Rapid Response Squad. Special Rapid Response Squad
Since 2004, November 9 has been celebrated as SOBR Day. The history of the police special forces begins in 1978, when, on the eve of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, the first special police unit was created, which was included in the structure of the Organized Crime Control Department, and in 1992, special rapid response units were formed under the regional Organized Crime Control Department - SOBR. In 2002, according to the order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, SOBRs were reorganized into special police units (OMSN), and in 2012 the units again received their former name - SOBR MVD.
The main task of the SOBR of Russia is to combat various manifestations of organized crime in various ways and types, however, due to the turbulent domestic political situation in the North Caucasus region, special rapid reaction units successfully participated in military operations. SOBR operations in Dagestan, as well as SOBR operations in Chechnya, were distinguished by high precision and well-planned actions. Only officers serve in SOBR.
SOBR "Lynx"
The detachment was created in 1992, on February 10, in Moscow, as a department of tactical operations, its initial staff consisted of only 9 people, and in 1993 it was reorganized into a special rapid reaction detachment. Acting as an operational-combat unit, the SOBR fighters not only provided force support, their task included the development of various operations, often employees of the SOBR of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs infiltrated criminal groups.
SOBR officers work with extreme rigidity. Even in those "dashing" 90s, when Russia was literally overwhelmed by rampant criminal gangs, they were feared like the plague in criminal circles.
The fighters of the SOBR "Lynx" also had a chance to visit hot spots. In 1993, SOBR members received a baptism of fire in the conflict zone between Ossetians and Ingush in the Prigorodny district of North Ossetia. Further, from 1994 to the present, SOBR "Lynx" fighters took part in almost all major operations in the North Caucasus, including the First and Second Chechen campaigns.
To date, SOBR "Lynx" constantly performs operational - combat missions both in Moscow and in other regions of Russia. Crime has not decreased, but its nature has changed, and with it the approach of the SOBR of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia to the development and planning of operations, which is why the detachment is constantly working to collect, analyze and summarize all kinds of information on the conduct of special operations both in Russia and abroad.
In our online military store Voenpro you can always buy which will be a great gift for SOBR Day.
SOBR "Bulat"
SOBR "Bulat" was formed in 1993, on January 1, under the Main Organized Crime Control Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Moscow Region. The location of SOBR "Bulat" is the city of Dolgoprudny. Since that time, not a single major special operation to identify and detain criminal groups is complete without the unit's employees.
However, the internal political situation in the country imposes its own adjustments on the use of SOBRs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Only in the period from 1996 to 1996, the personnel of the SOBR "Bulat" eight times visited the "hot" spots in the North Caucasus. Employees of the SOBR "Bulat" and the Second Chechen Company distinguished themselves. More than once they had to participate in the elimination of militant gangs, both independently and with other special forces.
The present day of SOBR "Bulat" is operations to neutralize members of criminal groups, power support for police officers in operational search activities, the fight against terrorists of various spills, and the suppression of the activities of drug dealers and arms dealers. In addition, part of the personnel of SOBR "Bulat" performs special tasks in the North Caucasus region.
Internet Voentorg Voenpro offers to buy design development.
SOBR "Granite"
SOBR "Granit" was formed in 1993, on March 14. The location of the SOBR of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia "Granit" is St. Petersburg. Over the years of its existence SOBR GU MVD "Granit" performed various tasks in the power support of employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the release of hostages, the neutralization of terrorists. The SOBR fighters gained a lot of experience during special operations in the North Caucasus - SOBR soldiers visited Chechnya alone more than 60 times. The accumulation of experience is also facilitated by joint exercises with special forces of foreign states.
Last year, 2013, SOBR “Granite” celebrated its 20th anniversary. On the Day of the holiday in honor of the SOBR fighters, a cannon shot was fired from the walls of the Peter and Paul Fortress at exactly noon.
By the Day of the SOBR, the Internet Voentorg Voenpro offers you to buy an exclusive flag of the SOBR "Granite".
SOBR "Viking"
SOBR "Viking" stationed in Kaliningrad was formed in 1993. The specificity of the work of this detachment of the SOBR of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia lies in the location of the Kaliningrad region, which is surrounded by foreign states. Thanks to the clear actions of the personnel of the SOBR of the GU MVD "Viking", over the years of the unit's existence, many criminal groups were identified and neutralized, carrying out the transportation of smuggled goods through the territory of the region, arms and drug dealers. More than once SOBR "Viking" fighters visited the North Caucasus region.
Among the assortment of flags of various law enforcement agencies in the Voenpro Internet military department, you will find and.
SOBR "Vector"
The Volgograd SOBR "Vector", which also celebrated its 20th anniversary this year, 2013, in addition to its immediate duties - the fight against organized crime and anti-terrorist operations, pays great attention to educational and patriotic work with youth. For the fifth year already, on the basis of a special rapid reaction detachment, an interregional mobile military-applied sports camp “I have the honor! Vector of Courage", and in August, the military-historical camp "Stalingrad - the Frontier of Soldier's Glory" opens on the basis of the Vector SOBR.
SOBR fighters are preparing an extensive program for the opening of the camps, which includes shooting, training in hand-to-hand combat, a five-kilometer forced march, and disembarkation from the special equipment of the SOBR of the Ministry of Internal Affairs "Vector". The opening takes place in a solemn atmosphere on Mamaev Kurgan.
On the Days of Youth Camps in the city, you can see demonstration performances of SOBR fighters.
Only in the Voenpro military store you can buy design development.
SOBR "Thunder"
The special rapid response detachment "Thunder" of the Republic of Chuvashia, with a location in the city of Cheboksary, was formed in March 1993. To date, SOBR of the Ministry of Internal Affairs "Thunder" has carried out many special operations to neutralize criminal groups on the territory of the republic.
More than a dozen different personnel of the Grom SOBR went on business trips to the North Caucasus; in 1995, near Gudermes, SOBR fighters were surrounded for more than ten days, holding the defense in the building of an abandoned cold storage facility. Almost all employees of SOBR "Grom" have been combat-hardened in "hot" spots, have state awards.
On the eve of SOBR Day, you can buy only in the Voenpro online military department.
SOBR "Star"
Formed in 1993 by SOBR "Zvezda", stationed in the city of Saransk (Mordovia), fellow countrymen are not in vain proud of. In November 1995, part of the personnel of the SOBR of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Saransk, having gone on a planned business trip to the North Caucasus, almost immediately fell into the thick of the fighting near Gudermes. As part of the combined SOBR detachment of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, SOBR Zvezda fighters repelled fierce attacks by militants for more than a month. All of them were awarded the Order of Courage.
The present day of SOBR "Zvezda" is the fulfillment of tasks for its intended purpose - the fight against organized crime on the territory of the republic, and the constant improvement of combat training.
Our Voentorg Voenpro brings to your attention design development.
SOBR "Sable"
Employees of SOBR "Sobol", formed in 1993 in the Republic of Udmurtia with a location in Izhevsk, from the very first days of its existence, began to carry out active measures to detain members of criminal groups. One of the main operations of the Udmurt SOBR of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in the early 90s of the twentieth century was the arrest of a gang that killed the 1st Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of the republic along with his family.
The personnel of SOBR "Sobol" took part in the First and Second Chechen campaigns, participated in the storming of Dudayev's Palace in Grozny.
To date, SOBR fighters of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Udmurtia, replacing each other, go on scheduled business trips to the North Caucasus region. It was from the call sign used by the detachment in hot spots that the name of the detachment came from - "Sable".
The SOBR flag "Sable" offered by the military trade agency Voenpro is an excellent gift for SOBR Day.
SOBR "Phoenix"
On account of the Lipetsk SOBR of the Ministry of Internal Affairs "Phoenix", formed in April 1993, several dozens of successfully conducted special operations to free hostages and detain especially dangerous criminals.
Since the end of 1994, the Lipetsk SOBR has been in Chechnya. The personnel of the SOBR "Phoenix" participated in the battles against the gangs of Gelaev, Basaev, Khattab. In 1996, as part of a combined detachment of SOBRs of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Fenikovskys were surrounded on Minutka Square in Grozny. In that unequal battle, every tenth of the three hundred Russian SOBR soldiers died, including two fighters of the Phoenix SOBR of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. To date, SOBR "Phoenix" continues to carry out special tasks in the North Caucasus, together with the FSB special forces.
Well, in the Lipetsk region, despite the calm situation, the fighters of the Phoenix SOBR are always on the alert, and at any moment they are ready to leave to detain especially dangerous criminal elements. And, of course, part of the daily life of the SOBR in 2013 is constant exercises, often in conjunction with special forces of other structures.
In our online military store Voenpro you can buy the Phoenix SOBR flag.
SOBR "Elbrus"
SOBR "Elbrus", stationed in Nalchik (Kabardino - Balkaria) was created in 1993, on January 18. Due to the tense situation in the region, the SOBR of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs "Elbrus" from the very first days of its creation had to literally join the battle. The increased frequency of hostage-taking in the region, the increased turnover of trade in weapons, ammunition and explosives, the emergence of a large number of bandit formations - the newly created SOBR of the Ministry of Internal Affairs had to deal with all this.
The personnel of the SOBR of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia "Elbrus" took part in all operations in the North Caucasus, in October 2005, the SOBR fighters repelled the attack of militants on Nalchik.
An excellent gift for SOBR Day will be.
SWAT Day
SOBR Day, along with the unit's birthday, is one of the main holidays of Russia's special rapid response units. On SOBR Day, officers of units receive congratulations; on SOBR Day, veterans are honored. Specially distinguished fighters of the SOBR on the day of the holiday are awarded state awards and memorable gifts. Also on SOBR Day, honors are given to the fallen soldiers.
For the celebration of SOBR Day, the units are preparing in advance, festive events are planned with special care. At the beginning of SOBR Day in all units there is an obligatory solemn part, after which, as a rule, a festive concert.
The online military department Voenpro congratulates you on the holiday of the SOBR Day, and offers a variety of gifts for the SOBR Day.
SOBR (Special Rapid Response Detachment) - federal and regional special units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, which were regularly (until 2003) part of the departments for combating organized crime of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (subdivisions of more than 200 people since the late 1990s were called detachments). In 2002, SOBR detachments were transformed into OMSN (Special Purpose Police Detachment). On November 30, 2011, by order of the Minister of Internal Affairs Rashid Nurgaliyev, the special police units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs were again officially referred to as special rapid reaction units.
The main task of SOBRs is the fight against organized crime. However, due to the change in the internal political situation, SOBRs were successfully used, including in military operations conducted in the North Caucasus region.
Story
The first special unit in the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (police) was the OMSN GUVD in Moscow. The OMSN was formed on November 9, 1978. At that time, preparations were underway in Moscow for the Olympics, and the failure of the German police operation to free Israeli hostages during the Munich Olympics showed how destructive the actions of amateurs can be where professionals should act.
On February 10, 1992, a department of tactical operations was created as part of the Main Directorate for Organized Crime (GUOP) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. In the fall of 1992, by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation, the tactical operations department was renamed the Special Rapid Response Squad (SOBR).
In September 2002, by order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, SOBR were renamed into special police units (OMSN).
As of 2009, the total strength of the SOBR was 5,200 people in 87 detachments.
In 2011, in connection with the reform of the internal affairs bodies, and the renaming of the "militia" into the "police", the units of the OMSN were renamed OSN (special forces).
In 2012, the name SOBR (special rapid response units) was returned to all OSN units.
Quantitatively, the composition of SOBRs is determined by the tasks and the region of deployment. The selection is carried out in many stages and quite strictly, with many dropout criteria, which determines the qualitative composition of this unit (as a rule, these are young people who have served in the Armed Forces and have a higher education).
Tasks and functions
The training of employees in SOBR, unlike other special units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, is of a pronounced individual character. There are a lot of specialists in various areas of application, but interchangeability is at the forefront. The emphasis of training is on working against an armed criminal in the city (with a working distance of up to 100 m) and in transport, however, SOBRs were successfully used in almost any conditions (forest, mountains, steppes). Much attention is paid to physical and psychological preparation.
In the TFR, SOBRs have been successfully used not only in cooperation with the regular power formations of Russia, but also in certain areas, they have shown excellent results in the Chechen campaigns in the first echelons.
SOBR is constantly training by making mock captures of houses (using climbing equipment), cars and even aircraft. Their training is not inferior to the training of the Alpha special forces.
Differences from OMON
SOBR differs from OMON in the organizational and staffing structure and the nature of the tasks performed. Unlike riot police, all SOBR officers have special ranks of a police officer. Prior to the reform of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in 2011, when the police were divided into MOB (public security police) and KM (criminal police), OMON was a division of the MOB and reported to the head of the MOB, while SOBR was a division of the KM and reported directly to the head of the Central Internal Affairs Directorate or his deputy.
SOBR, unlike OMON, does not solve problems:
- ensuring the protection of public order, including:
- in places with a complex criminal situation,
- when holding mass events,
- in case of emergencies,
- suppression of group hooligan manifestations and riots.
Documentary "We are called SPETSNAZ" (watch online)
Soon will celebrate a big anniversary - forty years! - one of the oldest special forces in Russia - SOBR of the Special Purpose Center (TsSN) of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the city of Moscow.
Most of those who have anything to do with law enforcement agencies know this detachment by its most famous name - OMSN, that is, a special police detachment.
The unit became the first special forces detachment in the structure of the then Soviet police, and in fact it was in its image and likeness that all other police special forces in Russia were subsequently created.
STORY
The Moscow SOBR was formed on November 9, 1978. Prior to this, the police did not have a unit capable of performing special tasks. In case of emergency, there was a so-called freelance group in the Moscow police department - employees of this formation were involved in the service during especially important events: ensuring security during the celebration of the November and May holidays, holding congresses of the CPSU and other events of national importance.
Also, the employees of this group were involved in the event of any emergency. In the 1970s, a series of terrorist attacks took place in the world, which forced a much closer look at the problems of ensuring the security of the state and its citizens. In addition, in 1980, one of the most significant events for the country, the Olympic Games, was to be held in Moscow.
As a result, a special-purpose unit was created under the Moscow City Executive Committee, which was to work at the Olympics and ensure the protection of the Olympic flame.
The employees of the new detachment had the high honor of accompanying the Olympic flame from the border with Romania through the territory of the USSR, and also during the entire Olympics to be on duty around the clock at many Olympic venues.
They selected the best of the best. The requirements for the first special forces were, as never before, high - after all, it is doubly difficult to start! For the first time in the structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, complex psychological and physical tests were introduced. There was no other way - the highest responsibility was assigned to the detachment. Future special forces officers were required to have sports titles or ranks in some kind of military applied sports. In some ways, the selection was reminiscent of testing in the part of the Airborne Forces and army special forces.
At that time, no methods for preparing personnel for performing special tasks had yet been developed, army developments were not entirely applicable to the specifics of the work of police special forces. And the KGB special forces were so secret at that time that very few people even knew about its existence - there was no question of any exchange of experience. As a result, the officers of the detachment had to work out everything practically from scratch.
After the end of the Olympics, the question arose - what to do with the unit next. On the one hand, they created it to work at the Olympic Games themselves, and no one thought about how to use it after the end of the event. On the other hand, the officers of the detachment showed themselves to be high-level professionals and did an excellent job with the tasks assigned to them - of course, the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs did not want to lose such a combat-ready unit, which has no analogues.
The fate of the unit was decided by life itself. In 1981, a girl was taken hostage in Moscow, and since only special forces had any experience in performing special tasks, they were involved in the liberation operation. The team members worked well and efficiently. The operation completed successfully.
After that, it became clear that there was still work for the police special forces, and he was regularly subordinated to the Criminal Investigation Department of the Central Internal Affairs Directorate for Moscow. True, initially the detachment was called not OMSN, but OMON, and in addition to special tasks, the unit also performed the functions of a public security police, participating in the suppression of riots.
Over time, it became more and more difficult for the special forces to cope with these functions - troubled times came in the country, massive and infamous miners' strikes began, so there were simply not enough squad members for everything. Then the Ministry of Internal Affairs decided to reform the PPS regiment into OMON and entrust this unit with the task of combating riots. Thus, in Moscow at one time there were two riot police at once, which the officers themselves called Big and Little.
In 1989, the detachment was assigned an abbreviation, which was assigned to it for a long time. According to her, the unit became most famous - the Special Police Detachment (OMSN). With this name, the detachment worked until 2011, when, in connection with the reform of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, all police special forces were renamed Special Forces Detachments (OSN).
In the same period, the unit structurally became part of the newly formed Special Purpose Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for Moscow.
In 2012, all police special forces detachments were given a common designation - SOBR, that is, a special rapid response detachment. With this name, the division is currently working.
COMBAT WORK
The main tasks of the detachment are the detention of armed and especially dangerous criminals, recidivists, the destruction of bandit groups, and the release of hostages.
The detachment works in the interests of the Moscow Criminal Investigation Department and other services of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for Moscow, implementing the information received by operational officers and carrying out the forceful detention of criminals.
The unit is a reserve of the Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.
Hundreds of successfully conducted operations are on the account of the detachment's employees. Practically not a single military operation in the Moscow region is complete without the participation of officers of the Moscow SOBR.
Many of the operations carried out by the detachment have become widely known due to their resonance. Thus, the detention of criminals who attacked collectors at the Molodyozhny store received wide publicity. The group was heavily armed and had several kills on its conscience. It was possible to detain all members of the gang only after a full-scale search operation was carried out, which was carried out by the members of the detachment.
Since SWAT is an operational-combat unit, the officers of the squad often have to work undercover, using a wide variety of legends. In the 1980s, a gang of drug addicts worked in Moscow, who called an ambulance on a false occasion and then robbed doctors, taking all the medicines.
In one of these calls, an ambulance brigade came to resourceful businessmen, who, instead of medicines, brought handcuffs with them, which they put on the criminals. Another high-profile operation was carried out by Moscow special forces in 1983 at the Vnukovo airport, where criminals were detained carrying almost 2.5 million Soviet rubles - in the USSR it was just an astronomical amount.
One of the milestones in the history of the detachment, of course, was the “dashing nineties” - crime at that moment was at its peak, so to speak, almost not a single trip could do without forceful detention. Then all the detachments of the country had to work - there were no calm areas on the map of Russia. The main "contingent" then, of course, were various organized crime groups.
On account of the Moscow detachment, there is an impressive list of gangs, the “career” of which the Sobrovites completed forever. There was enough work for the special forces in the new millennium. The forces of the detachment detained the killer of Solonik. The Sobrovites worked meticulously in the very center of Moscow, when hostages were taken in a jewelry store on Tverskaya.
Another resonant operation to free the hostages was carried out on Frunzenskaya Embankment. The Moscow detachment caught the kidnapper of Kaspersky's son.
More recently, at the end of 2014, together with colleagues from other units, the Sobrovites neutralized members of the infamous “GTA gang”, which terrified the entire Moscow region.
Since 2003, one of the combat units of the detachment has been constantly on a business trip in the North Caucasus. In the region, the detachment performs the tasks of combating the gangster underground and the destruction of illegal gangs.
Starting from the first business trips, the Moscow SOBR demonstrated the highest efficiency of its work. Each SOBR branch spends three months on a business trip, on average, two or three trips every day. Before being sent to the Caucasus, the departing branch conducts a field trip with the implementation of training tasks in orienteering, camp equipment, search and destruction of conditional criminals - the main emphasis is on working in mountainous and wooded areas.
UNINVENTED HEROES
Only officers serve in the detachment, and a Russian officer is not only a willingness to give his life “for his friends” and the Fatherland, but also a very special internal culture. Culture is in everything - in communication, in behavior, in deeds.
A special forces officer will never act meanly, will always help a comrade and will never allow evil to happen. That's every team member.
SOBR officers are people of a very special formation. No, they are not supermen, not aliens. Anyone who is accustomed to movie stereotypes will most likely walk past one of them on the street and not even suspect that he is a special forces officer in front of him.
A commando is an athletic, fit man between the ages of 25 and 40. An open and smiling person with an extremely positive outlook on life. And he is always calm. Olympic calm! Because calmness is a sign of a truly strong person. And these guys are really strong, because in their work you have to be, literally, forged from steel!
SELECTION TO THE SQUAD
The requirements for those who want to become an officer of the Moscow SOBR have not changed much since the formation of the detachment. They just got tougher. Candidates are also required to have the highest level of physical fitness and sports titles not lower than a candidate for master of sports in any martial art or military applied sport.
Most of those who serve in the detachment have devoted themselves to sports since early childhood: some wrestle, some have karate or boxing, others from the army are engaged in all-around. There is only one essence - these are 100% healthy men, who, for health reasons, are fit even as astronauts. In addition, martial arts not only strengthen the body, but also strengthen the spirit.
That is why the final stage of checking into the unit is sparring. The so-called special forces "acceptance". Seven to eight sparring sessions of one minute each with the current officers of the detachment. And this is full contact - you will not see such low kicks (thai boxing strikes) in the "octagon", and professional boxers will envy powerful uppercuts! Each blow is as hard as possible - no one is spared here.
The difficulty of such a test is that sparring is the last stage of testing physical fitness. Before him, the subject must run a marathon, perform exercises from the Cooper test, and all this without rest. The candidate enters the ring already quite exhausted. And against him - fresh and full of strength fellows. This is not so much a test of fighting qualities as a test of fortitude.
The test subject must endure even when exhausted and exhausted. Everyone understands that if necessary, even the UFC champion will be knocked out. Therefore, no one tries to score a person. The main thing is to understand who is in front of you. And if the subject did not break down, even when there is no strength left, it means “your boyfriend”!
But, of course, hand-to-hand combat is not the only thing that needs to be done by someone who has decided to connect his life with SOBR. A lot of psychological tests that should reveal the absolute mental adequacy of a person to whom the state will entrust weapons, the lives of law-abiding citizens and his comrades in the detachment!
One of the most crucial moments is a personal interview. If a person comes to such a unit, he must do it consciously. He must understand WHERE and WHY he came. After all, here he will have to go under the bullets and cover his comrades, and maybe completely strangers - such actions require a very strong motivation. And everyone must clearly answer all the questions for himself even before he crosses the threshold of the detachment.
There are other mandatory conditions (since SOBR is an officer unit) - only employees with higher education or those who complete their studies at the university are accepted into the detachment.
Getting into the detachment, the newcomer must pass a probationary period - from three months to six months. This is the time in which he will have to prove himself, show his best side and not tarnish his reputation in any way. If the officers of the detachment understand that you can go into battle with this person and trust him with your life, then the candidate will be given the high honor of becoming a full member of the elite special forces.
However, one should not think that at this stage a person can relax and “reap laurels”. Service in SOBR is constant training, self-improvement and preparation for work in all areas. The commando must constantly strive to become even better. There are no those who have nothing to learn. In the service, various classes are constantly held with employees in a wide variety of disciplines, however, first of all, each of the special forces must burn with the work that they do and constantly try to become a little better and, of course, learn from more experienced and older colleagues.
Ending in the next issue.
LAZAREV Konstantin. Journalist and photographer, main subject - special forces units. Recently, I managed to work with most of the detachments in the Moscow region. Interested in weapons and military equipment.
In addition to print media, he works on television as a journalist and TV presenter: in the program "Military Secret" on the Ren-TV channel and in the author's projects "Special Forces" and "Technique of the War Years" on the OST-TV channel.
"Gold" laureate of the award "Journalists of Russia against terror".
A short interview with police colonel Vladimir Ivanovich Baranov, a former employee (since March 1979), and later commander (since November 1995) of the OMSN (Special Purpose Police Detachment) of the criminal police of the Central Internal Affairs Directorate for the city of Moscow, now Moscow or the so-called "Peter's" SOBR , the first special unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in our country.
The detachment was formed on November 9, 1978. What motivated the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to create a detachment? The impending Olympics-80 in Moscow?
It was driven by the desire to control and influence the operational situation in the city of Moscow and throughout the country as a whole. Judging by some official activities that the detachment carried out in the early eighties, such a need really arose and the leadership made an absolutely correct decision. What was needed was a detachment capable of carrying out a special task at any moment, beyond the strength of other divisions. What was needed was a special detachment, or special forces, as it has now become fashionable to say.
The very word "special forces" - did it already sound in conversations?
Yes. The very word "special unit" came into our everyday life somewhere in the seventies, although it existed before. Maybe, so, they didn’t talk about special forces publicly then.
Was there any secrecy around the squad at the time of its creation?
Initially, yes, of course. But then, when we were given the task of protecting the Olympics and the Olympic flame in particular, secrecy was practically removed. In part, it still existed, of course: but not to the extent that it was necessary, but the mass media then did not particularly spread about special structures in the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other services.
Spetsnaz Moscow-1980.
Photo from the archive of the Moscow SOBR.
The process of enrolling new employees in the detachment - what did it look like?
A man came here, and I, as a commander, talked to him. Then he had to be tested. So that both he and we are absolutely convinced and sure: a person knows where and why he came and what he will do. Only after passing all the tests, the recruit was explained the scope of his tasks in detail. We gave preference to people who came to us from the troops: border guards, marines, airborne paratroopers, there were people from the internal troops, from the Vityaz. We looked carefully at everyone, checked both the masters of sports and candidates for the master of sports with a lot of sports baggage. There were no exceptions, it was necessary.
What are the stages of candidate testing?
People were tested for physical fitness, they passed the usual standards - pull-ups, running, push-ups. Plus special training. The candidate had to endure several fights with sparring partners, while it was not necessary to prove himself as a “hand-to-hand combatant”. We were looking for people who were ready to stand without fear of injury, a person should be seen - he is ready, will fight to the end, put himself to get into our unit. The successful candidate went exactly to this result. Sometimes the subject refused - they say, I can’t fulfill your standards until I’m ready. It was a natural part of the professional selection for our detachment.
Employees of the first police special unit. Photo from the archive of the Moscow SOBR.
Quite unusual for those times, sneakers and vests on the squad's employees looked. Photo from the archive of the Moscow SOBR.
As a hand-to-hand combat instructor, please rate the sparrings mentioned - how tough were they?
The sparring was quite tough, but taking into account the expected readiness of the candidate who was tested, taking into account his physical and psychological capabilities. If the candidate was ready to continue the fight to the end, he did it. Before sparring, it was precisely such a task that was set for him - to stand to the end. The answer that testing gave was always clear: “ready” or “not ready” for service with us. Withstood such a test, of course, not all.
There were some exceptions: did a person still come to serve in the detachment, unable to withstand the duel or somehow bypassing sparring? Or is it a prerequisite?
It was a must. Sometimes a candidate withstood all the exams - he demonstrated decent physical fitness, he could run a brilliant cross-country run, do push-ups, pull himself up, and in the ring, with sparring partners, he showed some uncertainty. We tracked this and took the appropriate decision.
Is there a high percentage of rejection of frames in testing?
Approximately 30% of candidates passed the test.
Did an employee of your particular detachment differ from an ordinary policeman in material terms?
Yes, of course, there were differences, but small. We had cash bonuses and a special length of service: a year and a half. The cash bonus for special forces was insignificant. Wages are, of course, an important category. The monetary allowance of police officers was more modest than that of military personnel, for example. We received less. But not everything then converged on material prosperity, although this is important. It was hard in the nineties, and in the late eighties it was hard, but people worked, held on, they received a salary, albeit a small one. The question about money is essential, but we also have a state service, which involves some sacrifice. This is especially true of service in special forces. Employees did not come to the detachment for a "long ruble", but here they could test themselves and find out to the end. And, of course, people felt needed here.
When you already became a commander, did you have the opportunity to reward a distinguished employee financially or present him for an award?
Yes, I had a commander's fund allocated by financial services and I could dispose of it myself, for example, allocate one or another employee, albeit a small, but material assistance. Later, this practice was abandoned, the fund no longer existed, but I could petition the leadership of the Central Internal Affairs Directorate for Moscow to provide additional material support to my employee. I substantiated it, proved it, wrote a report. I would not say that it was difficult and we must pay tribute to the leadership of the head office - they met me halfway and often helped.
Did the detachment have any personal protective equipment for employees?
Yes, we certainly had such funds. Army, mostly. At that time they were common both for the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and for army units. There were protective vests. Maybe not very perfect, but they held a certain type of weapon. We didn’t have everything we needed to perform special tasks, but we did have something.
The detachment officers are dressed in standard jumpsuits for the Soviet Airborne Forces, shod in Soviet tourist boots - "vibrams".
As means of individual armor protection, steel helmets of the army type SSH-68 and body armor ZhZT-71 (protective titanium vest) are used, designed specifically for employees of the internal affairs bodies and military personnel of the internal troops.
From 1971 to 1979, about 30 thousand bulletproof vests of the ZhZT series were produced, which, in accordance with the current standards of personnel regulations, fully satisfied the needs of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The bayonet-knives and the non-standard pistol holster of the extreme right soldier attract attention.
An even more interesting photo of a sniper group of police special forces. Bulletproof vests are of a different type, apparently - this is Zh-81 (6B2), a serial Soviet anti-fragmentation and bulletproof combined-arms bulletproof vest of the first generation. It was developed in the USSR by the Research Institute of Steel in 1978, in 1979 it was accepted for supply to the Soviet army in 1979 and managed to serve the Soviet internationalist soldiers in Afghanistan. Zh-81 provides protection for fragments and pistol bullets, body armor weighs 4.8 kg.
I can’t identify the means of communication and in general I see such a construct for the first time. Is this R-147 Aktsia? In this case, the presence of cloth "gas mask" bags on the staff is understandable.
Photo from the archive of the Moscow SOBR.
As for weapons, were there any special weapons in the detachment?
Oh sure. There was a special institute in the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which developed samples of weapons, equipment and special means for special forces. And it was all meant for us in the first place.
A question for connoisseurs: what kind of shield appears in the picture? Photo from the archive of the Moscow SOBR.
Could you personally somehow influence those developments that were carried out in the interests of yours and similar units?
Without any doubt. I myself was a member of the commission for the acceptance of such weapons systems, protective equipment and special equipment and made my own adjustments in order to improve performance and adapt new items to solve the problems we faced.
Did you have the opportunity to come up with a proposal to develop something completely new to support the detachment?
Yes. We turned to the relevant services that dealt with these issues, and we were met halfway.
There is a training process. Photo from the archive of the Moscow SOBR.
Photo from the archive of the Moscow SOBR.
How did the detachment gain experience, was there an opportunity to communicate and exchange experience with related organizations, for example, with the KGB?
Was. First of all, we carefully studied the experience of the Munich Olympics, as you know, not everything was good and smooth there. We studied the experience of foreign special forces, both army and police. A little later, I personally and many of our employees took part in visiting these units abroad. I personally, for example, trained for about a month in the Cobra special unit in Austria (EKO Cobra - Einsatzkommando Cobra). Personally, he scrupulously studied this issue, then analyzed and applied it here in the preparation of his personnel. This is a very useful experience, it must be studied and used.
In your personal opinion - which of the world's special forces are the most professional?
At that time, these were the West German GHA-9, the British SAS, the Green Berets in the USA and the Austrian Cobra. Well, and a number of other special units that we have always kept in the area of our attention.
Who would you single out among the Soviet and Russian special units?
Of course, this is group "A", "Alpha", then the KGB, now the FSB. "Vympel" - our brothers in the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the special forces "Vityaz" of the internal troops. We have been in close contact with these departments.
What operations of your detachment in Soviet times would you call the most common and even routine? What did you have to do most often?
We were under the operational control of the MUR (Moscow Criminal Investigation Department). Our usual task was to provide physical support to the departments, especially the homicide department of the MUR, the departments that dealt with serious crimes. Physical protection and support. We usually had the final phase of police operations and events: if the criminals were armed with firearms, if they behaved particularly boldly, if police officers and ordinary citizens could suffer during the detention. This is what our work was like in the Soviet period, it has not changed much even now.
Evaluate, please, crime: the one that was in the Soviet Union and the one that is now - is there any noticeable difference between them?
In Soviet times, the bandits also had weapons, they were used by the bandits, but not as often and not to the extent that it is done now, especially in the nineties. Perhaps, in the hands of the population, gangs and criminal communities, there were more weapons, before there were fewer of them.
From your point of view, attempts to legalize the sale of, for example, handguns - is it good or bad for society?
I am personally categorically against, especially against the legalization of short-barreled weapons. Even with traumatic weapons, we have recently had a lot of questions, sometimes it came to converting traumatic weapons into combat weapons and their completely uncontrolled use and use, disproportionate to the necessary self-defense. I have no complaints about hunting weapons.
Traditionally, we pay a lot of attention to camaraderie. We do not leave in trouble, we go to the rescue. If you want to be in the unit, but something doesn’t work out, they will help you. This is one of the traditions - to go to the rescue. You see, it's like a family, we are united, including thoughts. And for us there are no ties holier than fellowship.
What was condemned by the team of the detachment?
I would single out cowardice, self-doubt and commercialism. The main thing that was condemned was cowardice. The detachment got rid of cowards, sometimes without any negative connotation, it happened that a person simply got in the wrong place.
Since the USSR ceased to exist, political officers have also been abolished. Now they are partly replaced by religion. How did things go with this in the detachment?
I do not remember any obvious persecution of religion, there was no rejection of Orthodoxy in the Soviet period either. Yes, it was not very customary to go to the temple, but they did. Now Orthodoxy has become one of the pillars of the unit, the unit has a confessor and a garrison church. Father Alexander, our confessor, traveled with us many times on business trips to the North Caucasus, and this practice continues to this day.
Is it good for the service?
Definitely useful.
How did the squad treat smoking and alcohol?
I personally don't smoke. Smoking was harmful to our employees, when a person was highly exposed to smoking, it was clear that he lagged behind in sports achievements, in competitions, especially in applied ones. We didn't have a "dry law" and don't have it. It’s almost a tradition, it’s customary for Russians to “wash” titles, birthdays, and other holidays. But I want to say - you need to know when to stop. If you serve and work in such a unit, and if not in such a unit, in any case, you need to know when to stop and control yourself. If an employee came to the service and was not ready to perform his duties, then we parted with such employees. There were isolated examples.
What in general could lead to the expulsion of an employee from the detachment, were there such cases?
Were. PE will not be considered. We annually conduct a final check and a special delivery of all standards: physical training and special physical training, shooting and tactical-special training, and a number of others. Every employee knows about them and prepares. If a person does not take care of himself, does not exercise, does not maintain his physical form, the question is raised. To begin with, a conversation is held with him, of course. If he remains deaf and dumb, does not perceive the arguments of the leadership, then a special commission considers the issue of expulsion.
You caught the moment when the militia began to be called the police. What do you think about it? After all, the police were people's, but the current police are gone?
That the police, that the police - the tasks remained the same. They changed the name, someone did not agree with this, wrote a report and left.
Were there really such cases? Because of the name?
Were. But once the decision is made by the leadership, it means it has already been made. All of them passed certification, went through all the necessary procedures to serve in the police, and now we are serving. But once again I emphasize - the tasks remained the same, the name just changed. Well, the police were closer to the people, as was originally intended in the Soviet period.
Have you ever presented any of your employees for awards?
Yes. 70-80% of the employees in the detachment have state awards. Who, if not they were always on the front line and performed the most difficult and dangerous tasks?
Can you tell us more about the award process itself?
The submission for the award was drawn up by the personnel apparatus here in the detachment, it was the first draft, but it contained all the necessary information for the higher personnel apparatus. There they looked at our documents, made their own adjustments, but even here everything depended on the leadership of the detachment. As a rule, the initial decision of the command of the detachment was supported and the employees were presented with state awards. We have never had any major failures. And we have carried out quite a few operations worthy of awarding military orders. Among them, for example, the release of hostages on Frunzenskaya Embankment (author's note: more about this operation at the end of the material) and Pugachevskaya Street, special operations carried out by our employees in the North Caucasus region.
