12th independent Special Forces Brigade GRU

12-я отдельная бригада специального назначения ГРУ

Military Unit: 64406; from 9.92: 25642

Activated 10.62 in Lagodekhi, Georgian SSR, as the 12th Special Forces Brigade GRU.

Organisation:

• 1st Battalion

• 2nd Battalion

• 173rd independent Special Forces Unit (military unit: 96944 while in Afghanistan) - activated 1980 (directive 12.5.80)

3.4.78 renamed 12th independent Special Forces Brigade GRU.

The 173rd independent Special Forces Unit was deployed to Afghanistan 2.84 to 15.8.88 - cover designation was 3rd Motorised Rifle Battalion - operated from Kandahar - attached to the 22nd independent Special Forces Brigade GRU from 25.3.85 - remained with the 22nd independent Special Forces Brigade GRU after Afghanistan.

Several deployments took place in the 1988-1992 period:

• 11.88 to 12.88 three companies deployed to Zagatala, Azerbaizhan SSR, for peacekeeping operations

• 9.4. to 21.4.89 part of the brigade was deployed to Tskhinvali, Gerogian SSR

• 1989 deployed to the Armenian cities Vanadzor, Leninakan and Pambak, to deal with unrest

• 1991 deployed to Nagorno-Karabakh

• 1991-1992 deployed to South Ossetia

The 33rd independent Special Forces Unit took part in the Chechen war 1.95 to 4.95, was deployed to Dagestan 13.8.99 and again to Chechnya 1.4.2000.

Organisation 2000:

• 33rd independent Special Forces Unit (military unit: 54843)

• 220th independent Special Forces Unit

• 337th independent Special Forces Unit (military unit: 01636)

• 374th independent Special Forces Unit

Headquarters:

• Lagodekhi, Georgian SSR, 10.62 - 3.9.92 [41 49 36N, 46 16 42E]

• Asbest, Sverdlovsk Oblast, 3.9.92 - 29.8.09 [56 59 45N, 61 32 40E]

Subordination:

• Transcaucasus Military District, 1962 - 9.92

• Ural Military District, 9.92 - 1.9.01

• Volga-Urals Military District, 1.9.01 - 8.09