Department of Defense Special Operations Service. How to get into the service in the SSO troops

On Tuesday, February 27, Russia celebrates Forces Day special operations(SSO) - a structure that unites army special forces.

It was created in 2013 for effective implementation"expeditionary missions". The merits of Russian special forces include participation in operations in the Crimea and Syria. Western analysts believe that the Forces are Moscow's main tool in conducting "wars of a new generation." RT figured out what the MTR fighters were doing.

Soldiers of the Special Operations Forces disembark from a helicopter © Press Service of the Ministry of Defense

The Special Operations Forces (SOF) is a relatively new formation in the structure of the Russian Armed Forces. Its formation began in 2009, during the army reform, and was completed in 2013. Over the past five years, the MTR has taken part in Crimean operation and fighting in Syria.

Experts and journalists call this date "the day of polite people”- it was on the night of February 27, 2014 that the transfer of Russian units to Crimea began.

The servicemen blocked the facilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the peninsula and occupied the administrative buildings.

The operation involved, in addition to units of the MTR, marines, paratroopers and motorized rifles. professional work"polite people" made it possible to disarm the 30,000-strong group of Ukrainian troops almost without a single shot.

Meanwhile, the activities of the SSO are secret. The state has the right not to disclose information about the number and armament of the Special Operations Forces, and is also not obliged to report on the results of operations and losses incurred.

"Asymmetric Actions"

The special operations forces are a single structure, which includes units of the army special forces of various types and branches of the Armed Forces. The tasks of the MTR include conducting operations both on the territory of the Russian Federation and abroad.

The main governing body of the Special Operations Forces - Command - is directly subordinate to the Chief of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces (since November 9, 2012 - Valery Gerasimov).

Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov / RIA Novosti

Western countries show tremendous interest in the activities of the MTR. think tanks. Foreign experts believe that Russia has created the Special Operations Forces for more efficient conduct of foreign expeditionary missions.

According to the West, the greatest contribution to the development of the MTR was made by Valery Gerasimov, who was assigned the image of a “hybrid war” strategist.

Similar findings foreign specialists based on the article by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation "The value of science in foresight", which was published in the journal "Military Industrial Courier" at the end of February 2013.

In his material, Gerasimov said that the Russian General Staff studied the organization of military operations of American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The US experience, according to Gerasimov, has demonstrated the need to change "existing models of operations and combat operations."

“Asymmetric actions have become widespread, making it possible to neutralize the superiority of the enemy in armed struggle. These include the use of special operations forces and internal opposition to create a permanent front... The ongoing changes are reflected in the doctrinal views of the world's leading countries and are being tested in military conflicts," wrote Gerasimov.

View from the outside

Institute Lecturer national security in Tel Aviv, Sarah Fainberg, in the article “Russian Expeditionary Forces in the Syrian Operation,” argues that the idea of \u200b\u200bunifying “mobile intervention forces” arose during the war in Afghanistan (1979-1989). Then the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) of the USSR Ministry of Defense opposed the creation of the MTR. However, this idea reappeared on the agenda after two Chechen campaigns.

According to Feinberg, the use of the GRU special forces and other elite units in the North Caucasus was successful and made it possible to offset the shortcomings in the combat training of combined arms units.

At the same time, Russian special forces experienced problems in planning and conducting operations due to insufficient coordination between the security agencies to which they were subordinate. In this regard, the need was realized to unite the units of the army special forces into a single command structure under the control of the chief of the General Staff.

The consulting division of the US Army Asymmetric Warfare Group (AWG) in the report "Manual for the Russian Army of the New Generation" reports that the MTR appeared as a result of optimizing the size and structure of the Russian Armed Forces during the period when the Ministry of Defense was headed by Anatoly Serdyukov (2007-2012).

The army reform was aimed at disaggregating formations (transition to a brigade system) and at creating so-called battalion tactical groups.

As the AWG specialists clarify, “battalion task forces” are mobile, well-trained units that can be in short time deployed hundreds of kilometers from the state border.

It follows from the AWG report that "battalion tactical groups" form the backbone of the SOF. According to analysts, these units were first used for the “annexation” of Crimea, then they were allegedly transferred to the Donbass, and since 2015 they have been operating in Syria.

Asymmetric Warfare Group believes that in the formation of the MTR, Russia was based on the experience of foreign countries. However, the decision to create the Special Operations Forces was made after the South Ossetian conflict (August 2008).

