The Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, commonly known as the Special Operations Forces ( SOF; ), are strategic-level

special forces Special forces or 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 () 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 rank, enlisted, and civilian staff who serve the commanding officer, commander of a ...

of the

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

of the

Russian Federation Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

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

GRU Gru is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the ''Despicable Me'' film series. Gru or GRU may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * Gru (rapper), Serbian rapper * Gru, an antagonist in '' The Kine Saga'' Organizations Georgia (c ...

in 2009 as part of the continuing 2008 Russian military reform. The Special Operations Forces Command was established in 2012 and announced in March 2013 by the Chief of the General Staff

Valery Gerasimov Valery Vasilyevich Gerasimov (born 8 September 1955) is a Russian Army general (Russia), army general serving as the Chief of the General Staff (Russia), Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and First Deputy Ministry of Defen ...

.Россия решила создать силы специальных операций

RIA Novosti RIA Novosti (), sometimes referred to as RIAN () or RIA (), is a Russian state-owned domestic news agency. On 9 December 2013, by a decree of Vladimir Putin, it was liquidated and its assets and workforce were transferred to the newly created ...

, 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. Measures to combat pr ...

foreign internal defense Foreign internal defense (FID) is a term used by the military in several countries, including the United States Armed Forces, United States, French Armed Forces, France and the British Armed Forces, United Kingdom, to describe an integrated or ...

operations and undertaking the most complex

special operations Special operations or special ops 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 ma ...

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

Spetsnaz GRU Spetsnaz GRU, 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 GRU (Russian Federation), GRU, the foreign military intelligence agency of ...

that until 2010 were under the Main Intelligence Directorate 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 (NCO), or a warrant officer. However, absent ...

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: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...

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#Load-bearing, structure with a roof, walls and window, windows, usually standing permanently in one place, such as a house or factory. Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and functions, a ...

of the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in

Simferopol Simferopol ( ), also known as Aqmescit, is the second-largest city on the Crimea, Crimean Peninsula. The city, along with the rest of Crimea, is internationally recognised as part of Ukraine, but controlled by Russia. It is considered the cap ...

Crimea Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...

on 28 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 or 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, government, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, demoralization (warfare), demoralization, destabilization, divide and rule, division, social disruption, disrupti ...

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 sabotage the established social order and its structures of Power (philosophy), power, authority, tradition, h ...

and

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

counter-terrorism Counterterrorism (alternatively spelled: counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, relates to the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, businesses, and intelligence agencies use to co ...

, counter-sabotage,

counterintelligence Counterintelligence (counter-intelligence) or counterespionage (counter-espionage) is any activity aimed at protecting an agency's Intelligence agency, intelligence program from an opposition's intelligence service. It includes gathering informati ...

guerrilla Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, Partisan (military), partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include Children in the military, recruite ...

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

Russian Air Force The Russian Air Force () is a branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces, the latter being formed on 1 August 2015 with the merging of the Russian Air Force and the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the reb ...

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, fighter aircraft, attack aircraft, bombers, attack helicopters, and drones. The official d ...

s and

Russian Navy The Russian Navy is the Navy, naval arm of the Russian Armed Forces. It has existed in various forms since 1696. Its present iteration was formed in January 1992 when it succeeded the Navy of the Commonwealth of Independent States (which had i ...

sea-launched

cruise missile A cruise missile is an unmanned self-propelled guided missile that sustains flight through aerodynamic lift for most of its flight path. Cruise missiles are designed to deliver a large payload over long distances with high precision. Modern cru ...

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 (, , informally known as , ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). With a population of 8,524,665 (Russian Census (2021), 2021 Census) living in an area of , it is one of the most densely populate ...

(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, officially the Chechen Republic, is a Republics of Russia, republic of Russia. It is situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe, between the Caspian Sea and Black Sea. The republic forms a part of the North Caucasian Federa ...

. It was reported that

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), 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 colon ...

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 high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

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

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

, 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 a 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, the creation of the Special Operations Center of the Ministry of Defense for around 500 professional soldiers began in the suburban village of Kubinka-2. The 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; ; is the highest mountain in Russia and Europe. It is a dormant volcano, dormant stratovolcano rising above sea level, and is the highest volcano in Eurasia, as well as the List of mountain peaks by prominence, tenth-most promi ...

