04.04.202027.05.2017

Photo: Don't let yourself be a weapon in the hands of impostors acting on behalf of intelligence agencies

COVERING IN THE NETWORK BY THE LUBYANKA SPECIAL FORCE

Recently, a scandal erupted: the Center for Public Relations of the FSB of Russia, after publications in the foreign press, issued a refutation and said that the group operating on Facebook called “TsSN FSB of Russia” has nothing to do with the department.

FSB DISCLAIMER

It's amazing, but we still have to explain the obvious, in general, things: only two resources representing state security are "registered" on the Internet: these are the official websites of the Federal Security Service and the National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAC).

Yes, there are active groups and sites on the Web that cover the activities of special services, law enforcement agencies or talk about the activities of specific special forces. But these are public, voluntary and not official matters.

The military-patriotic newspaper "Special Forces of Russia", which has been published since the spring of 1994, stands apart here. But it is by no means the official publication of the FSB, but International Association veterans of the Alpha anti-terror unit (headed by a member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, retired colonel Sergei Alekseevich Goncharov).

Another publication founded by spetsnaz veterans is the popular maroon beret magazine Bratishka, headed by Hero of Russia Sergei Lysyuk. However, a few years ago its publication was suspended.

That, in fact, is all.

But here is another matter. There is a group on Facebook that calls itself the Center special purpose FSB of Russia. No more, no less. It is clear to anyone who is in the subject that these are stickies, however, the servers of this social network are in the United States, which predetermined the choice of impostors "from the FSB".

At the same time, Pokemon blue eye indicate their address: Bolshaya Lubyanka street, house number 1 / 3, 2 / 3 and 3 / 3. The telephone number of the FSB reception is also there. And even modestly, without fanfare, the status of the Internet resource is marked: “state organization”.

It would seem that even more - you do not need to be a specialist to diagnose what you see on the Web. Moreover, the CSN itself is not deployed at Lubyanka, but in one of the districts of Moscow.

However, the People hides everything, doesn't it? And - hawala, hawah ...

And another stroke.

On the avatar of this "left" community is placed the emblem of the CSN with the characteristic letter "B", i.e. "Vympel". Well, we're really picking on that, aren't we? People believe, especially foreign subscribers - here they are, they say, secret fighters of the FSB and GRU special forces who decided to go online. And not by themselves, but by the whole combat structure of the Lubyanka.

However, the Lubyanka is tracking the sticky people.

And then (in fact, at the beginning of March 2017) a refutation appeared in the press, clear and concise: actions of Russian special forces during the liberation of Palmyra from terrorists.

The Special Purpose Center has nothing to do with this information, ”the FSB Public Relations Center told RIA Novosti.

Do you think the video was removed after this? Or was there a comment? Not at all.

So, dear readers, if you have friends who are members of this group, warn them what's what. And say that every like they have, every participation is work not just for sticky people, but work for the Enemy. Exactly. So that there are no illusions. You should not be mistaken.

THE PHENOMENON OF "ORLOV"

The world is going crazy hunting Pokémon with smartphones. For those who have not heard about this newfangled game, we explain. The map in the phone leads the player to the right place, the user rotates the camera and sees and catches funny cartoon animals against the background of the real situation.

The real situation, people and virtual characters controlled by extraneous will are mixed on the screen. The unknown owner of the game places the animals anywhere - in your apartment or at the dacha, at a secret facility, in a war zone, and the players point their phone cameras at the objects themselves - transferring the desired video to invisible hands.

Similarly, in social networks, we are dealing with "Pokemon" in the guise of fake heroes. It is not difficult for a Pokémon to disguise itself as a veteran of a large power structure, because current employees do not shine on social networks (strictly prohibited!), And veterans do not know newcomers. However, in the case of Alpha, this is difficult to imagine, since those who left the service still remain part of their native unit. Veterans are connected with him through a powerful public organization.

... A year ago, a character appeared on Facebook knocking on me and several of my friends at once. Photos of the character hinted that we were dealing with ... hmm, as if not a general, a “Hero of Russia”, related to the Alpha anti-terror unit and going on the social network under the nickname “Alexey Orlov”. By the beginning of the year, he had accumulated 2 thousand friends.

Then there was a personal correspondence. Orlov spoke little about who he was and where he came from, but he made it clear that he served in the GRU, then was in Alfa, and now he is a sniper instructor at the Special Forces Center of the FSB of Russia.

