45th Guards Spetsnaz Brigade
45th Guards Special Purpose Detached Brigade | |
---|---|
Special Operations Direct Action | |
Size | Brigade (4 battalions) |
Part of | GRU (operational subordination) |
Garrison/HQ | Kubinka, Moscow Oblast |
Motto(s) | Побеждает сильнейший (The strongest wins) |
Mascot(s) | Wolf |
Engagements |
|
Decorations | |
Commanders | |
Current commander | Col. HoRF Vadim Pankov |
Notable commanders | Lt. Col. HoRF Anatoly Lebed |
The 45th
Their main role is reconnaissance behind enemy lines. They may also conduct kinetic operations against command and control posts and headquarters, and assassination of political or military leaders.[4]
Creation
The unit was created in 1994, as a regiment comprising the 901st Air-Assault Battalion and the 218th Spetsnaz Battalion of the
The regiment was composed of two special purpose battalions and equipped with 15 BTR-80 and 1 BTR-D:
- 218th Battalion was formed in 1992 and is based in Moscow-Sokolniki;[5]
- 901st Battalion was formed on November 20, 1979.[6]
In 2016, the regiment was upgraded to a brigade and its Spetsnaz companies were tripled from six to eighteen, increasing the capability of the unit from two operational areas to three.[7] The unit is part of the Russian Airborne Forces[8] and directly subordinate to VDV Headquarters. However, it is operationally also subordinate to the GRU.[9]
History
The brigade was formed on the basis of two battalions, each of which had a history of establishment and development. With an initial strength of 800 highly qualified personnel, the unit had especially powerful special reconnaissance capabilities and innovations, including unmanned surveillance aircraft and tailored psychological warfare assets. Almost all of its officers were “prepared in the GRU spetsnaz system”.[10]
The 901st battalion was formed on November 20, 1979, on the territory of the
War in Abkhazia (1992–93)
In 1993, during the
In October 1993, the battalion was relocated from the city of Sukhumi to the Moscow region, where in February the following year it was transformed into the 901st Special Purpose Battalion. With the beginning of the formation of the Special Purpose Regiment, the battalion was included in its composition.
The 218th Battalion of Special Forces Airborne Troops was formed July 25, 1992.
Chechen Wars and North Caucasus insurgency
Active use of this battalion in solving special tasks in various conflicts showed the need to build other special forces with similar tasks in the airborne troops and their integration in the regiment. By July 1994, the regiment was fully formed, staffed with personnel, equipment and proceeded to battle school. December 2, 1994, the regiment traveled to the
By March 15, 1995, the consolidated unit the regiment newly arrived in Chechnya, continuing to carry out combat missions until June 13, 1995. By Decree of the
From February to May 1997, the consolidated unit the regiment took part in the peacekeeping mission in the zone of separation of Georgian and Abkhaz armed forces in the town of Gudauta. On July 26, 1997, the regiment was given the battle flag and charter of the 5th Guards Mukachevo Order of Kutuzov 2nd class Airborne Rifle Regiment of the 2nd Guards Airborne Division, which had been disbanded on June 27, 1945, in order to provide historical continuity from the airborne units of World War II.[11]
From September 12, the Regiment took part in special reconnaissance and anti-terrorist operations in the North Caucasus.
