GRU SV-8

The Chief Intelligence Directorate - Special Department 8 (*Glavnoye Razvedyvatelnoye Upravlenie - Spetsial'noye Viedomstvo 8*), better known as GRU SV-8, is the primary counter-occult organization of the Russian Federation and its predecessor; the Soviet Union. The organization was founded after the Red Army encountered Ghouls during the Siberian Campaign which prompted the formation of a special division of Soviet military intelligence to investigate. The organization fulfilled a role similar to that of Delta Green during the Great Patriotic War and the Cold War, but was gutted by the slashed military budgets that followed the fall of the Soviet Union. After two decades of stagnation the organization came to the attention of the Russian Minister of Defense, then to President Putin. The organization was given new orders to exploit the unnatural as part of the resurgent Russia's more aggressive foreign policy and the old guard leadership that objected to this course was purged in 2013. Since then GRU SV-8 has utilized unnatural technologies to achieve Russian foreign policy goals in pursuit of a restored Russian superpower.

## History

### Russian Civil War and Foundation

GRU SV-8 can be traced back to the 1920s, and was originally Stalin's tool for the investigation of occult power.

### Interwar Period

Though it had access to certain artifacts and books from the imperial era, and had little early success, it managed to survive the Great Purges.

### Great Patriotic War and war with Karotechia

During World War II, they fought the Karotechia in their own secret war along the Eastern Front.

### Cold War

During the Cold War, they worked against America, and knew the true mission of Majestic-12, which they tried to infiltrate.

### Post-Soviet Stagnation

After the fall of the Soviet Union, SV-8 has become a shadow of its former self. Though part of the Russian government, they had long ago become hidden from oversight. That means dwindling funding and few new recruits.

### Rediscovery, Purge and Resurgence

In 2010 two agents of GRU SV-8 presented themselves to the Minister of Defense, hoping to gain access to greater funding and support. The alien technologies and hypergeometric rituals quickly captured the attention of the President and the organization was swelled with recruits and funding, and given new orders to find ways to exploit the unnatural for the goals of the Russian government. In 2013 when the Old Guard leaders from the Soviet era protested against this course of action they were reassigned, demoted or killed and replaced with a new generation of loyal officers.

## Methods

GRU SV-8 employs methods similar to Majestic in its pursuit of power and unnatural knowledge.

## Legal Status

GRU SV-8 is a lawful part of the Russian military apparatus, and thus has legal backing in its operations.

## External Links

* GRU SV-8 Timeline
* A playable 1933 GRU SV-8 scenario can be purchased here. It is by the awe-inspiring Bret Kramer. However, it is no longer in print. A similar connected scenario, Cold Harvest, is still available.
* The Former Official Website of GRU SV-8. Much like the USSR, Adobe Flash Player is no longer supported.
* Inside Soviet Military Intelligence by Viktor Suvorov (assumed name), GRU defector.
* Spetsnaz: The story behind the Soviet SAS by "Viktor Suvorov"