As a result, the first doubts about the reality of the character crept in, as it turned out, I was not the only one. After discussing with comrades, they found out that no one knows the newly appeared “friend”. Then they made inquiries at Directorate "A" of the Central Security Service of the FSB of Russia and the International Association of Veterans of the Alpha anti-terror unit. And we made sure that we have a virtual pokemon character that has never had anything to do with special forces and exists on Facebook, surrounded by other similar fictional “heroes”.

As it was possible to establish, his avatar is an old photograph of a real person - holder of the Order of Courage, reserve lieutenant colonel Ruslan Tsvetkov, who lives in Samara. He served in the Airborne Forces and the GRU special forces. Fought in the North Caucasus. It has nothing to do with Pokemon.

Began to refine the list of characters and their relationships, methods of work. The information was checked, and meanwhile the Pokémon were fed with fakes, humorously discussing the new exploits of the “elusive”, with which the ersatz heroes plentifully regaled their audience in private correspondence.

The promoted pokemon "Alexey Orlov" already had more than 3.5 thousand friends and one thousand subscribers on Facebook. Things were going uphill. Until all the “raspberries” were spoiled for him by the veterans of “Alpha” and the newspaper “Special Forces of Russia”. As a result of the high-profile exposure, Orlov's page was deleted. However, his accomplices remained, as well as the TsSN FSB of Russia group itself.

"I AM THE FIGHTER OF THE INVISIBLE FRONT"

Before ingloriously merging from the Web, the senior Pokémon Orlov at the end of October 2016 posted a simply heartbreaking post about his injury and being in the Burdenko military hospital.

Well, in VKontakte the people are savvy, such fables would not work here, but on Facebook the people, in general, are different. And a lot of foreigners. And a flurry of condolences rained down (including entries in English, Italian, etc.) to the wounded Internet fighter of the invisible front.

"Orlov" reported that "the bullet passed a few centimeters from the kidneys" (obviously, both at once!) And those "who wished him death can rejoice."

Then the stickman pressed on a tear: “I served in Group A for 8 unforgettable years, I left due to a wound. After being wounded, I recovered for a long time, and I was offered to continue my service in another unit of the army.

Well, this is strong, right!

Not a single officer of the special forces of state security will write like that by definition. "Spetsnaz Lubyanka" is one thing, the army is another! It's like "Our Father".

And then “Orlov” continued: “I created this page only for the sake of interest, I wanted to know how people relate to the army team (again, he is for his own!) and not only. Who closely followed my page (and there are many of them), I made posts about special forces, posted photos and showed Russia and Russians only from the good side. "Consumor aliis inserviendo" - shining on others, you burn yourself. I'm not going to make excuses, I just don't have the strength, and my head is full of painkillers. So excuse who I offended, I am a fighter of the invisible front and did not come here to promote myself, but to talk about my service in Group A.

... In short, it was a message in the spirit: “I am a poet, my name is Tsvetik. Hello from me to all of you!”

Readers of the "Special Forces of Russia" had a good laugh at the two photographs of the "injury" of the older Pokemon, and we quickly found out that no Orlov, of course, was admitted to the Burdenko military hospital. As no other patient with this kind of wounds did at all. A run designed for an absolutely inexperienced audience.

"Orlov" deleted the page, along with it another Pokémon from the special forces - "Aleksey Petrov", obviously looking for other guises, biographies and approaches to new persons of interest. Others in the Facebook group stayed and, after waiting, continued their activities (however, it is possible that these are the same persons under different surnames).

And the closer the presidential elections in Russia are, the more "fighters of the invisible front" will emerge from various cracks, which - which is by no means excluded! - will make stuffing and give comments on behalf of the Russian special services.

Forewarned is forearmed.

WHO NEED A NETWORK OF VIRTUAL HEROES?

What to do with this group of impostors, for what purposes do they work? Who are the faces on Facebook that the Pokémon Orlov calls his commanders, mentors, colleagues?

There are three options for which the network of virtual heroes is needed by the hosts of Pokémon.

The first is work for foreign intelligence. This is the most likely option, aimed at obtaining information about veterans and current employees, about the organization of Russian special forces, their combat and daily activities. How this is done - we will tell below.

But in addition to collecting information, the owners have extensive opportunities for manipulating real people and even for provocations. For example, a well-known Pokemon officer, not the first year on the Web, will suddenly tell his blogger friends in secret that he is fighting in some country, share another important insider. And now the correspondence with the special forces officer appears on the front pages of newspapers as proof of "Russia's treachery."

Further, even more fun - imagine that following such a revelation, the “veteran” disappears from the social network, and his friends “go on the run”, simultaneously spreading reports about how their own acting officer of the Mordor special service was killed for the truth.