In 2009, on the basis of the Senezh Special Purpose Center (Moscow Region, military unit No. 92154), the Directorate of Special Operations Forces was formed. The formation of the SSO as a single well-functioning organism was completed in March 2013.

Consistency and professionalism

Older Researcher Institute of the Ministry of Defense of Norway, Tor Bukvoll, in materials devoted to the elite units of the RF Armed Forces, notes that the basis of the MTR is the GRU employees. Of the 14 thousand fighters of the Special Operations Forces, 12 thousand are military intelligence officers.

Foreign analysts agree that the MTR arsenal includes the most modern weapons, uniforms and the latest military equipment, including communication systems and drones. Russian special forces can perform tasks at any time of the day and in any natural and climatic conditions.

Soldier of the diving unit of the Special Operations Forces / © Press Service of the Ministry of Defense

Sara Feinberg believes that Syria has become the main "military training camp" for the Russian SOF. The tasks of the special forces in the SAR include collecting intelligence, directing artillery and air force fire, eliminating the leaders of gangs, conducting assault operations and sabotage activities.

“Syria really represents the first territory in which Russia has deployed and organized control over the contingent of expeditionary forces, including the Special Operations Forces (SOF) and various categories of special forces, in a coordinated and large-scale manner,” Feinberg notes in the article “Russian Expeditionary Forces in the Syrian Operation.”

As the expert explained, the Syrian operation allows the MTR of the Russian Federation to hone their skills "without additional burden on the military budget." Group size Russian special forces in the SAR Feinberg estimates 230-250 people. According to her, the successful work of the MTR in Syria testifies to the "revival of Russian military art."

The presence of Russian special forces in Syria was first announced by Alexander Dvornikov, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Central Military District, on March 23, 2016. Nevertheless, Russian and foreign experts are sure that the MTR has been operating in Syria from the very beginning of the operation (September 30, 2015) or since the summer of 2015.

“I will not hide the fact that units of our Special Operations Forces are also operating in Syria. They carry out additional reconnaissance of objects for Russian aviation strikes, are engaged in guiding aircraft to targets in remote areas, and solve other special tasks, ”Dvornikov said in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

On December 11, 2016, the Rossiya 24 TV channel showed footage of the participation of military personnel of the special purpose fighting in Syrian Aleppo. It is also known from the media that the MTR fighters participated in the liberation of Palmyra.

According to official data, during the entire period of the operation in the SAR, two special forces gunners were killed - Captain Fyodor Zhuravlev (November 9, 2015) and Senior Lieutenant Alexander Prokhorenko (March 17, 2016). By order of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, Zhuravlev was awarded the Order of Kutuzov posthumously, Prokhorenko was awarded the title of Hero of Russia, also posthumously.

In May 2017, information about the feat of the MTR group in the province of Aleppo was partially declassified.

16 Russian special forces, who were engaged in directing aviation fire, entered the battle against 300 Jabhat-an-Nusra militants *.

The commandos acted in coordination with government troops. However, the Syrians retreated in confusion and left the detachment without cover. The Russian servicemen repelled several attacks and, when it got dark, mined the approaches to their positions.

“The density of the fire was high. But it was scary only in the first minutes, and then a banal routine begins, ”said one of the officers.

MTR mortar crew firing at terrorists / © Frame: RUPTLY video

The fighters held their positions for two days and were able to get out without loss. During the battle, the special forces destroyed several armored vehicles and a tank. The group commander Danila (surname not named), who received the title of Hero of Russia, noted that the well-coordinated professional actions of his subordinates became the key to success.

A participant in counter-terrorist operations in the North Caucasus, Alexei Golubev, in an interview with RT, said that the MTR of Russia is rightfully called the most trained elite formation in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In his opinion, the success of the operation in Syria would not have been possible without the Special Operations Forces.

“The secret nature of the activities of the MTR is due to the fact that the fighters work outside of Russia. In Syria, special forces are thrown behind enemy lines for target designation of the VKS. In my opinion, this is the most difficult and dangerous job. And, as far as I can tell, our guys are coping with it,” Golubev stressed.

* "Jabhat Fatah al-Sham" ("Front al-Nusra", "Jabhat al-Nusra") - the organization was recognized as a terrorist organization by decision Supreme Court RF dated December 29, 2014.

