The Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, commonly known as the Special Operations Forces (SOF; rus, Силы специальных операций; ССО, Sily spetsial’nykh operatsiy; SSO) are strategic-level

special forces Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...

under the Special Operations Forces Command ( rus, командование сил специальных операций; KCCO, Komandovanie sil spetsial’nalnykh operatsii; KSSO or KSO) of the

General Staff A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, enlisted and civilian staff who serve the commander of a division or other large military un ...

of the

Armed Forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

of the

Russian Federation Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

. It is also a structural and an independent unit of the Armed Forces. The first units of what would become the Special Operations Forces were transferred from the

GRU The Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, rus, Гла́вное управле́ние Генера́льного шта́ба Вооружённых сил Росси́йской Федера́ци ...

in 2009 as part of the continuing

2008 Russian military reform The Serdyukov reform (), named after its originator, Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, was a major structural reorganisation of the Russian Armed Forces that began in 2009. Significant reforms of the Russian Armed Forces were announced in Oc ...

. The Special Operations Forces Command was established in 2012 and announced in March 2013 by the

Chief of the General Staff The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) is a post in many armed forces (militaries), the head of the military staff. List * Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (United States) * Chief of the General Staff (Abkhazia) * Chief of General Staff (Afg ...

Valery Gerasimov Valery Vasilyevich Gerasimov ( rus, Валерий Васильевич Герасимов, p=vɐˈlʲerʲɪj vɐˈsʲilʲjɪvʲɪdʑ ɡʲɪˈrasʲɪməf; born 8 September 1955) is a Russian army general serving as the Chief of the General Sta ...

.Россия решила создать силы специальных операций

RIA Novosti RIA Novosti (russian: РИА Новости), sometimes referred to as RIAN () or RIA (russian: РИА, label=none) is a Russian state-owned domestic news agency. On 9 December 2013 by a decree of Vladimir Putin it was liquidated and its asse ...

, 6 March 2013. According to Gerasimov, the SOF was designed as a strategic-level asset, elite special operations force units of the KSSO whose primary missions would be foreign interventions including

counter-proliferation Counterproliferation refers to diplomatic, intelligence, and military efforts to combat the proliferation of weapons, including both weapons of mass destruction (WMD), long-range missiles, and certain conventional weapons. Nonproliferation and a ...

foreign internal defense Foreign internal defense (FID) is a term used by the military in several countries, including the United States, France, and the United Kingdom, to describe an integrated, and possibly multi-country, approach to combating actual or threatened i ...

operations and undertaking the most complex

special operations Special operations (S.O.) are military activities conducted, according to NATO, by "specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment". Special operations may include ...

and clandestine missions for protecting interests of the Russian Federation. SOF are distinct from the

Spetsnaz GRU Spetsnaz GRU or Spetsnaz G.U. (formally known as Special Forces of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces () is the special forces (''spetsnaz'') of the G.U., the foreign military-intelligence agency of the Armed ...

that until 2010 were under the

Main Intelligence Directorate Main Intelligence Directorate may refer to: * Main Directorate of Intelligence (Ukraine), the military intelligence service of Ukraine * GRU The Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, rus, Гла́� ...

and whose subsequent subordination was left unclear until 2013 where the decision was reversed and GRU special forces units were reassigned to GRU divisions and placed under GRU authority again. Russia's SOF are manned exclusively by professional personnel hired on contract, of which all are full-time servicemen consisting of

commissioned officer An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent context ...

s and regular soldiers. On 26 February 2015,

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...

decreed that 27 February be the Day of the SOF, according to multiple Russian official news agencies (albeit not acknowledged formally), to mark the establishment of Russian control over the

building A building, or edifice, is an enclosed structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently in one place, such as a house or factory (although there's also portable buildings). Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and fun ...

of the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in

Simferopol Simferopol () is the second-largest city in the Crimea, Crimean Peninsula. The city, along with the rest of Crimea, is internationally recognised as part of Ukraine, and is considered the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. However, ...

Crimea Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a pop ...

on 27 February 2014.День сил специальных операций в России

, 27 February 2018.

Mission and methods

The Special Operations Forces are a highly mobile, well-trained and equipped, constant combat prepared

special operations force Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...

of the Russian Ministry of Defense. Designed for performing specific tasks, the SOF have the ability to function both within the country and abroad, in peacetime and in wartime (with application of military force, by necessity). The Russian Ministry of Defense defines the term "special operation" as "methods and ways of fighting not characteristic of conventional forces: reconnaissance and

sabotage Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. One who engages in sabotage is a ''saboteur''. Saboteurs typically try to conceal their identitie ...

subversion Subversion () refers to a process by which the values and principles of a system in place are contradicted or reversed in an attempt to transform the established social order and its structures of power, authority, hierarchy, and social norms. Sub ...

and

sedition Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or insurrection against, estab ...

counter-terrorism Counterterrorism (also spelled counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, incorporates the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, business, and intelligence agencies use to combat or el ...

