Special unit "Alpha". Counter-terrorism special operations. Commanders. History

There is no man in the Soviet Union and in the territory of modern Russia, which would not have known the legendary special unit "Alpha". About the fighters of this formation, there are plausible and not very stories. They say that they dodge bullets, possess the technique of contactless combat, survive in any conditions and much more. This is something like superheroes for Russians.

Special unit "Alpha" is a bright dream of every second boy. What actually is special forces, we are unlikely to find out, but there are generally available information that are going to a good picture.

History of creation

At least twice in the history of Russia came to power the KGB. We all know the one, and the first was Yu. Andropov. On his order and initiative of the head of the Seventh Directorate of the KGB, General A. Beschastny, on July 29, 1974, the Alpha Group was established. The spetsnaz was originally simply called the "A" group of the MTO service of the 7th KGB Directorate. To whom the idea of such harmonious name has come, it is already not known, but in 1991 the formation began to be called "Alpha".

The main task of the group was the fight against terrorism, the release of hostages, vehicles, buildings, facilities on the territory of the USSR and abroad. Initially, there were 40 fighters, but their numbers were constantly growing, and to the collapse of the Union, Alfa already had 500 officers with branches in various cities, such as Moscow, Yekaterinburg, Alma-Ata, Kiev, Minsk, Krasnodar, Khabarovsk. Parts that turned out to be abroad became the basis for the formation of national special purpose units of the separated countries, such as Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus.

In 1991, during the coup in Moscow, the special unit Alfa became a scary for the defenders of the White House. The soldiers were frightened by the special forces, they were expected. However, the officers refused to participate in the assault. Unfortunately, V.V. In 1998, Putin issued an order to reorganize the special forces of Alfa, not only the group "A", but also "B" - "Vympel". Staffs, management and support units were disbanded. Combat groups were brought to the Antiterrorist Center. Hearing about this, US representatives came to Russia to offer high-quality specialists a job. According to official sources, none of the officers left - they decided that they would find work in their native country.

At the moment, Office A includes a headquarters, 5 departments, one of which in Chechnya, as well as regional units and services.

Group "A" and "B"

If the special unit "Alpha" is a group "A", then it is logical that there are others. The second most famous division of special forces is the "B" group, or "Vympel". The destinies of these two formations are strongly intertwined. There are officers who served both there and there. There were joint operations, for example, the storming of Amin's palace - then it was the group "Zenith". It lasted not so long. "Zenith" and "Cascade" on August 19, 1981 were united in the group "B" (officially called the Separate Training Center of the KGB of the USSR).

The main task of "Vympel" was to conduct reconnaissance in the territory of the enemy, sabotage activities, fight against terrorists. In peacetime, the soldiers check the security of specially protected objects of their state, perform conditional sabotage, so as not to lose qualifications and maintain the protection of objects in a tone.

The soldiers participated in military conflicts in Baku, Yerevan, Karabakh, Abkhazia, Nakhichevan, Chechnya, Transnistria, Moscow.

Known Operations

One of the first operations was the transportation in 1976 of the Soviet dissident Vladimir Bukovsky to Switzerland and his exchange for L. Corvalan. Despite the nervous situation, everything went well.

The loudest operation, after which the Alfa Group began to fear, was the storming of Amin's palace in Afghanistan in December 1979. With the support of the paratroop battalion, two groups of special forces broke under the heavy fire inside and suppressed resistance. Despite the good preparation of the guards, advantageous position and strength of 250 men, the special unit Alfa accomplished its task, having lost two people during the operation. They were awarded the Order of the Red Banner posthumously.

In January 1991, troops were entered in Vilnius, which seized the television center and the television tower. Within 23 hours, in consultation with the Lithuanian government, 67 employees of the Alfa Group arrived under the guise of internal troops. It was necessary to stop broadcasting and take objects under their control, while not allowing civilian casualties. Soldiers of the special forces made their way through the crowd with the help of butts, the worst part was in front of the building. The group was well lit, and they were opened fire. Someone from the crowd also started shooting. As a result, one of the employees was shot in the back. Barricades could not stop the special forces. The guards were disarmed, and civilian activity was stopped.

During the riots in Moscow in 1991, the special forces refused to participate in the storming of the White House. The fighters tried not to interfere in such events, when the forces inside the country are fighting for power. Their help was required only in negotiations. If there is an opportunity to solve the case without victims, you need to go this way. Just think and fighters, because it's "Alpha"!

Special Forces. How to get?

Getting into an elite combat unit is not easy. The selection takes place in several stages. Special forces of the FSB recruit candidates from officers, ensigns and cadets of military schools. First you need to get a recommendation from an employee of "Vympel" or "Alpha", or from a veteran of such units. Preference is given to cadets of MVD and FSB institutes.

Restrictions

For candidates, as for assault units, there are restrictions on growth. The fighter must be above 175 cm. Such a parameter has appeared because of the features of the equipment - heavy armored combat vehicles are very large and, with less growth, will drag along the ground. They can make an exception only if the candidate's merits overlap his shortcomings. For example, in the special unit "Alpha" can get a small flexible fighters, which can climb into narrow hatches and hard to reach places.

The second limitation is age. You have to be younger than 28 years old, or have combat experience and be a native of other structures of the CSN.

Physical testing

This is not the biggest obstacle for a trained fighter or a good athlete. In the "A" group, the requirements are slightly higher than in the "Vympel". Special forces of the "Alpha" Russia give their candidates less rest and more loads. Exercises are standard: pull-up, running, press, push-ups, complex strength exercises and sparring. Hand-to-hand combat here is not the same as during the attestation of the maroon beret. It is necessary not only to stand, but also to show what you are standing.

Passive defense is not welcome, fresh melee can give the candidate an opportunity to work. Injuries are possible, but if you are afraid of it, then it is not worth going to such a unit. For candidates from other formations, additional requirements are imposed, for example, swimming and shooting.

Special training

After a series of psychological tests and a polygraph, a conversation takes place with the candidate's family. They must give consent to the service. At the initiation, the soldier is given a brand knife, which is used by the Alfa group in his operations. The SWAT is training hard.

All the soldiers without exception are landing and mountain training and other special disciplines. As part of the units, the fighter learns for three years. It is also necessary to master the specialization in order to be an expert in your business. For insufficient grief, they are excluded from the unit.

"Alpha" is a special division of the FSB, and according to the unspoken rule, the soldiers serve in it for at least five years. This is necessary to prepare a first-class specialist. Many continue the service further.

Official losses

Despite the training, the officers of the Alfa group perish in operations. According to official data, for the history of its existence the unit lost 16 soldiers. Two died during the storming of the palace of Amin, one in Vilnius was shot in the back by a crowd of civilians, another one - during the riots in Moscow in 1993. Three immediately lost during the operation in Beslan.