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 the 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 in

Sochi Sochi ( rus, Сочи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg, from – ''seaside'') is the largest Resort town, resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi (river), Sochi River, along the Black Sea in the North Caucasus of Souther ...

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 national association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awarded t ...

, 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 by small, lightly armed bands who practice guerrilla warfare against a larger authority. The key descriptive feature of insurgency is its asymmetric warfare, asymmetric nature: small irregular forces ...

in the

North Caucasus The North Caucasus, or Ciscaucasia, is a subregion in Eastern Europe governed by Russia. It constitutes the northern part of the wider Caucasus region, which separates Europe and Asia. The North Caucasus is bordered by the Sea of Azov and the B ...

region disguised as other

Spetsnaz SpetsnazThe term is borrowed from rus, спецназ, p=spʲɪtsˈnas; abbreviation for or 'Special Purpose Military Units'; or () are special forces in many post-Soviet states. Historically, this term referred to the Soviet Union's Spet ...

units. On 2 December 2017, an unnamed mountain with a height of 3,939 meters located on the Sudor ridge in the Irafsky District of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, 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 (; ) 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 Channel, the Socotra Archipelago, Puntland in Somalia and Somaliland to the south. ...

, 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 attempting the recapturing of

Raqqa Raqqa (, also , Kurdish language, Kurdish: ''Reqa'') is a city in Syria on the North bank of the Euphrates River, about east of Aleppo. It is located east of the Tabqa Dam, Syria's largest dam. The Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine city and b ...

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

Sergey Shoygu Sergei Kuzhugetovich Shoigu; , . (born 21 May 1955) is a Russian politician and military officer who has served as Secretary of the Security Council of Russia, secretary of the Security Council of Russia, Security Council since 2024. He served ...

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, among three locations: the Special Purpose Center " Senezh" (military unit 92154) (), which was established in the late 1990s to support of military operations underway in the Chechen Republic, named the Center for the Training of Specialists () with a sunflower as its emblem until it was renamed the "Senezh" center and is located on the shores of Senezh Lake () not far from

Solnechnogorsk Solnechnogorsk (, lit. ''sunny mountain town'') is a town and the administrative center of Solnechnogorsky District in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located on the Moscow–St. Petersburg Highway and the Moscow–St. Petersburg railway, on ...

, Созданный в 2012 году, аналитический центр «Обсерво» преследует двойную цель: представить экспертную оценку политическому, экономическому и социальному развитию России, а также объяснить французские реалии и повестку дня для руководящих лиц и российским СМИ. (Created in 2012, the Observatoire's analytical centre has a dual objective: to provide expert assessments of Russia's political, economic and social developments, and to explain French realities and agendas to policymakers and the Russian media.) and the headquarters at the Special Purpose Center " Kubinka-2" (military unit 01355) nicknamed "zazaborye" (), which is located at

Kubinka Kubinka () is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Odintsovsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia, located on the Setun River, west of Moscow. Population: __TOC__ History Kubinka, founded in the 15th century, may have been named ...

Moscow Oblast Moscow Oblast (, , informally known as , ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). With a population of 8,524,665 (Russian Census (2021), 2021 Census) living in an area of , it is one of the most densely populate ...

, and was established on 7 April 2011, and the SOF Center in "Sevastopol" (military unit 00317) (), which is located in

Sevastopol Sevastopol ( ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea and a major port on the Black Sea. Due to its strategic location and the navigability of the city's harbours, Sevastopol has been an important port and naval base th ...

and was established in 2014; 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 () is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Tver Oblast, Russia, located on the Tvertsa River along the federal highway M10 highway (Russia), M10 and a branch of the Oktyabrskaya Railway division of the Russian Railways. The ...

, and a squadron of

Ilyushin Il-76 The Ilyushin Il-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 as a commercial freighter in 1967, to replace the Antonov An-1 ...

transport aircraft at the Migalovo airfield near

Tver Tver (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative centre of Tver Oblast, Russia. It is situated at the confluence of the Volga and Tvertsa rivers. Tver is located northwest of Moscow. Population: The city is ...

. The Special Operations Forces Command is similar in role to the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command. The command reached full operational capability 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 – 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 disp ...

, 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; ; is the highest mountain in Russia and Europe. It is a dormant stratovolcano rising above sea level, and is the highest volcano in Eurasia, as well as the tenth-most prominent peak in the world. It is situated in the south ...

codenamed "Terskol", in

Kabardino-Balkaria Kabardino-Balkaria (), officially the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, is a republic of Russia located in the North Caucasus. As of the 2021 Census, its population was 904,200. Its capital is Nalchik. The area contains the highest mountain in ...

and the 54th Special Reconnaissance Center in

Vladikavkaz Vladikavkaz, formerly known as Ordzhonikidze () or Dzaudzhikau (), is the capital city of North Ossetia–Alania, Russia. It is located in the southeast of the republic at the foothills of the Caucasus, situated on the Terek (river), Terek River. ...

North Ossetia–Alania North Ossetia–Alania (; ), officially the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania, is a republics of Russia, republic of Russia situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe. It borders the country of Georgia (country), Georgia to the south, a ...

. 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 "Senezh" * Special Operations Center "Kubinka-2" * Special Operations Center "Sevastopol" * Specialist Training Center * 561st Naval Emergency Rescue 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. 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 Aleksey Gennadyevich Dyumin (; born 28 August 1972) is a Russian politician serving as Secretary of the State Council (Russia), State Council since 2024. Previously, he served as the chief security guard and assistant of Russian president Vladim ...

, 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 ( rus, Герой Российской Федерации, p=ɡʲɪˈroj rɐˈsʲijskəj fʲɪdʲɪˈratsɨɪ), also unofficially called Hero of Russia ( rus, Герой России, p=ɡʲɪˈroj rɐˈsʲiɪ), is ...

. * 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 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, or simply TASS, is a Russian state-owned news agency founded in 1904. It is the largest Russian news agency and one of the largest news agencies worldwide. TASS is registered as a Federal State Unitary Enterpri ...

, 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 The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadism, Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS ...

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 for modern, armed militant Political aspects of Islam, Islamic movements that seek to Islamic state, establish states based on Islamic principles. In a narrower sense, it refers to the belief that armed confrontation ...

militants tried to capture a 29-man unit of the Russian military police 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 () are the majority inhabitants of Syria, indigenous to the Levant, most of whom have Arabic, especially its Levantine and Mesopotamian dialects, as a mother tongue. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend ...

and

alongside the SOF. Three SOF operators 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 or Jabhat Nusrat Ahl al-Sham, also known as Front for the Conquest of the Levant, and also later known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham was a Salafi-jihadist organization that fought against Ba'athist Syria, Ba'athist ...

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 Khmeimim Air Base in Syria on 31 December 2017 which killed two Russian soldiers were liquidated in the course of a special operation. SOF operators 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 2 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 and Jaysh al-Nasr. Others killed were from

Suqour Al-Sham The Suqour al-Sham Brigades (, ), also known as the Falcons of the Levant Brigades, was an armed rebel organisation formed by Ahmed Abu Issa early in the Syrian Civil War to fight against the Government of Syria, Syrian Government. It was a mem ...

, Hurras Al-Din 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 ( ''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 about of West Asia, including parts of northern Saudi Arabia, ea ...

. 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. * On 5 August 2024, Euromaidan Press reported that Ukrainian troops killed 5 Russian saboteurs from "Senezh" in the

Chernihiv Oblast Chernihiv Oblast (), also referred to as Chernihivshchyna (), is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast (province) in northern Ukraine. The capital city, administrative center of the oblast is the city of Chernihiv. There are 1,511 sett ...

and were believed to be conducting reconnaissance for a potential Russian offensive into Semenivka. A sixth operator was believed to be unaccounted for.

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 Killed in action (KIA) is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their personnel at the hands of enemy or hostile forces at the moment of action. The United States Department of Defense, for example, ...

. 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 * PYa *

Glock 17 Glock (; stylized as GLOCK) is a brand of polymer- framed, short-recoil-operated, striker-fired, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H. The firearm entered Austrian military an ...

SPP-1 underwater pistol The SPP-1 underwater pistol was made in the Soviet Union for use by Soviet frogmen as an underwater firearm.Popenker, Max R.SPP-1 underwater pistol ", '' world.guns.ru'', Retrieved 2010-04-05 It was developed in the late 1960s and accepted for ...

* PB *

PSS silent pistol The PSS silent pistol or MSS "Vul" ("Вул") is a Soviet silent pistol operating on a sealed cartridge system. Operation Cartridge The PSS uses a specially developed 7.62×41 mm necked round SP-4 (СП-4), also used by the OTs-38 Stechk ...

PSM pistol The PSM (''Pistolet Samozaryadny Malogabaritny'', Russian for "compact self-loading pistol") was designed by the Tula Design Bureau in 1969 as a self-defense firearm for law enforcement and military officers of the USSR. The pistol entered prod ...

* Makarov

Submachine guns

* Vityaz * MP5

Assault rifles

AS Val The AS Val "Shaft" (Russian: АС «Вал»; Автома́т Специа́льный, Romanization of Russian, romanized: ''Avtomát Spetsiálny "Val"'', Literal translation, lit. 'Special Automatic') and VSS Vintorez "Thread Cutter" (Russi ...

* AK-74M *

AN-94 The AN-94 (, GRAU designation 6P33) is a Russian assault rifle. The initials stand for model of 1994, after its chief designer Gennadiy Nikonov, who previously worked on the Nikonov machine gun. The name refers to the Siberian city of Abakan ...

AK-105 The AK-105 is a short barrel, carbine version of the AK-74M rifle, originally developed to replace the shorter barrelled AK-74#AKS-74U, AKS-74U. The AK-105 is chambered in 5.45×39mm ammunition and is used domestically by the Russian Army in cont ...

AK-103 The AK-103 is an assault rifle designed by Russian small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov. History The AK-103 was officially offered for export on March 13, 1993. Design details It is an AK-100 derivative of the AK-74M that is chambered ...

AK-104 The AK-104 is a carbine variant of the AK-103 chambered in 7.62×39mm which feeds from any standard 7.62x39 AK pattern magazine. Design The AK-104 is a 314mm (12.4 in) barreled carbine in the AK-100 series of rifles, the dimensions of the gun i ...

* AKS-74U * AK-12 * V-AR

Sniper rifles

* VSS Vintorez * Orsis T-5000 * SV-98 *

Dragunov SVD The SVD (СВД; ), GRAU index 6V1, is a semi-automatic designated marksman rifle/sniper rifle chambered in the 7.62×54mmR cartridge, developed in the Soviet Union. History The SVD was designed to serve in a squad support role to provide prec ...

* OSV-96 * ASVK-M Kord-M * Steyr SSG 08 * Steyr SSG 04

Machine guns

* PKM * Pecheneg * RPK-16

Explosive weapons

* GP-34 * GM-94 * RShG-2 * RPG-27 * RPO PDM-A * 9K111 "Fagot" * MON-50 * RGO * RGN

Equipment

Apparel

Special operations forces of the Russian Federation1

* Arcteryx LEAF (Law Enforcement and Armed Forces) kit * Special Operations Forces kit for extremely hot climates * Propper

Multicam MultiCam is a Military camouflage, camouflage pattern designed for use in a wide range of environments and conditions which was developed and is produced by American company Crye Precision. The pattern has found extensive adoption globally. Var ...

BDU * 5.45 Design uniforms * SOKL leafsuit * 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 * ARS ARMA A-18 Skanda Plate Carrier * Raidgear & MBC "Phantom" universal Plate Carrier * Raidgear& MBC MBS Vest Type 2 and 3 Molle Minus universal bodyarmor * Various Crye Precision, Survival corps, SSO/SPOSN, GearCraft, WarTech, FORT, ANA Tactical, ARS ARMA, Armocom, Ratnik Tactical 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 special scout knife * ZALA UAVs * Strelets 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 , stylised 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 a pickup truck or cab chassis, although they coul ...

Land Rover Defender The Land Rover Defender (introduced as the Land Rover One Ten, joined in 1984 by the Land Rover Ninety, plus the extra-length Land Rover One Two Seven in 1985) is a series of British off-road cars and pick-up truck, pickup trucks. They have f ...

110 * UAZ-469 * Chevrolet Niva

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

Notes

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 Russia in the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Special Operations Forces Special forces or 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 ...

Special forces units and formations

Military counterterrorist organizations