The command of the special operations forces remains one of the most closed structures in the RF Armed Forces. It is known that only in the last six months, two MTR fighters died in Syria: Fedor Zhuravlev and Alexander Prokhorenko, who became posthumously Hero of Russia.
The military personnel of the special operations forces performed the most important tasks. Directed and corrected airstrikes, including cruise missiles, according to the positions of the banned in Russia " Islamic State", saved the flight recorders of the Russian downed by the Turkish Air Force frontline bomber Su-24M. it small part list.

The history of special operations forces began in 1999, when a Specialist Training Center was created in Solnechnogorsk near Moscow, and in fact a military unit special purpose, reporting directly to the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate. Later, the center was named "Senezh", and the fighters were called "sunflowers". One of the founding fathers was the then Chief of the General Staff, General of the Army Anatoly Kvashnin.
Sometimes this center is called a training center, but according to several interlocutors of the Military Industrial Courier, Senezh never wore such a “prefix”, and the wording “training of specialists” served more as a cover, and also emphasized the special status of the unit.
Initially, four areas of special operations were formed. The airborne fighters practiced complex jumps - both protracted and with the opening of a parachute immediately after separation from the side. Possession of such methods allows the special forces to fly tens of kilometers unnoticed by the enemy. Specialists jumped both day and night using night vision devices, in bad weather, at strong wind and fog.
Military personnel of the mountain direction became combat climbers, learned how to storm high mountain peaks, capture and hold passes, glaciers. The training of specialists took place, in particular, on the basis of the training center Terskol. The fighters made difficult ascents, even climbed to the top of Elbrus.
The commandos of the assault direction learned not only to take houses and other buildings. The tasks were set much broader - the capture of enemy targets in various conditions, in any terrain.
The fighters of the maritime direction mastered all kinds of water areas, practiced actions in diving equipment using special tugboats and light boats. They learned to capture ships and coastal structures.
Based on the experience of military operations in Chechnya, a fifth direction appeared in the center - the protection of high-ranking military men. The Minister of Defense is protected by FSO employees. But in the conditions of hostilities such officials, as chief of the General Staff, commander of the district troops, used to be escorted to best case scouts or special forces. The training of such "guards", to put it mildly, left much to be desired. Therefore, the question of creating a specialized unit dealing with the protection of high-ranking representatives of the Ministry of Defense, before the appearance of the fifth direction, was acute.
At the same time, according to the interlocutors of the Military-Industrial Courier, there has never been a rigid binding of fighters to a specific direction in the center. All "sunflowers" learned to jump with a parachute, go to the mountains, scuba dive, storm houses. But depending on the tasks, the individual elements of training for the fighters were more in-depth.
Moreover, the command tried to ensure that specialists worked in several directions during their service. There was an exchange of experience, knowledge, skills and abilities between departments. For example, a fighter who came from the airborne direction to the sea, not only learned the peculiarities of working on the water, but also shared with his comrades the skills of long parachute jumps.
From the moment of their formation, the directions were staffed exclusively by officers and ensigns. Conscripts served only in economic units or as drivers.
Future "sunflowers" were selected not only in parts and airborne units and special forces, but also among tankers, artillerymen, infantrymen, even air defense and RKhBZ officers. Several times a year, the "buyers" from the GRU visited military units, studied the personal files of military personnel and selected suitable candidates.
But this was just the beginning. Officers and warrant officers arrived in Solnechnogorsk, where the so-called training camps were held with them, and in fact entrance tests, where both the physical training of future MTR fighters, and personal qualities, and most importantly, the ability to work in a team were tested.
The sources of the "Military Industrial Courier" emphasize: the main principle of the center is not to prepare an individual fighter with excellent skills and abilities, but to create a team that acts as a single organism. This principle, strictly observed throughout the years of the existence of "Senezh", has always led the "sunflowers" to victories.
Your way and cars for him
In the special operations forces of NATO countries, it is considered necessary to create separate units trained to penetrate behind enemy lines, carry out raids and ambushes on specialized vehicles, such as the Land Rover Pink Panther in the 22nd SAS Regiment, the Pinzgauers in the American Delta ".
The experience of the Russian MTRs has shown that armored vehicles such as the domestic "Tiger" in most cases are not suitable for the tasks facing the special operations forces. Therefore, the choice fell on highly passable buggies, in Senezh highly appreciated the Israeli SUVs Zibar.
Management Russian center from the very beginning paid close attention not just to the training of snipers, but to the training of specialists capable of conducting high-precision shooting and at the same time solving a wide range of tasks. Initially, Finnish precision complexes TRG-42 from Sako, later British AWPs developed by the legendary shooter Malcolm Cooper appeared. Separately studied large-caliber sniper rifles various firms, in particular the South African Truvel.
In Chechnya and beyond the cordon
Immediately after the creation of the Center for the Training of Specialists, its fighters were at the forefront. In 1999, Wahhabi militants invaded Dagestan, but were defeated, and a few months later Russian troops launched a counter-terrorist operation in Chechnya.
