Success

The special forces of the Airborne Forces are the elite of the Russian armed forces. Airborne Special Forces: history and structure of the 45th Airborne Regiment where is located

On the third day, we managed to get "with a watering can" and a notebook "into the 45th Separate Guards Order of Alexander Nevsky Special Purpose Reconnaissance Regiment. Accompanying a group of civilian Arkharov volunteers was the head of the press service of the Airborne Forces, Colonel Alexander Anatolyevich Cherednik. Exceptionally intelligent head of the press service. I suppose it was thanks to his efforts that the visit to the guardsmen-paratroopers turned out to be so eventful.

To begin with, all those who arrived were instructed, then we were given flowers in order to put them on the stones of the monument to the dead soldiers of the regiment. The regiment, as they say, is "at war", but in war there are no losses.

The youngest unit in the Russian Airborne Forces is the 45th separate reconnaissance regiment, the formation of which began in February 1994. The regiment was formed on the basis of two separate battalions, each of which had its own history of formation and development before being included in the regiment. By order of the Commander of the Airborne Forces, in order of historical continuity, the day of the formation of the 45th regiment is considered to be the day of July 25, 1992.

On December 2, 1994, the personnel of the regiment left for the North Caucasus to participate in the liquidation of illegal armed groups on the territory of the Chechen Republic. From December 12, 1994 to January 25, 1995, reconnaissance groups and special-purpose detachments (assault detachments) from the regiment, in cooperation with units of the Airborne Forces, took part in hostilities to capture the most important enemy targets, including in the city of Grozny.

On February 12, 1995, units and subunits of the regiment returned to their permanent deployment points. On March 15, 1995, the combined detachment of the regiment again arrived in Chechnya, continuing to carry out combat missions until June 13, 1995. During this period, as a result of competent military operations, there were no losses in the regiment.

By decree of the President of the Russian Federation of July 21, 1995, the commander of the special-purpose reconnaissance group, Senior Lieutenant Ermakov V.K., was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation (posthumously) for the courage and heroism shown in the performance of a special task of the command to disarm illegal armed groups. On July 30, 1995, a monument in honor of the dead scouts was opened on the territory of the unit in a solemn ceremony.

On May 9, 1995, the regiment was awarded a diploma of the President of the Russian Federation for services to the Russian Federation. The regiment participated in the parade dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Victory over Nazi Germany.

From February to May 1997, the combined detachment of the regiment took part in a peacekeeping mission in the zone of separation of the Georgian and Abkhaz armed forces in the city of Gudauta.

On July 26, 1997, following the glorious traditions of the Armed Forces, the regiment was presented with the Combat banner and certificate of the 5th Guards Airborne Rifle Mukachevo Order of Kutuzov, 3rd degree regiment, disbanded on June 27, 1945, and stored in the Central Museum of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation .

Since September 12, 1999, the combined reconnaissance detachment of the regiment took part in the anti-terrorist operation in the North Caucasus.

From the monument we went to the obstacle course. The strip, not to say that it is very huge, but large enough to be guaranteed to get tired. It imitates a section of a mountainous wooded area and is overcome at a fast pace. So that the fighters on the strip would not get bored, other fighters provided timely detonations of imitator charges and fired at the storming strip with blank cartridges from a machine gun. The paratroopers moved in twos, after overcoming each element of the obstacle course they stopped, looked around and covered their comrade, firing blanks. They moved smartly.

Not far from the obstacle course, other fighters practiced packing parachutes. The film crew of the First Channel worked next to them. Wet from the heat and diligence, the correspondent listened attentively to the commands and explanations of his personal mentor and immediately followed the instructions received. If reports are now prepared in this way, and also end with a jump with a self-laid dome, I take off my hat. The work of a professional. This one certainly won’t tell about the “overlapping of the rafters”.

From the obstacle course we went to the shooting range and looked at various types of small arms available in the state in the regiment. I can’t tell much about the weapon - I fell into unconsciousness, got agitated and lost touch with reality. Repeatedly offered to change at least some of the available samples for his photographic equipment, he even agreed to "his cartridges." But it didn't work out. But he took everything and looked at it.

Kalashnikov assault rifle with PBS-1 and underbarrel grenade launcher, modifications of the SVD sniper rifle, gun SR-1 (SPS), VSS "Vintorez", AS "Val", PSS "Vul", knife NRS-2, SME gun, submachine gun SR-2M "Veresk", PY pistol, the legendary APB with a silencer and everything else. All this is necessary not only to be able to use, but to use successfully. Separately, it was told about the presence of a collection of captured weapons, for example, Georgian. It is also closely studied so that the fighters, if necessary, can beat the enemy with his own weapons.

We arrived at the territory of the airborne complex (VDK). This is a decent size playground with all the necessary simulators for a full-fledged training in parachuting. With us, two groups of fighters demonstrated several exercises in separation from the aircraft and in safe landing. All exercises were carried out as expected: with two parachutes (main and reserve), with weapons and with all standard ammunition.

Soldiers are taught all the necessary actions on mock-ups of real aircraft from which paratroopers jump. There is a full-fledged parachute tower, a simulator has been built for making a training jump from a helicopter. You equip yourself properly, climb the ladder to the tower, enter the troop compartment of the helicopter, fix yourself on the rail and jump down and forward, vigorously pushing off with your feet.

With a decent speed, with a roar and a metallic clang, you rush forward along the guide rail. To increase naturalism, the rail is skillfully curved in several places, so that every trainee is jerked and thrown up as in a real jump. At the end of the training path, a paratrooper is waiting for a group of colleagues with a safety rope. Having grouped, the paratrooper flies with his feet into a specially prepared area with sawdust, and the other two insure the “landed” with a special rope, preventing the excess from flying forward.

Looks like an attraction in the Park of Culture. But during the training jump, the paratrooper does not forget to perform a number of actions, brought to full automatism. As a matter of fact, the very fact of a successful landing, for example, for me is the end of a risky experiment, joy and a desire to immediately drink. And for a fighter - only the beginning. It was me who, after my first jump, went light to the bar, and for him, after landing, a forced march and / or a fight usually follow.

Soldiers-paratroopers live not in the barracks, but in a soldier's hostel. In each compartment, consisting of two adjacent rooms - 4-6 people. Bathroom and toilet. In the corridor, in addition to the soldiers' quarters, there is also a gym, a recreation room, and classrooms. Everything inside is clean and cool. At the entrance there are tanks with drinking water and mugs for those who want to quench their thirst. The orderly carefully glares at all incoming and outgoing. In general, a good, comfortable and clean accommodation. I especially remember the wall newspaper, it is documented there below. Laughed.

Not without, of course, without a dining room. No miracles were seen in the dining room - just good-quality male grub. Without frills, arugula and vyazigi, God forgive me, were not served, but you can see right away: the food is hearty and fresh. Without unnecessary frills, he ate everything that was offered. I didn't want any more because it was very hot. The thermometer was rushing to the mark of +40.

To the building of the soldiers' canteen, soldiers march in formation and sing a song. The song was the same for everyone, with intolerant words "we are Russians, Russians are coming!" Some commanders reported to their fighters that they did not hear the units. In response, the unit turned up the volume and brutally stamped the step. The fighters of the fresh conscription were very well visible in the general mass. Berets are hoisted on the shaved heads of young guardsmen, but some are not like that. Grated, seasoned warriors, with honor, wear drop-cut berets, which certainly look much more bravo than the “default” headgear.

But the soldier's ingenuity, of course, figured out how best to remake the authorized "airfields" into what is needed: the fighter stocks up with a small beret, rips out the lining from it. If he takes a suture (i.e. with a seam), the fabric is torn along the seam, all the excess is cut off and sewn again. The sutured beret is wetted with water and dried on a jar of a suitable diameter or directly on the head.

The procedure must be repeated until complete readiness. As soon as the beret is ready, it is necessary to clarify the haircut. "A droplet" on a shaved head in a statutory way looks like it should! A fighter passing by in such a “droplet” additionally explained that if you don’t want to bother with the independent production of a beret, then you can simply buy a ready-made one. And he left smiling.

I noticed some discrepancy in the shoes. One of the paratroopers explained that you can use the boots that are given out as shoes, or you can buy for your money the ones you like. This, of course, is not about lacquered boots or cowboy "Cossacks", but about jumping boots for everyday wear. I saw several people in solid American and German boots. And at the shooting range he paid attention to heels. The fighters with weapons lay down in position, so that the soles were clearly visible. A lot of boots with a pretty worn out tread, so they run and jump all the time.

A group of fighters with an officer demonstrated to the audience the main set of weapons and equipment of a reconnaissance fighter. Small arms, ammunition, a knife, hand and grenade grenades, mines, a one-time anti-tank grenade launcher, ropes, wires, adhesive tape, dressing bags, foam, a hat with a sweater, an infantry shovel, explosives in checkers, a minimum of medicines, various detonators and other necessary for autonomous reconnaissance in war conditions.

For ease of understanding: once I had a chance to carry 2,000 rounds of ammunition. Ammo only, no weapons or other equipment. I managed to walk four kilometers. It was very hard. And the fighter has 450+ rounds of ammunition for the machine gun, the machine itself and all of the above. And we must constantly look around, under our feet, be ready to open fire and cover our comrades. And on you - 40+ kilograms of equipment and weapons.

It was especially interesting to learn about the mines that scouts can use to organize ambushes or, for example, evade pursuit if necessary. Just by destroying this very persecution. They showed a MON-50 directional mine and an OZM-72 omnidirectional fragmentation mine jumping out. I met German analogues of OZM-72 more than once, but MON-50 turned it over in his hands for the first time. They said - a very effective weapon in capable hands, an analogue of the American M18A1 Claymore.

In short: inside the plastic body of the mine in a synthetic resin filler are metal balls and rollers. Pieces 500 approximately. And plastic explosives. When a mine is triggered, a specially curved body of the product makes metal submunitions fly in a sector 54 degrees wide and about 5 meters high. At a distance of 50 meters, the lethal effect of submunitions is reliable. A terrible thing, it mows everything in the working sector. And if you combine it with others of the same kind, mask it and supplement the effect with small arms, there is no salvation at all. Excellent remedy for ambush, including for ambush without direct contact with the enemy.

The jumping mine is a round steel can. At the moment of operation, it throws up, above itself, an internal “glass” with the same balls-rollers, only there are already about 2,500 of them. The glass is tied to a tension cable. A mine worked, the glass flew to a height of about a meter, the cable twitched, the detonator went off, metal balls flew in all directions and wounded and killed everyone, even the lying soldiers.

This mine is perhaps the most powerful of the circular destruction fragmentation mines. Even the OZM-160 mines, which are much larger in size and weight, do not provide such an even distribution of fragments over the affected area, as the OZM-72 mine distributes its ready-made lethal elements.

The experience of using the mine unequivocally indicates that in the zone of continuous destruction (the radius of the zone is 30 meters) there will not be a single object the size of a person who will not receive at least one video. even if it's flat on the ground. The explosion of this mine, due to its screeching sound of flying rollers, is not to be confused with any other. The soldiers nicknamed her "Zlyuka" or "Witch".

From the funny: during his stay at the VDK, Colonel Cherednik told how exactly they use old car tires when training paratroopers. You need to carefully jump over them like this and like that - and immediately demonstrated personally how exactly you need to jump. Jumped, I remind you, the whole colonel. In uniform, with shoulder straps. The faces of young soldiers resting on the sidelines expressed some degree of surprise :).

Some airborne portraits:

Ah, yes. Completely forgot. Of course, all of the above is pure window dressing. Personally, the Minister of Defense from the bushes made sure that we liked everything, and then, in the dining room, he secretly put meat in a saucepan. I noticed him and understood: this is such a secret plan to throw dust in the eyes of soldiers' mothers. Let me!

In the 45th separate regiment (now expanded into a brigade) of the special forces of the Airborne Forces in Kubinka, the celebration of the 85th anniversary of the Airborne Forces was held. As always, the paratroopers put on an interesting show. A solemn rally with the laying of flowers to and rewarding those who distinguished themselves, a solemn march, music and songs of the Airborne Forces, demonstration performances by paratroopers with the obligatory breaking of bricks with their hands. The highlight of the holiday was an imitation of a battle to capture a militant base on enemy territory with the release of a hostage. Scouts, climbers, troops, armored personnel carriers, anti-tank systems and even a tank took part in the battle! Congratulations on the 85th anniversary of the Airborne Forces!
The photos are clickable, with geographic coordinates and binding to the Yandex map, 08/02/2015.

1. Solemn formation of the unit

2. By tradition, the celebration of the Airborne Forces Day begins with a solemn rally and the laying of flowers at

3. Command

4. Passage in a solemn march, the banner group leads the passage

6. Znamenny group

7. After the solemn march, while preparations are underway for a simulated battle to free a hostage from a militant camp, military songs and the unofficial anthem of the Airborne Forces are played

8. Militant camp, bandits have fun: someone is training in throwing knives and axes, while others are dancing lezginka under "Black Eyes"

9. And at this time, the scouts descend from the cliff in the rear of the militants (the wall of the barracks acts as mountains)

10.

11. The militants are on the alert and the service is set for them - sentries are watching. But our scouts are secretly approaching the sentries...

12. ... and take them off

13. At this time, the sniper is destroyed by the leader of the militants (he is free with a pistol in his hand) and eliminate the danger to the hostage, whom the bandits hastily take to the house

14. The capture group is landing from the Mi-8 helicopter (in the role of the Mi-8 - the Ural car)

15. Demonstration of combat techniques (a slight digression from the imitation of the capture of the militant base)

16. Each paratrooper is tested by an armored personnel carrier (a slight digression from the imitation of the capture of a militant base)

17. And now the landing using an armored personnel carrier is fighting to capture the militant base

18. Demonstration of the reception "Carousel"

19.

20.

21. Unfortunately, a paratrooper was wounded during the battle, he is being evacuated to provide medical care

22. The surviving militants hid in the building and its assault and cleaning begins

23. Under the cover of an armored personnel carrier, medical assistance is provided to a wounded soldier

24. The hostage has been released and is being evacuated

25. The militants called for help and a tank arrived to support them! - He's on the right. But the paratroopers, using a requisitioned SUV (and they are now in the rear of enemy territory) and anti-tank systems, destroy the tank of militants

26. BANG!!! and the militants have no more tanks

Hello! Today we will touch on such a topic as military service under contract in the Airborne Forces of Russia. Namely, we will consider such issues as vacancies under a contract in the Airborne Forces in 2019, those who serve under a contract in the airborne troops, as well as the conditions for serving under a contract in the Airborne Forces for military personnel and their families. A separate place in our article will be occupied by the Airborne Forces.

Contract service in the Airborne Forces regiments, divisions, military units, brigades

Contract service in the Airborne Forces is a job for real men!

At the moment, the structural strength includes four full-fledged divisions, as well as separate regiments, airborne and airborne assault brigades.

For those who nevertheless decided to link their lives, or at least part of it, with service in the Airborne Forces, I highly recommend studying the composition of the Airborne Forces and the locations of units and subunits of the Russian Airborne Forces.

So, according to official information from the website of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation mil.ru, the Airborne Forces consists of:

76th Guards Air Assault Division, Pskov location:

military unit 32515 104th Guards Air Assault Regiment
military unit 74268 234th Guards Air Assault Regiment
military unit 45377 1140 artillery regiment and others

military unit 65451 98th Guards Airborne Division, located in Ivanovo:

military unit 62295 217 Guards Airborne Regiment
military unit 71211 331st Guards Airborne Regiment (located in Kostroma)
military unit 62297 1065th Red Banner Guards Artillery Regiment (located in Kostroma)
military unit 65391 215th separate guards reconnaissance company and others

7th Guards Air Assault (Mountain) Division, location - Novorossiysk:

military unit 42091 108 air assault regiment
military unit 54801 247 air assault regiment (location Stavropol)
military unit 40515 1141 artillery regiment (location of Anapa) and others

106th Guards Airborne Division - Tula:

military unit 41450 137 parachute regiment
military unit 33842 51 parachute regiment
military unit 93723 1182 artillery regiment (location Naro-Fominsk) and others

Regiments and brigades of the Airborne Forces:

military unit 32364 11th separate guards airborne brigade, stationed in the city of Ulan-Ude
military unit 28337 45th Separate Guards Special Purpose Brigade - Moscow
56th Separate Guards Air Assault Brigade. Place of deployment - the city of Kamyshin
military unit 73612 31st Separate Guards Air Assault Brigade. Located in Ulyanovsk
military unit 71289 83rd Separate Guards Airborne Brigade. Location - Ussuriysk
military unit 54164 38th Separate Guards Communications Regiment of the Airborne Forces. Located in the Moscow region, in the village of Medvezhye Ozera

Cuban contract service in the special forces of the Airborne Forces in the 45th special forces brigade

Let's start with the brigade, which, apparently, seeks every second candidate. Namely, in the 45th brigade (regiment) of the Airborne Forces. In order not to repeat, I will immediately give a link to the material, where we have already told everything about this military unit in the article

Contract service in the Tula Airborne Forces

For many, the contract in the Airborne Forces has become a good springboard and a good lesson in life.

The next most popular is the 106th Guards Airborne Division, which is located in the hero city of Tula. Full name 106th Guards Airborne Tula Red Banner Order of Kutuzov Division.

The division has the following units:

parachute regiments
communications department,
material support unit (MTO),
medical team,
engineering division

Accordingly, for contract service in the 106th Airborne Division, there are quite a lot.

Contract servicemen serving on a contract basis in the Airborne Forces in the city of Tula, during their service, live in separate living quarters (cubes) for 4-6 soldiers. Those who do not want to live on the territory of the unit, as well as family soldiers, have the right to rent housing in the city itself. In this case, they are paid monetary compensation for the sublease of housing.

Also, each soldier can use to solve their housing problems.

Since the unit is located in the city itself, there are no problems for the employment of members of the families of military personnel here.

Contract service Airborne Forces Ryazan

Those who wish to serve in the Airborne Forces in Ryazan should contact the 137th Airborne Regiment of military unit 41450 Regiment address: Ryazan - 7 Oktyabrsky Gorodok

The conditions for entering the contract in the Airborne Regiment are the same as for other candidates for the contract.

In 137 RAPs, in addition to regular units, for example, RAPs, there are:

special center,
airborne training ground

Military unit 41450 has a club, a library, a museum of military glory, a stadium and a sports hall.

A garrison military hospital operates on the territory of the Ryazan garrison.

There are also no problems for the employment of family members of contract servicemen. The military unit is located within the city limits. Accordingly, the state is carried out in full.

Contract service Pskov VDV

The next place for future contractors to serve is the oldest formation of the Airborne Forces, namely the 76th Guards Airborne Assault Division, located in the city of military glory Pskov.

As part of the 76 Guards. DShD has the following divisions:

three air assault regiments
Guards Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment
separate reconnaissance battalion
separate communications battalion
repair and restoration battalion and others

The conditions of service and life of military personnel under the contract are the same as in other military units of the Airborne Forces

Contract service Airborne Forces Ulyanovsk

For those who have chosen to serve in the Airborne Forces and also live or are ready to move to the city of Ulyanovsk, they are lucky, because the 31st Separate Guards Airborne Assault Brigade (31 ODSHBr) is located here, military unit 73612 address Ulyanovsk, 3rd Engineering travel

The 31 Airborne Brigade includes:

paratrooper and air assault battalions
artillery battalion
engineering sapper company

Since 2005, all units of the brigade have been staffed exclusively by military personnel under the contract.

Contract in the Airborne Forces in the Crimea

Back in 2016, the then commander of the Airborne Forces, Vladimir Shamanov, announced that during 2017, the 97th Airborne Assault Regiment would be recreated in Dzhankoy, Crimea. But so far there is no information about this.

Monetary allowance of military personnel under contract in the Airborne Forces

In addition to the basic payments that are due to each serviceman of the Russian Army, the Airborne Forces rely on, namely, in accordance with the order of the RF Ministry of Defense No. the rate of parachute jumps established by the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation for the past year.

For military personnel, for each complicated parachute jump, the amount of the allowance increases by 1 percent.

It is worth noting that in the 45th brigade (regiment) of the Airborne Forces, military personnel receive an additional 50% of the salary for military service in a special forces unit.

