Misplaced Pages

Vympel: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editNext edit →Content deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 20:06, 27 January 2010 editPropaniac (talk | contribs)10,330 editsNo edit summary← Previous edit Revision as of 01:50, 8 March 2010 edit undoHodja Nasreddin (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Pending changes reviewers31,217 editsNo edit summaryNext edit →
Line 2: Line 2:
{{citations missing|date=February 2008}} {{citations missing|date=February 2008}}
] ]

'''Vympel''' ({{lang-ru|Вымпел}}, meaning "]" from German "Wimpel", also known as ''' ''KGB Directorate "B"'' ''','''Vega Group''' or '''Spetsgruppa V''', '''Group B (cyrilic for V)''') is a ]n ] unit. '''Vympel''' ({{lang-ru|Вымпел}}, meaning "]" from German "Wimpel", also known as ''' ''KGB Directorate "B"'' ''','''Vega Group''' or '''Spetsgruppa V''', '''Group B (cyrilic for V)''') is a ]n ] unit.


The exact lineage is not known but the unit was formed in 1981 by the ] Gen. Drozdov within the ] of the KGB as a dedicated ] unit specialised in deep penetration, ], universal direct and ], ] protection and ] cell activation in case of war. Most of the Vympel operatives mastered two or three foreign languages, for they were supposed to act in foreign countries, deep behind enemy lines. The exact lineage is not known but the unit was formed in 1981 by the ] Gen. Drozdov within the ] of the KGB as a dedicated ] unit specialised in deep penetration, ], universal direct and ], protection of Soviet ] and ] ] activation in case of war. Most of the Vympel operatives mastered two or three foreign languages, for they were supposed to act in foreign countries, deep behind enemy lines.


Vympel quickly gained the reputation of being the best Soviet special forces unit,{{Fact|date=June 2008}} surpassing its ] and ] counterparts. However, after the collapse of the USSR, Vympel was decimated by endless re-organisation and re-definition: it passed under the aegis of the Security Ministry before being receded to the ] (both institutions were short-lived offspring of the ex-KGB during the ] era) and finally passed to the MVD. The '']'' had no use for such a unit. The bulk of the Vympel operatives could not stand the humiliation of being subordinated to the police, and duly resigned (of 278 officers, only 57 accepted to remain within the MVD). The unit was re-named Vega. Vympel quickly gained the reputation of being among the best Soviet special forces unit, surpassing its ] and ] counterparts. However, after the collapse of the USSR, Vympel was decimated by endless re-organisation and re-definition: it passed under the aegis of the Security Ministry before being receded to the GUO (both institutions were short-lived offspring of the ex-KGB during the ] era) and finally passed to the MVD (Interior Ministry). Howeverm, the '']'' had no use for such a unit. The bulk of the Vympel operatives could not stand the humiliation of being subordinated to the police, and duly resigned: of 278 officers, only 57 accepted to remain within the MVD. The unit was re-named "Vega".


In 1995, the ] Special Operations Center (TsSN FSB) was logically granted control over Vympel. Vympel regained its original name and was re-integrated in the Intelligence Service structures. The emphasis shifted from covert and clandestine sabotage operations to ] and nuclear safety enforcement. Vympel operatives undergo special training related to improvised or special explosive devices, permitting them to use 'terrorist-like' tactics to carry out their operations. Physical training includes close hand combat, parachute training, diving, underwater combat techniques, climbing, ropetech alpinism. Regional groups of Vympel were deployed in cities with especially important nuclear objects. In 1995, the ] Special Operations Center (TsSN FSB) has been granted control over Vympel. The group regained its original name and was re-integrated in the Intelligence Service structures. The emphasis shifted from covert and clandestine sabotage operations to ] and nuclear safety enforcement. Vympel operatives undergo special training related to improvised or special explosive devices, permitting them to use 'terrorist-like' tactics to carry out their operations. Physical training includes close hand combat, parachute training, diving, underwater combat techniques, climbing, ropetech alpinism. Regional groups of Vympel were deployed in cities with especially important nuclear objects.


Vympel (i.e. the Directorate "V" of the TsSN FSB) is still a classified and secretive unit. It took part in Russia's Chechen campaigns and on ] the Supreme Soviet building. Little is known about its current operations and activities, the exception being the capture of the Chechen terrorist and rebel leader ] in March 2000 and ] in September 2004. Vympel (i.e. the Directorate "V" of the TsSN FSB) is still a classified and secretive unit. It took part in Russia's ] and in storming of the ] building during the ]. Little is known about its current operations and activities, the exception being the capture of the Chechen militant leader ] in March 2000 and ] in September 2004.


== See also == == See also ==
Line 26: Line 27:
] ]
] ]



] ]

Revision as of 01:50, 8 March 2010

See NPO Vympel for the Russian air-to-air missiles designer
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Vympel" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (February 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
Emblem of Vympel

Vympel (Template:Lang-ru, meaning "Pennant" from German "Wimpel", also known as KGB Directorate "B" ,Vega Group or Spetsgruppa V, Group B (cyrilic for V)) is a Russian special forces unit.

The exact lineage is not known but the unit was formed in 1981 by the KGB Gen. Drozdov within the First Chief Directorate of the KGB as a dedicated OSNAZ unit specialised in deep penetration, sabotage, universal direct and covert action, protection of Soviet embassies and espionage cell activation in case of war. Most of the Vympel operatives mastered two or three foreign languages, for they were supposed to act in foreign countries, deep behind enemy lines.

Vympel quickly gained the reputation of being among the best Soviet special forces unit, surpassing its GRU and MVD counterparts. However, after the collapse of the USSR, Vympel was decimated by endless re-organisation and re-definition: it passed under the aegis of the Security Ministry before being receded to the GUO (both institutions were short-lived offspring of the ex-KGB during the Boris Yeltsin era) and finally passed to the MVD (Interior Ministry). Howeverm, the militsiya had no use for such a unit. The bulk of the Vympel operatives could not stand the humiliation of being subordinated to the police, and duly resigned: of 278 officers, only 57 accepted to remain within the MVD. The unit was re-named "Vega".

In 1995, the FSB Special Operations Center (TsSN FSB) has been granted control over Vympel. The group regained its original name and was re-integrated in the Intelligence Service structures. The emphasis shifted from covert and clandestine sabotage operations to counter-terrorism and nuclear safety enforcement. Vympel operatives undergo special training related to improvised or special explosive devices, permitting them to use 'terrorist-like' tactics to carry out their operations. Physical training includes close hand combat, parachute training, diving, underwater combat techniques, climbing, ropetech alpinism. Regional groups of Vympel were deployed in cities with especially important nuclear objects.

Vympel (i.e. the Directorate "V" of the TsSN FSB) is still a classified and secretive unit. It took part in Russia's Chechen campaigns and in storming of the Supreme Soviet building during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis. Little is known about its current operations and activities, the exception being the capture of the Chechen militant leader Salman Raduyev in March 2000 and the assault on the school in Beslan in September 2004.

See also

  • Alpha Group, a sister KGB/FSB unit specialised in counter-terrorism

References

External links

Categories: