Along the deserted streets of Palmyra, the wind drives smoldering rags and dried leaves of branches cut by splinters. Deserted houses sadly slam the shutters of windows that have long since lost all their glass. Rare Syrian soldiers, seeing us, show ISIS (ISIS is an organization banned in the Russian Federation - ed.) a house of worship, followed by a field hospital in the basement. On some houses there are still inscriptions in Russian: “There are no minutes.” After the last release. Now the sappers have not finished their work yet. A black terrorist flag flutters on the roof of the Heliopolis Hotel - the building of the former headquarters has not yet been cleared of mines. Over the past three years, the town has been twice attacked by medieval barbarians. And each time they were driven out of the city mainly thanks to the help of the Russian military. In addition to the Aerospace Forces bombers that crushed strongholds and fortified areas of militants from the air, units of the Forces worked on the ground special operations.
Special Operations Forces are the elite of the Russian Armed Forces Photo: Alexander KOTS
Komsomolskaya Pravda correspondent Alexander Kots spent the day with a Special Operations Forces unit near Palmyra.
The MTR is the elite of the Russian Armed Forces. Special forces, each fighter of which is a top-class specialist. These are snipers who destroyed terrorist leaders from among Russian immigrants. Thanks to them, Russian pilots hit ISIS positions on the heights leading to Palmyra without missing a beat, bringing liberation closer ancient city. Their names cannot be mentioned, their faces cannot be shown, and in many ways their work is classified as “Top Secret.” Together with a convoy of Special Operations Forces, I am moving to the front lines near Palmyra, from which the militants were thrown back, but they are leaving very reluctantly. In combat formation, armored vehicles travel only along proven bypass roads to minimize risks - militants can plant land mines at night.
MTR fighters differ from other representatives of the RF Armed Forces even in appearance. Although, if you meet such a person in civilian life, you will hardly be able to distinguish him from an ordinary passerby. Here you will find the most modern equipment, weapons and technical means. The fighters look, needless to say, impressive. Like in the movies. Only in a real war the cost of a mistake is disproportionately higher. You can't shoot a second take. The special forces from the hatches of the "Tigers" tenaciously peer along the flanks, moving the barrel of an easel AGS grenade launcher. The detour takes an hour and a half longer, but we get to the MTR observation post without incident.
MTR fighter in position Photo: Alexander KOTS
From here it is two kilometers to the village where the militants have settled. It’s five to the “green patch” under the height occupied by terrorists. Several Russian special forces soldiers are lying on a hillock, drilling into enemy territory with binoculars. A few minutes later, several powerful explosions mushroom on the horizon. The Russian Aerospace Forces, thanks to coordinates from MTR specialists, suppressed the resistance of the militants in the green area.
There is a large concrete hangar nearby. Inside are three burned out ISIS tanks. Above is a huge hole in the concrete as an example of the filigree work of Russian pilots. But the coordinates of this hangar were transmitted directly from the ground.
Special operations forces ensure the Syrian army moves forward. A new image of Russian special forces - well trained, well armed and equipped, performing tasks of any complexity anywhere in the world. Although, of course, the Syrians will have to do the main work themselves. No one will storm the heights occupied by ISIS for them. But thanks to the interaction of the Russian Aerospace Forces and the Special Forces, this will be much easier to do.
“This time, during the capture of Palmyra, everything went faster,” admit the Syrian fighters. — Almost all of us took part in the first assault and learned to interact with the Russians. We had to work hard to capture the Citadel - five machine gunners were sitting there, and you can’t bomb architectural monuments. But in the end we managed. We will not give up Tadmor (the Arabic name for Palmyra) again.
Thanks to the coordinates transmitted by the MTR fighters, Russian aviation launched a precise strike on the hangar in which three ISIS tanks were hidden Photo: Alexander KOTS
Four Syrians and one Russian planes and headed towards the old city. There, in the amphitheater, music sounded again. On the occasion of the arrival of the commander of the Russian group Andrei Kartapolov in Palmyra, the Syrians organized a small concert of student ensembles who performed patriotic songs in gratitude for Russian help.
EQUIPMENT OF MTR FIGHTERS
On September 19, 2017, after powerful fire preparation, units of the ""* group began an attack on the positions of Syrian troops in the area of the de-escalation zone in Idlib. Under the pressure of militants using tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, government troops were forced to retreat 12 km, and in some areas of the front up to 20 km. As a result, a platoon of Russian military police was surrounded by terrorists and fought off attacks by superior enemy forces for several hours.
To the rescue of our military, the Russian command in Syria sent a release group, headed by the deputy head of the Russian Center for the Reconciliation of Warring Parties, Major General Viktor Shulyak. The group included units of the Special Operations Forces, Russian military police, as well as Syrian special forces.
Air support was provided by two Su-25 attack aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces and Mi-24 helicopters. During the operation, the encirclement ring was broken, units of the Russian Armed Forces reached the area where government troops were located without losses. Three Russian servicemen were injured in the battle with terrorists.
Shoigu's Falcons
Special Operations Forces are a fundamentally new structural unit of the Russian Armed Forces, which arose as a result of a large-scale military reform, held in last years in the Russian army. In 2009, the Directorate of Special Operations Forces was created in the Russian Armed Forces, which was transformed in 2012 into the Command of Special Operations Forces. Activities to create a new unit began to be carried out more intensively after Sergei Shoigu headed the Russian Ministry of Defense in 2012.
- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu
- RIA News
“This is the absolute merit of Shoigu. He created units that can carry out combat missions in the most different countries, where the interests of Russia require it,” said RT, head of the Center for the Study of Public Applied Problems of National Security, retired Colonel Alexander Zhilin.
In 2013, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Army General V.V. Gerasimov, citing the need to take into account world experience, announced the creation of Special Operations Forces in Russia.
“Special operations troops were created not so long ago. This is a centralized structure engaged in carrying out operations in the interests of the state, primarily abroad,” Ivan Konovalov, director of the Center for Political Conjuncture, explained the appointment of the MTR to RT.
According to the expert, the MTR are in many ways the heirs of the special forces units that previously existed in the army. “Many of the methods and means that were used by our special forces earlier have not gone away,” the political scientist notes.
The main difference from what was before is the unified management structure.
“There is now a centralized structure that manages all such operations. This didn't happen before. Previously, special forces acted in the interests of various types, military branches. Now this is a branch of the military in itself,” the expert emphasized.
New reality
In the United States, the Pentagon's Office of Special Operations appeared in 1980. Force Directorate special purpose Great Britain was formed in 1987. The French Special Operations Forces Command was created in 1992.
All these units, like the command of the Russian Special Operations Forces, were created for one purpose - coordination of actions special units in fundamentally new conditions of war.
“This is due to the methods of warfare that now exist in the world. War is not always waged by direct means,” notes Konovalov.
According to him, the Russian Special Operations Forces are a response to the West’s use of a hybrid war strategy, when they participate in hostilities as regular armed forces, and irregular military formations. The operations are mostly in the nature of hidden sabotage and partisan attacks.
“We did not invent this term - “hybrid war”, it was invented by the Americans, who came up with hybrid war, but we cannot remain on the sidelines. To wage such a war, Special Operations Forces are needed,” Konovalov emphasizes.
According to Zhilin, special forces are elite units.
“At one time, the best fighters were delegated there and underwent intensive training: this is tactics, this is work in different territories - Mountain landscape, deserted. This is the pride of the country in military terms,” the expert noted.
The MTR is armed with the most modern Russian weapons And military equipment. Promptness is key to their actions.
“They are always in touch with the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff, which coordinates. And if earlier, since Soviet times, our commands took a very long time, now operational control of the battle in Syria can be carried out in real time from Moscow,” the expert emphasized.
In 2015 appeared new holiday— Special Operations Forces Day. It is celebrated on February 27th.
Syrian experience
SOF have been operating in Syria since 2015. Their main tasks are to perform reconnaissance functions, adjust Russian air strikes against terrorists, and also carry out various combat missions in the advanced formations of the advancing Syrian army.
In March 2016, Russia learned of the death of senior lieutenant of the Special Operations Forces of the Russian Armed Forces Alexander Prokhorenko near Palmyra. While behind the lines of IS militants, he served as a forward air controller. When the Russian officer was discovered and surrounded by militants, he drew fire on himself. Alexander Prokhorenko was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation.
- A participant in the “Immortal Regiment” procession carries a poster with a photo of Hero of Russia Alexander Prokhorenko, who died in Syria
- RIA News
The SOF participated in the re-liberation of Palmyra in 2017 and the liberation of Aleppo in 2016. In May 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin personally awarded a group of special forces who held the Aleppo front for two days. 16 Special Operations Forces officers faced 300 militants. In the battle, they destroyed a terrorist tank, two infantry fighting vehicles and a vehicle with a suicide bomber. The group commander was awarded the title of Hero of Russia, and the rest of the officers were given state awards.
“Their goals are varied, but the most important function of our special forces is to operate in the advanced formations of the Syrian army and correct their actions,” Konovalov explained.
According to experts, it is the leadership and guiding role of the Russian Special Operations Forces that is the secret of the successful military operations of the Syrian government army.
“The most important thing that we brought to Syria, and after which a radical change began, was fighting spirit,” says Zhilin. “Seeing how our guys were fighting, the Syrians realized that it was possible and necessary to destroy the enemy.”
According to Konovalov, the actions of the Russian Special Operations Forces in Syria demonstrate that they are head and shoulders above similar units in other countries, primarily in the United States.
- Operation to release the Russian military in Syria
* “Islamic State” (IS, ISIS), “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham” are terrorist groups banned in Russia.
On February 27, our country celebrated Russian Special Forces Day and rare footage of the work of special forces of the Special Operations Forces of the Russian Ministry of Defense in Syria was made public.
The elite of the Russian Army is captured in all its glory - details of modern equipment and weapons are clearly visible. In the footage, special forces soldiers operate in the urban conditions of war-torn Aleppo and in the desert area of Homs province - near ancient Palmyra.
The military has camouflage weapons in their hands with the latest sniper and collimator sights, as well as silent firing devices. In addition, in the frame are Tiger armored vehicles, anti-tank complex and sniper rifles.
The MTR of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation is an elite of elites, a concentration of experience, latest technologies And modern methods military labor.
The Special Operations Forces of the Ministry of Defense as part of the Armed Forces of our country are essentially the highest level special forces among all army special units. The MTR was created in 2009. Their tasks include mainly sabotage and reconnaissance operations. They know how to operate under water, on land and in the air, landing from many kilometers high and quietly approaching the enemy from the depths of the water.
The MTR special forces groups are armed with wide range weapons from small arms before the latest armored vehicles, high-precision sniper systems and anti-tank missile systems.
For many years, the fact of the existence of a new type of military was hidden, but during the counter-terrorism operation in Syria, the Russian leadership officially recognized the presence of Special Operations Forces in the Middle East. The combat experience of military personnel who went through this war is already being studied, because even according to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, it was thanks to the actions of domestic special forces in Syria that great successes were achieved in a short period of time, including increasing the accuracy of air strikes of the Russian Aerospace Forces.
"Russian Spring" She has written many times about the participation of Russian elite units in battles against international terrorism in various parts of Syria, and also published photographs and videos from this theater of military operations.
It is known that the Syrian Arab Republic is testing the latest special equipment designed for reconnaissance, detection and destruction of the enemy: infrared sights, thermal imagers, small reconnaissance drones and even combat robots are used.
All the experience of our military-industrial complex and special training over decades has been brought together. MTR operations in the SAR are best characterized by the words “military surgical intervention”: located deep behind enemy lines, with the help of high-precision sniper weapons, special forces achieve critical results comparable to weeks of air strikes.
Stories like this usually don't become public knowledge. They are silent about them. Both the participants in the actions themselves and the senior military leadership.
Only with the passage of time, the seal of secrecy is removed from some documents and then the world will know the truth...
And before that, there were only stories and legends among the military, among ordinary people. These stories are passed on from mouth to mouth, told under good snack, in the kitchen and often become the subject of heated discussions. Was it, wasn't it?
In 2016, a special forces group was deployed behind militant lines in the area adjacent to Palmyra. The task included additional reconnaissance on the ground and coordination of the actions of the Russian Aerospace Forces to launch air strikes to support the Syrian army.
It was ordered to enter into fire contact only in case of emergency. But, if anything happens, in case of detection, air support for the Special Operations Forces (SSO) is guaranteed.
According to introductory intelligence data, there were American, perhaps also British and French special forces in the same area, who instructed the militants, but, of course, did not come under attack themselves. If something happened, they simply disappeared in unknown directions.
The group on foreigners did not receive any special instructions. But very often it turned out that instructors had to be released due to some specific and not always beautiful agreements. War is a disgusting thing, especially when there is no open confrontation in the sense in which politicians portray it.
After a while, our guys discovered a fortified area of militants. The sniper, while watching through his sights, added to the intelligence report that there were clearly American and maybe British specialists among the terrorists. Determined by equipment. Moreover, in front of foreigners, militants had just executed two Syrians in military uniform government forces. They shot me in the back of the head.
Commander, of course they don’t kill themselves, but they don’t interfere either. Well, this is some kind of (further obscenities)... Maybe he should immediately let our air forces be covered so that the staff officers don’t find out? Otherwise they will start communicating through their own channels, as always, with requests and other things...
We don’t have direct instructions for the Americans, but you know, if they find out that they are caught in the mix, the politicians on the other side will raise such a howl - mother, don’t worry.
So, no better than action movies. They do not live by the laws of war. The Germans were kinder in WWII...
There is a difference between German and German. Just like Amer Amer. But these... yes, I agree with these. Falcon, inform our team that you have discovered a fortified area with a large concentration of manpower and equipment. Only the militants did not notice the foreigners. Apparently they are preparing an attack on Palmyra. It is necessary to cover it as early as possible, before the column moves out, while the collection is underway. Well, you know...
Yes, commander!
In principle, the commander was not very disingenuous. The militants were clearly going somewhere. It may happen to the city. The Americans, of course, will not attack. Most likely they will leave the area. They will call the turntables, as has happened more than once. And look for fistulas.
About twenty minutes later, two flights of Sushki flew over the heads of the MTR fighters and all hell broke loose over the fortified area... Several approaches and the fighters went beyond the horizon.
The MTR soldiers looked at the smoking ruins and moved on. There is still a lot of work ahead...
They say that some people in the United States were very indignant that the Russian Aerospace Forces covered the Americans and their allies along with the opposition, which should not be confused with militants, absolutely nothing... But the scandal was quickly hushed up. This is war. And that’s not what happens.
On top of everything, the amers were afraid to say something like this openly. After all, this could lead to direct confrontation with Russia. And they didn't really want that. We’re used to raking in the heat with someone else’s hands.
There is also evidence from the opposite side...
What the American special forces soldier, who introduced himself as Klein, told about is unlikely to ever be told or shown in the West. There, according to the soldier, they are hiding the truth about the losses in Syria with all their might.
But one day he felt firsthand the full force of punishment for the training of Syrian terrorists who were led by the US Special Operations Forces. The special forces soldier remembered this day for the rest of his life.
He told how, under the guise of instructors, he taught Syrian militants to kill for the benefit of America.
“With our help, the militants won for the sake of America - and that was the main thing,” the soldier admitted.
That was until he clashed with the Russians in Aleppo in 2016. The special forces soldier admitted that tame American militants had been “ironing” the city for a year.
The Russians created a real hell for the terrorists and their “instructors”, without giving a moment’s respite, pouring heavy fire on the enemy in support of the Syrian government troops.
In that battle, the special forces soldier received, as he admitted, a “mark” from a sniper. "As a keepsake." He never missed the militants - he hit them right in the head.
Having survived the “meat grinder”, the American soldier was taken to the hospital. He spoke for the first time about what happened in Syria then.
What allowed Russia to achieve impressive military successes in Syria? Limit the number of troops and reduce combat losses during a counter-terrorism operation? The answer lies on the surface. Russian Aerospace Forces pilots worked from the air, and MTR soldiers worked on the ground. How MTR fighters act “on the ground” can be seen in the video footage of the assault on Palmyra in Syria. No wonder they are called the elite of the armed forces.
It was these guys who destroyed the most odious field commanders of militants and groups of suicide bombers preparing to attack the checkpoints of the SAR army, as well as the “carts” of terrorists - pickup trucks with heavy machine guns or rocket launchers. Thanks to the MTR fighters, according to foreign media, government troops achieved success in Aleppo.
The equipment and weapons of SOF fighters allow them to complete a task in any region of the world, ensuring the security of Russia and its allies. Their arsenal includes camouflaged modern Russian small arms with optical and collimator sights, silent shooting devices and foreign-made high-precision sniper systems.
When carrying out combat missions, MTR soldiers use special techniques related to subversive, counter-terrorism, counter-sabotage, reconnaissance and sabotage and other actions. The widespread use of special forces, including for aircraft guidance, has significantly increased the effectiveness of Russia’s Syrian special operation. At the same time, the MTR of France, the USA, Great Britain and other countries of the Western coalition against ISIS in Syria and Iraq are inferior in capabilities and professional training to the Russian MTR.
Recently, footage of the work of MTR soldiers during the capture of Palmyra got into the network. Russian special forces worked in multitasking: reconnaissance and identification of critical targets, disruption offensive operations and ISIS counterattacks, coordination and cover of the advancing orders of government troops and the FSA. Special forces destroy infantry, armored vehicles and militants' carts, and direct attack aircraft to terrorist targets.
The fact that the Special Operations Forces were working in Syria ceased to be hidden last spring. And in this video you can see how coordinatedly and accurately the MTR fighters work, destroying the positions of terrorists. They left no chance for the terrorists to escape. Elite Russian troops, where each fighter is a unique specialist, of which there are only a few in the world. Without the support of Special Operations Forces officers, the SAR army and their allies simply would not be able to achieve success in battles against terrorists.
