- Amid its fighting in Ukraine, the Russian military has relied heavily on its best-trained troops.
- The fighting has taken an outsized toll on these troops, including Russia’s famous Spetsnaz special operators.
- Moscow could rely even more on these operators if it renews its campaign with a focus on eastern Ukraine.
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Russian forces have fought in Ukraine and after two months of fighting, they have not achieved any of their main objectives.
Moscow has scaled back its ambitions and focused on eastern Ukraine. It appears to be renewing its offensive, but its performance has already influenced assessments of its military prowess and challenged its status as a near-peer force.
Among the affected Russian units is the famous Spetsnaz. During and after the Cold War, these special operators achieved legendary status in the West. Recent successes in Crimea and Syria seemed to boost their credibility.
However, alongside the rest of the Russian military, their reputation in Ukraine is being tarnished.
The town of Irpin, just a few kilometers from Kyiv, was a base for Russian special forces until Ukrainian troops ousted the Russians in late March. The brutal battle for the port city of Mariupol — the kind of strategic objective Moscow has focused its best forces on — seems to have taken an outsized toll on Russia’s special forces.
Spetsnaz: Russia’s special operators
Troops of the Russian military’s 14th special brigade during an exercise, February 15, 2017. Russian Defense Ministry/Mil.ru
Moscow created the Spetsnaz, its first special forces unit, in the 1950s to conduct strategic missions.
Spetsnaz originally had a strategic role, but now all special forces of the Russian military, law enforcement, emergency and security services are called Spetsnaz.
In general, military Spetsnaz units are a light infantry airborne force capable of acting as shock troops. Some elite Spetsnaz units like the Alpha and Vympel groups have strategic missions such as counter-terrorism, counter-proliferation, and nuclear facility security.
There has been limited reporting on what Russian special forces did or behaved in Ukraine, but their missions there may include special reconnaissance, direct operations and unconventional warfare.
One of the few assets that the Russian military has used against Ukraine is its long-range weaponry. Russia has fired more than 1,500 ballistic and cruise missiles at Ukrainian targets.
Troops of the Russian military’s 2nd Separate Special Brigade, a brigade of the Spetsnaz GRU, during an exercise. Konstantin Morozov/Russian Ministry of Defense/Mil.ru
Russian special operators could infiltrate near these targets and use special equipment to direct the munitions. Moscow’s total disregard for collateral damage means it may not use such target assist, but these capabilities could still be used if the Kremlin wants to take out the Ukrainian leadership in a strategic strike.
Russian special forces could also conduct direct operations such as raids and ambushes to pursue tactical objectives such as capturing a city block.
In general, it would be foolish to use special operators for conventional operations, as their potential victims would waste the time and expense expended in training them to a high level, but the lack of progress may prompt Russian commanders to do so, especially in urban environments where close combat training for Russian commandos could mean the difference between victory and defeat.
Russia can also use its special forces for unconventional warfare and asymmetric operations. Russian forces have been supporting separatist forces in eastern Ukraine for years, and these efforts could be expanded if Moscow redirects its military campaign to that region.
Russian special operators can also target Ukrainian strategic targets such as airfields or fuel and weapons depots. There was already reports by Russian naval commandos attacking a Ukrainian military intelligence ship.
Learn from the enemy
Members of the Russian military’s 22nd Special Brigade Special Guard during an exercise, November 24, 2017. Russian Defense Ministry/Mil.ru
When it comes to special forces, the Russian military has had ample opportunity to learn from the US.
For the past 20 years, US special operators have been at the forefront of the spear. Their ability to conduct high-reward missions with less military or political risk than larger conventional units has made them a favored option for American politicians.
The Russian military began a major reorganization in 2008, which included the formation of its own special operations command organization. Established in 2009, the Russian Special Operations Forces Command is a strategic-level special operations organization tasked with the toughest and most critical missions.
“The Russians are not stupid. You would have seen how successfully we have used SOF [special-operations forces] Downrange during the GWOT [Global War on Terror] and made their notes. We would do that,” a retired Delta Force operator told Insider.
What the Russian armed forces have learned in terms of military doctrine is not apparent, but open-source information showed “how our operations have affected their equipment and training,” the retired operator said anonymously because he still works with his unit .
Troops of the Russian military’s 22nd Special Brigade Special Guard during an exercise, November 24, 2017. Russian Defense Ministry/Mil.ru
“It’s funny because sometimes it’s difficult to distinguish between an American operator and a Russian operator because they tend to both wear MultiCam [camouflage], high-cut helms, and carry similar attack charges. It’s only in the weapons that you can really tell the difference,” added the former operator.
Moscow relied on the creation of the US Joint Special Operations Command, which is a component of US Special Operations Command, as a model for its new command.
Though smaller than Russia’s new command, JSOC contains the US military’s special missions units, the most elite special operations organizations that make up the US National Task Force.
Moscow wanted to emulate the effectiveness of the JSOC and bring together its best special forces for better command and control. Even Spetsnaz units of the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency, were transferred to the new organization, although they were reassigned to the GRU in 2013.
“People in SOF tend to be cut from the same cloth. The training, mission sets and funding may be different – and in some cases worlds apart – but people at the highest levels are very similar,” said the retired operator.
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a veteran of the Hellenic Army (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army Headquarters) and a graduate of Johns Hopkins University.