Strategic utility of the Russian Spetsnaz
Journal: Calhoun: The Naval Postgraduate School Institutional Archive (Naval Postgraduate School)
Year: 2016

The Russian annexation of Crimea stimulated the author's interest in researching the little green men (allegedly the Russian Spetsnaz) that appeared at a decisive point in the coup de main. The intent here is to understand the capabilities and limitations of the Russian special operations forces (SOF) and the level of threat they present to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members and Russia's neighbors. This study uses Colin Gray's strategic utility theory to understand why Russian lea