Russian special purpose regiments or Spetsnaz, Specnaz (Войска специального назначения - спецназ/Voyska spetsialnogo naznacheniya, /spʲeʦnaz/ in IPA) is a general term for "special forces" in Russian, literally "special purpose units". Spetsnaz soldier File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... EBM can be an acronym for: electronic body music evidence-based medicine Everybody But Microsoft - A virtual group that acts as a competitor to Microsoft and its partners. ... Spetsnaz (russian acronym for Special Forces) is an EBM old school duo, formed in Sweden by Stefan Nilsson and Pontus StÃ¥lberg in 2001. ... The romanization of the Russian alphabet is the process of transliterating the Russian language from the Cyrillic alphabet and into the Latin alphabet, such as the English alphabet and other Latin alphabets in particular (and sometimes non-Latin alphabets). ... Look up translate in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Special forces or special operations forces is a term used to describe relatively small military units raised and trained for reconnaissance, unconventional warfare and special operations. ... Articles with similar titles include the NATO phonetic alphabet, which has also informally been called the “International Phonetic Alphabet”. For information on how to read IPA transcriptions of English words, see IPA chart for English. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

In Russian the term commonly denotes the special forces of all countries and is used by mass media, and civil people to mark all kinds of special purpose units of all kinds of subordination; in English it refers exclusively to the Russian special forces. This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

In fact, its use in English usually is associated with Russians writing in English or with writers attempting linguistic authenticity. Generally, English-language media refer to them as "Russian special forces". The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Spetsnaz can refer to any elite or special purpose units controlled by the Federal Security Service (FSB) with counter-terrorist and anti-sabotage tasks, Ministry of Interior (police) MVD, and the army special forces controlled by the military intelligence service GRU. Nowadays, the term is used as well to describe any special purpose units or task forces of other ministries (even the Emergency Situations Ministry special rescue unit). The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (Федера́льная слу́жба безопа́сности Росси́йск&#1086... Counter-terrorism refers to the practices, tactics, and strategies that governments, militaries, and other groups adopt in order to fight terrorism. ... “Saboteur” redirects here. ... The acronym MVD can stand for: Mitral valve disease, or Mitral regurgitation. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see GRU (disambiguation). ...

Strictly speaking, all Spetsnaz units operated by the KGB/FSB were called OSNAZ, an acronym for [voiska] osobogo naznacheniya or "special purpose [detachments]". These units originally were raised for internal use against right-wing counter-revolutionaries, dissidents, and other undesirables. There has always been a certain amount of shifting of personnel and units between both the GRU who control SPETSNAZ and the MVD with OSNAZ MVD and OSNAZ KGB or FSB, especially between the latter two. Today, OSNAZ is a term mainly used in connection with GRU-controlled COMINT, ELINT and radio-surveillance units within the Armed Forces. OSNAZ (Russian: [voiska] osobogo naznacheniya, ОСНАЗ = [войска] особого назначения, special purpose [detachments]) or ChON (Russian: chasti osobogo naznacheniya, ЧОН= Части особого назначения were special forces troops within the KGB (its predecessors and its successor, Federal Security Service) and the MVD. OSNAZ has always been shrouded in a veil of mystery and remains so even to this day. ... OSNAZ (Russian: [voiska] osobogo naznacheniya, ОСНАЗ = [войска] особого назначения, special purpose [detachments]) or ChON (Russian: chasti osobogo naznacheniya, ЧОН= Части особого назначения were special forces troops within the KGB (its predecessors and its successor, Federal Security Service) and the MVD. OSNAZ has always been shrouded in a veil of mystery and remains so even to this day. ... SIGINT stands for SIGnals INTelligence, which is intelligence-gathering by interception of signals, whether by radio interception or other means. ... ELINT stands for ELectronic INTelligence, and refers to intelligence-gathering by use of electronic sensors. ...

Spetsnaz carry out reconnaissance and social warfare missions in "peacetime" as well as in war. For example, it is known that the assassination of Afghanistan's president carried out by Spetsnaz in December 1979 was under the direction of the KGB. It has been suggested that Selective assassination be merged into this article or section. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

According to Vladimir Rezun, a GRU defector who used the pseudonym "Viktor Suvorov", there were 20 Spetsnaz brigades plus 41 separate companies. Thus, total strength of Spetsnaz forces in the 1980s could have been around 30,000 troops. A defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one political entity in exchange for allegiance to another. ... A pseudonym (Greek pseudo + -onym: false name) is an artificial, fictitious name, also known as an alias, used by an individual as an alternative to a persons true name. ... Viktor Suvorov (; real name Vladimir Rezun : ) (born April 20, 1947) is a Russian writer and historian. ...

Alpha (alfa) Group was involved in the Beslan school hostage crisis on September 3, 2004. They were criticized for the use of excessive deadly force, which resulted in hostage casualties, including very controversional use of the RPO Shmel flamethrower. A member of the FSB Alpha Group, equipped with the silenced AS VAL assault rifle. ... The Republic of North Ossetia in Russia The Beslan school hostage crisis (also referred to as the Beslan school siege or Beslan Massacre) began when the group of Muslim pro-Chechen armed rebels[1] took more than 1,200 school children and adults hostage on September 1, 2004, at School... is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rocket flamethrower produced and exported by Russia and the former Soviet Union. ... Riverboat of the U.S. Brownwater Navy shooting ignited napalm from its mounted flamethrower during the Vietnam war. ...

Federal Security Service units

Main article: FSB (Russia)

The Center of Special Operations (CSN) of the FSB is designed to combat terrorism and to protect the constitutional order in the Russian Federation. The CSN FSB consists of 3 different "operative" subdivisions - Department A (also known as spetsgruppa "Alfa"), Department V (also known as spetsgruppa "Vympel"), and so-called SSO (Special Operations Service). The headquarters of CSN FSB is a huge complex of buildings and training areas (dozens of hectares worth of land, 76 training facilities, etc). It is located in the town of Balashikha-2, only 10 km away from the Moscow ring. The average training of a solid CSN operative lasts about 5 years. Emblem of FSB The FSB (ФСБ) is a state security organization in Russia, and is the domestic successor organization to the KGB. Its name is an acronym from the Russian Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (Федера́льная слу́жба безопа́сности Росси́йской Федера́ции) (Federalnaya Sluzhba Bezopasnosti Rossiyskoi Federatsii). ... Emblem of FSB The FSB (ФСБ) is a state security organization in Russia, and is the domestic successor organization to the KGB. Its name is an acronym from the Russian Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (Федера́льная слу́жба безопа́сности Росси́йской Федера́ции) (Federalnaya Sluzhba Bezopasnosti Rossiyskoi Federatsii). ... Terrorist redirects here. ...

"Alfa" is a well-known counter-terrorist unit begun in 1974. Today "Alfa" is a highly professional unit, which consists of roughly 300 servicemen. The majority of the unit is stationed at Moscow, the rest of the unit is located in three other cities - Krasnodar, Yekaterinburg, and Khabarovsk. All the "Alfa" operatives undergo special airborne and firearms training. Roughly one third of them have special mountain training; another third have special counter-sabotage diving training. Spetsnaz operatives always improve on their skills in countless exercises and special operations (including constant service in North Caucasus). The unit utilizes a wide range of modern Russian and foreign weapons and equipment, some modified from the original versions to fit the unique needs of the unit. A member of the FSB Alpha Group, equipped with the silenced AS VAL assault rifle. ... Counter-terrorism refers to the practices, tactics, and strategies that governments, militaries, and other groups adopt in order to fight terrorism. ... Position of Moscow in Europe Coordinates: , Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Government  - Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Area  - City 1,081 km²  (417. ... 19th century photo depicting Kuban Cossacks obelisk in Krasnodar Krasnodar (Russian: ) is a city in Southern Russia on the Kuban River. ... Snow-covered statue of Sverdlov in Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburgs Church on the Blood built on the spot where the Tsar and his family were executed. ... Government Country District Krai Russia Far Eastern Federal District Khabarovsk Krai Established 1858 Mayor Alexandr Sokolov Geographical characteristics Area  - City 372 km² Population  - City (2005) 579,000 Coordinates Other Information Postal Code 680xxx Dialing Code +7 4212 Website: www. ... North Caucasus in Russia The North Caucasus (sometimes referred to as Ciscaucasia or Ciscaucasus) is the northern part of the Caucasus region between Europe and Asia. ...