It is noteworthy that the name "sunflowers" was assigned to the fighters of the center after their first trip to the Caucasus. On that trip, the servicemen put on panama hats, which were not then available in other units and special forces. According to one version, the hats were from the newly appeared SPN-2 summer field kit. According to another, the panama hats that the fighters saw in one of the American action films were bought in a store selling Western uniforms and equipment. Be that as it may, for the unusual appearance, and also since the center is located near the commuter train station Podsolnechnaya, its fighters received the nickname "sunflowers". Later, the drawing of a solar flower against the background of a crossed sword and arrow ended up on the chevron of the center.
Despite the fact that his activities in Chechnya are still classified as "Top Secret", according to reports, the "sunflowers" eliminated and captured high-ranking militants, found and destroyed bases and caches of bandits, and solved other important tasks. As the interlocutors of the “VPK” recall, the fighters of the center were not required to have a 100 percent guarantee that the task would be completed, but all 300. They simply had no right to make a mistake.
One event in the center does not like to remember. In the fall of 1999, captured by Chechen fighters senior lieutenants Alexei Galkin and Vladimir Pakhomov were hit. How experienced fighters ended up in such difficult situation, is still unclear. But later, both officers, despite severe injuries, escaped from captivity and went out to their own. Alexey Galkin became the Hero of Russia.
According to some reports, the fighters of the Specialist Training Center not only fought in Chechnya, but also solved problems abroad. In particular, they participated in operations against pirates in the Horn of Africa.
The experience of military operations in Chechnya and foreign operations have shown that the subordination of the center to the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate is not the most optimal solution. Chapter military intelligence, for example, cannot give an order to the commander-in-chief of the Air Force so that the “sunflowers” are allocated an airplane or helicopters, a rather lengthy procedure for preparing a request, and then agreeing it, is required. Meanwhile, in some cases, the time for the operation is measured in hours and minutes.
Two centers in a new look
The activity of Anatoly Serdyukov as Minister of Defense of Russia is still subject to serious criticism, but it was under him that the command of special operations forces was created. Just when switching to new look"sunflowers", having received official name Special Operations Center of the Ministry of Defense "Senezh", began to report directly to the Chief of the General Staff.
Serdyukov visited the base in Solnechnogorsk near Moscow more than once. Money was allocated for the purchase of weapons and equipment, several research projects were opened. A helicopter squadron from the Center was transferred to the operational subordination of Senezh combat use army aviation in Torzhok. And in Tver, military transport Il-76s were on duty around the clock, ready, if necessary, to deliver MTR fighters to designated points at any time.
It is believed that during the transition to a new look, Senezh, like the special forces brigades, was reduced, and many of its military personnel were either fired or removed from the state. But it's not. According to the "Military-industrial courier", the command of the center, taking advantage of the opportunity, conducted an attestation of its fighters, selecting the best.
In the late 2000s, a second Special Purpose Center appeared in the Russian Ministry of Defense, subordinate to the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, with a deployment in Kubinka near Moscow. The new TsSN, nicknamed Zazaborye, owes its appearance to Lieutenant-General Alexander Miroshnichenko, who came under Anatoly Serdyukov to the post of Deputy Minister of Defense, who previously headed Directorate A of the FSB Special Purpose Center, in other words, the Alpha detachment.
Between Miroshnichenko and the leadership of "Senezh" immediately developed, to put it mildly, tense relations. The former commander of "Alpha" believed that it was necessary to create the command of the special operations forces of the Ministry of Defense, relying only on the experience of his former management. The command of the "sunflowers" reasonably stated that they had their own, no less serious developments and training school, and the tasks of "Alpha" and the special operations forces of the military department are different.
In this situation, Serdyukov made a compromise decision - to create a second Special Purpose Center, the formation of which he entrusted to Alexander Miroshnichenko, who attracted former subordinates from the Central Security Service of the FSB to this work.
Employees of Alfa, creating Zazaborye, primarily focused on own experience. At the forefront was the individual training of fighters, much attention was paid to physical training - at the level of sports high achievements. And collective work, the key principle of Senezh, was not a priority for the creators of the new center.
The interlocutor of "VPK" explains: "At Alpha everything is different. They were brought in a car to the place of the operation, they ran 50 meters and became heroes. Nobody wants to sniff footcloths and crawl through the mountains for weeks looking for militants.”
In 2013, this CSN of the Ministry of Defense was also subordinated to the command of the special operations forces. The post of commander of the KSSO was taken by Major General Alexei Dyumin, who, according to knowledgeable people, in many ways became a compromise figure against the background of the confrontation between the leadership of Senezh and Alexander Miroshnichenko, who actively continued to implement the experience of the TsSN FSB.
It is noteworthy that Zazaborye has maintained close relations with Alpha. Her former employees, as noted by many with whom the "Military-Industrial Courier" met, instilled in the fighters of the newly created center the desire to be the best in everything at any cost.
We note the main thing - the fighters of both centers continued the traditions laid down by the founding fathers, fulfilling the most challenging tasks: defended the Olympics in Sochi, carried out a brilliant operation in the Crimea, and now they are working in Syria.
Alexey Mikhailov

