page_title: Spetsnaz
section_title: Soviet MVD and Russian National Guard special forces
hierarchical_section_title: Spetsnaz / Soviet MVD and Russian National Guard special forces
caption_attribution_description: English: Operator from the 604th Special Purpose Center of the Internal Troops of the MIA of the RF
context_page_description: Spetsnaz is an umbrella term for special forces in Russian language and is used in numerous post-Soviet states.
  Historically, the term referred to special operations units controlled by the main military intelligence service GRU. It also describes task forces of other ministries in post-Soviet countries. Russian special forces wear different berets depending on the branch of the armed forces they belong to. These include:
  Ground Forces and Airborne Forces – Blue beret
  Navy and Marines – Black beret
  National Guard – Maroon beret
  As Spetsnaz is a Russian term, it is typically associated with the special units of Russia, but other post-Soviet states often refer to their special forces units by the term as well, since these nations also inherited their special purpose units from the now-defunct Soviet security agencies. The 5th Spetsnaz Brigade of Belarus is such an example of non-Russian Spetsnaz forces.
context_section_description: The special missions units of the National Guard of Russia (consolidated and replaced the forces of the MVD Internal Troops, SOBR, OMON) includes a number of Russian Internal Troops (VV, successor to the Soviet Internal Troops) paramilitary units to combat internal threats to the government, such as insurgencies and mutinies. These units usually have a unique name and official OSN (previously known as OSNAZ or osobogo naznacheniya meaning "special purpose") number, and some are part the ODON (also known as Dzerzhinsky Division). OBrON (Independent Special Designation Brigade) VV special groups (spetsgruppa) were deployed to Chechnya.
caption: 604th Special Purpose Centre operator.
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