"Vympel" (the Pennant) – formerly known as an elite cold war-era KGB sabotage unit – is now also a counter-terrorist and counter-sabotage unit. But, unlike "Alfa", instead of learning how to storm airplanes and buses, they operate in an entirely different environment. They are experts in 18 special disciplines (among which - how to infiltrate guarded buildings, extensive marksmanship training, driving APCs and airplanes, and medical training) and are Russia's last defense against possible terrorist acts involving nuclear plants, hydroelectric dams, and other industrial complexes. However, "Vympel" operatives are still heavily used in special operations missions in the Northern Caucasus, along with their counterparts from "Alfa" unit. "Vympel" has 4 operative units, "Alfa" has 5 operative units. One unit from each Department is always participating in offensive operations in Chechnya. They constantly rotate their troops, and each operative unit is stationed in Chechnya at least 2-3 times per year. "Vympel" is stationed in Moscow, but it also has multiple branch offices in virtually every city where there is a nuclear power plant. Emblem of Vympel Vympel (Russian: Вымпел meaning Pennant, also known as Vega Group or Spetsgruppa V) is a Russian counter-terrorism unit. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... “Saboteur” redirects here. ... Armoured personnel carriers (APCs) are armoured fighting vehicles developed to transport infantry on the battlefield. ... A nuclear power station. ... Hydroelectricity is the worlds leading renewable energy source. ... The Chechen Republic (IPA: ; Russian: , Chechenskaya Respublika; Chechen: , Noxçiyn Respublika), or, informally, Chechnya (; Russian: ; Chechen: , Noxçiyçö), sometimes referred to as Ichkeria, Chechnia, Chechenia or Noxçiyn, is a federal subject of Russia. ...

Department A and B operatives' standard BDU color is black. However, in Chechnya they use different kinds of camouflage. US Army soldiers wearing the new Army Combat Uniform, Desert Camouflage Uniform, and a World War II-era uniform (L to R) Battledress is a general term for the military uniform worn into combat, as opposed to display dress and formal uniforms worn at parades and functions. ...

Not much information about SSO can be obtained, but it is known that they also participate in FSB special operations in the Northern Caucasus and also act as highly skilled bodyguards for government officials.

Together with Center of Special Operations and its elite units, there are many FSB special forces units of regional significance. Such operative detachments are usually called ROSN (Regional Department of Special Designation). The most powerful ROSNs are said to be at Saint Petersburg (ROSN "Grad") and Nizhny Novgorod. Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and... Nizhny Novgorod (Russian: ), colloquially shortened as Nizhny, is the fourth largest city in Russia, ranking after Moscow, St. ...

Ministry of Interior units

Spetnaz MVD includes 16 Interior Troops units, which are of good quality and intended for use to combat insurgency and for counter-terrorism purposes. These units usually have a unique name and official OSN number. Here is a list of some of these spetsnaz units (the list is deliberately not full due to obvious reasons):

• 1st PSN (former 6th OSN) VV "Vityaz" - stationed in Moscow;
• 7th OSN VV "Rosich" - Novocherkassk;
• 8th OSN VV "Rus" - Moscow;
• 12th OSN VV "Ratnik" - Nizhni Tagil;
• 15th OSN VV "Vyatich" - Armavir;
• 16th OSN VV "Skif" - Rostov.

and many others. Vityaz unit emblem Vityaz (Russian: , Knight) is a Russian Spetsnaz unit of the MVD. Vityaz is assigned specifically to counter-terrorism duties. ... Position of Moscow in Europe Coordinates: , Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Government  - Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Area  - City 1,081 km²  (417. ... Roads leading to Novocherkassk are graced by triumphal arches, erected to commemorate the Cossack victory over Napoleon. ... Rus is a special forces unit (OSNAZ) of the Interior Troops (VV), of the interior ministry (MVD) of the Russian Federation. ... Position of Moscow in Europe Coordinates: , Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Government  - Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Area  - City 1,081 km²  (417. ... View from space Nizhny Tagil (Ни́жний Таги́л, also transliterated Nizhniy Tagil and Nižnij Tagil) is a city in Russia, located in the Sverdlovsk Oblast in the Ural Mountains (57° 56 N, 60° 00 E). ... Armavir (Армавир in Russian) is city in the Krasnodar Krai in Russia. ... Rostov (Russian: Росто́в; Old Norse: Rostofa) is one of the oldest towns in Russia and an important tourist centre of the so called Golden ring. ...

They are generally well-trained and equipped, being far superior to the regular Russian infantry. For example, it is claimed that the unit "Rus" had fought successfully against the insurgents in Chechnya with a casualty ratio of approximately 1 to 200. Their missions may include reconnaissance missions and regular combat operations (mostly house-to-house CQB assaults). They (especially "Vitjaz") have sometimes served as the back-up team during the counter-terrorist operations by team "Alpha". The parallel of United States Army Rangers and 1st SFOD-D (aka "Delta Force") is apparent. Mixed reconnaissance patrol of the Polish Home Army and the Soviet Red Army during Operation Tempest, 1944 Reconnaissance is the military term for the active gathering of information about an enemy, or other conditions, by physical observation. ... It has been suggested that Mêlée be merged into this article or section. ... The 75th Ranger Regiment—also known as the United States Army Rangers—is an elite light infantry special operations force of the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC); with headquarters in Fort Benning, Georgia. ... The 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1st SFOD-D) — commonly known as Delta in the U.S. Army, Delta Force by civilians, and Combat Applications Group by the Department of Defense — is a Special Operations Force (SOF) and an integral element of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). ...

Aside from the Interior troops special forces, MVD has plenty of police special forces, which are stationed in virtually every large Russian city. While OMON units are mostly used as riot police and during drug busts, they are not really considered a significant counter-terrorist force and simply lack the sufficient expertise. For these reasons MVD has numerous OMSN units (formerly known as SOBR), which consist of senior ranked police officers and are properly trained and equipped to combat terrorists, insurgency, and to participate in any kind of high-risk mission in general. The OMON insignia OMON (Russian: Отряд милиции особого назначения; Otryad Militsii Osobogo Naznacheniya, Special Purpose Detachment of Militsiya) is a generic name for the system of special units of militsiya (state police) within the Russian and earlier the Soviet, Ministerstvo Vnutrennih Del (MVD; Ministry of Internal Affairs). ...

Russian army special forces

"Nobody but us. Rossiyskiy specnaz."

A Spetsnaz team prepares for a mission at Kabul airport, in Afghanistan, 1988. Photo by Mikhail Evstafiev

Spetsnaz GRU, or Russian army special forces, are the original SPETSNAZ and are generally considered the best trained units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Despite this, they are not very similar to the Special Forces of the US or the SAS of the UK. The Spetsnaz have created a fierce reputation as one of the best special forces in the world today due to the very harsh standards of their training. They are controlled by the GRU (the Russian military intelligence agency). During the Cold War, these units were deployed in Eastern Europe in order to carry out reconnaissance and sabotage missions against the NATO forces in the event of a war in Europe. The units of Spetsnaz GRU have no official names, such as is the case with units of Spetsnaz MVD. They are generally referred to by numbers, for example, "16th Separate Brigade of Spetsnaz", much like any other military unit, and are usually integrated in the structure of the VDV (airborne troops) though not under VDV command aegis. ImageMetadata File history File links Evstafiev-spetsnaz-prepare-for-mission. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Evstafiev-spetsnaz-prepare-for-mission. ... The sky over the city where we were happy by Mikhail Evstafiev, oil on canvas, 2006 Mikhail Aleksandrovich Evstafiev (Russian: Михаил Александрович Евстафьев; born in 1963), is a Russian artist, photographer, writer. ... The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (UTC) (Russian: Transliteration: Vooruzhyónniye síly Rossíyskoy Federátsii) is the military of Russia, established after the break-up of the Soviet Union. ... For other uses, see GRU (disambiguation). ... Military intelligence (abbreviated MI, int. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... Pre-1989 division between the West (grey) and Eastern Bloc (orange) superimposed on current national boundaries: Russia (dark orange), other countries of the former USSR (medium orange),members of the Warsaw pact (light orange), and other former Communist regimes not aligned with Moscow (lightest orange). ... NATO 2002 Summit in Prague. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... VDV flag. ...