Russo-Ukrainian War
Masked troops, allegedly of the Russian 45th Regiment, were operating in
- "We have identified those persons who are now in Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. They represent a unit of the 45th Regiment "Kupyanka −1", which is housed near Moscow. This unit is now operating in the territory of Ukraine."[citation needed]
This followed an analysis published the preceding month by the Finnish magazine
In January 2022, elements of the brigade were reportedly deployed to Belarus during the prelude to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[13] On 24 February 2022 elements of the 45th assaulted Hostomel airport (Antonov),[14] but advanced no further toward Kyiv.[15] It withdrew from Hostomel airport to Belarus or Russia before 2 April 2022.[15]
In June 2023 the brigade was one of the units manning fortifications south of Mala Tokmachka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. They were present during the defence of initial Ukrainian probing attacks.[16]
Training with U.S. Special Forces
In May 2012, 22 soldiers from the 45th visited Fort Carson, Colorado. While there the 22 soldiers received some training from the US 10th Special Forces Group. The soldiers from the Brigade received courses on operating certain American weapons and becoming familiar with certain American Special Forces tactics. Emphasis was placed on reconnaissance, mountain insertion, destroying terrorist camps, and demolitions.[17][failed verification]
Public relations of the Brigade
The regiment has staged youth competitions for militarily applicable sports among military patriotic clubs. At different celebrations in Moscow and the Moscow region, it held demonstrations and skydiving performances by paratroopers, with commandos demonstrating hand-to-hand fighting. Every year since 1995, a special operations group, formed on the basis of the regiment, takes part in the international competition among special forces from the United States, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Greece, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria and Russia, held in Bulgaria on the
Decorated servicemen
Five military personnel from the regiment have been awarded the title Hero of the Russian Federation. Others awarded with orders and medals include:[10]
- The Order of Courage – 79
- The Order of Military Merit – 17
- The Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" – 3
- The Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 2nd class with swords – 10
- The Medal "For Courage" – 174
- The Medal of Suvorov – 166
- The Medal of Zhukov – 7
See also
- List of special forces units
References
- ^ "45th Special Purpose Regiment". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
- ^ Тiнько, Оксана (2014-10-13). "A Detachment of the 45th Guards Spetsnaz Regiment Identified along the Border with Ukraine". InformNapalm.org (English). Retrieved 2023-09-11.
- ^ "The VDV's 45th Spetsnaz Brigade". Russian Defense Policy. 2015-11-15. Retrieved 2023-09-11.
- ^ Konrad, Muzyka (2021-07-01). "Russian Forces in the Western Military District" (PDF). Rochan Consulting. pp. 28–29. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
- ^ a b "Airborne Troops (VDV)". Russian Military Analysis. 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
- ^ "45-й гвардейский отдельный разведывательный полк ВДВ" [45th Guards Detached Reconnaissance Regiment of the VDV]. bratishka.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 15 February 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
- ISBN 9781351018524.
- ^ "Структура ВДВ" [The structure of the VDV]. bratishka.ru (in Russian). 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
- ^ "Numeration and history of units". History of Soviet Spetsnaz (in Russian). Archived from the original on February 16, 2012.
- ^ a b "45 отдельный полк специального назначения ВДВ (45 гв. ОП СпН ВДВ)" [45 Detached Regiment of Special Purpose VDV (45 GW. OP Spetsnaz VDV)]. spec-naz.org (in Russian). Retrieved 18 November 2015.
- ^ "45-я отдельная гвардейская орденов Кутузова и Александра Невского бригада специального назначения ВДВ". structure.mil.ru. Retrieved 2019-03-20.
- ^ Pulkki, Arto (3 March 2014). "Crimea Invaded By High Readiness Forces of the Russian Federation". Suomen Sotilas (Soldier of Finland). Archived from the original on 30 March 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
With a very high probability we argue that these troops are the 45th Guards Separate Reconnaissance Regiment of VDV (Russian: 45-й гвардейский отдельный разведывательный ордена Александра Невского полк ВДВ), Kubinka, Moscow
- ^ "Rondeli Russian Military Digest: Issue 118, 24 January - 30 January 2022".
- ^ Burns, Robert (8 April 2022). Russia's failure to take down Kyiv was a defeat for the ages. AP News.
- ^ a b Nation World News Desk Russian forces withdraw from Antonov airport outside Kiev, confirming satellite images
- ^ Axe, David (9 June 2023). "The Ukrainian army lost Bradley fighting vehicles and a Leopard 2 tank trying and failing to breach Russian defenses in southern Ukraine". Forbes.
- ^ "US, Russian soldiers train together in Colorado". Fox News. 26 March 2015.
- ^ "В Москве большой совет держали главы военных ведомств СНГ". Российская газета (in Russian). 14 April 2010. Retrieved 2020-07-08.
- ^ "Армейский сворник июнь 2010" (PDF). sc.mil.ru. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 September 2017.