As part of the reform Russian army, which began in 2008, a special structure of the MTR was formed in the Armed Forces. The abbreviation stands for Special Operations Forces. Russian Federation. Since the formation of the Special Operations Directorate on the basis of one of the military units of the Moscow Region, the history of the formation of the MTR of the Russian Armed Forces began. In 2013, the Center for Special Forces of the Ministry of Defense (CSN) was launched in Kubinka, near Moscow, with about 500 special forces serving under the contract. The direct leadership of this unit was entrusted to a separate command within the Ministry of Defense, developed the legislative framework regulating the activities of the new structure. In the same year, exercises were conducted in an environment as close as possible to the conditions of real combat operations. February 27 has been celebrated since 2015 professional holiday of this kind of troops, whose name was given to a previously unnamed mountain in North Ossetia.

Structure, goals and objectives of the special operations troops

The need for the formation of the Special Operations Forces arose from the state's need for a highly mobile, well-trained group of professionals equipped with the latest science. Goals are set before the new troops, the achievement of which is available only to trained and technically equipped military formations. The leadership and personnel are entrusted with special tasks related to protecting the interests of the country on its territory and abroad. Constant and high availability MTR makes it possible to immediately begin to perform military duty, as in Peaceful time and in situations of armed conflict.

At the moment, the structure of the SOF troops is as follows:

TsSN "Senezh";
TsSN "Kubinka-2";
561st emergency rescue center;
Center for training specialists.

The planned increase in the MTR will be 9 Special Forces brigades with the simultaneous creation of special forces for military districts.

The creation of the MTR indicates that the country's army is becoming more professional, it meets the requirements of modern tactics and strategies for conducting military tasks. The expediency of special operations lies in the totality and coordination of their actions, subordinated to a single plan and aimed at achieving the tasks set by the command. The advantage of the MTR brigades lies in their equipment and the use of non-trivial combat operations. Soldiers of the Special Operations Forces are trained to carry out the following activities:

intelligence and counterintelligence;
sabotage and counter-sabotage;
anti-terrorist;
subversive;
partisan and anti-partisan.

This is only part of the skills that units of the Special Operations Forces have. O high efficiency department can be judged by the operations performed, including successful fight with pirates from Somalia, a number of North Caucasian counter-terrorism measures, participation in hostilities on the territory of the Syrian Republic.

How to get into the military elite of the country

The tasks assigned to the new formation dictate the need for a strict selection of candidates for service in it. It is impossible to get drafted into the MTR, these units are staffed only by contract employees, but they are also subject to strict requirements:

perfect health;
high intelligence;
psychological stability;
learnability.

These qualities are revealed at the military medical commission and in the course of multi-stage testing conducted by specialists from the military department. The prospective employee must have high level physical training and possess:

by force;
endurance;
flexibility.

These parameters are determined when passing the standards developed for each age group and military affiliation. It would be useful to have sports achievements in power sports and martial arts. Skiers, swimmers and athletes will also find use for their talents, as the troops include units of combat swimmers, divers and mountain shooters.

The high moral qualities of applicants for service are checked by collecting characterizing material, requests to information centers. It is not excluded the possibility of secret collection of operational information about the candidate:

The path to the service will be closed to those who have been prosecuted. Candidates whose relatives have not passed a criminal record check will not be accepted into the MTR.
If the applicant has previously used psychotropic substances, was a drug addict or suffered from alcoholism, he will not be able to hide this information, because all candidates are subjected to a polygraph test.

