Spetsnaz teams inflict 80% of the Chechen casualties

[hist2004]

The fighting in Chechnya is pretty brutal, with thousands of part time Chechen men (and a few women) fighting Russians, and other Chechens, for a variety of reasons. But most of the actual fighting is between non-Chechens and Russian commandos (GRU Spetsnaz.) It's estimated that about 80 percent of the Chechen casualties are inflicted by the Spetsnaz teams, who are the only troops that regularly patrol the mountains where the Chechen rebels and their foreign allies hang out. Most of the dead and captured rebels are not Chechens. They are foreigners, many of them Arabs. There are thought to be only one or two thousand full time rebels in Chechnya.

The Spetsnaz are mostly conscripts, which is in sharp contrast to Western commandos (who are volunteer careerists). But the conscripts were carefully selected and were volunteers for Spetsnaz duty. GRU (Russian Military Intelligence) Spetsnaz brigades do six month tours in Chechnya, suffering about ten percent casualties for each tour. The brigades are under strength, and entire brigades are not sent into Chechnya, so there are only a few hundred Spetsnaz there at a time. The Spetsnaz are there mainly to collect information on the rebels, locating their camps and travel routes. Artillery or bombers are called in to do the actual attacks. When the Spetsnaz do run into rebel units, they inflict far more casualties than they take. But the Spetsnaz patrols do not stop the rebel movements and attacks, only slow them down. There are not enough Spetsnaz to cover the entire province all the time. Moreover, many of the rebel groups (of up to 300 men) use bases outside Chechnya (especially neighboring Georgia and Ingushetia.) While Ingushetia is a part of Russia, Georgia is not, so the Spetsnaz have to move around a lot just to provide some coverage of the entire region.

Russia doesn't send more Spetsnaz to Chechnya because these units spend a lot of time training and are needed elsewhere, especially in Central Asia and for counter-terrorism duty. Moreover, duty in Chechnya is grueling, as the Spetsnaz don't have all the special equipment and specialized helicopters that Western (especially American) commandoes have. Russia also considers their Spetsnaz as a strategic reserve for emergencies, and thus likes to keep at least three of the seven GRU brigades in reserve, training and ready for any unexpected emergency.

Regards,
Hist2004

[hist2004]

I thought Russia had around 3,000 Airborne (VDV) stationed in Chechnya, with units operating in the mountains as well. If someone can update I'd
appreciate it.

Regards & Thanks,
Hist2004

[hist2004]

Does anyone have any information on current strength of VDV (Airborne)
in Chechnya?

Regards & Thanks,
Hist2004

[DE6]

Very interesting. If only they had an equivalent of the 160th SOAR and AFSOC to support them, they would make short work of the terrorist groups (well, they already do).


Russia also considers their Spetsnaz as a strategic reserve for emergencies, and thus likes to keep at least three of the seven GRU brigades in reserve, training and ready for any unexpected emergency.


Is this a rotational system, like the British SAS' or US SFOD-D, where a squadron is on call to respond to emergencies like a hostage situation?

I thought FSB Spetsgruppa Alpha handled this kind of contingency, or groups like Vympel.

[Deminer from Sarajevo]

In the middle of 90th years formed counterterrorist centars(terrorism is very usefull and bless thing for member of special forces and secret services in the world.)in evry regions(oblast) or in group of regions of Russia.Evry centar has own Alfa.This unit(platoon-company) using as in Chechenija as in own region.Evri members of Alfa are officers or warrent-officers(praporsik).In really the same units(SOBR)has russian police(milicija) in the same regional centars(in evry region) with purpose fighting against organizate criminals(Russia has that is more then terorism).There is only one Vimpel,in facts has not many differents for now from Alfa.All these units are sending in Chechenija time by time where using for responsibility task,as for investegate and guard as for assaul and convoy

[anonymous individual]

brief reading but very good.

[Abbyy]

I thought Russia had around 3,000 Airborne (VDV) stationed in Chechnya, with units operating in the mountains as well. If someone can update I'd
appreciate it.

Regards & Thanks,
Hist2004

Yes. Part of 45th regiment.

[hist2004]

Very interesting. If only they had an equivalent of the 160th SOAR and AFSOC to support them, they would make short work of the terrorist groups (well, they already do).


Agreed. A helicopter force of that caliber whose only mandate is to support
Spetsnaz, VDV would be a tremendous asset. The helicopter units that are
currently supporting these troops have extremely brave pilots and aircrews
who operate at great risk in that enviroment.

Regards,
Hist2004

[hist2004]

I thought Russia had around 3,000 Airborne (VDV) stationed in Chechnya, with units operating in the mountains as well. If someone can update I'd
appreciate it.

Regards & Thanks,
Hist2004

Yes. Part of 45th regiment.

