Every year on October 24, Russia celebrates the Day of Special Forces (SPN) - a professional holiday for all Russian servicemen of special forces. This is a relatively young Russian professional holiday, it was established on May 31, 2006 on the basis of the decree of the President of the country, Vladimir Putin.
The date of the new holiday was not chosen by chance. It was on this day in 1950 that the Minister of War of the USSR, Marshal Alexander Mikhailovich Vasilevsky, signed a directive labeled "secret". This directive provided for the creation in the Soviet Union of special-purpose units (deep reconnaissance or special-purpose reconnaissance) for operations in the deep rear of a potential enemy. Vasilevsky ordered the creation of 46 spetsnaz companies with a staff of 120 people in each as soon as possible (before May 1, 1951) as part of the armed forces. They were to be created in all military districts, fleets and groups of forces. The order was carried out and already on May 1, 1951, the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union had in their composition special forces units with a total number of more than 5, 5 thousand people.
At the same time, the combat use of various military formations that performed special and reconnaissance missions behind enemy lines has a very rich history in our country. There have always been people in Russia who went to the enemy's rear with special assignments and, at the risk of their lives, performed their dangerous and very difficult work. At different times in Russian history, they were scouts, Cossacks, flying hussars, scouts. A historical example of such special forces is the horse-jaeger teams of Field Marshal Pyotr Rumyantsev, which were intended for special actions and reconnaissance behind enemy lines. In addition, the future Generalissimo Alexander Suvorov began his military career with successful partisan actions.
The emergence of special intelligence in our country can be attributed to the years of the civil war, the period of the Red Army's opposition to the White Guard formations and interventionists. The reason for this was the creation in March 1918 of a special reconnaissance department, which was mainly engaged in organizing reconnaissance and sabotage work behind enemy lines.
In the 1930s, in the event of a future war in the Soviet Union, in the border districts, on the basis of engineer-sapper units, sabotage and partisan detachments and groups were trained, which received the name of sapper-camouflage platoons. Also, taking into account the experience of the civil war in Spain, the leadership of the Intelligence Directorate of the Headquarters of the Red Army in 1939 proposed to create separate special-purpose companies within the border districts.
During the Great Patriotic War, a large number of special military formations were created as part of numerous fronts and in the fleet, designed to conduct reconnaissance and sabotage operations behind enemy lines. Many of them were designated as separate detachments or separate brigades of special (special) purposes. At the same time, during the war years, 5,360 groups of intelligence agencies were thrown into the German rear.
After the end of World War II, the decisive factor that determined the course of the further development and use of the armed forces was the appearance of weapons of mass destruction, as well as various means of their delivery. For the timely detection and destruction of nuclear weapons of a potential enemy, as well as their delivery vehicles, special army units were needed that could effectively conduct reconnaissance and sabotage operations behind enemy lines. Such army units were created by May 1, 1951. And in 1953, the creation of special forces military units as part of the Navy began. Initially, 7 naval reconnaissance divisions were created in the USSR, which in the future were transformed into special-purpose reconnaissance points.
The subsequent complication of the world military-political situation required the USSR's high military command to strengthen intelligence in the operational-tactical depth. To solve this problem in the country in 1962, the process of forming separate special forces brigades began. In the 1970s and 1980s, there were already 13 special-purpose brigades in the Soviet Army. It was during these years that their active combat work took place outside our country - in Angola, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Ethiopia, Vietnam and Cuba. Over the years, the country was able to systematize and fine-tune the mechanisms and methods of training future special forces. The outbreak of war in Afghanistan also required the sending of special forces there. As part of a limited contingent of Soviet troops in this country, there were 8 special-purpose detachments, which were organizationally combined into two brigades. These special forces units carried out the following tasks in Afghanistan: the destruction of detachments and caravans of the Mujahideen, conducting reconnaissance, detecting and inspecting caravans, mining the routes of movement of bandit formations and caravan paths, installing reconnaissance and signaling equipment.
Already in modern Russian history, special forces units during two Chechen campaigns successfully solved their immediate tasks, conducting sabotage and reconnaissance and search and ambush activities in the republic. At the same time, in April 2001, for special distinction in battles within the framework of ensuring the security and integrity of Russia, the 22nd separate special-purpose brigade of the Russian army was awarded the title of the Guards. This was the first military unit in Russia, which was awarded this honorary title after the end of the Great Patriotic War.
Modern special-purpose units are designed to conduct subversive, sabotage and reconnaissance and special operations on enemy territory. In wartime, special forces are able to solve reconnaissance tasks, destroy and capture important objects, eliminate important persons, conduct psychological operations, as well as organize partisan actions behind enemy lines. Even in the most difficult and non-standard situations, the special forces demonstrate a very high level of their professional training, personal courage and fortitude, they withstand all tests and tests of strength with dignity, which by right were able to earn respect and honor not only among representatives of the military brotherhood, but also among ordinary Russian citizens.
The main feature of special-purpose units is their relatively small number, excellent level of training, surprise, audacity, initiative, speed of decisions, and coordination of actions. Special forces fighters are able to skillfully use a wide range of weapons and military equipment, combine their shock and maneuverability, make the most of the protective properties of the terrain, and carry out missions at any time of the day and in all weather conditions.
Units and units of special forces of the GRU General Staff of the Armed Forces (detachments, groups, individual battalions, regiments and brigades) played a very important role during the Afghan war, hostilities in Tajikistan, in operations on the territory of Chechnya, as well as in other hot spots. This is confirmed by the fact that their military work was highly noted by the military-political leadership of the country. For the heroism and courage that were shown during the performance of special assignments, more than 20 thousand special forces were awarded various orders and medals. Including 8 people became Heroes of the Soviet Union, another 39 people became Heroes of the Russian Federation.
On this day, the Military Review team congratulates all Russian servicemen of special forces, as well as veterans of special forces on their professional holiday. Your service is a symbiosis of perseverance, courage, determination, unparalleled heroism and self-sacrifice, readiness to always come to the aid of your comrades.
