FSB Special Purpose CenterSpecial Purpose Center of the FSB of Russia(TsSN FSB of Russia) (Russian: Центр специального назначения ФСБ России, romanized:Tsentr spetsial'nogo naznacheniya FSB Rossii) is a special forces unit of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, established on October 8, 1998. It is an independent structure within the FSB; the head of the Special Purpose Center reports directly to the First Deputy Director of the FSB.
Alpha GroupSpetsgruppa "A", also known as Alpha Group, officially Directorate "A" of FSB Special Purpose Center (Russian: Спецназ ФСБ "Альфа", romanized: Spetsnaz FSB "Alfa"), is a sub-unit of Russian special forces within the Russian Special Purpose Center of the Federal Security Service (FSB). It was created by the Soviet KGB in 1974.
First Chief DirectorateThe First Main Directorate (Russian: Пе́рвое гла́вное управле́ние, romanized: Pérvoye glávnoye upravléniye, IPA: [ˈpʲervəjə ˈɡɫavnəjə ʊprɐˈvlʲenʲɪje], lit.
Operation Storm-333BelligerentsSoviet UnionAfghanistanCommanders and leadersYuri DrozdovViktor S. Paputin ††Viktor KarpukhinHafizullah AminXMohammed YakubXUnits involvedAlpha GroupZenit Group154th OSN GRU "Muslim Battalion"345th IG Airborne Regiment21st Presidential Guard RegimentAfghan Commando Forces detachmentsStrength 660 2,200Casualties and lossesDisputed 40 casualtiesOver 100 casualties according to Vasili Mitrokhin (KGB defector) 2,203 casualtiesOperation Storm-333 (Russian: Шторм-333, Shtorm-333) was a military raid executed by the Soviet Union in Afghanistan on 27 December 1979.Federal Security ServicePrincipal security agency of RussiaThe Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) is the principal security agency of Russia and the main successor agency to the Soviet Union's KGB; its immediate predecessor was the Federal Counterintelligence Service (FSK), which was reorganized into the FSB in 1995.
KGBMain Soviet security agency from 1954 to 1991The Committee for State Security (Russian: Комитет государственной безопасности, romanised: Komitet gosudarstvennoy bezopasnosti, IPA:), abbreviated as KGB (Russian: КГБ, IPA:; listen to both) was the main security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 to 1991. It was the direct successor of preceding Soviet secret police agencies including the Cheka, OGPU, and NKVD.
SpetsnazSpetsnaz are special operations forces in the former Soviet Union and Russia. Historically, this term referred to the Soviet Union's Spetsnaz GRU, special operations units of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Soviet General Staff (GRU).
Captain 1st rankCaptain 1st rank (Russian: капитан 1-го ранга, romanized: kapitan pyervogo ranga, lit.'captain of the 1st rank') is a rank used by the Russian Navy and a number of former communist states. The rank is the most senior rank in the staff officers' career group. The rank is equivalent to colonel in armies and air forces. Within NATO forces, the rank is rated as OF-5 and is equivalent to captain in English-speaking navies.
Main Intelligence Directorate (Soviet Union)Main Intelligence Directorate (Russian: Главное разведывательное управление, romanized: Glavnoye razvedyvatel'noye upravleniye, IPA: [ˈglavnəjə rɐzˈvʲɛdɨvətʲɪlʲnəjə ʊprɐˈvlʲenʲɪjə]), abbreviated GRU (Russian: ГРУ, IPA: [ɡɨ̞‿rɨ̞‿ˈu], [gru]), was the foreign military intelligence agency of the General Staff of the Soviet Armed Forces until 1991.
Soviet Border TroopsThe Soviet Border Troops (Russian: Пограничные войска СССР, romanized: Pogranichnyye voyska SSSR) were the border guard of the Soviet Union, subordinated to the Soviet state security agency: first to the Cheka/OGPU, then to NKVD/MGB and, finally, to the KGB. Accordingly, they were known as NKVD Border Security and KGB Border Troops.
Russian languageRussian is an East Slavic language belonging to the Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European language family. It is one of the four extant East Slavic languages, and is the native language of the Russian people. Russian was the de facto (and de jure in its final years) official language of the former Soviet Union.
PennonA pennon, also known as a pennant or pendant, is a long narrow flag which is larger at the hoist than at the fly, i.e., the flag narrows as it moves away from the flagpole. It can have several shapes, such as triangular, tapering (square tail) or triangular swallowtail (forked tail), etc. In maritime use, pennants are to be hung from the main truck.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.