, counter-sabotage,

counterintelligence Counterintelligence is an activity aimed at protecting an agency's intelligence program from an opposition's intelligence service. It includes gathering information and conducting activities to prevent espionage, sabotage, assassinations or ot ...

, guerrilla, counter-guerrilla and other activities". The SOF have been primarily involved in Syria, conducting target acquisition for

Russian Air Force " Air March" , mascot = , anniversaries = 12 August , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = , decorations = , bat ...

combat planes conducting

airstrike An airstrike, air strike or air raid is an offensive operation carried out by aircraft. Air strikes are delivered from aircraft such as blimps, balloons, fighters, heavy bombers, ground attack aircraft, attack helicopters and drones. The offic ...

s and Russian Navy sea-launched

cruise missile A cruise missile is a guided missile used against terrestrial or naval targets that remains in the atmosphere and flies the major portion of its flight path at approximately constant speed. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large warhe ...

strikes, serving as military advisors training Syrian government troops, seek and destroying critical enemy objects, disruption behind enemy lines through ambushes, high value targeted assassinations and retaliation strikes against select groups of fighters.

History

Within the Russian Federation

In 2009, as a part of the comprehensive reform of the Russian Federation's Armed Forces, Special Operations Directorate, subordinate directly to the Chief of the General Staff, was created on the basis of the

's 322nd Specialist Training Center in the

Moscow region Moscow Oblast ( rus, Моско́вская о́бласть, r=Moskovskaya oblast', p=mɐˈskofskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ), or Podmoskovye ( rus, Подмоско́вье, p=pədmɐˈskovʲjə, literally "under Moscow"), is a federal subject of Rus ...

(Military Unit 92154). The unit saw extensive action in the Caucasus region and earned the nickname ''podsolnukhi'' (sunflowers), a nickname given to the soldiers assigned to the unit while serving in

Chechnya Chechnya ( rus, Чечня́, Chechnyá, p=tɕɪtɕˈnʲa; ce, Нохчийчоь, Noxçiyçö), officially the Chechen Republic,; ce, Нохчийн Республика, Noxçiyn Respublika is a republic of Russia. It is situated in the ...

. It was reported that

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Oleg Martianov, who later became a member of the board of the Military-Industrial Commission, was one of the founders and first commander of the SOF from 2009 to 2013. In 2012, the Special Operations Directorate was reorganized as Special Operations Command, which was followed by plans to upscale the Forces manpower up to 9 special purpose brigades. On 6 March 2013,

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

Valery Gerasimov announced the creation of the Special Operations Forces. While speaking to foreign military attaches in

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

, he said: "After reviewing the practice of the formation, training and the use of special operations forces in the leading countries of the world, Russia's Defense Ministry has also begun to create them... A corresponding command was created, which is engaged in planning work and implements plan of training of the Armed Forces... A set of documents has already been elaborated to determine the direction of development, methods of training and application of these forces". On 15 March 2013, according to Russian media reports, creation of the Special Operations Center of the

Ministry of Defense {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

for around 500 professional soldiers began in the suburban village of Kubinka-2. Formation of the Center was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2013. The center would be directly subordinate to the Special Operations Forces Command of the Russian Ministry of Defense. At the end of April 2013, units of the Special Operations Forces conducted a special tactics exercise at

Elbrus Mount Elbrus ( rus, links=no, Эльбрус, r=Elbrus, p=ɪlʲˈbrus; kbd, Ӏуащхьэмахуэ, 'uaşhəmaxuə; krc, Минги тау, Mingi Taw) is the highest and most prominent peak in Russia and Europe. It is situated in the we ...

mountains at an altitude of 4,500 meters. The exercise was dedicated to practice transportation of one of the SOF units by military transport aviation and army aviation, as well as air insertion of personnel and cargo into target area. During peacetime, the SOF may also be called in to execute certain specialised homeland security operations. In May 2013, the General Staff said that the unit would be tasked with security of the

2014 Winter Olympic Games , ''Zharkie. Zimnie. Tvoi'') , nations = 88 , events = 98 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , athletes = 2,873 , opening = 7 February 2014 , closing = 23 February 2014 , opened_by = President Vladimir Putin , cauldron = , stadium = Fisht Olympic ...

Sochi Sochi ( rus, Со́чи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg) is the largest resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi River, along the Black Sea in Southern Russia, with a population of 466,078 residents, up to 600,000 residents in ...

and that the SOF now comprised air and naval components. Again, when Russia hosted the

2018 FIFA World Cup The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national Association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awa ...