Of course, the FSB of Russia will expose the "whistleblowers", but the deed is done - these will be just unsubstantiated words of the special services against the words of "heroes", "fighters for the truth", well known to the Internet community. The new virtual traitor Alexander Litvinenko is straight (the one who fled to London and died from a dose of polonium)! And everything is ready for such a provocation. I wonder when, according to the scenario, the virtual Orlov should die? After all, the “assassination attempt” on him had already taken place.

The second option is pure scam. A publicly respected SWAT officer will one day be approached privately to resolve business or legal problems. He will ask for money for solving problems. And they will give him, maybe even a lot, without ever seeing the officer in the eye and not being able to find his traces later.

Or one day, a Pokémon officer will publicly ask for help in an operation due to an injury. Reposts, receipt of money on dummy accounts - with such authority and the number of fans of the character, its owners can earn a fortune in a week, while no one has time to understand what is happening and sound the alarm.

The third option is the game of scouts and special forces, the game of "lightning". It is possible that we are dealing with an attempt to embody in virtual world their unfulfilled aspirations, aspirations and ambitions in life, however, the probability of this is small - there is a group acting professionally, harmoniously, purposefully. In addition, we are not aware of the existence of manuals on the Web, with which the actions of this group can be compared.

In general, as experience shows, social networks have become an ideal environment for breeding Pokemon. You can launch a fictional character in the guise of a special agent, the hero of all wars, and there will be those who will believe in him, and then they will make others believe. The photo of the Pokemon is someone else's, stolen or processed.

When communicating on behalf of the Pokemon, the owners hide their gaps in knowledge and experience, while not answering uncomfortable questions - the Pokemon is positioned as a secret person, and its work and personality are shrouded in mystery, about which - how could it be otherwise! - you can’t talk on social networks even with your own.

The only ones who could help figure out Pokemon breeders are the owners and moderators of social networks. But Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, is based in the US with his servers. Please note that in the largest social network VKontakte, whose servers are located in Russia, the Pokemon group we are studying does not work, which once again suggests the professional actions of foreign special services.

HOW TO BECOME OWN POKÉMON IN THE REAL WORLD?

First, the impostor must be "born". They come up with a name and a legend for him, make an avatar by processing a photo of another person. They create a profile on the social network and fill it with patriotic materials, photographs pulled from other people's pages.

Then they create a company of virtual characters just like him, also “heroes”, but only on a smaller scale. Pokémon repost each other's materials, communicate and interact in the feeds of other users - objects of interest, and ask to be friends with them. As a result, "followers" of the virtual sect appear, and with them live people, hands that fulfill someone else's will, requests, commands in the real world.

“Have you seen Orlov live?” - "No, but a man came from him, brought money for a sick boy." And the man, it turns out, didn’t see Orlov either, but he received a request from him to find money for a good cause, he fulfilled it, collected it, handed it over.

A real boy, real money, real help and… a virtual hero who laid another brick in the foundation of his own legalization with someone else's hands.

Or a girl, a living friend of the virtual hero Orlov. Having tangled up on the front line, she once took part in civil war in the Donbass. Was wounded. She is for the truth, for freedom, actively posts materials on social networks, does not have a soul in the Internet idol ... And at the same time, she is not wiser with experience.

It is difficult to overestimate the degree of her involvement in the events in the Donbass, but once, as it was said, she received a real injury - she caught fragments as a result of an explosion. As a result, others real people, at the suggestion of Orlov, they met a compatriot in Moscow, assigned her to expensive treatment, and provided her with funds.

Pokémon makes women fall in love with him, arranges romantic meetings under public webcams, and then says that he urgently flew to the war, but sent his friend to the meeting place, who was too shy to approach his beloved.

There are other examples of how the virtual group we are studying acts with proxy in the real world. Sometimes he does good deeds. However, the purpose of these cases is not to help people, but to legalize a group of Pokémon.

HOW DO POKÉMON COLLECT INFORMATION?

Much of the above more or less corresponds to the techniques of the so-called "seeding" (in terms of Public Relations) used to promote goods and services by advertising agencies. In the case of the legalization of the Pokemon-hero, its owners have to go through a more difficult path, interact on the Web with real veterans of the special services.

A Pokémon can jump off an uncomfortable conversation, secrecy will write it off, but this is too easy and does not correspond to its goal of "becoming one". And here we see know-how, a technique that, by analogy with "sowing", we will call "cross-pollination".

“Have you worked in staff? Do you know where the documents go after the dismissal?