Airborne contract service reviews

Our Airborne Troops are rapidly developing. More and more new models of modern military equipment are being put into service. And this means that professional military personnel will also be constantly required in the Airborne Forces.

Regarding the reviews, I would like to say that it depends on the military unit where the service will take place, and sometimes on the military itself. What can you say about this? How is your Airborne contract?

Almost every army has special forces or special forces. The Russian Airborne Special Forces is a special regiment of the Airborne Forces, designed to perform various specific operations, which is part of the Russian airborne troops. The 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces in 2015 was renamed the 45th Separate Brigade of the Special Forces of the Airborne Forces.

The history of the appearance of the special forces of the Airborne Forces

In the days of the USSR, there were not only special forces, but also no specialized detachments. The first Russian special forces detachment appeared only in 1994. Although there were many legends about special forces in Soviet times, in fact, dangerous missions were carried out by airborne troops, and secret missions were mainly scouts and secret agents.

The 45th Special Forces Regiment of the Airborne Forces was formed in February 1994, specifically for the elimination of gangs in Chechnya. In 1995, when the entire regiment was withdrawn from Chechnya, he had already managed to show his effectiveness in battles.

In 1997, the 45th Special Forces Regiment took an active part in the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict, for which he received the Battle Banner and the Order of Kutuzov. With the resumption of hostilities in Chechnya from 1999 to 2006, the regiment's detachments actively participated in many military operations against terrorists and bandits.

Although the history of the special forces regiment of the Airborne Forces begins in 1994, he has already managed to cover himself with glory, since many of his fighters and officers are Heroes of the Russian Federation.

Weapons and equipment of the special forces of the Airborne Forces

Since the special forces of the Airborne Forces solve very specific and complex tasks, their weapons and equipment are of higher quality and more diverse than the standard weapons of the Airborne Forces units (which are already one of the best in the Russian army). Such weapons require huge funding. Soldiers of the special forces of the Airborne Forces often use such types of weapons that are practically inaccessible to other types of rifle troops.

Weapons that are most often used by special forces soldiers of the Airborne Forces:

SVD is a famous sniper rifle. Although this weapon is not something outstanding, many veterans of the special forces of the Airborne Forces are accustomed to using this particular model of a sniper rifle. From this rifle, some skilled snipers even managed to shoot down planes, hitting their pilot;
Currently, the SVD rifle is being replaced by the Vintorez, which is a silent model of a sniper rifle. A powerful "sniper" not only allows you to hit targets that are at considerable distances from the shooter, but is also capable of penetrating a modern steel helmet at a distance of up to 400 meters. The first combat use of the Vintorez sniper rifle was recorded in the first Chechen campaign. This weapon is in service only with units of the special forces of the Airborne Forces, other types of troops do not have access to this weapon;
The Steyr automatic rifle is also used by the special forces of the Airborne Forces. Although this weapon has a high price, its scope is quite wide. The Steyr rifle has the ability to install and use an underbarrel grenade launcher, which is often a necessity when performing special tasks. The use of such a combined weapon makes it possible to do without a regular grenade launcher, which can significantly reduce the mobility of a special forces group of the Airborne Forces performing a special task. Although the Steyr rifle has only recently appeared among the standard weapons of the special forces of the Airborne Forces, the fighters rightfully appreciated its reliability and versatility;
Silent automatic machine AS "Val" entered service in the days of the USSR. In the late 80s, they were recommended for use by special forces when performing various sabotage missions that require noiselessness and secrecy. AS "Val" is equipped with a sniper and night sight, and its transportation is most often carried out in a compact case. Assembly time and preparation of AS "Val" for firing takes no more than 1 minute;
The main assault rifle of the Russian army, the AK, is also used by special forces units of the Airborne Forces. True, these are not ordinary modifications that are used in the Russian army, but export models of the hundredth series. Most often, the special forces of the Airborne Forces use the AK-103, which, in addition to being of a better assembly, uses a caliber of 7.62 × 39 mm;
For sudden operations, for which it is impossible to take overall models of weapons, they most often take AK-74M, which have a folding butt, the ability to use a sight and an underbarrel grenade launcher. In some cases, special forces soldiers use a shortened model from the Kalashnikov line of small arms - AKS-74. At short distances, this model is practically not inferior in performance to standard Kalashnikov assault rifles;
Naturally, the most popular machine gun, both for the entire Russian army and for the special forces of the Airborne Forces, is the Kalashnikov machine gun. Developed back in the 60s of the 20th century, it still has not lost popularity. There are many variants of the PC, which are used both for infantry and for installation on combat vehicles. The special forces of the Airborne Forces use the latest modification of the Kalashnikov machine gun - PKM, which is distinguished by its lower weight and ease of use. There is also a "night" version of the modernized Kalashnikov machine gun, which is called PKMN;
A more modern model of a machine gun, which is in service with the special forces of the Airborne Forces, is the Pecheneg machine gun. This model is not just a modification of the PKM, but a really new model, the basis for the creation of which was the PKM. This machine gun is suitable not only for firing at enemy manpower, but also for destroying transport and even air targets. The Pecheneg machine gun is exported to the countries of the CIS and the East;
For hostage rescue operations, the AN-95 Abdukan assault rifle is used, which outwardly resembles a Kalashnikov assault rifle. Its main difference from the "Kalash" is the incredible accuracy and accuracy of shots. At a distance of 100 meters, an experienced sniper is able to hit the same point with two shots. In hostage rescue operations, people's lives often depend on the accuracy of the fighters involved in their rescue. The AN-95 "Abdukan" submachine gun is capable of significantly reducing the death rate of hostages in such operations, since a few accurate shots can quickly eliminate terrorists;
In addition to small arms, the special forces of the Airborne Forces often use grenades. The most common is the RPG-26. This type of rocket-propelled grenades, which were developed back in the mid-80s, still has not lost its relevance and is an effective tool for destroying enemy equipment and fortifications. Since the range of application of these grenades is very wide, they are used by different types of troops of the Russian Federation.

In addition to the above models of weapons, the special forces of the Airborne Forces receive the latest equipment, which are developed taking into account the specifics of the combat missions of the special forces.

The specifics of special forces

Since the fulfillment of the special tasks that are assigned to the special forces of the Airborne Forces requires specialized weapons, equipment and equipment, the funding that is allocated for the needs of the special forces differs significantly in a big way. The training of personnel is particularly thorough, and specialists are trained only in the best training centers, under the guidance of veteran instructors. In addition, joint international exercises are being carried out, in which the special forces of different countries exchange combat experience.

Service in the special forces of the Airborne Forces is carried out, as a rule, under a contract, which is concluded for at least 3 years. This is due to the fact that almost every special forces soldier is a highly qualified specialist in some field, and a huge amount is invested in him during training, and the departure of such a soldier can disrupt the entire well-established structure in the detachment, where each soldier clearly performs precisely his tasks. For example, having lost a mining specialist, the squad will spend much more time penetrating the militants' hideout, which can cost the life of the entire squad, as it will give the bandits the opportunity to prepare for the attack.

Tasks that the special forces of the Airborne Forces should solve

The main task of the special forces is the complete demoralization of the enemy. Suddenly appearing behind enemy lines, experienced fighters who have excellent training are able to cause significant damage to the enemy in a matter of minutes. Seeing how a small detachment easily copes with many times superior forces, the enemy loses faith in victory and easily turns into a panic. The task of the regular troops at this moment is to support the special forces and occupy the captured positions.

In addition, the special forces of the Airborne Forces are capable of conducting sabotage activities behind enemy lines, organizing resistance units and "poaching" the civilian population to their side. To this end, special forces units of the Airborne Forces not only undergo special psychological training, but also have mobile television stations capable of broadcasting within a radius of about 10 kilometers.

In peacetime, there is also a lot of work for the special forces of the Airborne Forces. In addition, Russian special forces annually take part in competitions that are held among the special forces of the leading countries of the world. Russian special forces constantly take first place, bypassing both the famous Green Berets and British special forces.

The training of the special forces of the Airborne Forces is still at its best, but every year it becomes more and more difficult to recruit recruits. There are enough applicants, but among them it is quite difficult to choose worthy ones. If earlier each applicant had a sports category (often even in several sports), now such recruits are quite rare.

How to get into the special forces of the Airborne Forces

Those applicants who want to get into the special forces of the Airborne Forces must already have served their military service and have high health indicators that are required for future special forces. After passing a medical examination, applicants are subjected to a variety of tests that should determine their mental health and readiness to serve in the special forces.

The most calm and balanced applicants are taken as snipers or sappers, the rest are distributed according to military professions according to temperament and psychological stability. Those applicants who have not passed the tests are offered service in other parts of the Russian army.

After the selection, exercises begin, which are passed by no more than 40 percent of applicants. If too few people remain after the exercises, the empty places are filled with the best fighters of the Airborne Forces, who have shown themselves excellently during their military service. Such a tough selection leads to the fact that after a year of training, the fighters are already experts in the use of various types of weapons and special devices. The best fighters of the special forces of the Airborne Forces are real universal soldiers, although almost every one of them knows any military profession better than others.

In the short time that the special forces of the Airborne Forces exist, its officers and fighters managed to take part in all the military conflicts in which Russia was drawn. Until now, the special forces of the Airborne Forces are the most elite soldiers of the army of the Russian Federation. Numerous medals and orders, which were awarded to the soldiers and officers of the special forces of the Airborne Forces, serve as a clear proof of this.

The Department of Special Operations (USO) of the Federal Grid Company took part in the assault on Grozny "in full force - 21 people"1, according to other sources - 22 people2, under the command of General Dmitry Mikhailovich Gerasimov. (FSK - this was the name of the reformed KGB-FSB in December 1994, and the USO included fighters of the Vympel group that was disbanded at that time)

The 45th Separate Reconnaissance Regiment of the Special Purpose of the Airborne Forces (45th Special Operations Regiment of the Special Forces of the Airborne Forces, military unit 28337), which was in the reserve of the Minister of Defense, included about 450 people.3 According to other sources, 400 people directly entered the city of Grozny.4
There is also information that in December 1994, "exactly half of the entire regiment" was involved in the protection of the "train of the Minister of Defense." And that, allegedly, there was an order “not to involve those who carry out security services on combat exits.”5 Thus, the number of people entering Grozny can vary greatly.

