo boat and five boats, and for landing in the surface version, the Kholuai naval special forces used inflatable boats SML-8.

Combat service Kholuai fighters of the Pacific Fleet special forces take place on Pacific Fleet ships. The presence of the 42nd OMRPSpN with all the necessary equipment and weapons on board the ship meant that the Kholuai naval special forces were ready to parachute into a special events area or reconnaissance area at any time. Groups of the 42nd OMRPSpN also perform combat service on submarines. Such business trips last about two months. The combat service of the Kholuai naval special forces on surface ships lasts up to six months.

“I would love to go back to those times, if only because I was young then.” Despite our special forces status, we, like all military personnel, had leave of absence. It was impossible to sit “behind the wire” all the time! Still, youth, girls,” Alexander Fedorov says nostalgically.

The reserve colonel noted that the scouts of the 42nd OMRPSpN fought in the first Chechen campaign. A group of 10 people from the Kholuai naval special forces acted successfully, but 3 of them died. All members of the Kholuai group of the Pacific Fleet special forces were awarded by the Russian Federation. Warrant officer Andrei Dneprovsky and senior lieutenant Sergei Firsov were awarded the title of Hero of Russia (posthumously).

During their existence, underwater reconnaissance saboteurs also carried out combat missions in the Persian Gulf, Pacific and Indian oceans.

Writer, journalist Alexey Sukonkin in 1993-94 he served in the special forces unit of the ground forces, but from time to time some of them also served in the naval special forces.

— In the 90s, there, as in the entire army, there was devastation and collapse. Little attention was paid to the army and navy, so people there were focused on survival; there was no time for combat training,” said Alexey Sukonkin.

He noted that today everything is different. Some thrive, not survive.

People who meet the requirements for service in the airborne forces go to serve in the naval special forces. The service life is standard: conscripts – one year, contract soldiers – 3 and 5 years,” said Alexey Sukonkin.

The unit still remains one of the most secret units of the Pacific Fleet and is rightfully considered elite in terms of the level of combat training of its personnel.

The special forces of the Pacific Fleet are aimed at solving problems against the enemy’s most important island and coastal targets, for which they are armed with underwater delivery vehicles, special weapons and combat robots. But the most important thing is people - trained, motivated, capable of the impossible.

HOLUAI: WHAT IS THIS?

On Russky Island, the only Chinese toponym preserved is Kholuai Bay (Se-Huluai). The bay with a beautiful and rare name for Russian-Island toponymy, Kholuai, is translated from Chinese as “a shore in the shape of a gourd.” "

Kholuai" - formed by three components: "hu" - small egg (jug), "lu" - reeds, "ai" - shore, edge, edge of the mountain. IN Soviet period on the military topographic maps a new Russian interpretation of it began to appear - “Ostrovnaya”.

However, the new name did not take root well, so for everyone who knew Kholuai Bay, it is still called that way.

VIDEO

SOURCES

AFTERWORD

After this article was published, I received an email from a person who suggested adding this material Andrey Zagortsev’s book “Sailor Special Forces”. The author is a fairly well-known military writer who served in military service in Kholuay and fought in Chechnya. Afterwards he returned to the 42nd MrP as a lieutenant.

The book is truly interesting. It is remarkable for its simple language and a lot of details. For me personally, it is very reminiscent of the work of Andrei Ilyin, whom I respect very much.

Anyone who wants to experience the whole essence of the service of a reconnaissance diver is a must read.

It is almost impossible to find any information about the naval special forces of the Russian Navy in the public domain. And there are very good reasons for this, because these people are considered one of the most elite military units in the country, special requirements are placed on them so that the soldiers can fully carry out their role for reconnaissance and sabotage purposes in coastal areas. Analogues of special forces exist in many countries of the world, especially in those that have a strong navy. They can be seen in France, the USA, Turkey, China, and in each of them only the strongest fighters join such special forces. This article will talk in detail about what the special forces of the Russian Navy are. “Sea devils” is how they got their common name.

Beginning of formation

Units similar to special forces began to appear in many countries around the world shortly before the outbreak of World War II. The first experiments began only in 1938 in the Pacific Fleet, and then in the Black Sea.

At first, reconnaissance officers, who were equipped with light diving uniforms, were used to carry out actions - they were supposed to cut enemy anti-submarine networks at depth. However, until 1941, such exercises had practically no meaning, and therefore the authorities did not allow the new unit to develop. That is why, after the start of the war, they had to be created in great haste - already in August 1941, the first unit of combat swimmers appeared. Even now, special forces are often called that way, although in their role they are more similar to “reconnaissance divers.”

Role in the war

The special forces that began to appear were of great importance in military operations during the Second World War. The special forces accounted for quite a lot of large operations that made it possible to inflict damage on the German navy. In addition, in 1944, members of the naval special forces for the first time participated in the recovery of a sunken German submarine, which had to be raised from extreme depths. It was on it that torpedoes of a special design were discovered, about which scientists from the allied countries knew nothing.

After the end of the war in 1945, the new reconnaissance detachment was disbanded and remained in oblivion until 1952.

Second stage of development

In 1952, the resumption of the formation of naval special forces was explained not so much by military need, but by the fact that in foreign troops such units were developing with all their might with the support of the state.

Rear Admiral L.K. Bekrenev put forward an initiative, which was accepted by the Minister of Navy, after which the formation of special forces of the Russian Navy gradually began in his modern form. It began to operate in full only by 1960, although subsequently new detachments also continued to be formed in new fleets. A special camp was opened, which was engaged in training and combat training of naval fighters.

Activities of the detachment

In order to best understand what naval special forces are, you need to know exactly what tasks are included in its activities. First of all, these include:

1. Water landing operations.
2. Laying mines on sea vessels and coastal bases of Russia's military opponents during hostilities.
3. Reconnaissance or complete destruction of sea or coastal objects that can act as missile attack weapons, as well as reconnaissance of the location of enemies in the sea or coastal zone.

In addition, in peacetime, naval special forces help counteract terrorist organizations, however, such operations are carried out only in isolated cases. Quite often they also team up with other military units to carry out coordinated actions and attacks.

Call

As mentioned earlier, the special forces of the Russian Navy were inherited from the USSR, but since those times the recruitment procedure has changed quite significantly of this army. If previously conscription and selection on the basis of good physical fitness were enough, now, when army service is only one year, such a practice is not justified, because in this case, elite troops will simply lose their status.

Selection criteria

Although now both conscripts and contract soldiers can pass the selection based on their documents, there is a very strict set of criteria that the recruit must meet. These criteria include:

1. Good health and physical fitness - the optimal height should be about 175 cm, and weight about 75-80 kg. It is a person who fits these parameters who can withstand the heaviest underwater loads.
2. Optimal mental condition- to the special forces of the Russian Navy for this moment It is prohibited to take in orphans or children from single-parent families. The main thing here was considered not so much courage or other similar traits, but psychological stability, which is most clearly manifested in children from large families.

Elimination stages

In addition to studying the questionnaires and candidates, a screening procedure must take place. It is carried out in several stages so that the most adequate applicants can be selected:

1. The first stage includes a forced march. Its distance is almost a marathon - 30 km, and candidates are loaded with an additional weight of 30 kg.
2. The second stage is a test for psychological stability. To test it, fighters are left overnight in cemeteries to spend the test on the graves.
3. Next came a very tough test - a pipe test. The candidate must swim through a tube half filled with water, about 10 meters long, wearing diving equipment.
4. Bleeding a helmet is a very difficult test, since after diving to a depth you need to open your helmet slightly so that it is completely filled with water, and then close it to blow water out of a special bleed valve. To pass this test, several attempts are given, since many people cannot pass it the first time.
5. A 1-mile test swim to determine the candidate's swimming capabilities. Each candidate is given an air cylinder, which at the finish must show almost the same volume as at the start. This is considered an indicator that the swim was completed with normal and calm breathing.
6. "The Weakest Link" is considered the ultimate aptitude test. It reveals the psychological compatibility of fighters. To check it, a questionnaire is given with the names of all the fighters, where everyone must indicate with whom exactly he wants to go on reconnaissance first, second and last. Such a survey is conducted completely anonymously, so at the end all points are summed up, and those who scored them larger number, are kicked out of the program.

Only after this can candidates wear the new special forces uniform of the Russian Navy and be considered members of it. Failed candidates also remain in the squad, but they only do chores.

Standards

As you can understand, members of the naval special forces are quite different in requirements from the army, since they do not need to be good combat masters in the first place. Although combat training and is highly valued, first of all, only psychologically stable people who can dive into the depths of the sea to different depths without fear can get here.

The process of special forces training is ongoing. The program itself is unusually rich: fighters gain knowledge and put into practice training in diving, naval, mountain special, airborne, fire and many other types of activities. It follows from this that the standards set for combat swimmers of the special forces of the Russian Navy are quite high. Almost all information on this issue is kept secret, but there are still several well-known requirements:

• running 3 km in no more than 10 minutes, as well as a hundred meters in 12 seconds;
• 25 pull-ups, untimed;
• 90 push-ups.

These requirements are the very minimum, but in practice there are much more of them, since only the strongest fighters are recruited to serve in the ranks of the special forces of the Russian Federation.

Conclusion

Navy special forces are one of the most elite troops, which only exist in Russia, since in order to obtain significant results, fighters must undergo intensive training and have high psychological stability.

Such service is considered extremely dangerous not only due to psychological pressure, but also constant moral and physical overload. Previously, the mortality rate in such units reached several people per month, although now this figure has noticeably decreased. But despite this, naval fighters still remain one of the best options that the country's authorities have for carrying out sabotage and reconnaissance.

- these are units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation that have special training and are intended to conduct reconnaissance and sabotage operations in coastal areas in the interests of the Navy and the GRU General Staff.

Marine special forces units are available in the fleets of many militarily strong countries: the USA, Great Britain, Israel, China, Turkey. Russia is no exception, having inherited most of the naval power of the USSR. Currently, Navy special forces units are among the most combat-ready and trained for their tasks in the Russian Armed Forces.

Navy special forces soldiers are often called combat swimmers, but the correct name for their military specialty is “reconnaissance diver.” Being, like the GRU special forces, first of all, highly professional power intelligence, Russian naval special forces very different from army special forces. Both of them are subordinate to the GRU General Staff; their personnel undergo strict selection and rigorous training for actions behind enemy lines. But the structure, combat missions and areas of combat training for ground and naval special forces units are different. There are also nuances in the requirements for personnel selection.

There is very little information on Navy special forces in open sources. For obvious reasons, the activities of naval special forces in the USSR and Russia have always been secret. However, some things can be found in the public domain. It happens that special forces veterans themselves share information. For example, in the magazine “Kommersant-Vlast” No. 14 for 2002 it was published interesting interview with Rear Admiral Gennady Zakharov, who in 1967-1990. served in the USSR naval special forces. In 1967, G. Zakharov was appointed commander of the MRP in the Black Sea Fleet. The information he gave in the interview is trustworthy, since it was obtained, which is important, “first-hand”, and is consistent with data from other sources.

When talking about “combat swimmers” and “naval special forces”, you should immediately define the terms. After all, combat swimmers solve specific tasks not only as part of reconnaissance and sabotage units. Actually, the special forces of the Navy are reconnaissance and sabotage units that are operationally subordinate to the GRU. Sometimes the name “Dolphin Squad” appears in the literature, but according to the combat swimmers themselves on specialized forums on the Internet, this is nothing more than an invention of journalists.

OSNB PDSS (special forces for combating underwater sabotage forces and means; formerly called OB PDSS) should not be confused with the special forces of the Navy. These units also include combat swimmers trained in underwater combat and mining/clearance, but the tasks of the OSNB PDSS are directly opposite to the special forces of the Navy - protecting ships and objects of their fleet from enemy underwater special forces. The term “combat swimmers” is correctly used specifically in relation to the personnel of the OSNB PDSS.

BRIEF HISTORY OF NAVY SPECIAL FORCES

Naval reconnaissance and sabotage units began to be created before World War II by many major powers: Great Britain, Italy, and somewhat later Germany. The USSR was no exception. The first experiments on the creation of underwater reconnaissance units were carried out in the Pacific Fleet in 1938. Then a group of scouts in light diving equipment was fired from the torpedo tubes of a submarine at a depth of 15-20 m in order to cut the anti-submarine network to overcome submarine anti-submarine obstacles. Then the group had to go ashore and carry out sabotage against a coastal facility using real weapons and explosives. Similar exercises were conducted before the Great Patriotic War and in the Black Sea Fleet. Reports from these exercises have been preserved and served as the basis for the re-establishment of the USSR naval special forces in 1953.

However, by the beginning of the war, the USSR Navy still did not have specialized reconnaissance and sabotage underwater units. They had to be created in a hurry, since the difficult situation required naval intelligence to launch active operations on the coasts and territories captured by the enemy. On August 11, 1941, the first Soviet unit of combat swimmers, a company, was formed in Leningrad special purpose(RON). In July of the same year, reconnaissance detachments began to be formed in the fleets. However, these units operated to a greater extent on the shore, landing from the sea or air. They monitored the movements of enemy convoys and carried out sabotage against coastal targets.

But RON fighters specialized in the use of diving equipment and were leaders in this direction. They themselves made much of the necessary equipment: diving suits, breathing apparatus, sealed containers for weapons.

The RON naval special forces have had many outstanding operations under their belt. They took part in the Shlisselburg landing, conducted additional reconnaissance of the “Road of Life” on Lake Ladoga, searched and neutralized bottom mines on our fairways. During one of the raids in the Strelna area, RON reconnaissance diver V. Borisov discovered the deployment of German V-2 missiles, with which the Germans were preparing to fire at Leningrad. The coordinates of the firing positions were transferred to the command, after which they were destroyed by naval artillery fire from the Baltic Fleet.

During Operation Burlaki, RON fighters secretly mined a pier with military equipment and working enemy sappers in the Peterhof area. After the mines were detonated, the group led by A. Korolkov successfully returned to base.

Another well-known RON operation was sabotage against colleagues - Italian combat swimmers, carried out on the night of October 4-5, 1943. Having landed on the coast of the Strelninskaya dam, the reconnaissance saboteurs destroyed the ready-to-use radio-controlled mine boats of the Italians and a ground-based communication and surveillance post. Unfortunately, one of the subgroups, led by Senior Lieutenant Permitin, died in this operation.

In August 1944, reconnaissance divers carried out another complex operation - to raise the German submarine U-250, which had been sunk in the Vyborg Bay. This submarine was of interest to the Soviet command, since the surviving and captured commander of the submarine, V. Schmidt, gave contradictory testimony, and German aircraft bombed the area where the submarine was sunk several times, trying to destroy it. The difficulty was that the work had to be carried out at extreme depths, and the design of the boat itself, according to some sources, provided for its detonation in the event of an attempt to rise. However, Soviet scuba divers coped with this task. After the boat was raised, the latest German T-5 torpedoes, previously unknown to military specialists of the USSR and allies, were discovered in its torpedo tubes. Their combat characteristics were significantly superior to the torpedoes of that time, and by the time the T-5 was discovered they had already destroyed 24 British ships and several Soviet ones.

Despite the successful actions of the Soviet naval special forces, RON was disbanded at the end of 1945.

The re-creation of the Navy's special forces began in 1952, when it became clear that the fleets of a potential enemy had similar units in their composition and were actively developing them. The initiator of the formation of naval reconnaissance and sabotage units was Rear Admiral V.K. Bekrenev. On May 29, 1952, the issue of creating special forces units was considered by the Minister of the Navy, Vice Admiral N.G. Kuznetsov and approved in the “Action Plan to Strengthen Naval Intelligence,” presented by Rear Admiral Bekrenev on January 24, 1953. At a meeting with the heads of departments of the GRU MGSH, the minister confirmed the decision to create separate naval reconnaissance divisions in the fleets, primarily in the Black Sea and Baltic fleets.

In September 1953, in the area of ​​​​Kruglaya Bay, Sevastopol, the 6th naval reconnaissance point - MRP was located (in 1968 it was reorganized into the 17th Separate Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet with a deployment on Berezan Island, Ochakov). From that moment on, the formation of the Navy special forces in its modern form began. In 1954, the 457th MCI was created in the Baltic Fleet (Parusnoye village, Kaliningrad region), and in 1955 - the 42nd MCI in the Pacific Fleet (initially - Maly Ulysses Bay, final location - Russky Island, Vladivostok ). Methods for training reconnaissance divers are beginning to be recreated, and new equipment for them is being developed.

Since 1953, the Institute of the Navy has had a laboratory of six employees, which carries out developments exclusively in the interests of naval special forces. Until the end of the 1960s, the laboratory created a large number of breathing apparatus and stationary respiratory systems. Since 1957, active development of water propulsion vehicles (self-propelled underwater vehicles, sealed containers, navigation and communication devices, devices and devices for the use of diver carriers) began. As a result, the Soviet naval special forces received modern equipment.

The correctness of the decision to recreate naval special forces was confirmed already in 1955, when during the visit of the Soviet squadron to Portsmouth, England, in the immediate vicinity of the ship "Ordzhonikidze" with N.S. Khrushchev noticed a combat swimmer on board. A command was given to turn the ship's propellers, as a result of which the diver was torn to pieces. He allegedly turned out to be Lieutenant Commander of the British Navy Lionell Buster, nicknamed “Crabbe,” an experienced combat swimmer. At that time he was retired. According to one version, Crabb wanted to study the design of the Ordzhonikidze propellers; according to another, he even wanted to mine the ship. According to G. Zakharov, Buster was indeed engaged in espionage for England, but he did not die in Portsmouth, but was only noticed while on duty on the ship. Crabbe was later caught by the KGB and spent several years in prison in East Germany.

Creation of naval special forces in the 50s. it was difficult. First of all, there was a lack of material resources. The experience was also largely lost. However, in 1960, the structure of the MCI was basically formed. In 1969, the 431st MCI of the Caspian Flotilla of 50 reconnaissance divers was deployed, in 1983 - the 420th MCI in the Northern Fleet (Severomorsk). In 1967, a training detachment was formed in the Black Sea Fleet, which was engaged in the development and mastery of equipment for naval special forces.

Throughout its existence, the special forces of the USSR Navy were engaged in intensive combat training. New mine-explosive devices and means of delivering reconnaissance divers were constantly being tested.

Special forces soldiers took part in mine-explosive operations in the Suez Canal during the Arab-Israeli conflict of 1974-1975. participated in the development regulatory documents on the actions and combat training of reconnaissance divers, constantly conducted exercises on penetration and training mining of various objects in the Kaliningrad region, as well as in Liepaja, Tallinn, Baltiysk, ensured the security of the country's leadership during meetings and negotiations of the heads of the USA and the USSR in Reykjavik in 1986 g and Malta in 1989, held a huge number of other events.

Here it is impossible not to mention the 1988 exercise on infiltration and mining of the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant in Sosnovy Bor. Then, despite the training opposition of the KGB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the task of infiltrating and conditionally destroying the object was successfully completed with the simultaneous use of two groups landing from sea and land. Interestingly, during the exercise, one of the groups was accidentally discovered by an elderly mushroom picker. IN war time the person who discovered the group would most likely be killed on the spot. But under the conditions of the exercises, it was necessary to include a mushroom picker in the group, which, however, led him to complete delight. He wore part of the special forces equipment, prepared food, prepared firewood, specified routes and carried out other assignments until the scouts successfully completed their mission. Based on the conclusions and analysis of this exercise, the security of the LNPP was fundamentally revised and strengthened.

The facts of the combat training biography of the 17th Special Forces Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet until 1992 are interesting. Black Sea Fleet special forces were the first in the USSR to conduct an exercise and practice the task of freeing a ship (hydrofoil) seized by terrorists in 1988, transferring the experience gained to the Alpha anti-terrorism unit. The Black Sea special forces were the first to conduct exercises and solve various problems using combat dolphins and other sea animals. One of the officers of the unit subsequently even became the commander of a newly formed military unit - a dolphinarium in the Cossack Bay of Sevastopol.

With the collapse of the USSR, the 17th naval special forces brigade, stationed on the island. Pervomaisky, suffered a difficult fate. During the confusion that began after the collapse of the Union, the brigade command, not interested in moving from warm sea somewhere closer to the Arctic Ocean, decided to swear allegiance to Ukraine by its personnel. Many officers who did not agree with this decision were transferred to the Baltic, Pacific, and some simply quit. Their place was taken by people who were not so professionally trained, often even very far from both the sea and special forces, but who were nationally conscious. After the brigade was transferred to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the level of its combat training began to fall catastrophically. But that was not the worst thing. In the summer of 1995, during the aggravation of Russian-Ukrainian relations associated with the division of the Black Sea Fleet, the brigade was ordered to allocate and arm 15 sabotage groups, which began a “show of force” - practicing training tasks near the ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. In case of withdrawal Russian ships at sea, these training tasks were to become combat missions. And the most well-prepared group of 10 officers and midshipmen was ordered to capture the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the event of the outbreak of hostilities. Thus, the naval special forces of Ukraine almost found themselves drawn into a fratricidal war. Fortunately, fighting haven't started.

Currently, Ukraine, having a dwarf navy, still has naval special forces units, including:

• 73rd Naval Special Operations Center of the Ukrainian Navy, Ochakov (formerly 17th Brigade, then, from the mid-90s - 7th Brigade), consisting of four detachments: underwater mining, underwater demining, reconnaissance and sabotage, special communications .
• 801st separate detachment for combating underwater sabotage forces and means, Sevastopol;
• units of combat swimmers as part of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine “Omega” and “Scat”.

True, according to the testimony of the Ukrainian naval special forces servicemen themselves, the level of their training is low. It is possible that the 73rd Maritime Operations Center will face further reorganization and downsizing.

The 431st separate maritime reconnaissance point for special purposes (OMRP SpN), which was stationed in Baku, was more fortunate. He was taken to Russia. From 1992 to 1998, he was stationed near the city of Priozersk, Leningrad region, and then transferred to the city of Tuapse, Krasnodar region.

As for the MCIs stationed on the territory of Russia, the collapse affected them to a much lesser extent than the 17th Special Forces Brigade, and in general, the special forces of the Russian Navy retained high combat effectiveness.

TASKS AND STRUCTURE OF SPECIAL FORCES OF THE RUSSIAN NAVY

The tasks of modern naval special forces include:

• support of amphibious operations;
• mining of enemy ships, their naval bases and bases, hydraulic structures;
• search and destruction of mobile operational-tactical nuclear attack weapons, search and destruction of operational control facilities and other important targets in the coastal zone;
• identifying concentrations of enemy troops and other important targets in the coastal zone, directing and adjusting air and naval artillery strikes against these targets.

In peacetime, the tasks of naval special forces include the fight against terrorism and the exchange of experience with other special units and law enforcement agencies of Russia.

Currently, the special forces of the Russian Navy include four MCIs - one in each fleet:

• Military unit 59190 – 42nd special forces detachment in the Pacific Fleet (Russky Island, Vladivostok);
• 561st OMRP Special Forces in the Baltic Fleet (p. Sailing district Baltiysk, Kaliningrad region);
• 420th OMRP Special Forces in the Northern Fleet (Polyarny village, Murmansk district);
• Military unit 51212 – 137th (formerly 431st) OMRP Special Forces in the Black Sea Fleet (Tuapse).

MRPs are territorially part of the fleets, but are operationally subordinate to the GRU of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces.

In peacetime, the MCI includes 124 people. Of these, 56 are fighters, the rest are technical personnel. The share of technical personnel in naval special forces units is significantly higher than in the GRU special forces. The fighters are divided into groups of 14 people, which are autonomous combat units. Those, in turn, include smaller groups of 6 people: 1 officer, 1 midshipman and 4 sailors.

The MCI has three detachments, each with its own specific actions:

The first detachment specializes in the destruction of coastal objects. As a rule, the detachment's reconnaissance divers reach the target underwater, and then act like ordinary GRU saboteurs.

The second detachment specializes in performing purely reconnaissance missions.

The third detachment is engaged in underwater mining. This involves a covert approach to the target underwater. Specialized diving training is most important for the third group.

A larger naval special forces unit than the MRP is the Special Forces brigade. One naval special forces brigade was deployed in the USSR - the 17th, its strength was 412 people. Currently, there are no deployed naval special forces brigades in the Russian Navy, but it is believed that in the event of the outbreak of war, the 42nd Special Operations Marine Regiment in the Pacific Fleet will be deployed into a brigade.

As for the OSNB PDSS, they are based at large naval bases. Territorially they report to the commander of the naval base, and operationally to the head of the anti-submarine warfare department of the fleet combat training department.

The squad composition is as follows:

• 160th OOB PDSS (Vidyaevo, Northern Fleet): 60 people.
• 269th OOB PDSS (Gadzhievo, Northern Fleet): 60 people.
• 313 OOB PDSS (Sputnik village, Kola Peninsula, Northern Fleet): 60 people.
• 311th OOB PDSS (Petropavlovsk, Pacific Fleet): 60 people.
• 313th OOB PDSS (Baltiysk, BF): 60 people.
• 473rd OOB PDSS (Kronstadt, BF): 60 people.
• 102nd OOB PDSS (Sevastopol, Ukraine, Black Sea Fleet): 60 people.

OSNB PDSS includes a platoon of divers-miners, a platoon of combat swimmers and teams of radio technicians. OSNB PDSS fighters are armed with AK-74 assault rifles, special types of underwater and dual-medium weapons (APS, ADS assault rifles, SPP-1 pistols), silent weapons (Val assault rifle, APB, PSS pistols), DP-64 anti-sabotage grenade launcher systems, means of mining and demining, technical means of detecting and countering saboteurs.

WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT OF THE RUSSIA MARINE SPECIAL FORCES

Marine special forces are designed to operate in three elements: at sea, on land and in the air. Transportation of a reconnaissance and sabotage group to the target can be carried out by any of these three ways, or a combination of them: by land, by air landing (using parachutes from airplanes and by assault from helicopters) and by sea(from submarines, surface ships and boats of the Russian Navy). Marine special forces personnel are trained to land in the most difficult, deadly conditions: for example, with a parachute from an extremely low altitude directly into the sea, going ashore in the dark during a storm.

For this, Navy special forces use special equipment:

• individual and group underwater carriers for divers (Proton, Sirena-UM, etc.) with cargo containers (KT-2, MKT, etc.);
• conventional and diving parachutes (D-6, PO-9, SVP-1 with PV-3, etc.);
• closed circuit breathing apparatus and open type(IDA-71u, IDA-75p, AVM-5, etc.). At the same time, personnel performing combat missions work only with closed-cycle devices. Open type devices are used only for backup.

Despite the great successes of the USSR in creating equipment for underwater special forces, it never got rid of a number of shortcomings. According to G. Zakharov, Western combat swimmers use dry-type devices - “mini-submarines” for transportation to the target. Soviet industry took the path of developing “wet” type devices. With such a device, a combat swimmer can hold out for warm water four hours, in cold – no more than one and a half hours. Soviet underwater mines, despite their high combat qualities, could not dock with the carrier, and they had to be transported using a regular tow rope, which broke, got tangled in the screws, etc.

It is known that from 1975 to the 1990s. The Navy was armed with two-seat midget submarines Triton-1 and Triton-2. 38 units were produced. But at present, these devices have been withdrawn from the fleet and scrapped.

After the collapse of the USSR, another domestic model of an ultra-small submarine was presented - Project 865 Piranha. However, only two submarines were built, and one of them was almost purchased through a front man by the famous drug lord Pablo Escobar. In 1999, both submarines were cut into scrap metal. Therefore, now the Russian naval special forces, apparently, as underwater vehicle continues to use “wet” type devices.

In service with the special forces of the Russian Navy, in addition to standard models small arms The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation consist of:

• AKS-74M with GP-3 and NSPU-3;
• Silent weapon(PB, APB, AKMS with PBS);
• Special underwater weapon(pistols SPP-1, SPP-1M, special underwater assault rifle APS);
• Scout shooting knife NRS-2;
• A variety of engineering weapons (both various army mines and specialized underwater SPM, UPM, etc.).

The firepower of naval special forces teams can be strengthened heavy weapons: MANPADS, grenade launchers, ATGMs and other weapons.

For underwater communications, underwater hydroacoustic sound-underwater communication stations (MGV-6v) are used. In addition, Navy special forces are equipped with reconnaissance, navigation, etc. devices.

LANDING MARINE SPECIAL FORCES ON THE WATER: ORDER AND TECHNIQUE

Water landing is perhaps one of the most difficult and dangerous elements of naval special forces training.

The special forces on board the aircraft are in full diving gear. When jumping with a parachute, they are dressed in a GK-5M2 diving suit. GK-5M-1 it does not have a volumetric helmet lock, instead there is a seal with a VM-5 mask. Personal weapons are in rubber covers, equipment is in IKD-5 containers.

During the flight, the parachutists are supplied with oxygen from the aircraft's onboard system. When approaching the landing area, the group commander inspects the personnel and orders to signal their readiness for landing. After this, the paratroopers disconnect the hoses of the on-board oxygen equipment and begin to breathe from their IDA-71P devices. On command, the landing force leaves the transport compartment; the group commander is the last to jump. The landing is carried out using PV-3 parachutes, specially designed for landing divers. It differs from a conventional landing parachute in its increased area, since the weight of a fully equipped diver can reach 180 kg. After the main parachute opens, the IKD-5 container and reserve parachute are released and go down on fifteen-meter strands. When the container touches the water (this is immediately noticeable by the slowdown in the speed of fall), the parachutist opens the lock triggers, which release the risers of the main parachute.

After diving into the water, divers disconnect the reserve parachute and the main one, and pull the containers towards them by the strand. Then follows a short ascent, the scuba divers join together with strands and begin to move with the help of fins in the direction of the shore. Ahead of them lies a landing, camouflage of diving equipment, a rapid move inland from the coastline and reconnaissance deep behind enemy lines. As for the main parachutes, they will get wet and sink in 20-30 minutes, thus ceasing to unmask the group.

SELECTION INTO MARINE SPECIAL FORCES, SPECIFICS OF SERVICE AND COMBAT TRAINING

In the USSR, naval special forces units were recruited by conscription. Then it was completely justified. Young people joined the army already quite physically prepared; many had ranks in parachuting and scuba diving. Considering that the service life in the navy was three years, during this time it was possible to train a sufficiently qualified reconnaissance diver. Now the service life in both the Russian army and navy is one year, the quality of conscripts has dropped very much, so staffing naval special forces with conscripts does not look like a good idea. Although, according to the governing documents of the RF Armed Forces, reconnaissance military units of the Special Forces and Special Forces can be recruited from citizens serving both by conscription and by contract.

G. Zakharov describes the selection of conscripts as follows. Naval special forces officers: MCI commander, detachment commander, physiologist and physical training instructor began working with the naval admissions committee. The candidates they liked were selected. Naturally, good health was required. We tried not to take particularly large ones. The optimal candidate was considered to be about 1.75 m tall and weighing 75-80 kg. Such people withstand the greatest relative loads. We studied the questionnaire and psychological qualities. Orphans and children from single-parent families were eliminated. Preference was given to people from large families: service in naval special forces is very dangerous even in peacetime.

Also, suitable candidates were selected in Marine Corps “training” exercises. But we must understand that endurance, courage and excellent physical characteristics do not yet guarantee successful service in naval special forces. A kind of psychological stability is especially important here. It happens that a brave and enterprising person on land becomes completely lost in the underwater environment.

The screening of candidates was carried out in several stages.

First: forced march “thirty” - running 30 km with a weight of 30 kg.

Combat training in the 561st Marine Regiment

Then the elementary test for psychological stability “Night in the Cemetery”. The fighters must spend the night at the graves. Three or four candidates out of a hundred did not pass. Zakharov describes a case when three candidates dug up a grave and began to look for gold in it. Interestingly, they were left in the unit. Subsequently, these turned out to be the most psychologically stable people.

Pipe check. Tough test. Candidates must swim through a tube simulating a submarine's torpedo tube. Its length is 10-12 m, width – 533 mm. At first, the pipe is not completely filled with water. At the final stage, the fighter must swim in light diving equipment through a pipe filled with water. For some, this becomes the moment of truth in terms of suitability for service in underwater special forces. Andrei Zagortsev, in the story “Sailor of the Special Forces,” describes exactly such an incident that happened to him, when he, a physically strong and resourceful young man, scuba diving “in civilian life,” fell into a panic when he found himself in a pipe. The case ended with the candidate losing consciousness and being pulled out of the pipe using a safety rope. Typically, swimming in “clean” water did not cause him any inconvenience, but when swimming in a confined space, it turned out that the main character was susceptible to claustrophobia. G. Zakharov talks about fatal case with the “pipe”, when the fighter, overpowering himself, nevertheless dived into it, but suffered a massive heart attack from fear. All this is important for understanding what naval special forces soldiers have to face.

Blowing the helmet. Go under the water, open the helmet so that it fills with water, close the helmet and blow out the water through the release valve. This is a typical situation. Some, as soon as the water reached their noses, jumped to the surface like a bullet. If a candidate could not pass the test the first time, he was not eliminated, but failure of several attempts meant that the person would not serve in the naval special forces.

Control swim. This is the most serious and at the same time revealing test. If an unsuitable person could somehow have missed the previous two tests, this one objectively showed everyone’s capabilities. After completing light diving training, candidates were given a one-mile underwater swim. Air under a pressure of 170 atmospheres was pumped into the oxygen apparatus cylinder. With normal, quiet breathing, oxygen had time to regenerate and the balloon at the finish line showed a pressure of 165 atmospheres. If a person is psychologically broken, breathes through his mouth, he “eats” all the air and arrives at the finish line with a pressure of 30 atmospheres.

The last test was called the “weak link”. Psychological compatibility is very important for naval special forces soldiers. The fighters sit in the classroom, each is given a group list and a pencil. And the fighter must write a number next to each name: with whom he would like to go on reconnaissance in the first place, with whom - secondly, and with whom - last. Questionnaires are anonymous. After this, the scores were summed up and those with the highest scores were eliminated.

Those who failed the tests were no longer sent back to their units. Someone needed to do chores in the naval special forces.

As you can see, the qualities required for service in the Navy special forces are somewhat different from the stereotyped image of a special forces soldier. These are not necessarily supermen and masters of hand-to-hand combat, but above all, psychologically stable people, although ordinary combat training in naval special forces is at its best.

G. Zakharov leads interesting example the role of psychological stability in the work of naval special forces:

“I had such a fighter Valya Zhukov - a laughing stock, only the lazy one in his unit did not egg him on. And then one day the submariners asked me for three divers to participate in testing a rescue submarine. If they had not then been cut for scrap, the Kursk crew would have been saved. Tests in the ocean. I gave the three best guys. They started working normally, according to the program, and suddenly someone asks: “How much is there under the keel?” And there are two and a half kilometers. As they heard, two of them immediately got sick - they don’t go under water, and that’s it. Although there’s no difference - at least 100 m, at least 5 km. But for Valya Zhukov, at least it’s okay. For three, he thrashed out all the tests, no getting out of the water. He was also my best combat corpsman, he dealt with wounds and fractures as if he had been a paramedic all his life before. But there are only a few such super-resistant people. The rest had to be trained hard."

The process of combat training in the Navy special forces is ongoing. The training program is rich and includes diving, airborne, navigation and topography, mountain special, maritime, physical training, fire training (including mastery of weapons of the armies of a potential enemy), mine demolition, hand-to-hand combat, the ability to survive in various theaters of military operations, knowledge of the armed forces of a potential enemy, radio business and much more, which cannot be avoided in modern warfare. Considerable time is devoted to studying actions under water: underwater penetration into enemy territory and evacuation into the water, orientation, observation in conditions of poor visibility, pursuit of the enemy and separation from pursuit, camouflage on the ground.

The acquired skills are developed during practical training.

According to G. Zakharov, mortality during combat training was not a rare occurrence. If the MCI commander lost no more than two or three people a year, he was not punished, but simply verbally reprimanded. Although this does not mean that human lives The Navy special forces didn't give a damn. On the contrary, instructions were developed in case of emergency situations, and the personnel memorized the procedure in such cases to the smallest detail.

The first and second squads trained at various coastal facilities until all actions were perfected to perfection. The third detachment first of all learned to operate in an aggressive water environment.

IN Soviet time underwater special forces were constantly involved in checking the state of security of strategic facilities, anti-sabotage protection of ships and ground-based fleet facilities. As a rule, the “defending” side was given maximum data on the groups that would work (composition, object and time of action), however, the special forces regularly managed to penetrate objects and carry out training tasks. Sometimes it was necessary to resort to a military trick - to “surrender” one of the comrades, and while the “caught saboteur” was solemnly led to the unit headquarters, the main part of the group worked. One of the former naval special forces soldiers recalls on an online forum how a group during a training exercise entered a destroyer under the guise of inspectors; another time, the special forces entered the harbor in a UAZ, the license plate number of which and the driver were well known at the checkpoint; the author of the post himself once escorted “a comrade dressed in the uniform... of a police captain straight to the military unit commander’s office.”

Even in conditions when the time and place of the attack were known, and several hundred people were waiting for the saboteurs in full combat readiness, the Special Forces groups managed to complete the task. If the group worked without warning, the result was even more predictable.

COMBAT USE OF NAVY SPECIAL FORCES

Almost all combat operations of Soviet and Russian naval special forces are secret; very little is known about them in the public domain. G. Zakharov, for example, claims that he did not have to fight

During the Cold War, Navy special forces performed missions in the same places as other Soviet "military advisers": in Angola, Vietnam, Egypt, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Ethiopia and other countries, often at the request of their governments. In Angola and Nicaragua, swimmers guarded Soviet ships and advised local armed forces.

When the war in Afghanistan began, many Navy special forces officers asked to be sent “for combat experience,” but the leadership did not respond to these requests. Instead, to Navy special forces units for transfer combat experience officers who had been in Afghanistan were sent. Indeed, what was the point of throwing people with diving training into the meat grinder, sending them on two-week raids in the mountains or desert, if ordinary Airborne units and GRU Special Forces?

After the collapse of the USSR, everything changed. During this time, a group of Russian troops had to be assembled “from around the world,” and apparently this explains the fact that naval special forces ended up in the “land” war. During the First Chechen Campaign, the personnel of the 431st Separate Marine Regiment acted as part of the 8th Company of the 879th Separate Division of the 336th Infantry Marine Corps of the Baltic Fleet, formed from sailors of the Leningrad naval base. The company was commanded by Captain 1st Rank V., a submariner by profession. The infantry officers of the Vyborg Antilanding Defense Regiment, who were supposed to go to war, refused to do so. The marine brigade of the Baltic Fleet at that time was in a state of collapse. The personnel of the 8th company were recruited from sailors of naval specialties, far from ground combat. Under these conditions, due to the lack of full-time reconnaissance officers, reconnaissance support for the actions of the 8th company was entrusted to the 431st OMRP, whose fighters operated as part of the 1st (reconnaissance) platoon. By the way, captain of the first rank V. does not directly mention that it was Navy special forces that acted as part of the 8th company, but other sources and the very logic of events indicate this. In conditions where the company was formed with great difficulty from sailors who did not have infantry training, there was simply nowhere else to get trained scouts.

The reconnaissance platoon was commanded by a Navy special forces officer, Guards. Art. Lieutenant Sergei Anatolyevich Stobetsky. The company was supposed to leave for Chechnya in January 1995, but due to organizational problems it was only transferred to Khankala on May 4. At this time, a truce was declared, during which the militants managed to regroup and “lick their wounds,” and on May 24, fighting resumed. Federal troops launched an attack on the mountainous part of Chechnya, where militant detachments were hiding. The 8th company began to advance in the direction of Shali–Agishta–Makhketa–Vedeno. The 1st reconnaissance platoon acted in the vanguard, occupying key points, and behind it came platoons of marines with heavy equipment. Serious clashes with gangs began in the mountains. The company was forced to take positions and dig in. On the night of May 29-30, the positions of the 8th company came under fire from the Vasilek automatic mortar. The company suffered heavy immediate losses: six dead, twenty wounded. Among the dead was the commander of the reconnaissance platoon of Guards. Art. Lieutenant Stobetsky.

It is often claimed that Navy special forces took part in the battles in Chechnya not in the first, but in the second campaign. However, if the participation of naval special forces in the first Chechen war is confirmed by facts, and an officer died during hostilities, then there is nothing concrete about participation in the second. Rather, on the contrary, by this time the combat capability of the RF Armed Forces had increased compared to the deplorable state in which it was after the collapse of the Union, and there was no longer any point in sending naval special forces to the mountains.

Also, special forces of the Russian Navy are sometimes credited with blowing up and sinking part of the Georgian ships in the port of Poti during the war in South Ossetia, but that's not true. Georgian ships were scuttled by scouts of the 45th separate guards regiment Special Forces Airborne Forces. This mission would be perfect for naval special forces. And the “ground” special forces carried it out, although successfully, but not in the most optimal way. Georgian ships should have been sunk on the high seas, but since Airborne reconnaissance officers did not have the qualifications to operate ships, they sank them at the piers.

The secret unit "Kholuai" of the Pacific Fleet, also known as 42 MRP Special Forces (military unit 59190), was created in 1955 in Maly Ulysses Bay near Vladivostok, and was later relocated to Russky Island, where to this day reconnaissance saboteurs undergo combat training. There are many legends about these guys, their physical fitness is admired, they are called the best of the best, the cream of the special forces. Each of them could become the protagonist of an action movie. Today RIA PrimaMedia is publishing material by military historian and journalist Alexei Sukonkin about the legendary part of “Kholuai”. In 1993-94, he served in a special forces unit of the ground forces, but from time to time they were also part of the naval special forces.
Preface
“Suddenly for the enemy, we landed at a Japanese airfield and entered into negotiations. After that, ten of us, the Japanese took us to the headquarters of a colonel, the commander of an aviation unit, who wanted to make us hostages. I joined the conversation when I felt that the With us, a representative of the Soviet command, Captain 3rd Rank Kulebyakin, was, as they say, “pinned to the wall.” Looking into the eyes of the Japanese, I said that we fought the entire war in the west and have enough experience to assess the situation, that we will not be hostages , or better yet, we will die, but we will die together with everyone who is at headquarters. The difference is, I added, that you will die like rats, and we will try to escape from here. Hero of the Soviet Union Mitya Sokolov immediately stood behind the Japanese colonel. Hero of the Soviet Union Andrei Pshenichnykh locked the door with a key, put the key in his pocket and sat down on a chair, and Volodya Olyashev (after the war - Honored Master of Sports) lifted Andrei along with the chair and placed him directly in front of the Japanese commander. Ivan Guzenkov went to the window and reported that we were not high, and Hero of the Soviet Union Semyon Agafonov, standing at the door, began tossing an anti-tank grenade in his hand. The Japanese, however, did not know that there was no fuse in it. The colonel, forgetting about the handkerchief, began to wipe the sweat from his forehead with his hand and after some time signed the act of surrender of the entire garrison."
This is how naval intelligence officer Viktor Leonov, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, described just one combat operation, in which a handful of daring and brave naval reconnaissance officers of the Pacific Fleet literally forced a large Japanese garrison to lay down their arms without a fight. Three and a half thousand Japanese samurai shamefully surrendered.

This was the apotheosis of the combat power of the 140th Marine Reconnaissance Detachment, the harbinger of modern naval special forces, which today everyone knows under the incomprehensible and mysterious name “Holuai”.
Origins
And it all started during the Great Patriotic War. At that time, the 181st reconnaissance detachment successfully operated in the Northern Fleet, carrying out various special operations behind enemy lines. The crowning achievement of this detachment’s activity was the capture of two coastal batteries at Cape Krestovoy (which blocked the entrance to the bay and could easily destroy an amphibious convoy) in preparation for the landing of troops in the port of Liinakhamari ( Murmansk region- approx. ed.). This, in turn, ensured the success of the Petsamo-Kirkenes landing operation, which became the key to success in the liberation of the entire Soviet Arctic. It is difficult to even imagine that a detachment of several dozen people, having captured just a few guns of German coastal batteries, actually ensured victory in the entire strategic operation, but, nevertheless, this is so - for this purpose the reconnaissance detachment was created to sting the enemy in small forces the most vulnerable place...
The commander of the 181st reconnaissance detachment, Senior Lieutenant Viktor Leonov, and two more of his subordinates (Semyon Agafonov and Andrei Pshenichnykh) became Heroes of the Soviet Union for this short but important battle.

In April 1945, part of the personnel of the 181st detachment, led by the commander, was transferred to the Pacific Fleet to form the 140th reconnaissance detachment of the Pacific Fleet, which was supposed to be used in the upcoming war with Japan. By May, the detachment was formed on Russky Island in the amount of 139 people and began combat training. In August 1945, the 140th Reconnaissance Squadron took part in the capture of the ports of Yuki and Racine, as well as the naval bases of Seishin and Genzan. As a result of these operations, chief petty officer Makar Babikov and midshipman Alexander Nikandrov of the 140th reconnaissance detachment of the Pacific Fleet became Heroes of the Soviet Union, and their commander Viktor Leonov received the second Hero star.
However, at the end of the war, all such reconnaissance formations in the USSR Navy were disbanded due to imaginary uselessness.
But soon history turned around...

From the history of the creation of special-purpose units:
In 1950, in the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union, separate special-purpose companies were formed in each army and military district. In the Primorsky Territory, in particular, three such companies were formed: the 91st (military unit No. 51423) as part of the 5th Combined Arms Army with a deployment in Ussuriysk, the 92nd (military unit No. 51447) as part of the 25th combined arms army stationed at the Boets Kuznetsov station and the 88th (military unit No. 51422) as part of the 37th Guards Airborne Corps stationed in Chernigovka. The special forces companies were tasked with searching for and destroying the most important military and civilian targets deep behind enemy lines, including enemy nuclear attack weapons. The personnel of these companies were trained in military reconnaissance, mine explosives, and made parachute jumps. For service in such units, people were selected who, for health reasons, were fit to serve in the airborne forces.

The experience of the Great Patriotic War showed the indispensability of such units for decisive actions on enemy communications, and in connection with the outbreak of the Cold War by the Americans, the need for such units became very clear. My high efficiency new units were shown already at the first exercises, and the Navy became interested in units of this kind.

The head of Navy intelligence, Rear Admiral Leonid Konstantinovich Bekrenev, wrote in his address to the Minister of the Navy:
“Taking into account the role of reconnaissance and sabotage units in the general reconnaissance system of fleets, I consider it necessary to carry out the following measures: ... create ... reconnaissance and sabotage units of military intelligence, giving them the name of separate naval reconnaissance divisions.”

At the same time, captain of the first rank Boris Maksimovich Margolin theoretically justified this decision, arguing that “... the difficulties and duration of training of reconnaissance light divers necessitate their advance preparation and systematic training, for which special units should be created...”.

And so, by the Directive of the Main Naval Staff of June 24, 1953, similar special intelligence formations are formed in all fleets. In total, five “special purpose reconnaissance points” were formed - in all fleets and the Caspian flotilla.
The Pacific Fleet is creating its own reconnaissance point on the basis of the directive of the General Staff of the Navy No. OMU/1/53060ss of March 18, 1955.
However, “Unit Day” is considered June 5, 1955 - the day when the unit completed its formation and became part of the fleet as a combat unit.

Kholuai Bay
The word “Kholuai” itself (as well as its variations “Khaluai” and “Khalulai”), according to one version, means “lost place”, and although disputes on this subject are still ongoing and sinologists do not confirm such a translation, the version is considered quite plausible - especially among those who served in this bay.

In the thirties, on Russky Island (at that time, by the way, its second name was widely practiced - Kazakevich Island, which disappeared from geographical maps only in the forties of the twentieth century) construction of anti-landing defense facilities for Vladivostok began. Defense facilities included long-term coastal firing points - bunkers. Some especially fortified bunkers even had proper names, for example, “Stream”, “Rock”, “Wave”, “Bonfire” and others. All this defensive splendor was served by separate machine-gun battalions, each of which occupied its own defense sector. In particular, the 69th separate machine gun battalion of the Vladivostok coastal defense sector of the Pacific Fleet, located in the area of ​​​​Cape Krasny in Kholuai Bay (New Dzhigit), served firing points located on Russky Island. For this battalion in 1935, a two-story barracks and headquarters, a canteen, a boiler room, warehouses and a stadium were built. The battalion was stationed here until the forties, after which it was disbanded. The barracks were not used for a long time and began to collapse.

And so, in March 1955, a new military unit with very specific tasks moved here, the secrecy of its existence was brought to the highest limit.

Birth of a legend
The formation of the 42nd special-purpose maritime reconnaissance point of the Pacific Fleet began in March and ended in June 1955. During formation, the duties of commander were temporarily performed by captain of the second rank Nikolai Braginsky, but the first approved commander of the new unit was... no, not a reconnaissance officer, but the former commander of the destroyer, captain of the second rank Pyotr Kovalenko.
For several months the unit was based on Ulysses, and the personnel lived on board the old ship, and before leaving for the permanent deployment point on Russky Island, the reconnaissance sailors at the submarine training base underwent an accelerated diving training course.
On July 1, 1955, the unit began single combat training of future reconnaissance divers under the training program for special forces units. A little later, combat coordination between the groups began.

In September 1955, the newly formed naval special forces took part in their first exercises - having landed on boats in the Shkotovsky region, naval reconnaissance officers carried out reconnaissance of the Abrek naval base and elements of its anti-sabotage defense, as well as highways behind the lines of the so-called “enemy”.
Already at that time, the command of the unit came to the understanding that selection for naval special forces should be as tough as possible, if not cruel.
But those who survived were immediately enlisted in the elite unit and began combat training. This test week began to be called “hell”. Later, when the US created its units" fur seals"(SEAL), they adopted our practice of selecting future fighters as the most optimal, allowing short time understand what a particular candidate is capable of, whether he is ready to serve in naval special forces units.
The meaning of this “personnel” rigidity came down to the fact that commanders initially had to clearly understand the abilities and capabilities of their fighters - after all, special forces operate in isolation from their troops, and a small group can rely only on itself, and, accordingly, the importance of any team member increases many times over. The commander must initially be confident in his subordinates, and subordinates must be confident in their commander. And that is the only reason why “entrance to service” in this part is so strict. It shouldn't be any other way.
Looking ahead, I will say that today nothing is lost: the candidate, as before, will have to go through serious tests, inaccessible for the most part even to physically well-prepared people.

In particular, the candidate must first of all run ten kilometers in a heavy body armor, meeting the running standard provided for jogging in sneakers and sportswear. If you fail, no one will talk to you anymore. If you ran on time, then you immediately need to do 70 push-ups while lying down and 15 pull-ups on the horizontal bar. Moreover, it is advisable to perform these exercises in their “pure form”. Most people, already at the stage of jogging in a bulletproof vest, suffocating from physical overload, begin to wonder, “Do I need this happiness if this happens every day?” - it is at this moment that true motivation manifests itself.

At the end of the test, the candidate is placed in the ring, where three hand-to-hand combat instructors fight with him, checking the person’s readiness for the fight - both physical and moral. Usually, if a candidate reaches the ring, he is already an “ideological” candidate, and the ring does not break him. Well, and then the commander, or the person replacing him, talks with the candidate. After this, the harsh service begins...

There are no discounts for officers either - everyone passes the test. Basically, the supplier of command personnel for Kholuy are three military schools - the Pacific Naval School (TOVVMU), the Far Eastern Combined Arms School (DVOKU) and the Ryazan Airborne School (RVVDKU), although if a person wants, then nothing prevents an officer from other schools I would like to join the naval special forces.

As he told me former officer special forces, having shown a desire to serve in this unit to the head of fleet intelligence, he immediately had to do 100 push-ups right in the admiral’s office - Rear Admiral Yuri Maksimenko (head of intelligence of the Pacific Fleet in 1982-1991), despite the fact that the officer passed Afghanistan, and was awarded two military orders. This is how the Pacific Fleet intelligence chief decided to cut off the candidate if he did not complete such a basic exercise. The officer completed the exercise.

At different times the unit was commanded by:
Captain 1st Rank Kovalenko Petr Prokopyevich (1955–1959);
Captain 1st Rank Guryanov Viktor Nikolaevich (1959–1961);
Captain 1st Rank Petr Ivanovich Konnov (1961–1966);
Captain 1st Rank Klimenko Vasily Nikiforovich (1966–1972);
Captain 1st Rank Minkin Yuri Alekseevich (1972–1976);
Captain 1st Rank Zharkov Anatoly Vasilievich (1976–1981);
Captain 1st Rank Yakovlev Yuri Mikhailovich (1981–1983);
Lieutenant Colonel Evsyukov Viktor Ivanovich (1983–1988);
Captain 1st Rank Omsharuk Vladimir Vladimirovich (1988–1995) – died in February 2016;
Lieutenant Colonel Gritsai Vladimir Georgievich (1995–1997);
Captain 1st rank Kurochkin Sergey Veniaminovich (1997–2000);
Colonel Gubarev Oleg Mikhailovich (2000-2010);
Lieutenant Colonel Belyavsky Zaur Valerievich (2010-2013);
Let the name of today's commander remain in the coastal fog of military secrecy for now...

Exercises and service
In 1956, naval reconnaissance officers began to master parachute jumps. Usually the training took place at naval aviation airfields - according to subordination. During the first training camp, all personnel performed two jumps from a height of 900 meters from Li-2 and An-2 aircraft, and also learned to land “assault-style” from Mi-4 helicopters - both on land and on water.
A year later, naval reconnaissance officers had already mastered landing on the shore through the torpedo tubes of submarines lying on the ground, as well as returning to them after completing a mission at the coastal facilities of a mock enemy. Based on the results of combat training in 1958, the 42nd naval reconnaissance point became the best special part Pacific Fleet and was awarded the challenge pennant of the Commander of the Pacific Fleet.
In many exercises, intelligence officers developed the necessary skills, acquired special knowledge and expressed their wishes regarding the composition of the equipment. In particular, back in the late fifties, naval reconnaissance officers formulated requirements for weapons - they should be light and silent (as a result, models appeared special weapons– small-sized silent pistols SMEs, silent grenade launchers “Silence”, underwater pistols SPP-1 and underwater assault rifles APS, as well as many other special weapons). The scouts also wanted to have waterproof outerwear and shoes, and their eyes needed to be protected from mechanical damage with special safety glasses (for example, today the equipment set includes four types of safety glasses).

By this time, we had already decided on our specialization, which was divided into three areas:
- part of the personnel was represented by reconnaissance divers, who were supposed to conduct reconnaissance of enemy naval bases from the sea, as well as mine ships and port facilities;
- some of the sailors were engaged in conducting military reconnaissance - in other words, having landed from the sea, they acted on the shore as ordinary land reconnaissance officers;
- the third direction was represented by radio and radio-technical intelligence specialists - these people were engaged in instrumental reconnaissance, which made it possible to quickly detect the most important objects, such as field radio stations, radar stations, technical observation posts - in general, everything that emitted any signals into the air and was subject to destruction in the first place.

Marine special forces began to receive special underwater carriers - in other words, small underwater vehicles that could deliver saboteurs over long distances. Such a carrier was the two-seat "Triton", later - also the two-seat "Triton-1M", and even later the six-seat "Triton-2" appeared. These devices allowed saboteurs to quietly penetrate directly into enemy bases, mine ships and piers, and perform other reconnaissance tasks.

For reference:
"Triton" is the first carrier for open-type divers. Immersion depth is up to 12 meters. Speed ​​– 4 knots (7.5 km/h). Range – 30 miles (55 km).
"Triton-1M" is the first closed-type carrier for divers. Weight – 3 tons. Immersion depth is 32 meters. Speed ​​– 4 knots. Range – 60 miles (110 km).
"Triton-2" is the first closed-type group carrier for divers. Weight – 15 tons. Immersion depth is 40 meters. Speed ​​– 5 knots. Range – 60 miles.
Currently, these types of equipment are already outdated and removed from use. combat personnel. All three samples are installed as monuments on the territory of the unit, and the decommissioned Triton-2 apparatus is also presented at the street exhibition of the Museum of Military Glory of the Pacific Fleet in Vladivostok.
Currently, such underwater carriers are not used for a number of reasons, the main one of which is the impossibility of using them covertly. Today, naval special forces are armed with more modern underwater carriers "Sirena" and "Proteus" various modifications. Both of these carriers allow for covert landings reconnaissance group through a submarine's torpedo tube. "Siren" "carries" two saboteurs, and "Proteus" is an individual carrier.

Insolence and sport
Some of the legends about “Kholuai” are associated with the steady desire of the military personnel of this unit to improve their reconnaissance and sabotage skills at the expense of their own comrades. At all times, the “Kholuai” caused many problems to daily duty personnel serving on ships and in coastal units of the Pacific Fleet. There were frequent cases of “training” abductions of orderlies, duty documentation, and theft of vehicles from careless military drivers. It cannot be said that the command of the unit specifically assigned such tasks to the scouts... but for successful actions of this kind, the reconnaissance sailors could even receive short-term leave.
No, of course, no one is thrown out anywhere with just a knife, but during special tactical exercises, reconnaissance groups can be sent to other regions of the country, where they are given various training reconnaissance and sabotage tasks, after which they need to return to their unit - preferably undetected . At this time, the police are intensively searching for them, internal troops and state security agencies, and citizens are told that they are looking for conditional terrorists.
In the unit itself, sports have been cultivated at all times - and therefore one should not be surprised that even today, at almost all naval competitions in strength sports, martial arts, swimming and shooting, prize-winning places are usually taken by representatives of “Kholuy”. It should be noted that preference in sports is given not to strength, but to endurance - it is this physical skill that allows a naval scout to feel confident both on foot or ski trips, and in long-distance swimming.
Unpretentiousness and the ability to live without excesses even gave rise to a peculiar saying on “Kholuay”:
“Some things are not necessary, but some things you can limit yourself to.”

Return of a Legend
In 1965, twenty years after the end of World War II, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Captain First Rank Viktor Leonov, came to the unit. Several photographs have been preserved in which the “legend of naval special forces” is captured with military personnel of the unit, both officers and sailors. Subsequently, Viktor Leonov would visit the 42nd reconnaissance point several more times, which he himself considered a worthy brainchild of his 140th reconnaissance detachment.

In 2015, Viktor Leonov returned to the unit forever. On the day of the 60th anniversary of the formation of the reconnaissance point, a monument to the real legend of naval special forces, Twice Hero of the Soviet Union Viktor Nikolaevich Leonov, was unveiled on the territory of the military unit in a solemn ceremony.

Kholuy in our time
Today, “Kholuai”, already in a new look, with a slightly changed structure and strength, after a series of organizational events, continues to live its own life - according to its own special, “special forces” way of life. Many cases of this part will never be declassified, but books will be written about others. The names of the people who serve here today are not publicly available, and rightly so.

Even today, naval reconnaissance officers sacredly honor their combat traditions, and combat training does not stop for a second. Every day, “Kholuaevites” are engaged in a variety of activities: they train dives (both real ones in the sea and in a pressure chamber), achieving the proper level of physical fitness, practice hand-to-hand combat techniques and methods of covert movement, learn to shoot from a variety of types of small arms, study new equipment , which is being supplied to the troops in abundance today (there are now even combat robots in service) - in general, they are preparing at any moment, on the orders of the Motherland, to carry out any assigned task.
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Story
The Soviet Union began forming swimmer units for operations during World War II. In 1941, the first unit of combat divers was created in Leningrad.
Currently, Russian combat swimmers are part of the naval special forces. Naval special forces are a subdivision of the intelligence department of the Russian Navy. In 2000-2001 they were renamed Units for Combating Underwater Sabotage Forces and Means.
The existence of naval special forces in the former Soviet republics(except for Ukraine, which inherited the naval special forces groups of the USSR Black Sea Fleet). In order to have naval special forces in the Black Sea, the Russian Navy had to transfer some of the combat swimmers of the Caspian Flotilla under the command of the Black Sea Fleet.
Among the reconnaissance officers of the Russian Navy and Armed Forces, all naval special forces groups are called OMRP (Separate Marine Reconnaissance Point) and have their own numbers; for example, the special forces group of the Baltic Fleet is officially called the 561st OMRP.
Naval special forces also have unofficial names. For example, the special forces group of the Baltic Fleet is unofficially called “Sailboats”, since the unit is stationed in the town of Parusnoye, and in the 50-60s. they were unofficially called “Potekhins” after the name of their first commander, Colonel Potekhin.
Sometimes the means mass media provide details of the training and actions of Soviet combat swimmers; In addition, there is evidence that they are in the KGB special forces system. Other sources mention units under the code names “Dolphin”, “Omega”, “Barracuda”, etc. But naval special forces have never used such names, and all this is rather false information that is sold to journalists who strive to publish “secret” information about special forces without bothering to check it properly.

Navy special forces performed tasks in any of the three elements. Combat swimmers guarded Soviet ships during a youth festival in Cuba in 1978, and accompanied USSR President Gorbachev during foreign visits to Reykjavik and Malta. For three days, 16 special forces soldiers, replacing each other, carried out combat duty by submarine, with orders to shoot at any moving target within a radius of two hundred meters from the protected object.
The swimmers had to solve problems of clearing unexploded ordnance, searching for dangerous criminals in mountainous and wooded areas in cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and eliminating the consequences of man-made disasters. On several occasions, naval special forces units were used to inspect military and civilian installations within the country; then the swimmers “mined” strategic road and railway bridges, secretly penetrated the territory of secret naval bases and nuclear power plants.
For six years, combat swimmers of the USSR Navy served as guards at the Dahlak base in Ethiopia. They left the port surrounded by Eritrean troops on the last Soviet ship.
After the collapse of the USSR, the most combat-ready part of the naval special forces remained on the territory of Ukraine. The special-purpose units existing today in the Russian Navy are in no way inferior to their Soviet predecessors, and in some respects even surpass them.

Organization, tasks and preparation
PDSS (anti-sabotage forces and means) are special-purpose units to combat underwater sabotage. They appeared in the structure of the USSR Navy in the late 60s. to prevent possible attacks by combat swimmers of a potential enemy.
It is believed that each unit has about 50-60 combat swimmers. Each OMRP is about 120-200. It is believed that each military fleet (there are only four of them: Northern, Baltic, Black Sea and Pacific) has its own OMRP.
In the USSR, naval special forces faced several tasks; the main ones were reconnaissance in coastal areas, destruction of mobile launchers, command posts, air defense systems, hydraulic structures and enemy ships.
In parallel with these units, each fleet had detachments of underwater anti-sabotage forces and means (UPDSS), created to protect naval bases from enemy swimmers.
By the way, it was in the PPDSS formation system that there were special animal training stations. One of these bases was located near Sevastopol. They tried to train dolphins, beluga whales, sea lions, and fur seals to act as underwater saboteurs or combat swimmers. Animals were forced to search at the bottom of the sea various items, conduct underwater photography, find and destroy enemy reconnaissance divers. Finally, the animals were used as underwater saboteurs: a mine was attached to their back, which they were supposed to deliver to the bottom of a ship or submarine and detonate there, destroying the ship.
The training system for special forces and anti-sabotage groups of the Navy was strikingly different from the methods used in other law enforcement agencies. It all started with a strict selection of candidates. For six months, conscripts who had scuba diving and sports skills before the army were trained under a special program, where physical and psychological stress was close to the limit. According to the testimony of former combat swimmers, one of the tests was a night march without specifying the distance and running time. And when complete physical exhaustion set in in the morning, psychological stability began to manifest itself.
After transfer from training to combat unit, sailors conscript service started theoretical and practical classes. The mandatory course included diving, airborne, navigation and topography, mountain specialization, maritime, physical training, mine demolition, hand-to-hand combat, survival in any conditions, the study of foreign armies and possible theaters of war, radio engineering and much more. necessary in modern warfare. Since the specifics of the service included combat, including underwater, in addition to conventional small arms, the special forces studied underwater weapons. Delivery of combat swimmers to objects could be carried out by land, sea and by air. The landing was carried out from ultra-low altitudes, which significantly increased the risk.

Known operations
On October 22, 1938, during exercises of units of the Pacific Fleet in Vladivostok, a group of military divers exited a submarine through torpedo tubes, entered the waters of a naval base and carried out sabotage. The swimmers used closed-circuit breathing apparatus, dry suits, pistols and grenades. However, the first experience of using combat swimmers remained an experience; first permanent unit naval special forces were formed already during the war. During the war, RON swimmers repeatedly made combat appearances. Here are just the very first of them.

On August 11, 1941, on Goloday Island (now Dekabristov Island) near Leningrad, a special purpose company (RON) was created - the first Soviet unit of combat swimmers. Ivan Vasilyevich Prokhvatilov became its commander.

August 1941: RON scuba divers towed sea ​​mine and destroyed the bridge across the Narva River, which German troops approached.

September 1941: in the area of ​​Lake Ladoga Finnish troops captured the islands south of Vyborg, encircling
23 Soviet units that were in the port of Vyborg. Two scuba divers went underwater to the island, laid a cable, ensuring communication. RON combat swimmers, examining the cable, discovered that the Finns had abandoned plans to capture the island.

October 1941: training of swimmers in the Pacific Fleet begins.
After the end of the war, RON and all similar units were officially disbanded.
However, it soon became clear that naval saboteur and reconnaissance units were needed.
1953 - creation of the 6th OMRP as part of the Black Sea Fleet.
1954 - traces of combat swimmers were found on the beach near one of the sanatoriums. Subsequently, an alarm system was installed there; the event pushed the USSR to accelerate the formation of combat swimmer units.
October 15, 1954 - the 561st OMRP was created as part of the Baltic Fleet.
1968 - The 6th OMRP was reorganized into the 17th separate special forces brigade.
1969 - corresponding units were formed in the Pacific, Baltic and Northern fleets.
1970 and later - scuba divers from separate special forces teams worked in Angola, Vietnam, Egypt, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Ethiopia and other countries, often at the request of their governments. In Angola and Nicaragua, swimmers guarded Soviet ships and advised local armed forces.
1989 - Mikhail Gorbachev and George H. W. Bush met aboard the Soviet ship Maxim Gorky off the coast of Malta. For 3 days, combat swimmers of the Baltic Fleet (including those from the 561st Marine Marine Regiment) and special forces ensured the security of the meeting.
1990 - 17th separate brigade special purpose was transformed into the 1464th OMRP.
January-May 1995 - several sailors, cadets, warrant officers and officers from different OMRPs took part in the first Chechen war as volunteers. They were included in the reconnaissance units of the Marine Corps.
2004 - a documentary film was shown on the Rossiya channel, dedicated to some special forces operations that were not known to the general public. The film was called “Special Forces; Operations." Among other stories, the film depicts an episode about the tactics of Russian PDS swimmers.
2008 - during the war in South Ossetia, combat swimmers of the Russian Black Sea Fleet successfully destroyed Georgian torpedo boats and missile boats in the port of Poti.