“Hi, is there a new boss in the N department, do you know?”

"Hey. What kind of nonsense they write, they say, Filatov (vice-president of the International Association "Alpha", editor-in-chief of the "Special Forces of Russia" - Auth.) and Sokolov (veteran of "Alpha" - Auth.) died in the Crimea? Not? Here I am about this ... And then they tell me that their photos were shown on TV. And who then died there?

Let's add that there are at least two people behind our main character. The one that started to spin the main Pokemon was smarter, better oriented in the environment. The second made many mistakes, caused a flurry of suspicions even among purely civilians. Apparently, for the period of legalization, a more expensive specialist was attracted, and then, when the strategic task was solved, cheaper moderators and collectors of the invoice, which they swipe from wherever possible, joined in.

So, for example, the good guys from the “TsSN FSB of Russia” were repeatedly caught for stealing publications (without links, of course) from the “Spetsnaz of Russia”, the most striking example is Alexei Filatov’s essay entitled “Berserk”, dedicated to the legendary “ Alfovets" Viktor Ivanovich Blinov.

At the same time, by posting the publication on Blinov in two parts, they stupidly cut off both posts, because otherwise they would have to give links to the basic publication of the essay on the website of Spetsnaz Russia".

Personal correspondence with veterans is not all that the intelligence community does to gather information. Further more. Pokemon creates groups and pages on the social network, drags his friends and subscribers into them. Pages are created with obviously incorrect names or their spelling, but this does not bother visitors: “Spetsnaz grru rf (spn gr grsh vs rf)”, “Special Purpose Center of the FSB of Russia” and so on.

Everyone knows, but for some reason forgets that it is in the films that villains and scammers look and behave like villains and scammers, but in real life they are often pleasant and respectable people. In social networks, it is even easier for attackers - there is no need to look into the eyes of those whom you are deceiving. Their pages and groups contain beautiful, patriotic, often interesting and up-to-date information. How can one not believe in virtue?

And visitors believe the villains, ask questions on social networks to anonymous page and group administrators, believing that they are related to the relevant special services. The military personnel of the Ministry of Defense are interested in how to get into the service in the Central Security Service of the FSB of Russia, the widows of the dead employees - how to get benefits, and the veterans of the units - help in finding a job.

In return, users abundantly share with the owners of the intelligence network information about their participation in hostilities, photographs from the scene, not only of their own, but also of friends, including those still serving in the military.

Conclusion: the work of the studied group on Facebook bears little resemblance to pranks and petty fraud. Rather - on the operation of the special services, is not it?

WHAT TO DO?

We have what we have. We are not going to refuse to communicate in social networks, and this intelligence community is not the first and not the last that every user has to deal with on the Internet every day. Let's take at least some precautions.

First. Check your social media friends, find and remove those you don't know yourself or your real friends don't know in the real world. You will not only save yourself from unnecessary contacts, but also save your friends from the troubles, in front of whom scammers will hide behind "friendship" with you.

Second. Never add as a friend someone you doubt exists. And don't be put off by pretty faces on avatars, fiery texts, or the fact that these characters are already friends with those who enjoy your respect.

And fourth. Send someone you know in the real world a link to this material, repost it. For those who want to protect themselves from manipulation, to learn more about fraud technologies similar to those practiced by the Orlova group, we recommend reading the book by Kevin Mitnick (an iconic figure in the field of information security) "The Art of Deception" is very informative.

If in life you, dear readers, have come across some people who position themselves as veterans of the FSB special forces, or firms operating under the brands of legendary units, then this issue is easily resolved.

If it is claimed that a person served in Group A of the KGB-FSB, then the necessary information will be prompted to you by the International Association of Veterans of the Alpha anti-terror unit, which has accumulated rich experience in exposing sticky people and impostors for a quarter of a century.

They talk about Vympel - contact the Association of Veterans and Employees of the Vympel Special Purpose Group (headed by Valery Popov), and they will explain whether it is true or not.

The Unit Veterans Fund can also clarify its profile special operations bodies of State security "Smerch".

So do not allow yourself to be a weapon in the hands of impostors acting on behalf of the special services, because you create a much-needed extras for them to carry out the activities mentioned above.

In the conditions of the Cold War, when the Internet and the press became a weapon of mass disinformation and active information events, working, albeit passively, for the enemy is infantilism and an unaffordable luxury that diverts people's attention to unusable objects.

The author is a reserve lieutenant colonel, a veteran of Directorate "A" of the Central Security Service of the FSB of Russia. Participant of special operations on Dubrovka ("Nord-Ost") and in Beslan. Deputy Head of the Kolomna Municipal District of the Moscow Region

The newspaper "SPETSNAZ RUSSIA" and the magazine "SCOUT"

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Special forces units of the Russian Federation - special units and parts of various special bodies (special services) Russian Federation, the Armed Forces and the police (militia), as well as anti-terrorist units designed to neutralize and destroy terrorist organizations, conduct special events deep behind enemy lines, sabotage and perform other complex combat missions.

Article 2., Section I., of the Law USSR"On mandatory military service”, Approved by the Central Executive Committee of the USSR, SNK of the USSR, August 13, 1930, No. 42 / 253b

On October 24, 1950, the Directive of the Minister of War of the USSR No. ORG / 2/395/832 was signed with the stamp "Secret". She laid the foundation for the creation of special forces units (SpN) ( deep exploration or special intelligence) for operations in the deep rear of the enemy. In the autumn of the same year, 46 separate Special Forces companies of 120 people each (parts) were created in all military districts. Later, Special Forces formations were created (one brigade for each military district or fleet and a brigade of central subordination). If the NATO countries begin military operations against the USSR, the units of units and formations of the Special Forces will be the first to defend. Scout groups were supposed to appear in the immediate vicinity of command posts and other strategic objects armed forces. Their task was to conduct reconnaissance, and, if necessary, destroy command posts, rocket launchers, aircraft strategic aviation, nuclear submarines, disrupt communications, power supply, destroy transport communications, sow panic and bring chaos to the military and public administration aggressor countries. Units of units and formations of the Special Forces of the GRU played a huge role in the Afghan war, in Tajikistan and in operations on the territory of the Chechen Republic.

Special Forces of the Armed Forces of Russia

42nd naval reconnaissance point (Russian Island, Novy Dzhigit Bay, near Vladivostok, Pacific Fleet);
420th naval reconnaissance point (Zverosovkhoz settlement, near Murmansk, Northern Fleet);
431st naval reconnaissance point (Tuapse, Black Sea Fleet);
561st naval reconnaissance point (Sailing settlement, near the city of Baltiysk, Kaliningrad region, Baltic Fleet).

Special Forces of the Airborne Forces

45th Separate Guards Order of Kutuzov Order of Alexander Nevsky Special Purpose Brigade. SF. military unit 28337 Cuban.

Special forces of the FSB of Russia

Office "A" "Alpha" TsSN FSB of Russia
Directorate "B" "Vympel" TsSN FSB of Russia
Office "C" "Sigma" TsSN FSB of Russia
Special Forces (SSN) TsSN FSB of Russia in Essentuki
Special Forces (SSN) TsSN FSB of Russia in the Republic of Crimea - two units

Regional Departments of Special Purpose (ROSN):
Initially, in the 1990s, the ROSN were created as 12 units throughout Russia under the name Regional Special Operations Departments (ROSO). Tasks - the fight against terrorism, the release of hostages and the power supply of counterintelligence operations of the FSB.

Appointment (ROSN) "GRAD", St. Petersburg
Regional Department of Special Purpose (ROSN) Khabarovsk
Regional Department of Special Purpose (ROSN) Vladivostok
Regional Department of Special Purpose (ROSN), Irkutsk
Regional Department of Special Purpose (ROSN) Nizhny Novgorod (second department in Sarov)
Regional Department of Special Purpose (ROSN) Yekaterinburg "Malachite"
Regional Department of Special Purpose (ROSN), Novosibirsk
Regional Department of Special Purpose (ROSN) "Voron", Voronezh
Regional Department of Special Purpose (ROSN) "Kasatka", Murmansk
Regional Department of Special Purpose (ROSN), Krasnoyarsk
Regional Department of Special Purpose (ROSN) Krasnodar (Departments in Krasnodar, Sochi, Novorossiysk)
Operational Support Service (SSOM) "Caspian" of the FSB of Russia in the Republic of Dagestan.
Operational Support Service (SSOM) "Granit" of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Chechen Republic
Operative Activities Support Department (OSOM) of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Republic of Ingushetia
Operative Activities Support Department (OSOM) of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria
Operative Activities Support Department (OSOM) of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Republic of Bashkiria
Operative Activities Support Department (OSOM) of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the Republic of Tatarstan
Operative Activities Support Department (OSOM) "Wolverine" of the Federal Security Service of Russia in the Republic of Karelia
Operational Activities Support Groups (SOM) in the subjects of the Russian Federation

Special Forces Federal State Unitary Enterprise Svyaz-Safety

OSN "Mars"

Shield of the country from terrorism. The work of the fighters of the Special Purpose Center of the FSB of Russia. Photo report

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

The main task of the Central Security Service of the FSB of Russia is the fight against 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 activities. 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 TsSN 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 were seized, hundreds of hostages taken by militants were released, active members of gangs were neutralized, including such odious leaders like 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, in the CSN they are 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 of universities of the Ministry of Defense, internal troops Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Border Guard Service of the FSB and the Ryazan Airborne Forces School. 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 Special Operations Directorate.

