The scope of activities of the Twelfth Directorate remain obscure. The Political Department is responsible for personnel security and reliability. The Personnel Directorate is responsible for the recruitment, training and professional development of GRU staff. The Financial Directorate is responsible for domestic financial management, excluding foreign operations. The Operational Technical Directorate, headed by a Lieutenant General, is responsible for the development of intelligence collection systems.
Work is conducted at several scientific institutes and enterprises.
The First GRU Deparment is responsible for all aspects of replicating foreign identity documentation to support clandestine GRU operations, such as forging passsports. The Eight Department is responsible for the security of internal GRU communications. The Archives Department maintains the records of the GRU, including files on personnel, as well as foreign assets and targets. They are all part of the military districts and the fleets, and in operational terms are subordinate to the relevant commanders. During the Soviet period, the basic operational spetsnaz unit was the brigada or brigade.