, the SOF and FSB special forces units took charge of ensuring the security. The SOF also conducted counter-terrorism and special operations during the

insurgency An insurgency is a violent, armed rebellion against authority waged by small, lightly armed bands who practice guerrilla warfare from primarily rural base areas. The key descriptive feature of insurgency is its asymmetric nature: small irregu ...

in the

North Caucasus The North Caucasus, ( ady, Темыр Къафкъас, Temır Qafqas; kbd, Ишхъэрэ Къаукъаз, İṩxhərə Qauqaz; ce, Къилбаседа Кавказ, Q̇ilbaseda Kavkaz; , os, Цӕгат Кавказ, Cægat Kavkaz, inh, ...

region disguised as other

Spetsnaz Spetsnaz are special forces in numerous post-Soviet states. (The term is borrowed from rus, спецназ, p=spʲɪtsˈnas; abbreviation for or 'Special Purpose Military Units'; or .) Historically, the term ''spetsnaz'' referred to the So ...

units. On 2 December 2017, an unnamed mountain with a height of 3,939 meters located on the Sudor ridge in the

Irafsky District Irafsky District (russian: Ира́фский райо́н; os, Æрæфы район, ''Æræfy rajon''; Digor Ossetian, Digorian: Ирæфи район, ''Iræfi rajon'') is an administrativeLaw #34-RZ and municipalLaw #14-RZ district (raion), o ...

of the

Republic of North Ossetia-Alania A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...

, was named "Mountain of Special Operations Forces".

Outside the Russian Federation

The SOF has also taken part in anti-piracy operations in the

Gulf of Aden The Gulf of Aden ( ar, خليج عدن, so, Gacanka Cadmeed 𐒅𐒖𐒐𐒕𐒌 𐒋𐒖𐒆𐒗𐒒) is a deepwater gulf of the Indian Ocean between Yemen to the north, the Arabian Sea to the east, Djibouti to the west, and the Guardafui Channe ...

, clashing with Somali pirates. In late February 2014, an unknown number of SOF operators alongside other Russian troops entered

disguised as "little green men" and captured the Crimean Parliament and also began the blockading and capturing of other significant and strategic sites across the peninsula. SOF combat operations in Syria, which began covertly in late 2015 became more visible by January 2016 with the successful Latakia offensive. They played a crucial role in the Palmyra offensive, provided support to the

Syrian Army " (''Guardians of the Homeland'') , colors = * Service uniform: Khaki, Olive * Combat uniform: Green, Black, Khaki , anniversaries = August 1st , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = 1948 Arab–Israeli War Six ...

attempting the recapturing of

Raqqa Raqqa ( ar, ٱلرَّقَّة, ar-Raqqah, also and ) (Kurdish languages, Kurdish: Reqa/ ڕەقە) is a city in Syria on the northeast bank of the Euphrates River, about east of Aleppo. It is located east of the Tabqa Dam, Syria's largest dam. T ...

, repelling the ISIL offensive on Palmyra and throughout the Syrian push for Aleppo in the same year. They returned during the Second battle of Palmyra in 2017 and saw action throughout the year in the Eastern Homs offensive, North Hama offensive, Operation Grand Dawn, the East Hama offensive, Operation Khuzam, rescuing a Russian Military Police unit in the Idlib de-escalation zone and the entirety of the Eastern Syria campaign. The SOF also contributed to the success of the

Rif Dimashq Governorate campaign Part of the Syrian Civil War, the Rif Dimashq Governorate campaign consisted of several battles and offensives across the governorate including the Syrian capital of Damascus: Offensives *Rif Dimashq clashes (November 2011–March 2012): Dam ...

in 2018 and Operation Dawn of Idlib in 2019. On 11 December 2017, SOF units provided top-level security for the unannounced visit of Russian President

to Syria at

Khmeimim Air Base Khmeimim Air Base (Russian: Хмеймим), also Hmeimim Air Base, is a Syrian airbase currently operated by Russia, located south-east of the city of Latakia in Hmeimim, Latakia Governorate, Syria. The airbase shares some airfield faciliti ...

by covering the most dangerous directions from sea, air and land. Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister

Sergey Shoygu Sergei Kuzhugetovich Shoigu, ; tyv, Сергей Күжүгет оглу Шойгу, translit=Sergey Kyzhyget oglu Shoygu, . (russian: Сергей Кужугетович Шойгу; born 21 May 1955) is a Russian politician who has served as ...

later personally thanked all the military personnel involved for their exemplary performance of the task. In February 2022, the SOF was involved in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, conducting covert operations targeting critical military infrastructure and support systems of Ukraine and reconnaissance missions behind enemy lines.

Structure and organization

While official numbers are classified, between the Special Purpose Center "Senezh" and the headquarters at the Special Purpose Center "Kubinka-2", analysts believe the size is around 2,000 to 2,500 total personnel. The command has supporting elements providing combat support and combat service support functions. There is a dedicated special aviation brigade that directly controls combat aviation assets at

Torzhok Torzhok (russian: Торжо́к) is a town in Tver Oblast, Russia, located on the Tvertsa River along the federal highway M10 and a branch of the Oktyabrskaya Railway division of the Russian Railways. The town is famous for its folk craft of g ...

, and a squadron of

Ilyushin Il-76 The Ilyushin Il-76 (russian: Илью́шин Ил-76; NATO reporting name: Candid) is a multi-purpose, fixed-wing, four-engine turbofan strategic airlifter designed by the Soviet Union's Ilyushin design bureau. It was first planned as a comm ...

transport aircraft at the Migalovo airfield near

Tver Tver ( rus, Тверь, p=tvʲerʲ) is a city and the administrative centre of Tver Oblast, Russia. It is northwest of Moscow. Population: Tver was formerly the capital of a powerful medieval state and a model provincial town in the Russian ...

. The Special Operations Forces Command is similar in role to the U.S.

Joint Special Operations Command The Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) is a joint component command of the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and is charged with studying special operations requirements and techniques to ensure interoperability and equip ...

and the German

Kommando Spezialkräfte The Kommando Spezialkräfte (''Special Forces Command, KSK'') is the special forces military command of the German Army. The KSK has received decorations and awards from NATO, the United States, and its affiliates. KSK operatives have taken part ...

. The command reached

full operational capability In military acquisition, full operating capability or full operational capability (FOC) is the completion of a development effort. This is usually preceded by an initial operating capability or initial operational capability (IOC) phase. For the Un ...

later in 2013 and also serves as the central command authority for the entire SOF structure of which is subordinate directly to the General Staff.

Training

Special operations forces of the Russian Federation

The training of the officer recruit special operators is carried out in the

Ryazan Guards Higher Airborne Command School The General V.F. Margelov Ryazan Guards Higher Airborne twice Red Banner Order of Suvorov Command School (RGVVDKU) () is a military educational institute of the Russian Ministry of Defense, situated in Ryazan, about southeast of Moscow. It was f ...

– RVVDKU (department of special and military intelligence and the department of the use of special forces) and the Novosibirsk Higher Military Command School – NVVKU (department of special intelligence and the chair of the special reconnaissance and airborne training). At "Senezh", potential operators learn skydiving, mountaineering, swimming and

military diving Underwater divers may be employed in any branch of an armed force, including the navy, army, marines, air force and coast guard. Scope of operations includes: search and recovery, search and rescue, hydrographic survey, explosive ordnance disposa ...

, and storming buildings and homes, while "Kubinka-2" focuses on maritime operations and reconnaissance and controls several naval special operations detachments. There is a cold weather/mountaineering training centre at

Mount Elbrus Mount Elbrus ( rus, links=no, Эльбрус, r=Elbrus, p=ɪlʲˈbrus; kbd, Ӏуащхьэмахуэ, 'uaşhəmaxuə; krc, Минги тау, Mingi Taw) is the highest and most prominent peak in Russia and Europe. It is situated in the we ...

codenamed "Terskol", in

Kabardino-Balkaria The Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (russian: Кабарди́но-Балка́рская Респу́блика, ''Kabardino-Balkarskaya Respublika''; kbd, Къэбэрдей-Балъкъэр Республикэ, ''Ķêbêrdej-Baĺķêr Respublik� ...

and the 54th Special Reconnaissance Center in

Vladikavkaz Vladikavkaz (russian: Владикавка́з, , os, Дзæуджыхъæу, translit=Dzæwdžyqæw, ;), formerly known as Ordzhonikidze () and Dzaudzhikau (), is the capital city of the North Ossetia-Alania, Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, Ru ...

North Ossetia–Alania The Republic of North Ossetia–Alania; os, Республикӕ Цӕгат Ирыстон — Алани, ''Respublikæ Cægat Iryston — Alani'', ) is a republic of Russia situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe. Its population acco ...

. Several more sensitive centers specialised for training SOF specialists also exist in military secrecy. Depending on the individual tasks the operatives are being prepared for or specialise in, the training varies. The Special Operations Forces warfare training centers and facilities: * Special Operations Center "Kubinka-2" * Special Operations Center "Senezh" * Specialist Training Center * 561st Naval Rescue (Training) Center of

VMF VMF may refer to: *Variable Message Format Variable Message Format, abbreviated as "VMF" and documented in MIL-STD-6017, is a communications protocol used in communicating tactical military information. A message formatted using VMF can be sent via ...

* 344th Army Aviation Training & Transition Center * Mountain & Survival Training Center "Terskol" * 54th Special Reconnaissance Training Center "Daryal"

Known operations

* In 2014, unidentified armed men began blockading Ukrainian bases in

, and on 27 February, they seized the

Crimean parliament The State Council of Crimea (russian: Госуда́рственный Сове́т Респу́блики Крым, uk, Державна Рада Республіки Крим, crh, Къырым Джумхуриетининъ Девлет Ш ...

. While claiming to be a local militia, this well-armed and highly professional unit turned out to be the first deployment of Russia's special operators. On 18 March, undercover operatives captured another military base in

. According to Russian sources, SOF commander Major General

Alexey Dyumin Alexei Gennadyevich Dyumin (russian: Алексей Геннадьевич Дюмин; born 28 August 1972) is a Russian politician, serving as Governor of Tula Oblast since 2016. Previously he served as President Vladimir Putin's chief security ...

, personally conducted operations in Crimea. Colonel Alexander Popov served as a detachment commander of the SOF and was directly involved in the events for which he was awarded the honorary title of

Hero of the Russian Federation Hero of the Russian Federation (russian: Герой Российской Федерации, Geroy Rossiyskoy Federatsii), also unofficially Hero of Russia (russian: link=no, Герой России, Geroy Rossii), is the highest honorary title ...

. * SOF have been tasked in recovering the flight recorder of Russia's downed Su-24M back in November 2015, on the same day rescuing the surviving crew of one of the two Mi-8AMTsh helicopters downed by Syrian Turkmen Brigade militants in a CSAR operation which had been searching for the crew of the Su-24. * During the Battle of Palmyra in March 2016, Senior lieutenant

Alexander Prokhorenko Alexander Alexandrovich Prokhorenko ( rus, Алекса́ндр Алекса́ндрович Прохоре́нко; 22 June 1990 – 17 March 2016) was a Senior lieutenant with the Special Operations Forces of the Russian Armed Forces. He was ...

was killed after he ordered an airstrike on his location after being surrounded by ISIL fighters and out of ammunition. He was posthumously awarded the honorary title of Hero of the Russian Federation for the heroic feat.День Сил специальных операций РФ. Досье

TASS The Russian News Agency TASS (russian: Информацио́нное аге́нтство Росси́и ТАСС, translit=Informatsionnoye agentstvo Rossii, or Information agency of Russia), abbreviated TASS (russian: ТАСС, label=none) ...

, 26 February 2018. * On 10 May 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin personally awarded medals to four officers of the SOF for showing extraordinary courage combating terrorists in Syria. They were part of a 16-man special forces detachment unit which managed to successfully repulse attacks conducted by over 300 jihadists without any losses. The commander of the unit, Lieutenant colonel Danila was awarded the honorary title of Hero of the Russian Federation. * On 16 August 2017, a 4-5 man SOF unit was ambushed by 40

Islamic State An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...

terrorists in the town of Akerbat and being abandoned by Syrian soldiers. After all the other members of his unit were injured, including the commander and the second officer, Lance corporal Denis Portnyagin took upon the whole job himself and killed 14 terrorists in the process and was even ready to blow his grenades to prevent their capture. He was awarded the honorary title of Hero of the Russian Federation for this feat. * On 20 September 2017, the Russian General Staff said

jihadist Jihadism is a neologism which is used in reference to "militant Islamic movements that are perceived as existentially threatening to the West" and "rooted in political Islam."Compare: Appearing earlier in the Pakistani and Indian media, Wes ...

militants tried to capture a 29-man unit of the

Russian military police The Military Police of Russia (russian: Военная полиция России, or VP) is the uniformed law enforcement branch of the Russian Armed Forces, which is known by the official name of Main Directorate of the Military Police (), a ...

two days before, whom were monitoring the ceasefire in a de-escalation zone in Idlib. The trapped unit fought for several hours and were eventually rescued in a special operation by a joint task force which comprised the

Syrian Syrians ( ar, سُورِيُّون, ''Sūriyyīn'') are an Eastern Mediterranean ethnic group indigenous to the Levant. They share common Levantine Semitic roots. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend of both indi ...

and

Russian Air Force " Air March" , mascot = , anniversaries = 12 August , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = , decorations = , bat ...

alongside the SOF. Three SOF operatives were injured. All 29 men withdrew safely without any fatalities. Hundreds of jihadists were killed in retaliatory airstrikes by 21 September. * On 26 September 2017, the Russian Defense Ministry announced Russia had conducted massive cruise missile strikes in Deir ez-Zor and Idlib destroying significant ISIS and

Al-Nusra Front Al-Nusra Front or Jabhat al-Nusra ( ar, جبهة النصرة لأهل الشام, Jabhat an-Nuṣrah li-Ahl ish-Sham lit. ''Front of the Supporters of the People of Syria/the Levant''), known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham ( ar, جبهة فتح ال ...

targets. On 27 September 2017, 5 Al-Nusra field commanders were killed in an airstrike alongside 32 militants in Idlib province. Another airstrike on 3 October 2017, killed 12 Al-Nusra field commanders including Ahmad al-Ghizai, Al-Nusra's security service chief and at least 50 militants in an undisclosed location in Syria. The Defense Ministry cited the use of "special measures" in those targeted strikes on militant positions, indicating the involvement of Russian special forces in the operations. * On 12 January 2018, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that the group of militants responsible for a massive mortar attack targeting the

in Syria on 31 December 2017 which killed two Russian soldiers were liquidated in the course of a special operation. SOF operatives tracked the militants to their base camp near the border of Idlib and destroyed the entire group with a Krasnopol projectile as they were boarding a minibus to leave the base. No mentions were made of which group the militants were affiliated to. Separately, a depot storing militant drones located in Idlib province was destroyed as well. * On 25 March 2019, the Russian Defense Ministry said that a group of more than 30 terrorists were eliminated in a special operation by the SOF and the Russian Air Force after they were identified. The operation was a retaliation for the terrorist attack in late February 2019 which killed 3 Russian servicemen. The location and affiliation of the terrorists were undisclosed. * During Operation Dawn of Idlib, SOF were suspected to be responsible for multiple successful raids behind enemy lines especially in Idlib province killing scores of rebel fighters including two prominent commanders from

Ahrar al-Sham Harakat Ahrar al-Sham al-Islamiyya ( ar-at, حركة أحرار الشام الإسلامية, Ḥarakat Aḥrāru š-Šām al-Islāmiyah, lit=Islamic Movement of the Freemen of the Levant), commonly referred to as Ahrar al-Sham, is a coalition ...

and

Jaysh al-Nasr The Army of Victory ( ar, ; Jaysh al-Nasr) is an armed opposition faction participating in the Syrian Civil War. Founded in August 2015 as a joint operations room of 16 member groups, three of the groups later fully merged into Jaysh al-Nasr ...

. Others killed were from

Suqour Al-Sham The Suqour al-Sham Brigades ( ar, أَلْوِيَةُ صُقُورِ الشَّامِ, ʾAlwiyat Ṣuqūr aš-Šām, en, Hawks of the Levant Brigades), also known as the Sham Falcons Brigades, is an armed rebel organisation formed by Ahmed Abu ...

Hurras Al-Din Tanẓīm Ḥurrās ad-Dīn , native_name_lang = ar , war = the Syrian Civil War and the Iraqi insurgency (2017–present) , image = , caption = , active = 27 February 2018–present , ideology ...

and other various rebel factions. * On 25 August 2020, the Russian Defense Ministry said the Russian and Syrian aviation with the support of artillery and the SOF carried out a joint operation which killed 327 militants and destroyed 134 shelters, 17 observation posts, 7 ammunition warehouses and 5 underground storage facilities of ISIS from 18 to 24 August across the

Syrian Desert The Syrian Desert ( ar, بادية الشام ''Bādiyat Ash-Shām''), also known as the North Arabian Desert, the Jordanian steppe, or the Badiya, is a region of desert, semi-desert and steppe covering of the Middle East, including parts of sou ...

. The operation was in response to an IED explosion which killed Major General Vyacheslav Gladkikh and wounded 3 Russian soldiers near Deir ez-Zor back on 18 August. * They have been present in the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...

, where they are carrying out operations to disrupt the Ukrainian forces.

Casualties

According to the Russian Defence Ministry as of February 2019, there are ten cases among SOF personnel in Syria that have been confirmed to be killed in action. Four members whose status are presumed to have been killed still remains unclear as of September 2019.Названы имена троих погибших в Сирии российских военных
br
The Ministry of Defense has denied data on the death of three commandos in Syria
/ref>

Hero of the Russian Federation recipients

*Col. *Col. *Col. *Lt. Col. *Maj. *LCpl.

Commanders

Weapons

Handguns

APS APS or Aps or aps or similar may refer to: Education * Abbottabad Public School * Adarsh Public School, a public school in New Delhi, India * Alamogordo Public Schools * Albuquerque Public Schools, New Mexico, US school district * Allendale Publ ...

* PYa *

Glock 17 Glock is a brand of polymer-Receiver (firearms), framed, Recoil operation#Short recoil operation, short recoil-operated, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H., Glock Ges.m.b.H. The ...

* SPP-1 underwater pistol * PB * PSS silent pistol * Makarov

Submachine guns

* Vityaz *

MP5 The Heckler & Koch MP5 (german: Maschinenpistole 5) is a 9x19mm Parabellum submachine gun, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch. There are over 100 variants and clones of the MP5, ...

Assault rifles

AS Val The 6P29 and 6P30 ( GRAU Indices), commonly known as the VSS "Thread Cutter" (Russian: ВСС «Винторе́з» Винто́вка Сна́йперская Специа́льная, romanized: ''Vintóvka Snáyperskaya Spetsiálnaya "Vint ...

AK-74M The AK-74 (Russian: , tr. ''Avtomat Kalashnikova obraztsa 1974 goda'', lit. 'Kalashnikov assault rifle model 1974) is an assault rifle designed by small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1974. While primarily associated with the Soviet U ...

AN-94 The AN-94 (Russian: 5,45-мм автомат Никонова обр. 1987 г. / АН-94 «Абака́н», GRAU designation 6P33) is a Russian assault rifle. The initials stand for ''Avtomat Nikonova'' model of 1994, after its chief designer ...

AK-105 The AK-105 is a shortened carbine version of the AK-74M rifle, which in turn was derived from the original AK-47 design and its successor, the AK-74. It's chambered to fire 5.45×39mm ammunition. Design Compared to the AK-74M, AK-101, and AK-103 ...

AK-103 The AK-103 is a Russian assault rifle designed by small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov. History The AK-103 was officially offered for export in March 1993 Design details It is an AK-100 derivative of the AK-74M that is chambered for th ...

AK-104 The AK-104 is a carbine variant of the AK-103. It's chambered to fire 7.62×39mm ammunition and thusly feeds from any standard 7.62x39 AK pattern magazine. Design The AK-104 is a 314mm (12.4in) barreled carbine in the AK-100 series of rifles, th ...

AKS-74U The AK-74 (Russian: , tr. ''Avtomat Kalashnikova obraztsa 1974 goda'', lit. 'Kalashnikov assault rifle model 1974) is an assault rifle designed by small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1974. While primarily associated with the Soviet U ...

AK-12 The AK-12 is a Russian assault rifle chambered in 5.45×39mm designed and manufactured by the Kalashnikov Concern (formerly Izhmash), making it the fifth generation of Kalashnikov rifles. The Kalashnikov Concern also offers a variant of the AK- ...

* V-AR (during trainings or competitions)

Sniper rifles

VSS Vintorez The 6P29 and 6P30 ( GRAU Indices), commonly known as the VSS "Thread Cutter" (Russian: ВСС «Винторе́з» Винто́вка Сна́йперская Специа́льная, romanized: ''Vintóvka Snáyperskaya Spetsiálnaya "Vint ...

Orsis T-5000 The Orsis T-5000 (russian: ОРСИС Т-5000) is a Russian bolt-action sniper rifle. It was the first product developed by ORSIS, and is produced in their Moscow factory. The rifle was introduced in 2011 at the international exhibition of Rus ...

SV-98 The SV-98 (''Snaiperskaya Vintovka Model 1998'') is a Russian bolt-action sniper rifle designed by Vladimir Stronskiy. In 2003 special operations troops were armed with the 7.62 mm 6S11 sniper system comprising the SV-98 sniper rifle ( inde ...

Dragunov SVD The SVD (russian: Сна́йперская Винто́вка систе́мы Драгуно́ва образца́ 1963 года, lit=Sniper Rifle, System of Dragunov, Model of the Year 1963, translit=Snáyperskaya Vintóvka sistém'y Dragunóv ...

OSV-96 OSV-96 (Russian: ОСВ-96) is a Russian heavy Semi-automatic rifle, semi-automatic precision rifle chambered for the 12.7×108mm. Description The rifle is capable of engaging infantry at a distance of up to 1800 meters and can combat material ...

* ASVK-M Kord-M * Steyr SSG 08 * Steyr SSG 04

Machine guns

* PKM *

Pecheneg The Pechenegs () or Patzinaks tr, Peçenek(ler), Middle Turkic: , ro, Pecenegi, russian: Печенег(и), uk, Печеніг(и), hu, Besenyő(k), gr, Πατζινάκοι, Πετσενέγοι, Πατζινακίται, ka, პა� ...

* RPK-16

Explosive weapons

GP-34 The GP-25 ''Kostyor'' ("Bonfire"), GP-30 ''Obuvka'' ("Footwear") and GP-34 are a family of Russian 40 mm under-barrel grenade launchers (''Granatomyot Podstvolnyj'') for the AK family of assault rifles. They were first seen by the West in ...

GM-94 The GM-94 is a pump action grenade launcher developed by the KBP design bureau for use by Russian special and security forces. Description The GM-94 is a short range weapon, allowing it to be used in close urban environments. With a minimum saf ...

RShG-2 The RPG-26 ''Aglen'' is a disposable anti-tank rocket launcher developed by the Soviet Union. It fires a single-stage rocket with jack-knife fins, which unfold after launch. The rocket carries a diameter high explosive anti-tank single shaped ...

RPG-27 The RPG-27 is a Soviet single shot disposable grenade launcher. It entered service with the Soviet Army in 1989. History The RPG-27 ''Tavolga'' ('meadow grass') was developed by the State Research and Production Enterprise, Bazalt, as a modern a ...

* RPO PDM-A * 9K111 "Fagot" *

MON-50 The MON-50 () is a claymore shaped (rectangular, slightly concave), plastic bodied, directional type of anti-personnel mine designed and manufactured in the Soviet Union. It is designed to wound or kill by explosive fragmentation. The mine fi ...

* RGO * RGN

Equipment

Apparel

* Arcteryx LEAF kit * Special Operations Forces kit for extremely hot climates * Propper Multicam BDU * Tactical Performance ATACS FG Tactical Field Jacket/Tactical Combat Pants * Tactical Performance ATACS FG Battle Strike Uniform Coat/Trousers * Tactical Performance Multicam Tactical Field Jacket/Tactical Combat Pants * Tactical Performance Multicam Battle Strike Uniform Coat/Trousers * Tactical Performance Multicam Tactical Combat Shirt * Phantom special thermal underwear * Ratnik VKBO EMR camouflage combat uniforms * Arctic raid suit "Nanuk," other special equipment for low temperatures

Helmets

* 6B7-1M * Voin-Kiver RSP * LSHZ 1+ * 6B47 * 5,45 Design Spartan 1 * 5,45 Design Spartan 2 * 5,45 Design Spartan 3

Vests

* 6Sh112 LBV * 6Sh117 LBV * 6B43 armor vest * 6B45 * 6B46 * "Redut-M" armour vest * STICH PROFI® Loading system plate carrier * STICH PROFI® Lightweight plate carrier * FORT Defender 2 * 5.11 Tactec Plate Carrier * ARS ARMA Tactec Plate Carrier * Raidgear&MBC "Phantom" universal Plate Carrier * Raidgear&MBC MBSVest Type 2 and 3 Molle Minus universal bodyarmor * Various Crye Precision, Survival corps, SSO/SPSON, Gear Craft, Wartech, FORT, ANA tactical, ARSARMA, Armocom plate carriers * FORT Gladiator-A Plate Carrier

Other

* FORT OVR-3SH Combat Engineering/Demining Kit * FORT Fortres K14 protective suit * FORT Raid-L protective suit * PMK gas mask * GKN-7 diving suit * Aqualung Amphora rebreather * Veer-6 ballistic shield * PT-2 thermal monocular * Peltor Com Tac XP headset *

NRS-2 The NRS-2 (''Нож Разведчика Стреляющий'', "Scout Firing Knife") (official GRAU index 6P25U) is a gun hybrid with a combination of a knife blade and a built-in single-shot shooting mechanism designed to fire a 7.62×41mm SP ...

special scout knife * ZALA UAVs *

Strelets , image = 01 106 Book illustrations of Historical description of the clothes and weapons of Russian troops.jpg , image_size = , alt = , caption = , dates = 1550–1720 , disbanded = , country = Tsardom of Russia , allegiance = Streltsy D ...

reconnaissance, control and communications system * Arbalet parachute system

Transport vehicles

Ground vehicles

* Yamaha Grizzly 700 ATV * Iveco LMV "Rys" * GAZ-2330 "Tigr" *

Toyota Hilux The , stylized as HiLux and historically as Hi-Lux, is a series of pickup trucks produced and marketed by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. The majority of these vehicles are sold as pickup truck or cab chassis variants, although they ...

* Land Rover Defender 110

Aircraft

* Mi-8MTV-5 transport helicopter * Mi-8AMTSh armed assault helicopter *

An-26 The Antonov An-26 (NATO reporting name: Curl) is a twin-engined turboprop civilian and military transport aircraft, designed and produced in the Soviet Union from 1969 to 1986.Gordon, Yefim. Komissarov, Dmitry & Sergey. "Antonov's Turboprop Twins ...

transport aircraft

Watercraft

* BRP SEA-DOO GTX LTD PWC * BRP SEA-DOO RTX-215 PWC * RBS BlackShadow DPVs (Diver Propulsion Vehicles)

Gallery

File:Special operations forces of the Russian Federation1.jpg File:Sso-2017-1200-1(1).jpg File:006(2)(1).KSO.jpg File:SAVX6317(1).jpg File:SAVX0514-1(1).jpg File:SAVX0449-1(1).jpg File:SAVX0309(1).jpg File:SAVX0287-2(1).jpg File:300.SSO(1).jpg File:297.KSO(1).jpg File:289.KSO(1).jpg File:256(1).KSO.jpg File:KR0L5883(1).jpg File:20(10)(1).KSO.jpg File:06.KSO(14)(1).jpg

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Russian Special Operations Forces Military units and formations established in 2009 Military units and formations established in 2013 Military units and formations of the Russo-Ukrainian War Special forces of Russia Special forces units and formations Military of Russia Counterterrorist organizations

Mission and methods

History

Within the Russian Federation

Outside the Russian Federation

Structure and organization

Training

Known operations

Casualties

Hero of the Russian Federation recipients

Commanders

Weapons

Handguns

Submachine guns

Assault rifles

Sniper rifles

Machine guns

Explosive weapons

Equipment

Apparel

Helmets

Vests

Other

Transport vehicles

Ground vehicles

Aircraft

Watercraft

Gallery

See also

References