The 3rd Guards Separate 'Warsaw-Berlin Red Banner Order of Suvorov 3rd degree'
Spetsnaz
Spetsnaz are special forces in numerous post-Soviet states. (The term is borrowed from rus, спецназ, p=spʲɪtsˈnas; abbreviation for or 'Special Purpose Military Units'; or .)
Historically, the term ''spetsnaz'' referred to the So ...
Brigade (
Military Unit Number 21208) is a
special forces
Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...
brigade of the
Main Intelligence Directorate Main Intelligence Directorate may refer to:
* Main Directorate of Intelligence (Ukraine), the military intelligence service of Ukraine
* GRU
The Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, rus, Гла́� ...
(GRU) and thus the
Armed Forces of the Russian Federation based at
Tolyatti since 2010.
Background

Despite the fact that the brigade itself was created in 1966, its predecessors have a long history.
Traditionally, the brigade traces its heritage to the 5th Separate Motorcycle Regiment. The regiment was established by
Soviet General Staff Directive based on
238th Tank Brigade on March 26, 1944. On July 14, 1944, the regiment took part in the fighting, fighting in the
1st Byelorussian Front
The 1st Belorussian Front (Russian: Пéрвый Белорусский фронт, ''Perviy Belorusskiy front'', also romanized " Byelorussian") was a major formation of the Soviet Army during World War II, being equivalent to a Western army g ...
.
For exemplary performance of assigned tasks, for the seizure of the cities of
Lublin
Lublin is the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the center of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin is the largest Polish city east of t ...
,
Garwolin, and
Żelechów
Żelechów (Yiddish language, Yiddish זשעלעכאָוו) is a town in east Poland in Masovian Voivodeship in Garwolin County. It is the seat of Gmina Żelechów. Żelechów is from Warsaw and far from Lublin. More than 4000 people live in t ...
, decree
USSR Supreme Soviet Presidium on August 9, 1944, the regiment was awarded
Order of Red Banner. On December 1, 1944, the regiment was awarded the honorary title of "Guards."
For the successful execution of assigned tasks to free
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
Commander of the Order of February 10, 1945, the regiment was given the name "Warsaw". For exemplary performance of assigned tasks, for the possession of the cities of
Woldenberg Zeden? by the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on April 26, 1945, the regiment was awarded the
Order of Suvorov
The Order of Suvorov () is a military decoration of the Russian Federation named in honor of Russian Generalissimo Prince Alexander Suvorov (1729–1800).
History
The Order of Suvorov was originally a Soviet award established on July 29, 1942 ...
third degree.
For participation in the assault and capture of
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
, the regiment was given the name "Berlin" on May 11, 1945. Since October 1945 the 5th Separate Guards Red Banner Order of Suvorov III degree Warsaw-Berlin Motorcycle Regiment of the
2nd Guards Tank Army
The 2nd Guards Tank Army () was a large military formation of the Red Army and later the Soviet Army, now part of the Russian Ground Forces of the Russian Federation.
The army was originally formed in early 1943 as the 2nd Tank Army. It was the ...
was in a military town Tiefenbrunn.
On April 1, 1947, the 5th Separate Guards motorcycle regiment was disbanded, and on its base the 48th Separate Guards Motorcycle Battalion was established. In accordance with the directive of the General Staff of the number Org 267 486 20 September 1954 in order to improve the organization of reconnaissance units November 28, 1954 48th Separate Guards Motor Cycle Battalion was reformed in the
48th Separate Guards Reconnaissance Battalion.
In accordance with General Staff Directive No. Org / 6/111560 on July 9, 1966, 48th Separate Guards Reconnaissance Warsaw-Berlin Red Banner Order of Suvorov III degree battalion was disbanded.
Soviet Union

The brigade was formed in 1966 by a Directive of the Commander
Group of Soviet Forces in Germany
The Western Group of Forces (WGF),. previously known as the Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany (GSOFG). and the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (GSFG),. were the troops of the Soviet Army in East Germany. The Group of Soviet Occupati ...
. It was formed in the garrison
Werder (Havel)
Werder (Havel) (official name derived from ''Werder an der Havel'' ("Werder upon Havel"), colloquially just ''Werder'') is a town in the state of Brandenburg, Germany, located on the Havel river in the Potsdam-Mittelmark district, west of the sta ...
based
26th separate special battalion and
27th separate special battalion, and 48th and 166th separate reconnaissance battalions.
The brigade was stationed in the town of
Fürstenberg/Havel
Fürstenberg () is a town in the Oberhavel district, Brandenburg, Germany.
Until 1919, Fürstenberg was part of the former Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Geography
Fürstenberg is situated on the River Havel, south of Neustrelitz, and ...
. Part of the brigade units were stationed until 1975 in Neustrelitz, then in Neuthymen. One of the main tasks of the brigade in the 1960–1980s was to detect and destroy the mobile missile systems of potential enemies.
Russian Federation

In April 1991, based on the directives of the Ministry of Defence of the USSR No. 314/1/01500 on November 7, 1990, the brigade was relocated to the village of
Roshchinsky, Samara Oblast
Roshchinsky (russian: Ро́щинский) is an types of inhabited localities in Russia, urban locality (an urban-type settlement) in Volzhsky District, Samara Oblast, Volzhsky District of Samara Oblast, Russia. Population: 11,920 (Russian Cens ...
and came under command of the
Volga-Urals Military District. With the reorganisation of the military districts in 2011 it became part of the
Central Military District.
Tajikistan
From September 28, 1992 to November 24, 1992, a Task Force from the brigade participated in combat operations in Tajikistan. Soldiers from the Brigade played a support role to the deployment of the 201st Motorized Rifle Division, guarding military and government facilities, covering the evacuation of the American embassy and escorting humanitarian convoys.
First Chechen War
On January 17, 1995, the 1st Battalion (509th ooSpN) 3rd Brigade, using
Ilyushin Il-76
The Ilyushin Il-76 (russian: Илью́шин Ил-76; NATO reporting name: Candid) is a multi-purpose, fixed-wing, four-engine turbofan strategic airlifter designed by the Soviet Union's Ilyushin design bureau. It was first planned as a comm ...
transport aircraft was transferred to
Mozdok, after which a
BMP-1 column moved on
Khankala
Khankala (russian: Ханкала, ce, Хан-ГӀала, translit=Ẋan-Ġala) is a settlement in Groznensky District of the Chechen Republic, Russia, located to the east of Grozny
Grozny ( rus, Грозный, p=ˈgroznɨj; ce, Соьл� ...
.
The battalion conducted special reconnaissance around the city of
Argun. Operation continued near the village of
Komsomolsk, where the battalion assaulted and took a strategic height controlled by the adversary.
In the night from March 20 to March 21, 1995, in joint operation with the reconnaissance battalion of the 165th regiment of marines, successfully assaulted and captured height 236.7.
The unit continued operations with disarming illegal armed groups near the settlements of
Argun and
Mesker- Yurt.
Later a detachment fought near
Gudermes
Gudermes (russian: Гудерме́с; ce, Гуьмсе, ''Gümse'' or , ''Guthermajas'') is a town in the Chechen Republic, Russia, located on the Sunzha River east of Grozny, the republic's capital. Population: 32,000 (1970).
History
Gude ...
and
Shali.
Kosovo War
Commando teams participated in the peacekeeping missions in Kosovo from July 1999, to October 2001.
Second Chechen War
The brigade took part in anti-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations from April 2002, to January 2007.
Afghanistan
On July 21, 2001, on the basis of the 1st Battalion of the brigade, a consolidated group was formed, which until November 2004 provided security for Russian representatives in
Kabul
Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...
.
The brigade was moved from Roshchinsky to
Tolyatti in 2010.
Ukraine
On May 16, 2015, the
Armed Forces of Ukraine
, imports =
, exports =
, history =
, ranks = Military ranks of Ukraine
, country=Ukraine
The Armed Forces of Ukraine ( uk, Збро́йні си́ли Украї́ни), most commonly known ...
reported that troops of the
92nd Mechanized Brigade captured two Russians soldiers of the 3rd Guards Spetsnaz Brigade during a fight near Shchastya town (Luhansk oblast, eastern Ukraine). Captured soldiers said they were spetsnaz from Tolyatti, specifically
Military Unit
Military organization or military organisation is the structuring of the armed forces of a state so as to offer such military capability as a national defense policy may require. In some countries paramilitary forces are included in a nation' ...
21208. On May 18, 2015, police broke up a brief protest of approximately 12 people at a checkpoint near the Tolyatti base, with some protesters expressing concern about the Russians captured in Ukraine. While the representative of pro-Russian militants
Eduard Basurin
Eduard Aleksandrovich Basurin (russian: Эдуард Александрович Басурин; Ukrainian: Едуард Олександрович Басурін; born 27 June 1966) is the Deputy Defense Minister and Defense Spokesman of the Do ...
out of the eastern Ukraine said the captured Russians, Yevgeny Vladimirovich Yerofeyev (russian: Евгений Владимирович Ерофеев) and Alexander Anatolyevich Alexandrov (Александр Анатольевич Александров), were members of the
Luhansk People's Republic
The Luhansk or Lugansk People's Republic (russian: Луга́нская Наро́дная Респу́блика, Luganskaya Narodnaya Respublika, ; abbreviated as LPR or LNR, rus, ЛНР) is a disputed entity created by Russian-backed ...
People's Militia,
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe officials said the two Russians admitted to being members of the Russian military. A year later, in May 2016, the soldiers were exchanged for
Nadiya Savchenko
Nadiya Viktorivna Savchenko ( uk, Надія Вікторівна Савченко; born 11 May 1981) is a Ukrainian politician, former Army aviation pilot in the Ukrainian Ground Forces and former People's Deputy of Ukraine.
During the 2014 ...
, a Ukrainian citizen held in Russia.
On October 4, 2022, BBC reported that the brigade suffered its worst casualties to date during
fighting in Lyman, Ukraine, with the possibility that 75% of the unit's reconnaissance company troops were lost.
As of November 30,
BBC News Russian
BBC News Russian (russian: BBC News Ру́сская слу́жба) – formerly BBC Russian Service (russian: Ру́сская слу́жба Би-би-си́) – is part of the BBC World Service's foreign language output, one of nearly 40 ...
&
Mediazona reported the unit reportedly lost 56 personnel in the fighting.
Notable soldiers
176 commandos of the brigade have been awarded honors for bravery in combat. Three commandos were awarded the title of
Hero of the Russian Federation
Hero of the Russian Federation (russian: Герой Российской Федерации, Geroy Rossiyskoy Federatsii), also unofficially Hero of Russia (russian: link=no, Герой России, Geroy Rossii), is the highest honorary title ...
:
*Guards Petty Officer Anton B. Ushakov (1972–1995) posthumously.
*Guards Lieutenant Alexei Dergunov (1979–2003) posthumously.
*Guards Major Alexei R. Prushkin (1962–1990) posthumously.
Structure
;3rd Special Purpose Brigade HQ
*Signals Company
*Special Weapons Company
*Support Company
*Security Company
*Logistics Company
*Engineering Platoon
*Sapper Platoon
*Medical Center
*Training Unit
;1st Special Purpose Detachment (1st Battalion)
*1st special-purpose company (1st RSPN);
*2nd special-purpose company (2nd RSPN);
*3rd special-purpose company (3rd RSPN);
*Logistics Company
*Communications Company
*Security Platoon
*Mining Group
*Engineering Platoon
*1st Medical Platoon
;790th Special Purpose Detachment (2nd Battalion)
*4th special-purpose company (4th RSPN)
*5th special-purpose company (5th RSPN)
*6th special-purpose company (6th RSPN)
*Logistics Company
*Communications Company
*Security Platoon
*Mining Group
*Engineering Platoon
*2nd Medical Platoon
;791st Special Purpose Detachment (3rd Battalion)
*7th special-purpose company (7th RSPN);
*8th special-purpose company (8th RSPN);
*9th special-purpose company (9th RSPN);
*Logistics Company
*Communications company
*Security Platoon
*Mining Group
*Engineering Platoon
*3rd Medical Platoon
As of 2012, the spetsnaz brigades were reported to have around 1,600 soldiers at full strength.
The exact size of special forces units is classified; it is not known how large the 3rd brigade is.
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Unit citations
References
{{Reflist
Spetsnaz brigades of Russia
Spetsnaz brigades of the Soviet Union
Military units and formations established in 1966
Military units and formations of Russia in the war in Donbas
Military units and formations of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine