22nd independent Special Forces Brigade GRU

22-я отдельная бригада специального назначения ГРУ

Military Unit: 11659; from 1985: 71521; from 1988: 11659

Activated 24.7.76 in Kapchagai, Alma Ata Oblast, as the 22nd Special Forces Brigade GRU.

Organisation:

• 1st Battalion

• 2nd Battalion

3.4.78 renamed 22nd independent Special Forces Brigade GRU.

1983 parts of the brigade was deployed temporarily to Cuba.

The 411th independent Special Forces Unit (military unit: 41527 while in Afghanistan) was activated 14.9.85 in Dawlat Abad, Afghanistan, under the 22nd independent Special Forces Brigade GRU - cover designation was 8th Motorised Rifle Battalion - returned home with the brigade 15.8.88.

Organisation in Afghanistan:

• 173rd independent Special Forces Unit (Kandahar)

• 186th independent Special Forces Unit (Shahjoy)

• 370th independent Special Forces Unit (Lashkar Gah)

• 411th independent Special Forces Unit (Dawlat Abad)

1989 parts of the brigade was deployed temporarily to Angola.

The 173rd independent Special Forces Unit took part in the first Chechen war between 1.12.94 and 13.10.96 - twice deployed to Nagorno-Karabakh (4.90 to 6.90 and 5.91 to 7.91), and deployed to the Ossetia region (11.92 to 8.94).

Organisation 2004:

• 108th independent Special Forces Unit (Bataysk, Rostov Oblast) - activated 2004 - military unit: 55602

• 173rd independent Special Forces Unit (Stepnoy, Rostov Oblast) - later to Bataysk, Rostov Oblast - military unit: 11879

• 305th independent Special Forces Unit (Stepnoy, Rostov Oblast)

• 411th independent Special Forces Unit (Stepnoy, Rostov Oblast) - today mobilisation unit

• 56th independent Training Special Forces Unit (Krasnaya Polyana, Krasnodar Kray)

Headquarters:

• Kapchagai, Alma Ata Oblast, 7.76 - 15.3.85 [43 52 22N, 77 02 51E]

• Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan, 15.3.85 - 15.8.88 [31 33 26N, 64 22 19E]

• Perekishkyul, Azerbaizhan SSR, 8.88 - 6.92 [40 29 11N, 49 35 28E] - via Yolotan, Mary Oblast

• Stepnoy, Rostov Oblast, 6.92 - today [47 20 43N, 39 52 48E] - Bataysk, Rostov Oblast: 47 08 01N, 39 44 37E

Subordination:

• Turkestan Military District, 7.76 - 3.85

• 40th Combined Arms Army, 3.85 - 8.88

• Transcaucasus Military District, 8.88 - 6.92

• North Caucasus Military District, 6.92 - today