Special Operations Forces (Russia)

Special Operations Forces
Силы специальных операций
Sily spetsial'nykh operatsiy
Emblem of the Special Operations Forces
Founded2009
Country Russia
Branch Special Operations Forces Command
TypeSpecial forces
Role
Size2,000 to 2,500[1]
Part of Russian Armed Forces
Garrison/HQKubinka-2, Moscow region
Colors  Black
Anniversaries27 February
Engagements
Commanders
Current
commander
Major General Valery Flyustikov
Insignia
Flag

The Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, commonly known as the Special Operations Forces (SOF; Russian: Силы специальных операций; ССО, tr. Sily spetsial’nykh operatsiy; SSO),[19][20] are strategic-level special forces under the Special Operations Forces Command (Russian: командование сил специальных операций; KCCO, tr. Komandovanie sil spetsial’nykh operatsii; KSSO or KSO)[20] of the General Staff[20] of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. 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 in 2009 as part of the continuing 2008 Russian military reform.[20] The Special Operations Forces Command was established in 2012 and announced in March 2013 by the Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov.[21][22] 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, foreign internal defense operations and undertaking the most complex special operations and clandestine missions for protecting interests of the Russian Federation.[23][24]

SOF are distinct from the Spetsnaz GRU that until 2010 were under the Main Intelligence Directorate and whose subsequent subordination was left unclear[25][21] until 2013 where the decision was reversed and GRU special forces units were reassigned to GRU divisions and placed under GRU authority again.[26] Russia's SOF are manned exclusively by professional personnel hired on contract, of which all are full-time servicemen consisting of commissioned officers and regular soldiers.[21]

On 26 February 2015, President Vladimir Putin decreed that 27 February be the Day of the SOF, according to multiple Russian official news agencies[27] (albeit not acknowledged formally), to mark the establishment of Russian control over the building of the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in Simferopol, Crimea on 27 February 2014.[28][21]

  1. ^ Galeotti, Mark. "Spetsnaz: Operational Intelligence, Political Warfare, and Battlefield Role". Marshall Center. Marshall Center Security Insight. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  2. ^ "5 legendary Russian special forces units". Boris Egerov. 6 November 2019.
  3. ^ "Russian Special Operations Forces: Image Versus Substance". Sergey Sukhankin. 2 May 2020.
  4. ^ Михайло Глуховський (27 February 2014). "Рефат Чубаров: Людей, які захопили будівлю Верховної Ради Криму, контролює Москва". Главком. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  5. ^ Mezzofiore, Gianluca (March 18, 2014). "Ukrainian Navy Man 'Killed' as Russian Troops Storm Simferopol Military Base". International Business Times. Yahoo! News Network. Archived from the original on March 23, 2014. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
  6. ^ "Russian military officer 'killed by Islamic State shelling in Syria'". YahooNews.com. 30 June 2016.
  7. ^ "Russia's special forces officer killed in Syria: Interfax". Reuters.com. 26 June 2017.
  8. ^ Leith Fadel (6 June 2016). "Another ISIS village captured as the Syrian Arab Army marches towards Raqqa". Al-Masdar News. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  9. ^ Yakovlev, Ivan (11 December 2016). "Syrian Army counterattacks on Palmyra outskirts in order to secure the city".
  10. ^ a b "Russian Special Forces Seen as Key to Aleppo Victory". Thomas Grove. 18 Oct 2019.
  11. ^ "Russian special forces arrive in west Palmyra". almasdarnews. 23 August 2017.
  12. ^ "Russian incursions in eastern Syria hinder fight against ISIS". Diyaruna. www.diyaruna.com. 15 June 2018.
  13. ^ "Russian forces arrive in southern Syria". almasdarnews. 2 January 2018.
  14. ^ Fadel, Leith (12 February 2017). "Russian special forces arrive in west Palmyra". al-Masdar News.
  15. ^ "Syria war: Meeting Syria's generals in the desert". BBC. 29 Oct 2019.
  16. ^ "Russia: Special Forces Helping Syria Win Key City". VOANEWS.com. 26 Oct 2019.
  17. ^ "Regime forces advance in Syria's battered Ghouta". News24.
  18. ^ "Russian special forces take part in northwestern Hama offensive (photos)". Al-Masdar News. 10 May 2019.
  19. ^ "Силы специальных операций (ССО)". Ministry of Defense of Russia (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2017-09-06. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  20. ^ a b c d Marsh, Christopher (2017). Developments in Russian Special Operations - Russia's Spetsnaz, SOF and Special Operations Forces Command (PDF). CANSOFCOM Education & Research Centre Monograph Series. Ottawa, Ontario: Canadian Special Operations Forces Command. ISBN 9780660073538. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-10-19. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  21. ^ a b c d День сил специальных операций в России Archived 2018-08-28 at the Wayback Machine RIA Novosti, 27 February 2018.
  22. ^ Россия решила создать силы специальных операций Archived 2018-06-27 at the Wayback Machine RIA Novosti, 6 March 2013.
  23. ^ Mark Galeotti. The rising influence of Russian special forces Archived 2018-08-27 at the Wayback Machine Jane's Intelligence Review, 2014.
  24. ^ В Вооруженных силах РФ созданы силы специальных операций Archived 2018-08-28 at the Wayback Machine RIA Novosti, 23 March 2013.
  25. ^ John Pike. "Spetsnaz Order of Battle". Archived from the original on 2015-09-10. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  26. ^ McDermott, Roger (2 November 2010). "Bat or Mouse? The Strange Case of Reforming Spetsnaz". Jamestown. Jamestown.org. Retrieved 2014-08-19.
  27. ^ "February 27 declared Special Operations Force Day in Russia". Russian News Agency. 12 July 2020.
  28. ^ Вежливые люди получили свой День Archived 2018-06-12 at the Wayback Machine Rossiyskaya Gazeta, 27 February 2017.

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