FSB Special Purpose Center. Who needs a network of virtual heroes

Shield of the country from terrorism. The work of the fighters of the Center special purpose FSB of Russia. Photo report

To begin with, briefly about the FSB Special Purpose Center. This division Federal Service security Russian Federation, created on October 8, 1998 on the initiative of the director of the FSB of Russia V.V. Putin by combining into a single team of special forces units of the security agencies.

The main task of the TsSN FSB of Russia is to combat international terrorism on the territory of the Russian Federation and beyond its borders, which includes activities to identify, prevent, suppress, disclose and investigate terrorist acts through operational combat and other measures. It is especially worth noting that the Federal Security Service acts in strict accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation, even in cases where its activities may look illegal and immoral in the opinion of certain uninitiated and incompetent citizens.

Over the fifteen years of its existence, employees of the Central Security Service of the FSB of Russia, independently or in cooperation with various units, have carried out many operational and combat activities, during which a significant amount of weapons, ammunition, explosives, hundreds of hostages taken by militants were released, active members of gangs were neutralized, including such odious leaders as Salman Raduev, Arbi Baraev, Aslan Maskhadov, Rappani Khalilov, Anzor Astemirov, emissaries of the international terrorist organization Al-Qaeda in the North Caucasus Abu-Umar, Abu-Havs, Safe Islam and others.

According to indirect data, over the years of work of the Central Security Service of the FSB, several hundred officers died in military operations on the territory of the country and abroad, state awards were presented more than two thousand times, twenty servicemen were awarded the honorary title "Hero of the Russian Federation".

At present, the Federal Security Service is headed by General of the Army Alexander Vasilyevich Bortnikov.

TsSN FSB has the best and most modern equipment. This is its main difference from the army and other power structures of the Russian Federation. In their work, the officers of the Center use the best that Russian and foreign military science and industry can give. In the fight against terrorism, a different approach would be inappropriate.

There are a lot of people who want to get into the service at the Center. The selection is strict: first of all, the CSN is guided by people who have already proven themselves to be professionals in one of the areas of special training, who have combat experience and a good military education, as well as graduates from the universities of the Ministry of Defense, Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Border Guard Service of the FSB and the Ryazan School Airborne. At the same time, the Center trains professionals of such categories that only they can raise themselves - snipers, paratroopers and combat swimmers.

Providing first aid to the wounded. Of the “Golden Hour” allotted for rescuing the wounded, the first 15 minutes are considered the most important, the faster and more qualified assistance is provided, the more chances the victim has to save

In addition to physical data Special attention appeals to high moral and psychological qualities. Coming to one of the structures of the Center, the candidate must be ready, if circumstances so require, to give his life, saving the lives of the hostages. The study process lasts at least a year and a half, the dropout is very large.

With regard to fire training, it has a pronounced applied character. The emphasis is on developing sustainable shooting skills in conditions as close as possible to real situations. The level of training of CSN employees allows them to win prizes at all-Russian and international competitions, as well as to effectively solve the entire range of operational and combat missions.

The entire training system is aimed at the formation of young employees. It is carried out by leaders of all levels and instructors. It includes, among other aspects, the institution of mentoring, passing various training camps, classes and receiving good operational training in training centers and institutions of the FSB. One of the main tasks set in the Center is not only to teach how to shoot well and master the techniques of hand-to-hand combat, but above all to act consciously as part of a unit.

One of the traditional questions asked to the commanders of the FSB special forces is: how long does it take to grow a real professional from a beginner? In previous years, the answer was: five years. Now professional development is happening much faster: such is the specificity! For the past ten years, the Center has been continuously participating in special operations in the North Caucasus, which affects the quality of the personnel.

The FSB Special Purpose Center was established in 1998 to combat terrorism in Russia and abroad. Its structural units are the Alpha special unit, the Vympel special unit and the Directorate special operations.

The center accepts officers and ensigns, as well as cadets of military schools as candidates for officer positions. 97% of the positions in the FSB special forces are officers. Ensigns are given 3%, in case of admission to the CSN, they serve as drivers or instructors.

In addition, each candidate must provide a recommendation of either a current or former employee of Alfa or Vympel. The CSN is also engaged in an independent search for the most promising young people. Why do employees of the center visit the universities of the Ministry of Defense in order to study the personal files of cadets and conduct interviews with the most suitable of them for service in the FSB special forces. The most “productive” in this regard are the Novosibirsk Higher Combined Arms School, where there is a special forces department, and the Moscow Higher Military Command School.

At the same time, there is an age limit - no older than 28 years. And also the height must be at least 175 cm so that the body armor does not hit the knees. However, these requirements are not dogma. If the candidate has any unique abilities or has combat experience, then they turn a blind eye to them.

A healthy mind in a healthy body

Having accepted from the candidates the documents necessary for admission, they begin to check their physical fitness. Testing is carried out within one day. Everything is done in dynamics with minimal breaks between exercises. The requirements for applicants for service in Alpha are a little stricter than for candidates for Vympel. Below are the standards for Alpha.

3 kilometers at the stadium must be run within 10 minutes 30 seconds.

After a 5-minute rest - 100 meters, the control standard - 12.7 seconds.

Pull-ups on the crossbar - 25 times. This is followed by a 3-minute rest after each exercise.

Within 2 minutes, it is necessary to do 90 flexions and extensions of the torso in the prone position.

90 push-ups from the floor.

After that, the candidate needs to perform a complex strength exercise 7 times:

15 push-ups from the floor;

15 flexion and extension of the torso in the prone position;

15 transitions from the “crouching emphasis” to “lying emphasis” and vice versa;

15 jumps from the "crouching" position.

40 seconds are given for each cycle. Rest between cycles is not provided.

Bench press of a barbell of its own weight (but not more than 100 kg) lying down - 10 times.

The main thing is to keep the beat and go forward

Three minutes after physical testing, it is necessary to demonstrate hand-to-hand martial arts skills. At the same time, the candidate speaks in a helmet, gloves and protective pads on the legs and in the groin. He is opposed by an instructor or an employee of the TsSN who is well trained in the field of hand-to-hand combat. The fight continues for 3 rounds.

In the allotted time, it is not at all required to defeat the instructor. During the fight, the instructor assesses the potential capabilities of the candidate: fighting qualities, ability to take a hit, the will to win, focus on attacking in conditions of physical fatigue, the ability to change combat tactics depending on the circumstances, reaction speed.

Of course, the instructor does not seek to “beat” the subject. During the fight, he gives him the initiative to better understand what he is worth. The more active the candidate is in the ring, the higher the score he receives even in the case of significant errors in technique. Subsequently, during training, the recruit will learn all the techniques and skills necessary for effective hand-to-hand combat. Therefore, the main task of the instructor is to find out whether the candidate is capable of learning.

Those who are passive in combat are immediately culled, going on the defensive.

Major tests ahead

At the next stage, the candidate is placed at the disposal of doctors in order to undergo in-depth studies of his state of health. And here the requirements are higher than for cadets of military universities, since the future special forces officer must endure enormous physical exertion. And they should not interfere with the effective implementation of combat missions. At the same time, one of the primary tasks that the medical board solves is to determine the suitability for airborne training.

In parallel with these studies, a special check is carried out, during which the presence of undesirable connections in the candidate is revealed. And not only with him, but also with his closest relatives. Relatives are checked for criminal records.

The next stage of the competitive marathon is an examination by a psychologist. It is necessary to study the candidate's personality - character, temperament, interests and predilections, moral attitudes, reactions to certain stimuli and other characteristics that are important for service in the FSB special forces. All this information is entered into a personal file.

This is followed by verification on the polygraph of the veracity of the candidate. First of all, the moments that he would like to hide, the “dark spots” of his past and present are revealed: connections with crime, addiction to alcohol and drugs, corruption tendencies, antisocial lifestyle.

Developed in the late 1990s on the basis of a biathlon rifle for arming OMON and FSB special forces. With low ballistic characteristics for a sniper weapon, it has a very high firing accuracy and a quiet sound of a shot.
Reloading is done manually. Detachable magazine holds 10 rounds.
The stock is symmetrical in shape (equally convenient for shooting from the left and right hand), consists of two parts. The buttstock is detachable, of skeletal construction, equipped with a recoil pad and a cheek piece. In the lower part of the butt, under the hinged cover, there is room for two spare magazines. Instead of a butt, a pistol grip can be installed. The forearm has a groove for attaching a height-adjustable bipod.
On rifles of the first years of production, the stock and stock were made of lacquered wood, however, in 2007, the SV-99 received a stock and buttstock made of durable aircraft-grade dark green plywood of the SV-98 type, and in 2009, an improved version of the stock and stock from black plastic.
open sights no, but the rifle has a dovetail mount for mounting an optical sight.
What special tasks are performed by special forces units with the help of such a weak and short-range (what a word!), Almost toy weapon?
1. Covert destruction of enemy manpower not protected by personal protective equipment. The .22 LR cartridge used gives a very quiet and accurate shot at short distances. “The accuracy of a shot with such a cartridge at 20-30 meters is simply amazing, and the weak recoil allows you to make two or three very accurate shots in a row. When combined with a silencer, the sound of a shot is no longer heard even from two steps with the usual noise background on a city street, and a properly selected ammunition can inflict a rather serious injury to a criminal. By the way, a shot from this weapon at a distance of up to 100 m affects not only people, but also service dogs.
2. Stealth defeat technical means enemy. True, not any technical means, but only those that are affected by such a weak cartridge as the .22 LR. Lighting equipment, video cameras, signaling units, electrical distribution boxes, radio communications equipment, car wheels ... That is, in other words, small-caliber sniper rifle with a silencer - this is an almost ideal means of preparing a springboard for the assault on those objects that are technically possible to approach at a direct shot range from a small-caliber rifle (50-70 m.)
I must say that when ordering the development of such a peculiar weapon as a "sniper small thing", the Russian military were not pioneers in this area. American special forces have been using small-caliber .22 LR weapons ever since such weapons were born, from the end of the 19th century. And, apparently, they are not going to refuse it yet.

In the summer of 1996, the FSB anti-terrorist center (ATC FSB) was created by presidential decree. The creation of this center was one of the first steps taken by Mikhail Barsukov after his appointment as director of the FSB. Viktor Zorin, First Deputy Director of the FSB, was appointed head of the Center.

Formally, the need for its creation was caused by the extreme lack of coordination of domestic anti-terrorist services, which was especially clearly manifested during the operation in Budennovsk in June 1995.

"Vremya MN" 01/23/01: "The Department for Combating Terrorism includes the Special Purpose Center, consisting of the Alpha and Vympel detachments (former foreign intelligence special forces). The daily work of the Alpha detachment is to neutralize terrorists who capture air and water vessels, land transport, as well as those holding hostages in buildings.Vympel employees have a "nuclear" specialization: in peacetime - neutralization of terrorists at nuclear facilities, in pre-war and war time their task is reversed - they must destroy nuclear power plants, rocket launchers with nuclear warheads and other special facilities on enemy territory. However, this specificity is not taken into account in the current conditions, Vympel fighters are capable of operating in Chechnya.

The base of the Special Purpose Center is located in the city of Balashikha-2, military unit No. 35690. Contact phones: 523-63-43, 523-90-60. The training center of the "Alfa" group has been called "Surf" for twenty-five years.

The selection system for anti-terror special forces is carried out in several stages. For service in the special forces of the FSB Special Purpose Center, as a rule, officers and ensigns, as well as cadets of military schools, are selected as candidates for officer positions. Physical testing is divided into two stages, which take place on the same day. During the first, candidates pass physical fitness standards, followed by hand-to-hand combat sparring.

Training can be done at the Budokan sports club, the programs provide for general physical training, sports training in aikido, karate.

In the ring, the candidate is required to be active, passive defense is not welcome. It is very difficult to do this, given the loads that the candidate has overcome during the physical tests. Against him comes a completely fresh employee. Here, first of all, fighting qualities, the ability to attack, the ability to take a hit and, of course, the will are tested. There were cases when aikido masters did not stand in the ring, and guys who did not have any serious sports titles, on the contrary, stubbornly attacked and rushed at the enemy.

There is an unspoken rule in the Center that after being enrolled in special forces, an employee must serve in it for at least five years. This is exactly the period that is necessary for the preparation of a classy "action movie" of anti-terror. The vast majority continue to serve further.

The center is part of the structure of the Service for the Protection of the Constitutional System and the Fight against Terrorism.