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 faculty, 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 position "squatting" to "lying" and vice versa;

- 15 jumps from the "crouching" position.

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

Barbell bench press own weight(but not more than 100 kg) lying down - 10 times.

The main thing is to take a hit and move 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 identify 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.

On passing each test, candidates are awarded points. Then they are summed up, and those with the best performance are accepted for service in the TsSN FSB.

But the acceptance process does not end there. The end point is set after a conversation with the parents and wife of the newly minted commando. They are told about the peculiarities of service in special forces, and then they take written consent from them with the admission of their son / husband to the Alpha or Vympel group. This is due to the fact that the service of a commando is associated with an increased risk to life.

And only after that there is an enrollment as a young employee with the presentation of a black beret and an Anti-terror knife. However, the fighter has three more years to master his chosen profession under the guidance of experienced colleagues, acquiring the necessary knowledge and mastering the necessary skills. During the first two years he is not involved in special operations.

"Falcatus" is still covered with a veil of secrecy - the special services know how to keep their secrets. Nevertheless, at the end of February 2016, the head of the FSB of Russia, Alexander Bortnikov, introduced new armored vehicles, Falkatus and Viking, to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, which had already replenished the fleet of the Special Purpose Center of the FSB of Russia (TSSN). Moreover, RT even published a video from the then presentation.

According to the head of the Federal Security Service, Alexander Bortnikov, the equipment was developed for the department's special forces. The cars are armored according to the highest protection class 6A in accordance with the Russian State Standard. It involves protection against armor-piercing incendiary bullets sniper rifle SVD fired even at close range.

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The FSB Special Purpose Center is a special forces unit of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation.

The TsSN FSB of Russia included:

Office "A" ("Alpha");
Office "B" ("Vympel");
Office "C" (USO) TsSN FSB of Russia (Moscow);
Directorate "K" (formerly the Special Purpose Service for the city of Essentuki (SN));
2nd service "SN" TsSN FSB of Russia (Crimea);
Service combat use weapons (SBPV).

It is an independent structure in the system of the FSB of Russia, the head of the TsSN is directly subordinate to the First Deputy Director of the FSB of Russia.

Without delay after the public “flare”, on April 13-14, 2016, the FSB and the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs conducted a counter-terrorist operation in the village of Leninkent, Kirovsky district of Makhachkala (Dagestan), during which a promising Falkatus armored car was checked in a combat situation. As they wrote then "Russian newspaper"(04/15/2016) and blog bmpd with reference to the National Anti-Terrorist Committee of Russia, in the course of neutralizing a bandit group involved in undermining a convoy with military personnel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and other crimes, three militants were neutralized. Other details of the tests were not specified then.

Armored cars "Falcatus" noticed in Tatarstan and the North Caucasus. The cars moved in the general stream, accompanied by the police, and got on the DVRs of motorists, who posted the recordings on the Web.

In broad daylight, on May 21, 2017, in Sevastopol (Crimea), five Falcatus special vehicles were noticed at once. Random drivers witnessed the passage of a column of armored vehicles protected from all sides. Video (Youtube / Alexey Eliseev) published on May 22, 2018 TV channel "Zvezda"».

And to the 20th anniversary of the FSB Special Purpose Center TV channel "Star" prepared a series of programs dedicated to this closed special unit. And in the first transmission ("Military acceptance" dated 10/14/2018)"Falcatus" could be seen from all sides and from the inside.

A fragment of the program "Military Acceptance" dated 10/14/2018, Zvezda TV channel.

"Falcatus" - not "Punisher" and not "Bedbug"

It would seem that the Falcatus has already lost its halo of mystery, however, it is still considered a modernized armored car, no less, of the Punisher project. Note, a strange name for the project, which he noted in an interview "Komsomolskaya Pravda" (07/09/2015, Alexander Boyko) one of the officers of the Russian Ministry of Defense:

- It is hard to imagine that an armored car for the Russian law enforcement agencies would bear the name "Punisher".