Do you think that during your service as a commander, could one of your subordinates remain underestimated and underrewarded?
No one has ever raised this question, it certainly never happened in my memory. People do not come here for awards and are ready to sacrifice themselves, so conversations in the style of “Vladimir Ivanovich, I deserve more” or “I want this award, but they gave me this one” - I can’t even imagine for all my thirty-six years of service .
Please tell us about your awards.
My first award was for the Goodwill Games, which were held in Moscow in 1986. I was awarded the medal "For Labor Distinction" (author's note: The Medal "For Labor Distinction" was established by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of December 27, 1938 to reward hard work and achievement of high performance in work. The last award of this medal in our country took place on December 21, 1991) and was very happy about it. Later, in the nineties, I received the Order "For Personal Courage" (author's note: The Order "For Personal Courage" was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on December 28, 1988 to reward citizens of the USSR for courage and courage shown in saving people, protection of public order and socialist property, in the fight against crime, natural disasters and other emergencies... In 1994, the Order "For Personal Courage" was not included in the system of state awards of Russia, in fact it was replaced by the Order of Courage) and the medal "For Distinction in protection of public order". It was nice that they were awarded with such awards, but somehow we didn’t think about it, we did our job. We rejoiced not at the awards, but at the fact that the operation was carried out without losses, everyone is alive and well, and most importantly, the people who were hostages and whom we released are alive and well.
Were there times when the released hostages later thanked your employees?
In my memory, this was not the case and no one addressed with thanks for the salvation. Yes, this is probably impossible: our employees came for the bandits, all in black, in masks, in armor. The released hostages are immediately handed over to other services: medical, investigative, and others. And our work has already been done, we are leaving, probably released, I don’t even know who we are. Maybe later, moving away from stress, they remember us with a kind word.
How difficult was it for you to manage such a team? Yet sharp, strong, the best.
Yes, this question has always bothered me. I will say that throughout my many years of service in the detachment as a commander, this was very difficult for me. After all, people believe in a commander when they see that he himself serves, maybe he knows, he knows how - he is an example. And if necessary, the commander will teach. I believe that the student should always be stronger than the teacher, or at least not weaker. Such a result is always pleasant. When preparing my personnel, I always assumed that a person would think individually, would make decisions without looking back at the opinion of the commander, but feeling his support behind him. I really appreciated my employees, throughout my service it was like that. Maybe somewhere he was too soft and forgave them some moments, but it was necessary. In my memory there were different people, but I never cut off the shoulder, I always found a common language with them. And I think that I managed to preserve in the detachment both the spirit and traditions and the team of professionals itself.
More about the hostage rescue operation on Frunzenskaya Embankment mentioned above
On May 19, 1994, a criminal group of three people, armed with automatic weapons, attacked a currency exchange office located at 54 Frunzenskaya Embankment. The criminals captured two employees of the exchange office and proceeded to seize cash. However, one of the employees of the "exchanger" still managed to press the panic button. I am quoting from the book F.I. Razzakov "Bandits of the Times of Capitalism":
“At 13.53, this signal was received by the crew of the immediate response group of the 3rd regiment of the PPS, consisting of the crew commander, senior police sergeant Alexei Chebotarev and junior sergeant Sergei Karnaukh, who at that moment were on their way to lunch. Having received an alarm signal, they immediately rushed to the place of the call. A. Chebotarev went to the main entrance, and S. Karnaukh decided to block the back door.
On the way there, he met a loader from the nearest store, Oleg Khomutov, and asked him to take him to the exchange office. At that moment, when they entered the door, they were attacked by criminals who tried to leave the crime scene in the same way. As a result of the skirmish, S. Karnaukh was fatally wounded in the chest and stomach, and O. Khomutov was also wounded. However, the criminals could not slip past them, and therefore they returned back and barricaded themselves in the premises of the exchange office.
Soon, an immediate response group of the 167th police department arrived at the building of the checkpoint, which blocked the building from all sides. They were followed by the fighters of the rapid reaction detachment (SOBR) of the RUOP and the special police detachment (OMON) of the Moscow Central Internal Affairs Directorate. The highest police authorities also arrived in the person of the head of the RUOP Vladimir Rushailo, the head of the GUOP of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia Mikhail Yegorov, the head of the MUR Vasily Kuptsov. Moscow prosecutor Gennady Ponomarev and the head of the Moscow department of the Federal Grid Company Evgeny Savostyanov were also there.
By this time, the raiders had already declared Natalya Sidorova and Yana Stolyar, employees of the First Professional Bank's currency exchange office, hostages. In exchange for their lives, they demanded a million dollars from the authorities, a fuel truck and unimpeded exit from the police cordons.
In the meantime, the operatives combed the nearby area and found a white VAZ-2109 car with the engine running next to the checkpoint. Documents were found in her salon in the name of 23-year-old student Roman Pisanko from the Institute of Physical Education. He was one of the raiders. His partners were 23-year-old former security guard Dmitry Komarovsky and 19-year-old Andrei Denisov, who does not work anywhere.
Trying to prevent bloodshed, the operatives summoned R. Pisanko's parents to Frunzenskaya Embankment. However, despite all their persuasion to surrender, he never left the exchange point. He explained his act by the fact that he cannot leave his friends.
At 18.30, the failed parents moved away from the building of the point. The prosecutor of the city, G. Ponomarev, gave the last warning to the raiders. However, this proposal was also ignored. Moreover, the criminals demanded that the authorities drive a fuel truck to the building and douse the area in front of the entrance and the entrance itself with gasoline.
At 19.30, an unknown person called the duty department of the Central Internal Affairs Directorate and said that if the raiders from Frunzenskaya Embankment were not released, he would blow up one of the kindergartens located near the Koptevsky market. Immediately after this call, all ten kindergartens in the Koptevo microdistrict were taken under guard. The operation to search for an explosive device was led by the head of the 16th police department, Andronik Baboyan, but the bomb was never found.
Meanwhile, at the headquarters for the release of the hostages, the final decision was made to storm the terrorists. It was already eight o'clock in the evening, it was getting dark, and this circumstance could be used by criminals.
At 20.13, the special forces, divided into two groups, moved from different sides to the building of the exchange point. The back door was blown up with the Impulse special equipment, and an armored personnel carrier that drove up from the other side pulled out the window bars. Tear gas grenades flew into the gap that had formed and special forces burst in. Heavy fire fell on the terrorists, and two of them (Denisov and Komarovsky) were killed. The third was detained. The most amazing thing is that none of the hostages were hurt. They were in the next room, their mouths and eyes were sealed with tape.
As it turned out, the raiders were very impressively armed: a Kalashnikov assault rifle with several magazines, a Makarov pistol without a number, a TT pistol, a home-made small-caliber revolver and two jaguar gas revolvers. Apparently, the raiders counted on the success of their enterprise, acted clearly and promptly. But the alarm button and the police squad who arrived instantly confused their cards. However, it is surprising that, even surrounded on all sides, the criminals did not surrender to the hands of the authorities and preferred death. But two of them were 23 years old, and the third was 19 years old at all.
I note that by May 1994 the situation with armed crime in Russia had become simply catastrophic. During 1991-1994, the number of crimes committed with the use of weapons in the country increased 5 times - from 4,000 in 1991 to 19,000 in 1993. With its use in 1993, 2957 premeditated murders, 1173 cases of grievous bodily harm, 5202 robbery attacks on state property, 4035 encroachments on private property, 3785 acts of hooliganism were registered.
About a year ago, one of the most high-profile restructurings of recent times ended - the National Guard appeared, which, in addition to the Internal Troops, included OMON and SOBR. Until recently, the latter (SOBR) were, and still are, a very closed unit, but the correspondents of the site managed to go to the field training of fighters and find out how the detachment works.
Moscow SOBR
The Moscow SOBR was formed on November 9, 1978 in case of "special situations". Prior to this, there was a freelance group - its employees were involved in the service during important events, such as ensuring security during the celebration of the November and May holidays and congresses of the CPSU.
In the 1970s, the world was shocked by several terrorist attacks, and in 1980 the Olympic Games were to be held in Moscow, and as a result, a special-purpose unit was created under the Moscow City Executive Committee, which was to ensure the protection of the Olympic flame.
At first, officers had to develop everything practically from scratch - army principles did not fit here, and the KGB special forces did not share their secrets. After the Olympics, the police special forces were subordinated to the criminal investigation department of the Central Internal Affairs Directorate in Moscow, calling them OMON. True, at that time there were two detachments with the same names - the employees themselves called them "Big" and "Little". The first was engaged in the suppression of riots, the second fought with criminals.
It was decided to separate the detachments in 1989, then one of them - "Little" - received the name of the OMSN, with which he worked until 2011, and there all police special forces were renamed Special Forces. A year later, the unit became part of the Special Purpose Center of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for Moscow, and in 2012, all special forces units were given a common designation - SOBR.
Among the successful SOBR operations are the arrest of the murderer Alexander Solonik, the release of hostages on Tverskaya in a jewelry store, and the case of the kidnapping of Kaspersky's son.
The tasks of SOBR include force support of operational-search and investigative actions, the protection of witnesses, the protection of officials, the release of hostages and the elimination of terrorist groups. The fighters of the unit serve in officer positions (unlike the riot police) and they must have a higher education. Not everyone is accepted into the squad.
But it cannot be said that the OMON is worse: its employees ensure order in crowded places, suppress riots and provide assistance to the SOBR, for example, by blocking the gang’s possible escape routes.
Of course, the selection in the SOBR is much tougher: first, young people who have served in the Armed Forces and have a higher education are tested for physical and moral-volitional qualities, which roughly resembles an exam for a "maroon beret".
This is followed by a medical examination for group "A" health, psychological testing and a thorough check of the candidate's biography for the complete absence of relatives with a criminal past and incriminating materials. In addition, the personnel department of SOBR requests characteristics from places of study, work and service.
Only those who have passed all the tests and checks are credited for an internship in the SOBR staff, which, however, does not guarantee final employment.
Speaking of the maroon beret - the insignia of a fighter who has passed several difficult tests: SOBR are officially allowed to pass exams for the right to wear such a headdress.
Any employee of the detachment is a universal soldier capable of replacing a comrade, but despite this, there is a specialization in the unit. Usually SOBRs are formed by assault groups - a capture group and a cover group. The latter includes snipers and climbers. Also in the units there are explosives.
So, SOBR solves narrow, non-standard tasks, for the development of which there is an operations planning headquarters. A typical example of such an operation is the capture of an armed gang. What will a fighter take with him to the operation? See below.
"Vereski", by the way, is rather an exception - silent automatic machines "Val" are much more common (pictured below).
In addition, the fighters go to the operation in helmets and body armor, which have flaps and pockets for additional items of equipment. In addition to this, they have knee pads, elbow pads and leg guards.
In general, the equipment is selected individually, so you can meet the following elements:
MOLLE platform, on which pouches can be attached:
Knife and lantern:
Multitool (pictured on the back left):
We found out what the fighter takes with him. Of course, each operation is planned separately and taking into account the terrain, so during the development it becomes clear what weapons and equipment to take and in what composition to go.
In general, the most popular formation in the course of work is the deuce with a shield. One with a shield, the second strictly behind - this is used when entering a building when it is not known how many people are there and whether they are armed.
It happens that the fighters work without a shield, in which case they also follow each other and when the first one runs out of ammunition, he goes behind the second one and reloads, the second one is already ready to shoot at that time. It looks like a single movement and is honed many times during training.
Photo gallery
It is important that shooting practice on the move and from any position occurs constantly - SOBR never goes to the training ground "just like that", to shoot, tactics are an indispensable element of almost all exercises. In addition, the conduct of combat in urban conditions suggests that the commando must be on the move all the time, standing still even for a few seconds is tantamount to death.