Special forces employees have an advantage in entering the service. Graduates of military schools in Ryazan and Novosibirsk, where there are faculties that train special forces specialists, have a good chance to enter the service in the MTR.

It is possible that the leadership of the MTR is empowered to select military personnel in other units and recruit the most suitable ones.

Questions and opinions can be posted in the comment block, share your information about the country's Special Operations Forces.

For many years, there has been talk in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation about the need to create a new separate structure, a separate branch of the military - the Special Operations Forces (SOF). The need to create such a structure is ripe in view of the experience of past wars and counter-terrorist operations. One of the goals of the creation of the MTR was to unite military special forces under a single command. Before the appearance of the MTR as a full-fledged structure, the special forces brigades were subordinate to the commanders of the military districts, while the GRU formed the task of the special forces, but did not exercise direct command of the brigade. In many ways, a similar structure in armed forces United States - United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM or SOCOM).

The first unit of the MTR was the Senezh Special Purpose Center in Solnechnogorsk, a little later in Kubinka they created similar body- special purpose center "Kubinka-2". Judging by the reports of various publications, before the departure of Anatoly Serdyukov new structure did not receive development. With the advent of the Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu, the situation changed dramatically and already in April 2013, selected journalists were invited to the MTR exercises in the Caucasus. The main combat unit of the MTR is the Senezh Special Purpose Center. The special operations forces are surrounded by an almost greater veil of secrecy than other GRU special forces brigades. This is one of the most secret and elite structures of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, on armament of the TsSN there is the most modern weapons, not only Russian, but also foreign.

"Overheard" publication in the group of the village of Paltso

A few days ago, while monitoring social networks by our team, we came across a post in the group “ Overheard in Finger", which spoke about the death of a certain Zhuravlev Fedor. At the same time, in the comments, the author of the post said that Fedor died in Syria:

A little later, a second publication appeared in the same group, in the comments to which another person said that Zhuravlev died in Syria. Also in the comments, one person wrote that he died in Dagestan - we will consider this version below, but this person was corrected by the author of the first post, again saying that Fedor died in Syria:

Original entry
Saved copy

As always in such cases, we began to contact the authors of posts and comments under false legends and fake profiles. We asked for a link to Fedor's profile on the social network Vkontakte or Odnoklassniki (so that his profile and photographs could later be used to prove or disprove that he is an active serviceman of the Russian Armed Forces and was in Syria):

We also specified how he died, where he died:

After that, we clarified in what kind of troops the deceased served:

We checked where the information came from that he died in Syria:

The person in the screenshots above is a friend of the deceased, not the closest, judging by the fact that in last time I spoke with him in the summer of 2014. We are painted in green on the messages, the friend of the deceased is in black. Then we talked to another friend of the deceased. We established the middle name of the deceased (Vladimirovich), confirmed his age (27 years), confirmed the existence of his brother Alexander, as well as his wife and daughter. In addition, the second friend also confirmed that Fedor died in Syria:

Our messages are shaded in green, friends are in blue.

We tried to find the profiles of the deceased Fedor in social networks, but as his friends said, he did not have profiles in social networks, which is quite typical for the GRUs. We observed a similar thing during ours - they also either did not have profiles on social networks, or they were under fake names. We also did not find the profiles of his brother and parents.

Field work

This information was too little to publish a full-fledged investigation, but the information itself was important, it was impossible to just pass by. Therefore, we passed the collected information to several journalists so that they could connect and conduct their own investigation, perhaps ask questions to relatives, officials, the Ministry of Defense. This was before the funeral. We also decided to make a trip to the place, to the village where the parents of the deceased live and where his funeral was to take place. In the course of working with local sources, it was found that on Monday, November 23, in the native military unit of Fedor, a farewell was held for him and his deceased colleague. According to sources, this happened in Solnechnogorsk, on the shores of Lake Senezh. Also, sources said that in addition to the two dead, there was another wounded.

There are two military units in Solnechnogorsk: 43292 and 92154. Judging by some news, both military units are located on the same territory. At the same time, on the Internet you can find many references about military unit 92154, with the description that this is the GRU special forces, from which the Senezh Special Purpose Center, SSO, was formed. There is very little information on the Internet about military unit 43292, and everything is either with the context “GRU special forces” (but there are much fewer such links than about 92154), or without mentioning the type of troops. Many links about military unit 43292 are redirected to topics, groups with names like "military unit 92154, GRU special forces." We believe that military unit 43292 is simply the headquarters / command / garrison of the same Senezh TsSN.

Also, from local sources, we found that the wife of the deceased lives in Solnechnogorsk, which additionally confirms that the deceased Fyodor belongs to the Senezh CSN.

On November 13, Senior Researcher (RUSI) Igor Sutyagin published an article in which he described which units of the Russian Ministry of Defense are involved in the operation in Syria. AT this list a team of snipers from the Senezh Special Purpose Center was also indicated:

Also, on November 17, when the FSB acknowledged that Airbus A321, flight 7K9268 had crashed as a result of a terrorist attack, Sergey Zhigarev, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee:

“Vladimir Vladimirovich quite clearly said that retaliation will overtake the terrorists, and I think that special operations forces can be used for this, and they operate not from the air, but on the ground.”

This is nothing more than a comment by a private person, these are not statements by the State Duma itself, but it is important to note these words. Together with the words of Vladimir Putin that the organizers of the terrorist attack must be found and punished, wherever they are, the appearance in Syria elite special forces Russia - more than expected.

When we started working on this investigation together with individual journalists, it seems that the locals noticed the attention and suddenly changed their behavior: they stopped making contact, they suddenly began to put forward the version that Fedor died during the counter-terrorist operation in Dagestan, and not at all in Syria. Fedor's relatives are also strictly on the version that Fedor was not in Syria and died during the counter-terrorist operation in Dagestan, and that he is not at all a commando of the SSO or GRU, but a simple paratrooper.

Recall that when in June 2015 we talked with the parents of the dead GRU special forces from the 16th separate GRU special forces brigade, that their sons died during the counter-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus, and not in the Donbass. In addition, they received documents from the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation with exactly this version of death.

Indeed, there was recently a counter-terrorist operation in Dagestan, but nothing is reported about the security forces who died in it. In addition, the counter-terrorist operation in Dagestan began on November 22, and the death of Fedor, according to his friends, “has been known since Thursday”, i.e. from 19 November.

Departure to Paltso

For further investigation, we needed to establish the exact date death, as well as receive photographs of Fedor's grave to prove that he was an active serviceman (by wreaths and uniforms in the photograph). To begin with, we tried to find assistants who could complete this task. We published a message about the search for helpers, while throwing in two additional cities known for their military units(Tambov and Baltiysk):

To carry out a secret mission, we need people from Tambov, Bryansk and Baltiysk. Write in telegram https://t.co/6ZZnHY0zUK

But in the end we decided to go on our own, partly because it is too dangerous a task and the assistant would risk health and freedom, partly because the assistant must be very trusted. After waiting for the funeral to end (so as not to attract too much attention), which took place on November 24, we boarded the train and arrived at night in Bryansk:

The road to the small village of Paltso took an hour and a half along deaf, snow-covered roads:

Arriving at dawn in Paltso, we were faced with the task of establishing the location of the cemetery. Since the village is too small (the population is only 968 people), its infrastructure facilities are not marked on navigators and maps. We were helped to find the cemetery by spruce branches with flowers, which we suddenly noticed on one of the roads in the village. These branches with flowers stretched in a straight line from the house of the parents of the deceased to the very cemetery, which was found on the outskirts of the forest. There we quickly found Fedor's grave:

So we established the exact date of Fedor's birth (09/11/1988) and the date of death (11/19/2015). The confirmed date of death did not coincide with the version of the counter-terrorist operation in Dagestan, which began three days after Fedor's death.

Near the grave of Fedor, we found exactly the same wreaths from the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and from colleagues, which we:

In the photograph, Fedor is dressed in military uniform in the rank of captain:

On the collar are visible buttonholes of the Airborne Forces, but this does not refute Fedor's service in the GRU special forces, special forces of the MTR. Recall that the dead soldiers of the 16th separate brigade of the GRU special forces, about whom, wear exactly the same uniform, with the same buttonholes:

Anton Savelyev, serviceman of the 16th Special Brigade of the GRU

In 10 days, we were supported by 57 people, thanks to which this moment managed to collect 2% of the target amount. This collection is very important to us, because it will allow us to conduct more thorough investigations, devote more time to them, as well as importantly, to undertake such field visits more frequently in search of additional evidence. For example, we spent 7,600 rubles on this trip to Paltso. We will write a more detailed report on the progress of fundraising in a separate post.