The regiment commander is Colonel Viktor Dmitrievich Kolygin, but in the territory of the Chechen Republic, his duties were performed by the chief of staff, Colonel Valery Nikolayevich Yuryev.6

Major Alexander Skobennikov from the 45th corps of the Special Forces of the Airborne Forces: "Our unit was divided into two detachments. The one in which I was was supposed to join the northern," Rokhlin "group."7 Unfortunately, it is not entirely clear what the author had in mind . Possibly two battalions of the regiment: 218th (military unit 48427) and 901 (military unit 23372).

According to Major Sergei Ivanovich Shavrin from the USO FSK: “We were left with about 20 people from the special operations department. Guys from the 45th reconnaissance regiment were supposed to work with us. to the center of Grozny, to the stadium.Further it was assumed that we would take Dudayev's palace in much the same way as in December 1979 they took Amin's palace.<...>We never flew to the center of Grozny. As they say, as above, so below. A terrible inconsistency in the actions of different branches of the armed forces was revealed. It turned out that the helicopters could not take off, because one helicopter pilot had not yet had lunch, the other had not yet refueled, and the third was on duty at all. As a result, already January 1 at 00 hours 10 minutes we were given the order: "By cars!" - the city was to be entered by land.<...>By the evening of that day, having already entered the city with a tank column, we learned from our scouts that by the time of that failed landing, the stadium planned as a springboard for it was full of well-armed and at the same time obeying no one people: it was on December 31 that the weapons available in the warehouses were distributed there without restriction to everyone who wanted to defend "free Ichkeria". So our three helicopters, most likely, would have burned over this stadium. "8

January 1, 1995

Major Shavrin from the USO FSK: "On New Year's Eve on an armored personnel carrier, we marched to the Tolstoy-Yurt area and entered Grozny. I remember that our column moved to 0.10 minutes on the first of January."9

Major Skobennikov: “In Tolstoy-Yurt, we were assured that the route of our movement was absolutely safe and controlled by ours, we could move in a marching column. We entered, indeed, quite calmly. However, as it turned out, this part of the city was not controlled by anyone. - that's for sure."

Major Shavrin: "The departure was unsuccessful. The conductor from the corps, for some unknown reason, pressed the gas and disappeared around the corner, and we went along Khmelnitsky street, on Pervomayskaya and rolled out almost to the city center. They realized that they had gone the wrong way, they began to turn around and on Khmelnitsky Square (probably Ordzhonikidze Square) they were fired from a nine-story building. The grenade hit the last BTEER, several people were injured. But the group was taken out without loss. "12 (judging by the fact that the next day 16 people from the USO FSK entered the city, there were 5 or 6 wounded)

Major Skobennikov: “While the column was turning around on one of our armored personnel carriers, a grenade launcher was fired from somewhere on the upper floors. We responded with a flurry of fire. The soldiers examined the surrounding buildings, they did not find anyone. It turned out that the armored personnel carrier was damaged, and two of our guys were seriously injured. New attempts to get in touch again were unsuccessful. We decided to return to Tolstoy-Yurt, spend the night, find a more intelligent guide and move to the city again at dawn. "13

January 2, 1995

Major Shavrin: " Since morning go again. We are 16 people, led by the head of intelligence of the Airborne Forces (Colonel Pavel Yakovlevich Popovskikh)."14

Meanwhile, in ten o'clock in the morning on January 2 the command post (8 guards. AK) settled in the basement of the plant. "15

Major Skobennikov: " In the morning moved to the city on the same route.<...>After some time, our convoy was overtaken by cars with medicines. They also went to the cannery and knew the way. We went together, but did not break at random. The soldiers dismounted, walked along the sidewalks, looking at the neighboring windows. Already on the way to the plant, we had to engage in a short battle with the militants who did not have time to withdraw from this area. They arrived, however, without loss.

From the description of the actions of the battalion under the command of Major Nikolai Sergeevich Nikulnikov: "Nikulnikov's battalion enters Grozny. It is located in one of the buildings of the former cannery. It would seem that ours are already there. patrols, combat guards, reconnaissance.The commander of the motorized riflemen, who traveled with him to Grozny, opened his mouth when he saw how the landing groups made their way through the "peaceful open" area - where by crawling, where by dashes, from cover to cover. "17 (interestingly) , what division of motorized rifles are we talking about? 74th brigade?)