Few details are actually known about the operations of Spetsnaz GRU, but it is known that the units were heavily involved in wars in Afghanistan and Chechnya. Spetnaz GRU teams usually wear standard-issue VDV uniforms, light blue VDV berets and unit patches in order to avoid identification. However, they can also wear different uniforms, for instance, they would wear the uniform of a unit which is stationed nearby, in order to blend in. The Chechen Republic (IPA: ; Russian: , Chechenskaya Respublika; Chechen: , Noxçiyn Respublika), or, informally, Chechnya (; Russian: ; Chechen: , Noxçiyçö), sometimes referred to as Ichkeria, Chechnia, Chechenia or Noxçiyn, is a federal subject of Russia. ... VDV flag. ...

Here are most of the Spetsnaz Brigades and the location at which they are stationed:

• 2nd ObrSpN - Promezhitsy (Pskov region); strength around 960 (Leningrad Military District)
• 3rd Guards ObrSpN - Roshinskij (Samara Oblast); (Volga-Ural Military District)
• 10th (Mountain) ObrSpN - Molkino (Krasnodar region); activated July 1, 2003 (North Caucasus Military District)
• 12th ObrSpN - city of Asbest-5 Sverdlovsk region); (Volga-Ural Military District)transferring: Chaikovskyy (Perm')
• 22nd Guards ObrSpN - Kovalevka (Rostov Oblast); (North Caucasus Military District)
• 67th ObrSpN - Berdsk (Novosibirsk Oblast); (Siberian Military District)
• 83 SPETZNAZ CDO BDE Ussuryysk (Far East Military District)
• 216 INDEP SPETZNAZ BN Moscow (Moscow Military District)

and many others, including: The Trinity Cathedral (1682-99) is a symbol of Pskovs former might and independence. ... The Leningrad Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. ... Samara Oblast (Russian: ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). ... The Volga-Ural Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, formed on 1 September 2001 by the amalgamation of the Volga Military District and the Ural Military District. ... 19th century photo depicting Kuban Cossacks obelisk in Krasnodar Krasnodar (Russian: ) is a city in Southern Russia on the Kuban River. ... The North Caucasus Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. ... Photograph of snow-covered Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburgs Church on the Blood, built on the spot where the Tsar and his family were murdered. ... The Volga-Ural Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, formed on 1 September 2001 by the amalgamation of the Volga Military District and the Ural Military District. ... Flag of Rostov Oblast Rostov Oblast (Russian: , Rostovskaya oblast) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in the Southern Federal District. ... The North Caucasus Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. ... Berdsk is a city in the Novosibirsk Oblast in central Russia, on the southwestern Siberian plain. ... Novosibirsk Oblast (Russian: ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). ...

• 14th Separate Brigade of Special Designation Ussuriysk, Far Eastern Military District
• 16th Spetsnaz Brigade - formerly Teplyi Stan, suburb of Moscow, now [Tambov[Chuchkovo]], Moscow Military District
• 24th Spetsnaz Brigade - [Ulan-Ude[Kyakhta]], Siberian Military District

A Spetsnaz brigade consists of three to five Spetsnaz battalions, a signals company, support units, and a headquarters company containing highly skilled professional soldiers responsible for carrying out assassinations, kidnappings, and contact with agents in the enemy rear area. The organisation of a naval SPETSNAZ brigade reflects its emphasis on sea infiltration, with up to three frogman battalions, one parachute battalion, and a mini-submarine battalion, as well as the signals company, headquarters company, and support elements. The city of Ussuriysk (Russian: Уссурийск) sits in the middle of a fertile valley at the junction of three rivers in Primorsky Krai, Russia, at 43. ... The Moscow Military District is a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. ... // This page describes a type of scuba diver. ...

Russian Naval Spetsnaz

The Soviet Naval Spetsnaz came in to being in 1957 by order of Defence Minister Zhukov.The Black Sea fleet created their spetsnaz unit in 1967. A marine counter terrorist and counter sabotage unit was created in 1969 as "protivodiversionniye sili i sredstva"-counter-underwater forces. In 1970, the Main intelligence service of a General staff (GRU) created a top secret reconnaissance - sabotage group "Delfin" (Dolphin) for operations against sea bases of foreign states. Instructors from group "Delfin" prepared the combat swimmers for KGB groups "Alfa" and "Vympel". At the fall of the Soviet government, each of the Soviet Red Banner Fleets (four total) had a Naval Spetsnaz Brigade assigned to it (see combat swimmers). Furthermore, modern Alfa and Vympel special purpose forces also have naval units. Soviet redirects here. ... Red Banner Northern Fleet (Северный флот in Russian, or Severniy flot), a part of the Soviet Navy, created in 1933 for the purpose of defending Soviet territory beyond the Arctic circle (Заполярье, or Zapolyariye). ... Combat swimmer (Боевой Пловец=Boyevoy Plovets=Combat Swimmer) is a Russian term for members of special purpose units of Spetsnaz. ... Alfa may mean: Alfa Romeo, an automobile Alfa, an Italian rocket Alfa, a title of respect among the Fula people The letter A in the NATO phonetic alphabet, spelt with an f for the benefit of native speakers of Spanish and other languages that do not spell the f phoneme... Emblem of Vympel Vympel (Russian: Вымпел meaning Pennant, also known as Vega Group or Spetsgruppa V) is a Russian counter-terrorism unit. ...

Russian Naval Infantry, or the Russian Marines, are elite forces, but by no means are they Spetsnaz troops as Naval Special Operations would be carried out by Delfin (Naval Spetsnaz) troops rather than the Marines, which are intended to spearhead amphibious invasions. The 4 Major Naval Spetsnaz units are: Russian Marines emblem and slogan Naval Infantry of Russia: Victory follows us! The Russian Marines, perhaps better translated as the Russian Naval Infantry, (Russian: Морская пехота ) are an elite force of the Russian Armed Forces. ... Special Forces (SF) or Special Operations Forces (SOF) are highly-trained military units that conduct specialized operations such as reconnaissance, unconventional warfare, and counter-terrorism actions. ...

• 4 INDEP SPETZNAZ PT Parusnoe (Baltyysk) (Baltic Fleet) formerly Viljandi, Estonia (transferred from Army GRU to Navy GRU)
• 431 INT SPETZNAZ PT Tuapse (Black Sea Fleet) formerly Kronstadt (Baltic Fleet)
• 42 SPETZNAZ PT Russkyy island (Pacific Fleet)
• 420 INT SPETZNAZ PT Polyarnyy (Northern Fleet)

Tuapse (Russian: , Adyghe: ТIуапсэ) is a town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, situated on the northeast shores of the Black Sea. ...

Osnaz

Russian intelligence agencies, MVD, FSB, and the FPS and the Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR, "Sluzhba Vneshnej Razvedki", Russian equivalent of the American CIA) have their own Osnaz units. The acronym MVD can stand for: Mitral valve disease, or Mitral regurgitation. ... The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (Федера́льная слу́жба безопа́сности Росси́йск&#1086... In the Russian Federation, the Federal Protective Service was formerly the Ninth Chief (aka The Guards) Directorate of the KGB and is now an independent organization. ... Sluzhba Vneshney Razvedki (Служба внешней разведки) (SVR) is Russian for Foreign Intelligence Service and is the name of Russias primary external intelligence agency. ... The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an intelligence agency of the United States government. ... OSNAZ (Russian: [voiska] osobogo naznacheniya, ОСНАЗ = [войска] особого назначения, special purpose [detachments]) or ChON (Russian: chasti osobogo naznacheniya, ЧОН= Части особого назначения were special forces troops within the KGB (its predecessors and its successor, Federal Security Service) and the MVD. OSNAZ has always been shrouded in a veil of mystery and remains so even to this day. ...

The use of the term in the Russian language as of 2004

The word "Spetsnaz" is a syllabic abbreviation typical for the Russian language since the Soviet era, with its proliferation of new organizations. However, the widespread use of this word is actually a relatively recent, post-perestroika development in the Russian language. The existence of these special forces units was not known to the general public during the Soviet era. In a sense, this became yet another state secret that was published during the glasnost of the Gorbachev's perestroika. There were a number of well-known books written about the Spetsnaz, best known of these "Aquarium" by Viktor Suvorov, a GRU agent who defected to England. Suvorov also wrote a book specifically on the subject. The stories about the Spetsnaz and their allegedly incredible prowess, from the more serious to the highly questionable, have captivated imaginations of the more patriotic, and perhaps less critical, Russians, particularly being set against the background of a generally known decay in the Russian military during perestroika and the post-Soviet era. It merits noting that the great interest in all things Spetsnaz ran parallel to the similarly intense interest in all things related to intelligence, KGB, etc. The popularity of Spetsnaz was all the more enhanced by the reports of their very real accomplishments during Russia's second campaign in Chechnya starting in 2000. A syllabic abbreviation is an abbreviation formed from (usually) initial syllables of several words, such as Interpol = International + police. ... Russian ( , transliteration: , ) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia and the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages. ... Soviet era is the period of Russian history comprising the years 1917 – 1991, when the power was held by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Russian ( , transliteration: , ) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia and the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... //   (Russian: IPA: ) is politics of maximal openness, transparency of activity of all official (governmental) institutes, and freedom of information. ... Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (Russian: ; Pronunciation: mih-kha-ILL ser-GHE-ye-vich gor-bah-CHOFF) (born March 2, 1931), was leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991. ... Aquarium (ISBN 0-241-11545-0; Hamish Hamilton, 1985; published in the United States as Inside the Aquarium, MacMillan, ISBN 0-02-615490) ) - by Viktor Suvorov, (Russian title Аквариум) is a partly autobiographical description of the GRU (Soviet Military Intelligence), starting from the... Viktor Suvorov (; real name Vladimir Rezun : ) (born April 20, 1947) is a Russian writer and historian. ... For other uses, see GRU (disambiguation). ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto)1 Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total... // History Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, the Russians have discussed rebuilding a viable, cohesive fighting force out of the remaining parts of the former Soviet armed forces. ... Intelligence (abbreviated or ) is the process and the result of gathering information and analyzing it to answer questions or obtain advance warnings needed to plan for the future. ... The KGB emblem and motto: The sword and the shield KGB (transliteration of КГБ) is the Russian-language abbreviation for Committee for State Security, (Russian: ; Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti). ... The Chechen Republic (IPA: ; Russian: , Chechenskaya Respublika; Chechen: , Noxçiyn Respublika), or, informally, Chechnya (; Russian: ; Chechen: , Noxçiyçö), sometimes referred to as Ichkeria, Chechnia, Chechenia or Noxçiyn, is a federal subject of Russia. ...

At the turn of the 21st century, many of what would be generally considered as inaccuracies were written about Spetsnaz, GRU, KGB, and similar "top secret" and "exciting" topics. The word "Spetsnaz" was sometimes frivolously used to refer to anything the speaker deemed somehow special or exclusive. For example, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, a well-known populist and nationalist politician, once referred to his and his political party comrades' going for a swim at a party-organized festival as a "Spetsnaz on the water", while speaking on camera. This somewhat intentionally extreme incident should give some sense of the extent the term has been debased for many people. For other uses, see GRU (disambiguation). ... The KGB emblem and motto: The sword and the shield KGB (transliteration of КГБ) is the Russian-language abbreviation for Committee for State Security, (Russian: ; Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Populism is a political ideology or rhetorical style that holds that the common person is oppressed by the elite in society, which exists only to serve its own interests, and therefore, the instruments of the State need to be grasped from this self-serving elite and instead used for the... Nationalism is an ideology that creates and sustains a nation as a concept of a common identity for groups of humans. ... Political parties Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A political party is a political organization that seeks to attain political power within a government, usually by participating in electoral campaigns. ...

In Fiction

• In "Counter Strike: Condition Zero," the player may choose to play as a Spetsnaz operative in multiplayer mode. An involuntary choice is made in single-player mode.

• In the episode "Assassinanny 911," of the cartoon series "The Venture Brothers" the character Molotov Cocktease gives the character of Dean Venture a book that she demands he study due to his inability to combat train because of a foot injury. The book is simply titled "Spetsnaz" and has the Bat logo on the center of the cover and Dean is shown reading the book while practicing some knife thrust moves.

• In the video game "Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater," your character engages GRU and Spetsnaz agents while completing your mission in the Russian jungle.

• You can choose a Spetsnaz soldier as a character in game-play on the game Soldier Front

• Dolph Lundgren played a Spetsnaz soldier in the 1989 movie Red Scorpion.

• In Bohemia Interactive Studios' 2001 game, "Operation Flashpoint-Cold War Crisis", Spetsnaz soldiers are featured in the invading Soviet army. In the addon "Red Hammer" you assume the role of disgraced ex-Spetsnaz soldier "Dimitri Lukin". Demoted to Private you have to prove yourself worthy to get promotion and eventually get reinstated back into Spetsnaz.

• You can choose to be on a Spetsnaz deployment team in the game Battlefield 2 Special Forces. Other factions range from SEALs, the "Middle Eastern Coalition", the SAS and Chechen Rebels.

• Spetznaz briefly appear in a few missions in the video game City of Villains.

• Spetznaz was shouted out by a Chinese soldier, while posted up in a bunker during "minor" border disputes with Russia, in the book World War Z.

• In the game Call of Duty 4, one of the characters the player will play as in the single player campaign is a Russian Spetsnaz Commando.

• In the game Goldeneye 007, You encounter Spetznaz troops in several levels, and can also choose to play as a Spetznaz soldier in multiplayer mode.

• In the game Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, the protagonist, Agent 47, encounters a Spetsnaz agent while assassinating a former Russian general in a German embassy in St. Petersburg.

The current version of this article or section is written in an informal style and with a personally invested tone. ... The Venture Bros. ... Molotov Cocktease is a supporting character on the Adult Swim show The Venture Bros. ... Dean Venture is one of the two titular Venture Brothers and a main character on the Adult Swim program of the same name, serving as a parody of such boy adventurers as The Hardy Boys and Jonny Quest. ... Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (commonly abbreviated MGS3) is a stealth-based game directed by Hideo Kojima, developed and published by Konami for the PlayStation 2. ... City of Villains is a massively multiplayer online role-playing computer game based on the superhero comic book genre, developed by Cryptic Studios and published by NCSoft. ... World War Z is a novel by Max Brooks which chronicles the fictional World War Z or Zombie World War. It is a follow-up to his previous book, The Zombie Survival Guide. ... Call of Duty 4 is the rumored upcoming fourth title in the Call of Duty series of video games. ... GoldenEye 007 is a 1997 first-person shooter video game developed by Rareware for the Nintendo 64 video game console, and based on the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye. ... 47 disguised. ... 47 with his WA2000 Sniper Rifle. ... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and...

See also

• Alpha Group
• Vympel
• Rus (special forces)
• Vityaz (MVD)
• OMON
• SOBR
• VDV
• Spetsnaz (miniseries)

A member of the FSB Alpha Group, equipped with the silenced AS VAL assault rifle. ... Emblem of Vympel Vympel (Russian: Вымпел meaning Pennant, also known as Vega Group or Spetsgruppa V) is a Russian counter-terrorism unit. ... Rus is a special forces unit (OSNAZ) of the Interior Troops (VV), of the interior ministry (MVD) of the Russian Federation. ... Vityaz unit emblem Vityaz (Russian: , Knight) is a Russian Spetsnaz unit of the MVD. Vityaz is assigned specifically to counter-terrorism duties. ... The OMON insignia OMON (Russian: Отряд милиции особого назначения; Otryad Militsii Osobogo Naznacheniya, Special Purpose Detachment of Militsiya) is a generic name for the system of special units of militsiya (state police) within the Russian and earlier the Soviet, Ministerstvo Vnutrennih Del (MVD; Ministry of Internal Affairs). ... The Special Rapid Reaction Unit or SOBR (Russian: специальные отряды быстрого реагирования = Spetsialnyye Otryady Bystrogo Reagirovaniya) is an elite commando unit of the Russian Interior Ministry, involved in anti-criminal operations. ... VDV flag. ... The Spetsnaz miniseries began showing on Russian television in 2002 directed by Andrei Malyukov The series is set mostly in Russia and follows the adventures of four members of the GRU spetsnaz (judging by uniforms worn by the characters). ...

External links

• (English) Special Operations.com - Spetsnaz
• (English) Spetsnaz: the story behind the Soviet SAS by Victor Suvorov (1987)
• (Russian) Russian Special Ops Units
• (Russian) Ministry of Internal Affairs special forces
• (English) Vyacheslav Mironov: Assault on Grozny Downtown
• (Russian) http://www.kommersant.ru/k-vlast/get_page.asp?page_id=2005769-22.htm
• (Russian) Russian Special Forces