Abbyy-

Thanks for the update,

Regards,
Hist2004

[anonymous individual]

Sorry for going off topic, but I found some interesting jokes about the VDV and would like to share it. It is from http://hem.bredband.net/spetsnaz/.
---------------------------------------------
VDV-Jokes
During an arms expo, the press and visitors gather by the US Army gear exhibit: a huge American Airborne soldier in full gear with all the latest hi-tec gadgetry. There's a panel on his gear with three buttons, red, blue and white. When asked about their functiones, the Americans explained that these control the sophisticated internal thermoregulation and neurostimulation systems. When the soldier is too cold he activates the internal heating cuircutry by pressing the red button, the blue button will cool him down and the white button will inject stimulants that will let the soldier keep on fighting for an entire day even if he's dead tired. Impressed and awed the crowd moves on to the next booth which happens to be the Russian Army gear exhibit. There they see an big
Russian VDV soldier in regular gear but with a huge and heavy metal door attached to his back on hinges. The Russian explain that this is the latest Russian innovation that works like this: when the soldier is too hot, he opens the door and cools down, when he's too cold, he shuts it and warms up, and when he's dead tired, he just ditches the damn thing and keeps on fighting for another week!

A Russian VDV soldier is on a date with a girl during his R&R. They are walking in a romantic park but they can't seem to make a good contact. So the girl assumes the initiative and says: "Well I've dated soldiers before and it's always very interesting. For example this communications guy told me so much about the stuff he does that I think I can use the Morze code now. And this tanker described the stuff they are tought in such an interesting way that I think I could drive a tank now. There must be some cool stuff they teach you too? The VDV pauses and then reluctantly says: "Do you really want me to break your jaw?"

1984, a VDV company is being sent to Afghanistan. After months of rigorous training and indoctrination the Sarge tells them when the plane is landing: "You are the elite, you will be fighting like crazy and destroy the enemy. In recognition, the command will pay a hundred roubles for each dukh's (haji) head." The plane lands and the eager VDV run out on the tarmac and into the city. Half an hour later the come back, some carry one head, some two, the recon guys bring an entire sack full of hadji's heads. The Sarge cries in horror: "What the **** have you done, idiots! This is still Tashkent, we've just landed for an hour to refuel on our way to Afghanistan!"

Two cops spot a drunken rowdy VDV soldier in a public park, and after some hesitation decide that he should be apprehended. "You go first, says one, and then I'll avenge you".

Before a VDV company jumps for the first time, an instructor cheers them up on the runway: "Don't worry, statistically only one in a thousand shute malfunctions, and there's only two hundred of you here".

A VDV Sergeant is instructing a groop of new VDV conscripts, he tells them that after VDV training they will be able to do all kinds of things that regular soldiers can't, for example drive 10-inch nails into the fence with their bare foreheads. The young conscripts are sceptical so the Sarge goes: "OK worms, allow me to demonstrate!" He takes one ten-incher, puts it to the wooden fence and rams it with his forehead. Despite all expectations, the nail doesn go in, but simply bends. The Sarge is like, WTF? He takes five more and repeats the procedure, all nails bend but refuse to go in the fence. The conscripts are laughing and the Sarge is outraged, he looks to the check the other side of the fence and yells with relief: "****, I knew that the zampolit (XO's political deputy) was peeping on the other side!"

Yugoslavia, late 90's. A Russian VDV peacekeeper is chilling on top of a hill when a platoon of US Marines is passing by. He yells at them: "Hey ladies, I bet I could take any three of you!" and vanishes behind the hill. The American sergeant wants to teach the obnoxious Russian a lesson and sends three of the biggest meanest marines in the platoon. They go behind the hill, some violent struggle is heard then the same Russian shows up on top of the hill and yells again: "Told ya! I bet I can take your whole platoon you pussies!". The US Sergeant is outraged and commands his entire platoon to go and get him the Russian's head. The Marines charge and soon disappear behind the hill. More violent struggle is heard, then a single the American, badly messed up, emerges crawling from behind the hill and screams: "Sarge, call for backup immediately, it's an ambush! There's TWO of them there!"

[CRAZY MERC]

:D

[Abbyy]

Yugoslavia, late 90's. A Russian VDV peacekeeper is chilling on top of a hill when a platoon of US Marines is passing by. He yells at them: "Hey ladies, I bet I could take any three of you!" and vanishes behind the hill. The American sergeant wants to teach the obnoxious Russian a lesson and sends three of the biggest meanest marines in the platoon. They go behind the hill, some violent struggle is heard then the same Russian shows up on top of the hill and yells again: "Told ya! I bet I can take your whole platoon you pussies!". The US Sergeant is outraged and commands his entire platoon to go and get him the Russian's head. The Marines charge and soon disappear behind the hill. More violent struggle is heard, then a single the American, badly messed up, emerges crawling from behind the hill and screams: "Sarge, call for backup immediately, it's an ambush! There's TWO of them there!"

rofl rofl rofl Laughing anytime i'm hearing this good ol' joke in new version.

[hist2004]

anonymous individual-

Thanks, that was great! :)

Regards,
Hist2004

[Igor01]

Hehe, it's cool to see that my quick and lame translation of a few anecdotes from www.desantura.ru is already making rounds on the net :) There's many more there so if any Russian/English speaking members would like to translate some more I am sure the non-Russians especially those who served would enjoy them.

[anonymous individual]

Someone please translates it. ;)

My Systran is not the best thing for translation.

[APOCALYPSE]

Hey anonymous individual that was the funniest Russky jokes I ever heard HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :lol: