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However, they do not deal with the majority of terrorist incidents in Russia. Instead, this responsibility rests with SOBR (Special Rapid Reaction Squad) teams. These regional teams are solving the majority of armed incidents in Russia, from Chechen terrorists at home to domestic violence. The level of equipment and the level of training of these units varies greatly depending on the threat in the region. But what is the history of these units? How often are they called and how do they compare to other Russian OMON and FSB units?
Like many European elite police teams, the base of the SOBR teams was established in the 1970s after the attack on the 1972 Munich Olympics. In preparation for the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, the first unit Special police force was formed under the supervision of the Soviet Interior Ministry (Interior Ministry) on November 9, 1978, under serial number 0707. This day is celebrated today as SOBR Day in Russia. , because it is considered the first formation of an elite police unit that responded to difficult situations. At the time, this unit was called OMON, which simply means “special purpose police”. It is considered the true predecessor of SOBR equipment in Russia. However, it is believed that the role of this equipment differs from that of the units today called OMON in Russia.
The recruits were recruited from the regular police (militsiia) and went through a competitive selection process, prioritizing those who had previously served in the VDV (paratroopers) and Spetsnaz (SpN) army. Although the unit’s deployment during the 1980 Olympics was considered a success, the size was reduced by 30 percent after the Games, due to the lack of need for such a specialized unit. He experienced his first action in April 1981 after the games, capturing a man who barricaded himself in an apartment after shooting a girl and her father with a hunting rifle.
In 1987, in response to increasing ethnic tensions and crime, the OMON unit was created, as a special police unit distributed with different departments in different Soviet cities and regions to deal with serious crimes and some violent situations. This did lead to some confusion, though, as Moscow’s smallest and most elite unit was called OMON even before it was renamed OMSN in 1988. The overlapping of roles between OMON and SOBR in the armed response role continues today; however, SOBR is considered to be better trained, equipped and specialized for this. It can be seen that OMON reacts more frequently to mass civil unrest and unrest than to armed incidents, although it is capable of responding to such incidents.
The creation of many regional SOBR units took place only after the fall of the Soviet Union. In 1992, regional SOBR teams were organized to combat organized crime. The social changes brought about by the collapse and the relative ineffectiveness of the regular police in the face of strong violent resistance from criminals at that time required the formation of special teams to combat criminal gangs. They were based on the roster of the elite Moscow OMSN team, which was later renamed SOBR. They were placed under the control of the Department of Organized Crime of the Ministry of the Interior (RUBOP / RUOP). The personnel of these teams were assigned to the large OMON militia units for special purposes. OMON continued to exist independently directly, under the command of the MVD.
Although originally tasked with fighting organized crime, SOBR units soon found themselves on the front lines against terrorists from the Chechen and Dagesan republics. SOBR teams participated in the hostage crises in Mineralnye Vody and Makhachkala. They were also deployed to Chechnya as part of the First Chechen War, starting in December 1994. They were deployed together with several other units: MVD OMON, VV (MVD Internal Troops) OSN and VV at unit level SpN, elite teams FSB and armies of SpN and VDV. SOBR teams from all over Russia served in the conflict as strike teams, including most of the major crisis and hostage actions, including the Budionnovsk Hospital, Kizliar-Pervomaiskoye, the attack on Gudermes, Beslan, Nord-Ost and Grozny. During these operations, many SOBR officers were awarded, some with the Hero of the Russian Federation award, others posthumously.
After being renamed OMSN in 2002 and OSN in 2011, the organization’s name finally returned to SOBR 2012. Control of SOBR units was transferred to the new Russian Rosgard (sometimes known as Russian National Guard) from MVD 2016. years, together with OMON and VV units. This effectively deprived the MVD of any actual counterterrorism or paramilitary operational capabilities. Since 2016, SOBR has been listed as a force of eighty-seven detachments and approximately 5,200 men.
The level of equipment of the SOBR team generally depends on the level of funding in the region. The SOBR teams from wealthy cities, such as Kaliningrad’s “Viking” SOBR, often resemble Western SOFs, with American sports equipment, weapons and camouflage. Teams from poorer cities, such as SOBR “Rubin” from the Novgorod region, are seen wearing AK-74Ms and military helmets from the 1990s. Some of the better equipped teams are SOBR “Granit” from St. Petersburg and SOBR ” Bulat “from the Moscow region. It is interesting that SOBR “Terek” in Chechnya is extremely well equipped. It is important that they wear the emblems of the Chechen Republic on their shoulders or helmets, unlike other SOBR equipment. Another common theme of teams is the wide range of customizations displayed on the team. They saw rifles of unusual colors and morale stains, which are rare seen in regular units of the Russian army or police.
The training for SOBR units is primarily what you would expect from an elite police unit. All members of the SOBR are police officers (now Rosguard) and undergo psychological tests before joining the unit. Close-range shooting, hand-to-hand combat, and urban attack techniques, such as jumping, are also part of the training. Tactically, there is usually a support element covering the building with heavy weapons and sniper rifles, so the defenders are under pressure. Strike groups are usually armed with a ballistic shield and various rifles, pistols, and machine guns.
Compared to OMON, which is largely responsible for public security and control, SOBR focuses on small-scale tactical actions such as rescuing hostages, resolving armed situations, and witness protection (added to the 1995 task). It is important to have teams of negotiators who try to resolve situations peacefully. This is basically the same task as the FSB’s elite Alpha team: SOBR provides a regional response to these events. That said, there are also elite federal SOBR teams, such as “Reese”, operating throughout the Russian Federation. The relatively small size of SOBRs (5,200 versus 40,000 for OMON) reflects their more focused role.
Compared to a unit like OSN Vitiaz, which are independent special forces in internal troops, SOBR focuses more on public safety and small urban operations. OSN Vitiaz is more focused on paramilitary assault operations, such as the liquidation of terrorist cells in rural situations and forest raids, with less consideration for collateral damage. OSNs are even lower than SOBRs due to their niche nature. However, large-scale counterterrorism operations generally involve SOBR, OSN, OMON, and FSB units due to high personnel requirements, so tasks overlap significantly. In recent years, SOBR has also faced illegal banks and money laundering operations. They also continue to function as organized crime, although the need for this activity has decreased since the 1990s.
Kurir.rs/National Interest
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