The leader is Lieutenant General Alexander Tikhonov, before him - Major General Valery Andreev.
Structure:
- Management "A"
- Management "B"
- Directorate (formerly Service) of Special Operations (MTR)

Below brief information about the losses, problems and combat path of all three Directorates.

From a letter that came to Shchekochikhin's department in Novaya Gazeta from the fighters of group "A" (March 2004):

- "At the end of last year, the chief of staff of the TsSN, Lieutenant General A.M., was forced to retire from the center - a legendary person, a man who went from ensign to general in group A, who went through Afghanistan and Chechnya. One of recent transactions, which he led - the capture of Salman Raduev. By the way, after the capture of Raduev, the colonel of the headquarters, who was the first to report by telephone to Moscow about the successful completion of the operation, received the star of the Hero of Russia, and M., the person who personally carried out the capture, was awarded a medal.

Many of our military officers, whose contract ends this year, are leaving for civilian life, not wanting to serve under the command of "parquet" generals. With the arrival of Colonel V. (the current commander of Group A. - Ed.), his former colleagues, their children, and relatives followed him to us.
And due to the fact that professionals began to leave the CSN, they began to take us according to the limit.

To this end, a third hostel is already being built on the basis of the center in B. After the signing of the contract, the soldiers are awarded the rank of ensign and are first temporarily and then permanently registered in Moscow. For guys from the provinces, this is the ultimate dream. For our leadership, such people are very convenient, they look the authorities in the mouth and carry out the most ridiculous, illiterate orders.

From a letter that came to Y. Shchekochikhin in Novaya Gazeta from the fighters of group "A" (TsSN) (July 2003):

- "At the headquarters of the Central Security Service of the FSB, led by General Tikhonov, there is a legendary person in the center - Colonel S. By profession, this gentleman is the main sniper of the center. On a modest officer's salary, while still a captain, he managed to build a three-story cottage outside the city with a whole fleet of luxury foreign cars , in his garage - about five cars and several motorcycles of the best Japanese firms. Calculate how much only one motorcycle can cost. Together with members of one of the criminal gangs, he owns his own car service and restaurant in the center of Moscow. At some point, the prosecutor's office appeared to he had questions, but thanks to the patronage of higher powers in the leadership of the FSB, all problems were solved.

Now - about one of the sponsors of the TsSN FSB. Once upon a time, a modest officer Eduard Bendersky served in the center. He retired with the rank of lieutenant. In civilian life, he created a private security company (private security company) "Vympel-A" under the "roof" of our center. It is personally supervised by our General Tikhonov.

Bendersky drives a Gelendvagen jeep, has both a special ticket and a cover certificate. Almost all banquets, concerts, competitions are paid for by his private security company. Mr. Bendersky himself regularly comes to the sauna to take a steam bath, despite the fact that this sauna is located on the territory of a special security facility of the CSN. He prefers to take a steam bath in the company of the center's leadership.

Now - more sore.
Taking advantage of the fact that we are a secret department, all appointments to senior positions are made in secret from everyone, including us.

Recently, Colonel V. Alfa was appointed commander of the Alpha group. Alpha is a combat unit, one hundred percent of our personnel went through Chechnya, many went through Afghanistan, participated in military operations, and our commander was a man who spent his whole life in various positions in the department personnel, - a professional clerk. His last position was the head of the personnel department of the TsSN. This is a person who does not have not only the experience of military operations - even the simple experience of operational work.

And this is the second commander imposed on us from outside. His predecessor was also a personnel officer. He came to us as a colonel, got a general - and rushed higher.
A similar situation is in the Vympel group. Group commander U. spent his entire service in the personnel department.
All these appointments only lead to an even greater outflow of really competent combat officers from the bodies. Mostly opportunists remain, looking the authorities in the mouth.

Office "A" TsSN FSB of Russia (Group "Alpha")

Head - Major General Vladimir Vinokurov, assistant - participant in the liquidation of the terrorist act on Dubrovka, captain 1st rank - O. Pilshchikov ()

It was created on July 29, 1974 on the initiative of the chairman of the KGB of the USSR Yu. Andropov and the head of the Seventh Directorate of the KGB of the USSR, General Alexei Beschastny. Until 1985, the top-secret Alpha unit was personally subordinate to the Secretary General and the leadership of the KGB. The full name of the unit until August 1991 was group "A" of the ODP service of the 7th Directorate of the KGB of the USSR. Initially, the number of employees did not exceed 40 people. It was recruited mainly from employees of the KGB of the USSR who had undergone special training and were fit for health reasons to serve in the Airborne Forces.

The purpose of group "A" is the fight against terrorism and other "extremist" actions that are associated with the taking of hostages, Vehicle, public facilities on the territory of the USSR and abroad.

By the time of the collapse of the USSR, there were about 500 officers. (Departments in Kiev, Minsk, Krasnodar, Yekaterinburg, Alma-Ata). On the this moment in Moscow, apart from three regional divisions (Krasnodar, Yekaterinburg, Khabarovsk), about 250 people serve.

After the collapse of the USSR, group "A" was part of the Main Security Directorate (GUO) of the Russian Federation. Among other tasks, "A" until 1993 provided protection for the President of the Russian Federation. In 1993, Alpha refused to storm the White House. In August 1995, after M. Barsukov headed the FSB of the Russian Federation, the Alfa group was transferred from the jurisdiction of the Main Directorate of Defense of the Russian Federation to the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation.

In 1998, Putin, when he was director of the FSB, remembered Alfa. He issued an order to "reorganize departments" A "and" B ". According to him, "in order to reduce duplicating structures" in "Alpha" and "Vympel" the headquarters and management were disbanded, and at the same time the support units - snipers, explosives, communications. alone, the combat groups were reduced to the "anti-terrorist center" brainchild of Savostyanov, renamed the department for combating terrorism.At the same time, there were reports that, as a result of the reorganization, about a third of the officers of the special groups "Alpha" and "Vympel" were forced to leave the service, since the state did not have the funds for the maintenance of highly qualified specialists in the fight against terrorism.

Leaders:

From 1974 to 1978 the team leader was Hero Soviet Union(for Damansky Island) Colonel Vitaly Bubenin. (From the border guards. In 1978 he returned to the PV)
From 1978 to 1988 the commander of group "A" was Major General, Hero of the Soviet Union Gennady Nikolaevich Zaitsev.
From 1988 to August 1991 - Major General, Hero of the Soviet Union Viktor Fedorovich Karpukhin
From 1991 to 1992 - Colonel Mikhail Golovatov.
From 1992 to March 1995 - again Gennady Zaitsev.
From March 1995 to 1999, the group was headed by Major General Alexander Gusev
From 1999 to 2000 - Major General Alexander Miroshnichenko
Currently - Vladimir Vinokurov

Stock:

December 1979 - employees "A" participate in the storming of the Presidential Palace of the President of Afghanistan, Hafizullah Amin. In three columns, on armored personnel carriers, the attackers broke through to the palace along the shelled road. The attackers then burst into the palace under heavy fire. Result - Afghan President H. Amin was killed. Four attackers were killed, including two Alpha employees: Dmitry Zudin and Gennady Volkov.
12/18/1981 - Sarapul - hostage-taking at school. Two armed criminals captured twenty-five students.
02.031982 - neutralization gr. Ushakov on the territory of the US Embassy, armed with an improvised explosive device
November 18-19, 1983 - the capture of the Tu-134 aircraft in Tbilisi.
09/20/1988 - the release of the passengers of the Tu-134 aircraft, captured by the military personnel of the internal troops
1988 - a group of Yakshyants seizes a bus with schoolchildren in the city of Mineralnye Vody. Group "A" is conducting Operation "Thunder": at the invitation of the Israeli government, "A" "met" the terrorists in Tel Aviv and "returned" them to Moscow.
08/13/1990 - operation to free the hostages captured in the pre-trial detention center in Sukhumi

January 1991 - group "A" takes part in the capture of the Vilnius television center. Employee "A" Viktor Shatskikh died during the capture. According to Sergei Goncharov, former deputy head of "A", Shatskikh was shot in the back "from the crowd".
August 1991 - during the coup d'état, an unofficial meeting of Alpha fighters was held, at which they decided not to participate in the storming of the RSFSR parliament. Major-General Viktor Karpukhin, the commander of Group A, refuted versions about the participation of his subordinates in the events in Moscow and Foros. He stated that "he personally did not receive any orders from Kryuchkov and, accordingly, did not carry out. The group worked as usual."
October 4, 1993 - the Alpha group receives an order to storm the House of Soviets of the Russian Federation ("White House"). "Alpha" arrived at the White House and entered into negotiations with the leadership of the RF Armed Forces and the defenders of the database. "Senior Lieutenant Seryozha" who arrived at the meeting with the deputies promised to take out all the people sitting in the database and ensure their safety. He also stated that "it is not their job to deal with the political aspects of what is happening." During the assault, employee "A" Gennady Sergeev, who was carrying the wounded out of the building, died. According to the Alpha fighters, the bullet that hit the Alpha soldier between the helmet and body armor was fired from the opposite building from the White House.
June 17, 1995 - group "A" takes part in the storming of the city hospital in Budenovsk, in which terrorists led by Sh. Basayev held more than 1 thousand people. During the assault on the hospital building, officers "A" officers Dmitry Burdyaev, Dmitry Ryabinkin and Vladimir Solovov were killed, fifteen Alpha fighters were injured. Commander "A" A. Gusev regards the actions of his unit as a victory over the terrorists, because after the actions of the unit, Basayev "released 300 hostages without any negotiations, in fact, a turning point occurred in the situation, peace negotiations became possible" ("MN", N44, June 25 - July 2, 1995). According to Gusev, the enemy lost approx. 20 people killed.
September 20, 1995 - an operation to free hostages taken on a bus. The terrorists demanded a helicopter to Makhachkala.
October 1995 - fighters of group "A" neutralized a terrorist who seized a bus with passengers on Vasilyevsky Spusk in Moscow. During the assault, the terrorist was killed.

The Association of Veterans of the group is headed by the former deputy commander of the group, Sergei Goncharov. Press Secretary of the Association - Dmitry Lysenkov.

Alpha Traditions:

Goncharov: "Every year on December 27, we all come to the graves of all our dead guys and celebrate Memorial Day. The unit suffered the biggest losses in Budennovsk and Kizlyar. Five officers died there."

Management "B" (former "Vympel")

The most famous power unit of the foreign intelligence of the KGB of the USSR was the Vympel group. Created on August 19, 1981 for special operations, the Vympel group was part of Directorate C (illegal intelligence) of the First Main Directorate (PGU) of the KGB of the USSR. In organizational terms, "Vympel" was divided into departments (in combat conditions - groups) of 10 to 20 people.

The predecessors of the "Vympel" were the "Zenith" and "Cascade" detachments. The official name is "Separate training center of the KGB of the USSR". Over the 20 years (turning this year) of the history of the unit, the Vympel fighters carried out special operations outside the USSR (Afghanistan) and gained unique experience in reconnaissance and sabotage work, fought terrorists and freed hostages .

By order of the chairman of the KGB of the USSR, the group was created by the head of department "C" Major General Drozdov Yuri Ivanovich. He was also her mentor. The first commander of the "Vympel" was the Hero of the Soviet Union (for the palace of Amin) Kozlov Evald Grigorievich. The Vympel consisted of about a thousand people. The fighter knew at least one foreign language, features of the country where it was necessary to work.

The Vympel fighters mastered light diving training in the 17th brigade of the Special Forces in the city of Ochakov, learned shooting from Nicaraguan instructors, and underwent training in Cuba. Comprehended mountain training, trained in flights on SLLA (ultralight aircraft) and much more. According to Yu.I. Drozdov, earlier the training of one Vympel fighter cost 100,000 rubles a year. It took up to five years to prepare. "Vympel" a small territory on the twenty-fifth kilometer of the Gorky highway, on the territory of the 101st intelligence school of the KGB of the USSR near Balashikha near Moscow, was given in 1981. Now it is the territory of the FSO.

The preparation of the first groups was completed by the beginning of 1982. And Vympel received its baptism of fire in Afghanistan.

According to the deputy head of the Department for Combating Terrorism, Lieutenant-General Vladimir Kozlov (former Vympel), at that time the work of the unit was carried out in three areas: operational (obtaining intelligence information), operational-combat (implementation of the received intelligence information and training of special forces from the military personnel of the Afghan army for joint participation in combat operations) and conducting "operational games" with the aim of pushing the leaders of the enemy's armed formations against each other.

In peacetime, the unit was used to find weaknesses in the protection of strategic facilities. Saboteurs were sent to nuclear power plants and military plants in order to "seize objects and carry out sabotage." At the same time, the protection of the facilities was notified in advance about "the possible penetration of saboteurs with the aim of carrying out terrorist attacks." Some of the fighters were specially "lit up" so that the rest would carry out the task in the absence of members of the group or some parts of the operation.

But nevertheless, without exception, the Vympelovtsy performed all the tasks on "5". They managed to get into atomic object"Arzamas-16", where nuclear weapons were produced and stored. They were able to determine the schedule and time of passage of the railway missile system with nuclear warheads near one of the largest Russian cities.

When performing all these operations, the pennants imitated the laying of explosive charges in the most vulnerable places of the "attacked" objects. With the beginning of the collapse of the USSR, Vympel began to be used on its territory. The fighters visited all the hot spots of the former Soviet Union: Baku, Yerevan, Nakhichevan, Karabakh, Abkhazia, Transnistria, Chechnya, Moscow.

In 1991, after the coup, "Vympel" came under the control of the Ministry of Security of the Russian Federation. Since May 1991, the group was headed by Boris Petrovich Beskov (in the KGB system from the age of 12 - from the moment he was enrolled in the Suvorov School under the Ministry of State Security of the USSR in 1952, he served in the 9th Directorate of the KGB, in the First Main Directorate, worked abroad. He fought in Afghanistan, in the "Cascade" group, has military awards).

In 1993, the group ended up as part of the Presidential Security Service. "Vympel" reoriented to new tasks: liberation from terrorists nuclear facilities, the fight against drug trafficking, armed criminal groups or illegal armed groups. Vympelovtsy had to work out options for various operations to free Russian nuclear power plants, ships with nuclear power plants and production centers from terrorists nuclear weapons.

In July 1993, the nuclear-powered icebreaker Sibir, conditionally captured by terrorists, was attacked by a team of 25 people from three directions simultaneously: from land, from under water and from the air. Already seven minutes after the start of the operation, the command was reported on its successful completion. The destruction of terrorists was practiced at the Beloyarsk, Kalinin and Kursk nuclear power plants, the Novopolotsk petrochemical plant and in Arzamas-16.

During the October events, Vympel, like Alfa, refused to storm the parliament. At this time, the unit was headed by Lieutenant General Dmitry Gerasimov. As a result, the unit was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. There "Vympel" was named "Vega". Fifty out of several hundred people agreed to wear police epaulettes. Having learned about the collapse of Vympel, representatives of the largest security agency in the United States came to Moscow and offered a job. The commandos refused, they decided that they could find a use for themselves here too. Some went to the foreign intelligence service, helped to take our people out of the hot spots in Africa. Five work in the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Twenty returned to the FSK, to the newly created Directorate of Special Operations (now TsSN FSB).

Only in August 1995, by presidential decree, Vympel was returned to the Department for Combating Terrorism under the FSB of Russia. Today, Vympel's legal successor is Directorate V of the FSB Department for Combating Terrorism.

During the existence of Vympel, several dozen people died: mainly in Afghanistan, and then in operations inside the USSR. During the events at the White House in 1993, a sniper killed Gennady Sergeev, an Alpha fighter who had previously served in Vympel. The last victim - Andrey Chirikhin died in Chechnya in 2000. Meanwhile, Vladimir Kozlov, at a press conference dedicated to the 20th anniversary of Vympel, said "in the entire history of its existence, the unit has lost only four employees. One died in Afghanistan in Kandahar, one died in August 1996 while defending the FSB hostel in Chechnya, and two were lost in this Chechen campaign."

At present, the main part of the Vympel group, according to its former head Anatoly Isaikin, is made up of people from counterintelligence who were previously engaged in intelligence. All of them are well prepared, but each has a specialization. On average, the training of an anti-terrorist group fighter takes five years. Vladimir Kozlov also noted that the salaries of employees of the special unit are higher than those of ordinary FSB officers - six thousand rubles plus bonuses for special operations.