TOOLS OF THE TRADE

In the early years of post-Soviet Russia the security forces were unable to import equipment for both political and financial reasons, and were instead forced to rely upon often dated or improvised domestic items. More recently, however, many Russian companies have risen to the challenge of producing world-class weapons and kit, and resources have also been made available for at least the spetsgruppy to import what they need for their work. The previous descriptions of various units note the use of such imports, but what follows is a brief overview of some of the domestically produced weapons in use. The days when Russian forces fielded a relatively narrow range of standard-issue products of a few monolithic state arms factories are long since over. The Russian defense industry is increasingly diversified, with new lines and manufacturers emerging to meet numerous real and potential needs, and the proliferation of large and small spetsgruppy under different agencies and with varying roles has also encouraged a more mission-specific approach to weapons procurement.

Pistols

The venerable Russian 9x18mm Makarov PM remains in use, especially amongst police and lower-status forces. It is a compact design, but relatively underpowered and short-ranged, and even the modernized PMM model – with higher-powered ammunition and a 12-round rather than 8-round magazine – is currently being phased out. The new standard police and military sidearm is the 9x19mm 6P35 Yarygin PYa Grach, a much more modern weapon, although this is supplemented by a wide range of domestic and imported pistols. One of the former is the four-barreled PB-4SP OSA “traumatic pistol” firing non-lethal rubber rounds. At the other end of the spectrum is the 9x21mm Serdyukov SPS, a weapon designed to defeat body armor.

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Operators in the more elite security units have both the budgets to buy personal kit of their choice, and also greater freedom to customize issued equipment. This OMSN police commando carries an Austrian Glock pistol provided by his unit, in a personally acquired Blackhawk SERPA Close Quarter Combat holster rig. (Vitaly Kuzmin)

Russia retains a particular expertise in special-role weapons, of which the SPP-1M underwater handgun and PSS silenced pistol are good examples. The SPP-1M is a particularly distinctive weapon: a four-barreled pistol firing long, drag-stabilized 4.5x40mm rounds with a lethal range of 5–20m (16–66ft) depending on depth under water. The PSS looks like a stubby, conventional semi-automatic pistol, but was designed by the Soviets to be as close as possible to a truly silent weapon for covert kills. It uses a unique subsonic 7.62x42mm round containing an internal piston in the casing that seals the cartridge when the bullet is discharged, keeping in the sound and blast. The six-shot pistol has an effective range of little more than 25m (82ft) and little armor-piercing capacity, but when fired it has no more report than an air pistol.

Submachine guns

Perhaps the greatest variety is evident in the range of submachine guns used. The AKS-74U, a shortened assault carbine version of the regular AK-74 rifle, is widely employed, especially by police units, but is not generally considered an appropriate weapon for special forces. It is convenient to handle, and can lay down a serious volume of fire, but it is not especially accurate, and thus wastes the superior training of spetsgruppy. Its 5.45mm round can also be a danger to innocent bystanders during law-enforcement operations, as it has been known to penetrate walls or pass through the target. Consequently, the 1990s saw Russia’s police and military looking for SMGs using less powerful 9mm pistol rounds and configured for covert and special operations. This spawned a bewildering array of weapons. These range from small and easily concealed weapons such as the PP-91 Kedr (“Cedar”), PP-9 Klin (“Wedge”), and OTs-02 Kiparis (“Cypress”), which are really machine pistols, through larger personal-defense types like the PP-2000 and the less widely used AEK-919K Kashtan (“Chestnut”), to SMGs like the 9A-91, which is really an assault carbine albeit firing 9mm rounds.

Many of these weapons show a Russian desire to experiment with new ideas, such as the PP-19 Bizon (“Bison”), a light weapon with a distinctive tubular magazine along the barrel holding 64 rounds, which reduces the risk of the weapon snagging if produced from under a coat. These were not always successful, however, and the PP-19 in particular received a mixed reception in the field. The Vityaz spetsgruppa even requested a new, more conventional weapon, and the Izhevsk works produced the PP-19-01 Vityaz model, essentially an AKS-74U rechambered in 9mm. Likewise the PP-90, a weapon that folded down into a box that could be carried in a large coat pocket for covert operations, proved so unreliable that it was withdrawn from service.

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The 9mm AS Val silenced assault carbine in use by the Interior Troops Central District commando unit, Peresvet; note the distinctive appearance of their partially camouflaged battledress. These operators are conscripts; in Russia it is not unusual for even special forces units to include selected draftees, though there is a drive to attract more kontraktniki, professional “contract” soldiers. (Vitaly Kuzmin)

Rifles

The standard assault rifle is still the AKM-74, a 5.45mm advanced version of the ubiquitous AK-47 Kalashnikov. The AK-74 was first introduced in 1979, and was succeeded from 1991 by the AKM-74 (M = modernizirovanniy, “modernized”). It is available with a range of accessories, from underslung grenade-launchers to various day and night sights. While dated, it is still a workmanlike weapon and remains in general use amongst the regular armed forces, as budget constraints have thwarted attempts to replace it with something more modern.

Increasingly spetsgruppy are using a variety of other weapons, although so far these are generally Russian-made. The AK-103 is essentially an AK-74 firing the older 7.62mm round, favored by some units for its greater stopping power. The AK-107 is externally similar to the AK-74 and fires the same round, but has a recoil reduction system that makes it much more controllable. This virtue is shared by the AN-94, which was meant to replace the AKM-74 in general service but so far has only been issued to various elite units. Even rarer is the OTs-14-4A Groza (“Thunderstorm”), a compact 9mm bullpup weapon based on the AKS-74U platform. In keeping with the Russians’ penchant for silenced weapons, they also deploy the AS Val (“Shaft”); understandably designated Avtomat Spetsialyi, “Specialized Assault Rifle,” this heavy-barreled carbine fires subsonic 9mm SP-6 armor-piercing rounds to an effective range of 200–300m (660–990 feet).

Likewise, the spetsgruppy will in appropriate circumstances use the VSS Vintorez silenced sniper’s rifle, which has an effective range of up to 400m (1,320 feet), but longer-ranged and more hard-hitting weapons are generally preferred. Lower-status units have to make do with the veteran Dragunov SVD, a weapon derived from the Kalashnikov and not up to modern standards of precision. As a result, more elite units quickly turned to alternatives. Most of these are domestically produced, but the British Accuracy International AWM-F has also won a very loyal constituency amongst marksmen in Alpha and the Presidential Guard Service. Russian-built rifles include the bolt-action SV-98, and the bullpup OTs-03 SVU (Snaiperskaya Vintovka Ukorochennaya, “shortened sniper rifle”) based on a highly modified SVD frame. Perhaps the most prestigious of all the available rifles are custom-made Lobaev OVL-3s, and their accuracy has become the benchmark by which Russian marksmen measure other weapons. Finally, in keeping with other nations, the Russians have come to appreciate the value of a large-caliber anti-material rifle for devastating long-range firepower. The OSV-96 is a 12.7mm weapon that first saw action in a countersniper context in Chechnya; it has an effective range of 1,200m (1,320 yards) against a human, and 1,800m (2,000 yards) against larger targets.

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Some of the weapons used by spetsgruppy. From left to right: a VSK-94 silenced sniper rifle; a bullpup OTs-03 SVU sniper rifle; and a 9mm PP-2000 submachine gun, with Zenit-4TK laser sight and tactical light. (Vitaly Kuzmin)

Other weapons

When appropriate, these forces also have full access to a range of heavier weapons. The Interior Troops, especially the ODON and ObrON, are fully militarized, and are therefore armed with a range of support weapons, especially machine guns and AGS-17 grenade-launchers. At the other end of the spectrum, beyond a variety of rigid and flexible batons and the PB-4SP pistol, security units have access to an array of gas and stun munitions, including the Drofa “flash-bang” stun grenade, the Dreyf-2 tear-gas grenade, and the Cheremukha-10M incapacitating aerosol spray. Taser weapons are also beginning to be introduced for police use. Shotguns are not widely used outside the FSIN, being primarily Saiga semi-automatic weapons (based on the Kalashnikov) and older KZ-23s. Beyond these, public-order forces have access to a range of modern water cannon, including the formidable Lavina-Uragan.

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Photographed in 2011, this operator from Rys’, the Moscow police OMSN unit (redesignated that year as a KSN), is taking part in a fiercely contested competition between police and security special-operations groups, the Spetsnaz Triathlon. Over his “SS-style” camouflage fatigues and black body-armor vest he wears a rappelling harness. Note also the tactical gloves with reinforced knuckles, which pack an extra punch in hand-to-hand combat. (Vitaly Kuzmin)

Body armor

Body armor was used by the Red Army in modest quantities during World War II, but thereafter was long neglected by the Soviets. Examples began to see widespread use during their ill-fated war in Afghanistan (1979–89), but these remained relatively heavy, clumsy, and ineffective. Strides have been made since then, with a range of both lighter and heavier vests and other protective kit available for different types of duty. The distinctive metal-visored helmet worn by some operators, typically a Maska or Sfera design, is increasingly out of favor for its lack of comfort and the limits it places on hearing and vision, and instead modern composite designs with goggles or clear shields are now preferred.