Note: we found out that many do not notice that our team can enter an arbitrary amount in the third field, including, for example, 50 kopecks.

Komsomolskaya Pravda correspondent Alexander Kots spent the day with a unit of the Special Operations Forces near Palmyra

Russian special forces in positions in front of militants who retreated under the blows of the Aerospace Forces

The wind drives smoldering rags and dried leaves of branches cut into fragments along the deserted streets of Palmyra. Deserted houses sadly slam the shutters of windows that have long lost all glass. Rare Syrian soldiers, seeing us, show ISIS (ISIS - an organization banned in the Russian Federation - ed.) prayer house, followed by a field hospital in the basement. On some houses, inscriptions in Russian “Min no” are still preserved. After the last release. Now the sappers have not finished their work yet. A black flag of terrorists is flying on the roof of the Heliopolis Hotel - the building of the former headquarters has not yet been cleared of mines. Over the past three years, the town has twice been invaded by medieval barbarians. And every time they were driven out of the city mainly thanks to the help of the Russian military. In addition to the VKS bombers, which crushed strongholds and fortified areas of militants from the air, units of the Special Operations Forces worked on the ground.

Special Operations Forces - the elite of the Russian armed forces

The MTR is the elite of the Russian Armed Forces. Special Forces, each fighter of which is an extra-class piece specialist. These are snipers who destroyed the leaders of terrorists from among immigrants from Russia. Thanks to them, the Russian pilots without a miss hit the positions of the ISIS on the heights going to Palmyra, bringing the liberation closer ancient city. Their names must not be given, their faces must not be shown, in many ways their work is classified as "Top Secret". Together with a column of Special Operations Forces, I advance to the front lines near Palmyra, from which the militants were thrown back, but they leave very reluctantly. In combat order, armored vehicles drive only along proven bypass roads in order to minimize risks - militants can lay land mines at night.

MTR observers in positions

MTR fighters differ from other representatives of the RF Armed Forces even externally. Although, if you meet such a “citizen”, you can hardly distinguish it from an ordinary passer-by. Here is the most modern equipment, armament and technical means. The fighters look, what can I say, impressive. Like in the movies. Just on real war the cost of a mistake is disproportionately higher. Do not shoot the second take. Special forces from the hatches of the "Tigers" tenaciously peer along the flanks, leading the barrel of an easel AGS grenade launcher. The road to the detour takes an hour and a half more, but we get to the MTR observation post without incident.

MTR fighter in position

From here to the village where the militants settled, about two kilometers. To the "green" under the height occupied by terrorists - five. Several Russian special forces, lying on a hillock, drill enemy territory with binoculars. A few minutes later, several powerful gaps grow like mushrooms on the horizon. The Russian Aerospace Forces, thanks to the coordinates from the MTR specialists, suppressed the resistance of the militants in the "zelenka".

MTR fighter monitors the territory of the enemy

Nearby is a large concrete hangar. Inside are three burnt ISIS tanks. Above - a huge hole in the concrete as an example of the filigree work of Russian pilots. But the coordinates of this hangar were transmitted just from the ground.

Special Forces Special Forces soldiers are equipped with the latest equipment

Special operations forces provide advancement Syrian army forward. New look Russian special forces - perfectly trained, well-armed and equipped, performing tasks of any complexity anywhere in the world. Although the main work, of course, the Syrians will have to do themselves. No one will storm the heights occupied by ISIS for them. But thanks to the interaction of the Russian Aerospace Forces and the MTR, this will be an order of magnitude easier.

As soon as the MTR fighters find the target, they immediately transmit the coordinates to command post. Aviation goes on

“This time, during the capture of Palmyra, everything went faster,” the Syrian fighters admit. - Almost all of us participated in the first assault and learned how to interact with the Russians. I had to sweat with the capture of the Citadel - five machine gunners were sitting there, and it is impossible to bomb architectural monuments. But in the end we made it. We will not give up Tadmor (the Arabic name for Palmyra) anymore.

Thanks to the coordinates transmitted by the MTR fighters, Russian aviation delivered an accurate blow to the hangar, in which three ISIS tanks were hidden

Over our heads, drowning out the rumble of artillery, passed four Syrian and one Russian aircraft and headed towards the old city. There, in the amphitheater, the music sounded again. On the occasion of the arrival in Palmyra of the commander of the Russian group Andrei Kartapolov, the Syrians organized a small concert of student ensembles that performed patriotic songs in gratitude for Russian help.