In the documentary film by A. Lyubimov "Chechnya. The Beginning of the War" there is a video recording of Captain Igor Dementyev, filmed at a cannery. From the comments of senior lieutenant Vladimir Palkin it follows that the consolidated column in 13:35 was in a cannery. (Major Andrei Anatolyevich Nepryakhin and Senior Lieutenant Sergei Nikolayevich Romashenko were present in the frame, both from 218 about SpN18)

Major Shavrin: "Soon they appeared before General Rokhlin, reported.<...>The commander entrusted us with a difficult task: to ensure the safety of the column routes along which military equipment and troops advanced. This is Lermontovskaya street ( Lermontov). There, on the one hand, there are houses, the private sector, and on the other, high-rise buildings. The militants in groups of 5-6 people made their way into the houses and fired at the columns. And the street is completely crammed with military vehicles, tankers, vehicles with ammunition. In general, every shot is a hit and great damage, losses. "19

According to Major Shavrin, the USO FSK also cleared the street. B. Khmelnitsky, though without a date: “There were high-rise buildings on Bogdan Khmelnitsky Avenue - our petrochemists lived there: also Russians, Ukrainians, Tatars - the Soviet Union, in general. During the assault, the streets were deserted: some left, some hid in the basements. And this house also seemed to be empty. We cleared it out."20

It is likely that from that moment on, the 45th corps of the Special Forces of the Airborne Forces began to operate in two different directions, because. in the words of Major Skobennikov: "We were given a different task: to release, together with SOBR, from Dudayev's Petropavlovsk highway. For work, we chose night time, darkness, as you know, is a friend of the special forces. Technically, it looked something like this: all day long we watched the quarter that was to be "cleaned up", tracking every smallest detail. At night, sappers were the first to advance, remove Chechen "stretch marks" and set up their own, blocking the possible retreat routes of the Dudaevites and the routes of reinforcements. Then the group imperceptibly seeped into the building, most often through some kind of "abnormal" hole, like a hole in the wall. They calmed down for a while, trying to determine the location of the militants by the sounds, then slowly began to move, destroying the "spirits" with the help of silent and cold weapons.<...>. Most often, with the help of silent weapons, the matter ended. If required, then grenades and everything else were used, according to the full program. Behind two nights we cleared Petropavlovka." (night of 2/3 and 3/4 January)

According to Major Shavrin, it was the joint groups that cleared the street. Lermontova: “From our joint team with the special forces paratroopers, we formed four groups and cleared the bandits from the quarter. We set up ambushes, when militants were found, they went into battle. run away... They soon realized that there were ambushes, there were special forces, it was not safe there. And the bandit raids stopped. Several blocks along the road were free. "21

Major Skobennikov: “Sometimes they fired at their own even after a warning, as happened on Lermontov Street. We notified everyone that we would work. We advised not to meddle in our place under any circumstances. Here, out of nowhere, a tank - the explosion of its shell blew half the house. One of our fighters died, one was wounded, another shell-shocked.

Major Shavrin: “How many lives we have saved! We are the scouts of the 45th regiment. After all, the Chechens didn’t fight at night. They didn’t have night vision devices.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

1 Mikhailov A. Chechen wheel. M., 2002. S. 71.
2 Boltunov M. Everyone has their own war... // Fact. 2002. No. 3. January 18. (http://www.mosoblpress.ru/balashiha/show.shtml?d_id=915)
3 Maksimov A., Shurygin V. VDV. Chechnya. Nobody except us. M., 2004. S. 189.
4 Shurygin V. Give Argun, give Shali! // Tomorrow. 1999. December 14. (http://zavtra.ru/cgi/veil/data/zavtra/99/315/21.html)
5 Shurygin V. Chechnya. War. "Spetsnaz" // Maksimov A., Shurygin V. Airborne Forces. Chechnya. Nobody except us. M., 2004. S. 211.
6 Shurygin V. Give Argun, give Shali! // Tomorrow. 1999. December 14.
7 Skobennikov A. Grozny Sacrifice // Soldier of Fortune. 1999. No. 5. (http://www.duel.ru/199928/?28_6_1)
8 Dobromyslova O. Mission Impossible // Rossiyskaya Gazeta. 2005. December 16. (http://www.rg.ru/2005/12/16/chechnya.html)
9 Boltunov M. Everyone has their own war... // Fact. 2002. No. 3. January 18.
10 Skobennikov A. Grozny Sacrifice // Soldier of Fortune. 1999. No. 5.
11 Skobennikov A. Betrayed and killed // Russian House. 1999. No. 3. (http://rd.rusk.ru/99/rd3/home3_4.htm)
12 Boltunov M. Everyone has their own war... // Fact. 2002. No. 3. January 18.
13 Skobennikov A. Grozny Sacrifice // Soldier of Fortune. 1999. No. 5.
14 Boltunov M. Everyone has their own war... // Fact. 2002. No. 3. January 18.
15 Antipov A. Lev Rokhlin. The Life and Death of a General. M., 1998. S. 155.
16 Skobennikov A. Grozny Sacrifice // Soldier of Fortune. 1999. No. 5.
17 Popov V. Professional // Gudok. 2002. December 12.
18 Lyubimov A. "Chechnya. The beginning of the war" - documentary footage filmed by servicemen of the Russian Army
19 Boltunov M. Everyone has their own war... // Fact. 2002. No. 3. January 18.
20 Dobromyslova O. Mission Impossible // Rossiyskaya Gazeta. 2005. December 16.
21 Boltunov M. Everyone has their own war... // Fact. 2002. No. 3. January 18.
22 Skobennikov A. Grozny Sacrifice // Soldier of Fortune. 1999. No. 5.
23 Airborne Troops of Russia. M., 2005. S. 378.
24 Dobromyslova O. Mission Impossible // Rossiyskaya Gazeta. 2005. December 16.

(to be continued...)