However, for the bloggers who dubbed the hitherto unseen special armored car the "Punisher", a military expert, editor-in-chief of the magazine stood up in the same publication "National Defense" Igor Korotchenko:

- There is a struggle for the state defense order, and market participants use marketing and information techniques, in particular, with the substitution of the name of the car. Such reliable assault armored vehicles and mobile fortresses are needed for counter-terrorist operations. And what they are called at this stage is not so important.

Himself Svyatoslav Sahakyan- a well-known Russian transport and industrial designer, who was dubbed the creator of the Punisher on the Web, then explained to the KP journalist literally the following:

- I had to develop the design of the car, which is called the "Punisher" or "Anti-gradient" on the Internet. These names have nothing to do with this development. My design work was focused on ensuring the safety of the personnel of the armored car, from which it would be possible to fire from all types small arms on the run. I can't say anything more. I have no right.

The history of the "Punisher" - "Bedbug" - "Anti-gradient"

Below you can see the very first photo of the so-called "Punisher" that blew up the blogosphere in the spring of 2012.

The first public photo of the "Punisher", taken during testing at the Dmitrovsky training ground of the Central Research Automobile and Automotive Institute (NAMI).

It is worth noting that at that time information about an unknown monster simply could not physically be obtained from official sources. But there are more than enough "experts" on the Internet. Due to the lack of reliable information, experts and the public began to speculate about the origin of the mysterious armored car. In particular, a version was expressed about the construction of a machine based on one of the chassis of the company "KAMAZ", which made it possible to consider this enterprise as at least one of the participants in a new project implemented jointly with "AMO ZIL" and CJSC "Fort Technology", which, due to disagreements between the participants, could not bring the joint developments to mind - they say, everyone pulled the blanket over himself.

That's where the version about a certain PROJECT came from, in which several organizations are involved. No one knows where the name "Punisher" came from. There is another version regarding the "Punisher", but it will be expressed below. However, that is how he was named. Blog Rusautomobile in early spring 2012.

At the end of March of the same year, information appeared that the armored car, whose photo got on the Internet, was built on the basis of the KamAZ-4911 chassis and had some differences from the Punisher in its basic (???) configuration.
What was the base? According to the blog Rusautomobile The "Punisher" was preceded by the futuristic "Klop", which received such a nickname for the original design of the armored vehicle, which had significant differences from the technology that existed and was being developed at that time. It was this design that began to be firmly associated with the name Svyatoslav Saakyants. The photo below is the same "Bug".

Prototype of the Klop machine. Photo Rusautomobile.livejournal.com

"Bear" "Bedbug" is not a friend, but a half-brother

Sometimes bloggers also associate Bear with Bedbug. And here's why - both of them were developed simultaneously on the same technical base of the ZIL concern and according to the same tactical and technical assignment issued on a competitive basis to several Russian diversified enterprises back in 2002. According to one of the versions, Chechen War served as a defining moment in the name of the project - "Punisher".

It is worth recalling that the regime of the counter-terrorist operation in Chechnya was officially curtailed only in 2009, and at the beginning of the 2000s (after the second Chechen campaign), it became obvious that not only the military, but also the paramilitary special services, had an armored car of the class MRAP.

SPM-3 / VPK-3924 / "Bear" turned out quite "traditional".

"Bear", unlike "Klop", was developed by the designers of a specialized holding "Military Industrial Company"(chief designer Stanislav Anisimov) and employees of the department of wheeled vehicles MSTU headed by Alexander Smirnov. The designers of the "Bear" claim that only a tank can be stronger than it. In the autumn of 2008, the armored car was presented at the exhibition of means for ensuring the security of the state, and in 2013, following the results of the latest ballistic tests, the car was included in the state defense order for the Ministry of Internal Affairs. "Falcatus", strikingly similar to the "Klop", received a "registration" in the TsSN FSB.

Despite the same V-shaped bottom design and the large height of the habitable compartment relative to the ground, which make it possible to effectively divert the blast wave from mines, grenades and land mines to the sides, the vehicles were built on different chassis. "Bear" is assembled from serial components and assemblies of the "Ural".

The Klop, however, never got its own, ZiL chassis, which was developed specifically for it. According to rumors, a life-size model (mostly plywood) was assembled at KAMAZ bridges by September 2009, but not at their own plant, but at KamAZ. It is unlikely that it will be possible to check this - the mock-up sample has not been preserved. It was simply dismantled after ZIL began to die. The Ministry of Defense curtailed funding for the "raw" project, switching to the "Tiger".

They say even Yuri Luzhkov(the then mayor of Moscow) at the end of September 2009 managed to give several "valuable instructions" about the design of the building and power plant, which, however, were ignored during the assembly of the experimental machine.

Where did the "anti-gradient" come from?

Nobody knows. The discussion in the press of the "Klop-Punisher" caused a negative reaction from the leadership of "AMO ZiL". In fact, the project is a secret one. As a result, some already meager posts were removed.

In the summer of 2012, the flow of information (and rumors) about the Punisher project dried up, and resumed three years later, when in late May and early June 2015, photographs and videos made by motorists in Tatarstan began to appear. At the same time, in addition to the Punisher, the appearance of the Viking was also noted. In the summer of 2015, the Viking was seen on a city road in Naberezhnye Chelny.

In publication "Rossiyskaya Gazeta"("The secret armored car "Falcatus" was noticed in Dagestan", 04/15/2016) signed Timur Alimova says:

"... during the creation of the armored car received several names, in particular," Klop "and" Anti-gradient ".".

Falcatus in facts and figures

So, the Punisher project was originally developed by the Moscow AMO ZIL for the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, and since 2010, Fort Technology CJSC took over the creation of the machine and the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation became the customer.

It is curious that the bonneted Falcatus turned out to be 3 tons lighter than the cabover Viking - 15,420 kg versus 18,650 kg. Most likely, that is why the hood got a less powerful (53 hp) engine and a robotic gearbox instead of a 16-speed manual.

In turn, the name "Viking" hides a project BKM-49111, developed by the Moscow State technical university them. Bauman. It is noted that this vehicle is "more durable and cheaper than armored personnel carriers."

It is known from unofficial sources that both trucks were created on the KamAZ-4911 Extreme all-wheel drive chassis - the “civilian” version of the Dakar KamAZ (wheel formula 4 × 4, gross weight - 12 tons, YaMZ-7E846 engine with a power of 730 hp, maximum speed - 200 km/h, climbing angle - not less than 36 degrees, turning radius - 11.3 m, fuel consumption - 30 l per 100 km at a speed of 60 km/h).

At KamAZ, they do not confirm their participation in the development of the armored car, but they do not refute it either. I will not insist, but I will quote an excerpt from the publication mentioned above in “ Russian newspaper»:

“... Falcatus, according to reports, was created on the basis of the chassis of the KAMAZ 4911 Extreme truck - such vehicles participate in the Dakar rally. According to some sources, even an eminent racer, a multiple champion from the KAMAZ-Master team Vladimir Chagin, was involved in testing the armored car.

According to information "Auto Mail.Ru" , with reference to the bases of a closed department, Falcatus is equipped with a 17-liter 830-horsepower turbodiesel from the Tutaevsky plant and a 12-speed ZF robot. The spring suspension device is also characteristic: on every wheel installed pair (!) double hydraulic shock absorbers.

According to various sources, the armored vehicle is equipped with a 185-horsepower four-cylinder diesel engine Cummins or an eight-cylinder diesel engine from the Yaroslavl plant YaMZ-7E846. In the latter case, a motor with a power of 730 horsepower allows you to accelerate to 200 km / h vehicle weighing 12 tons.

Despite the external original design, the technical layout of the Falcatus is not much different from other machines of this purpose. The engine and transmission are located in front of the hull. Behind the engine compartment are the driver's and commander's seats, the rest of the space is given for ammunition and landing. One of the features of the interior of the armored car is the location of the fighters back to back, which provides an all-round view. In addition, there is evidence that the seats are transformed so that the wounded can be transported.

As you can see in the footage, the car has a whole set of doors. Behind the seats for the driver and commander on both sides there are side-opening double doors to the troop compartment. There is also a double-leaf door in the aft part: the lower leaf forms a step when opened, and the upper one can be folded separately, which allows relatively aimed fire on the move. All doors are equipped with narrow viewing windows and loopholes. There is a round hatch in the roof above the troop compartment. It is not excluded that in the future some kind of weapons will be installed instead.

Komsomolskaya Pravda (07/09/2015) notes:

“The wheels of the car are protected from bullets and shrapnel by steel sheets, and the armored windshield has an angle of inclination that will not allow a grenade launcher shot to enter the passenger compartment. He'll just ricochet. The truncated forms of the armored hull with a V-shaped bottom indicate that the developers took care to increase the mine resistance and increase the survival of the crew on the battlefield. The blast wave will go away from the body of the machine.

***

"... The Falcatus will have a larger brother, the Viking - in fact, a mobile fortress, from which the fighters will be able to shoot even from grenade launchers."