"Sigma", special forces border
Few people know that the border guards took an active part in the Afghan war. They conducted reconnaissance and conducted active measures against the Afghan Mujahideen in the northern provinces of the DRA, bordering the USSR. Then, on the basis of a decree of the Central Committee of the CPSU from 22 December 1981, seven moto-maneuverable groups (MMDs) of border guards were introduced into the territory of Afghanistan to a depth of 100 kilometers. And two airborne assault maneuverable groups were located on the territory of the USSR, but had the tasks of operational use in the territory of the northern provinces of Afghanistan against the Mujahideen. The total number of border troops was around 8000 people. Their actions resembled in many respects the actions of the GRU special forces detachments in Afghanistan.
The border guards successfully fought in their areas of responsibility, largely due to well-placed intelligence.
They left Afghanistan after the 40 Army, the day after 15 made 1989 in February of the year on the bridge across the Amu-Darya of Boris Gromov’s statement that not a single Soviet soldier was left behind him.
So ended the Afghan stage stories Special Forces Border Troops.
Prerequisites of creation
At the turn of the 1990-ies exacerbated the situation on the border of the USSR. The smugglers who smuggled drugs and weapon from Afghanistan. Soon the USSR collapsed. This exacerbated the problems of border security. And the very border of the Russian Federation on the newly formed frontiers as an engineering-equipped structure did not exist. In these conditions it was necessary to look for new forms of protection.
Major-General Alexander Orlov, who at that time held the position of deputy chief of the operational department of the Federal Border Guard Service of Russia, said that non-regular platoons of heightened combat readiness were formed at the southern borders. They were a mobile reserve of the detachment command and could be quickly transferred to areas where there was a danger of violation of the state border or such a violation occurred and it was required to detain the violators.
However, non-staff units are non-staff units. No special funding, which means weapons and equipment was not intended.
In the mid-nineties, there was an urgent need for the creation of full-time special-purpose units of the Federal Border Service.
The role of personality in history
In August 1993 of the year after the tragic death of the Russian border guards of the 12 border post of the Moscow frontier detachment on the Tajik-Afghan border, President of the Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin dismissed the leadership of the border troops of the Russian Federation.
Colonel General Andrei Ivanovich Nikolayev, who at the time was the first deputy chief of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces, was appointed commander of the border troops - Deputy Minister of Security of the Russian Federation.
In December 1993, his position was renamed, and he became commander-in-chief of the border troops of the Russian Federation. In December, the Federal Border Service of the Russian Federation was established on 1994. Then Nikolaev was appointed its first director. Understanding perfectly well that, under the current conditions, the attack on the 12 frontier post is only the first swallow in a tough confrontation on the Afghan border, he decided to form special units capable of responding promptly to such attacks, and most importantly - to work to prevent them. In addition, the situation at the border required solutions and other tasks from such units. Therefore, 17 May 1994, he signed an order, which initiated the creation of special units of the border troops, which included the group "C" ("Sigma"), reconnaissance platoons and separate groups of special intelligence (OGSPPR).
Tasks of special forces FPS
The following tasks were assigned to the special forces units of the Federal Border Guard Service of the Russian Federation:
- conducting operations related to the implementation of operational information about the hostile activities of the special services of foreign countries, extremist and criminal groups both at the state border and at checkpoints through it;
- protection in extreme conditions of premises, vehicles and other objects of the FPS;
- implementation of reconnaissance and search activities;
- ensuring the safety of events conducted by the leadership of the Federal Border Guard Service of Russia;
- release of hostages from the military personnel of the troops, agencies and organizations of the PS of the Russian Federation;
- study of the operational situation in the areas (places) of the proposed actions of the group, conducting a reconnaissance of the specified areas (places);
- participation in special events related to the implementation of specific operational information, including that received from the interacting law enforcement agencies;
- participation in the search and detention of armed groups and individuals who have crossed or are trying to cross the state border of the Russian Federation;
- ensuring the safety of the leadership of the Federal Border Guard Service of the Russian Federation during trips around the country and abroad; the operational staff of the PS of the Russian Federation when carrying out operational activities at the state border, employees of diplomatic missions of the Russian Federation in the CIS countries, where the Russian Federal Security Service is stationed, in emergency situations;
- ensuring the personal safety of servicemen of the PS of the Russian Federation and members of their families in cases provided for by federal legislation.
Subordination levels
Directly subordinate to the Director of the Federal Border Guard Service, his deputy for intelligence was Group C (Sigma), which was assigned special importance tasks.
In 1995, two subdivisions were formed - in Moscow and in Krasnodar. The creation of another division in Khabarovsk had to be abandoned for economic reasons.
Special units were not created in all border districts, but only in those where there was a high probability of an emergency. These units were called reconnaissance platoons and were subordinate to the reconnaissance departments of the border guard districts headquarters. They were in the North-West district, whose headquarters were in St. Petersburg, in the North Caucasus border district with headquarters in Stavropol, the Far-Eastern border district with headquarters in Khabarovsk and in the Group of Border Troops of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Tajikistan, whose headquarters were in Dushanbe .
The next level were detachments of border guard districts and groups of troops. Here were created separate groups of special intelligence. However, these formations were not created everywhere, but only in detachments of districts and groups of troops in the most dangerous areas. Special intelligence groups were set up in each detachment of the North Caucasus Border District and in each detachment of the Group of Border Troops of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Tajikistan.
Creating a group of "Sigma"
The formation of the “C” group began with 1 February 1995 of the year. Lieutenant Colonel Igor Mitrofanov, an officer of Group A, was recommended for the post of commander of the new unit. He graduated from the border school and served for some time in the border troops, after which he moved to the legendary Alpha. It is this track record that played a major role in choosing the future commander. But there was a hitch, because this appointment was not included in the plans of Mitrofanov himself. He said: “An important role in my appointment was played by the Deputy Director of the FPS, Colonel-General Alexander Bespalov, who very persistently asked me to head this division. The fact is that he knew me from childhood, since my father and he served together in the Nickel Border Detachment of the North-West Frontier District.
After that, we have not met for a very long time. When the question arose about the formation of special-purpose units within the Federal Border Service, it was decided to take a sample of Group "A". In addition, it was even suggested that border special forces and alfovtsy lived and engaged together, using one training base. Therefore, Aleksandr Aleksandrovich arrived at the commander of our group, Gennady Nikolayevich Zaitsev, and asked to single out a person who would exercise control over the formation and preparation of the special forces of the border guards. At the same time, it was clear that the new division would have its own characteristics related to operations at the border. Taking into account my experience of serving in the border troops and special forces, I was assigned to oversee the process of creating a new unit and deal with the preparation of a theoretical base, advise border guards on a number of practical issues, and work on preparing for the order issued by the FPS director to create a special service of the border service.
And already 1 February 1995, by the order of the director of the FPS of Russia, I was appointed commander of the group "C".
Choosing a location
Mitrofanov with great energy began to form a new group. One of the first questions was to determine the location of the unit. Igor Feliksovich recalls: “By the time of my appointment, we and the border guards had already picked up the premises for the deployment of the group. It was decided that it should not be placed together with Alpha. First, the pay of officers and warrant officers of the border special forces was very different from the pay of their colleagues from Group A, and not for the better. This made it possible, with a high degree of probability, to assume that the border special forces could become a sort of sorting point, from which Alpha, taking advantage of higher salaries, would simply lure away the best. Such is the everyday, but very good reason.
Secondly, the new division had to work throughout the territory of Russia, it was required of him to be highly mobile. Therefore, I proposed to place it on the basis of a special FPS squadron at Sheremetyevo. Here, together with Sergey Ososov, who was engaged in the formation of reconnaissance platoons and special reconnaissance groups, we selected a suitable barracks and occupied the floor. Then another officer came - Veremchuk Vitaly Alekseevich, with whom we performed absolutely all managerial functions - from the commander to the head of the financial service. Barracks demanded repair. And funding at the time was meager. But gradually it was possible to repair it, and the group began to be staffed by personnel ".
Manning
In April-May, 1995 began picking. The main thing in any special forces is people. And not just good specialists, but fanatically committed to the cause. They set the tone in the unit. The peculiarity of "Sigma" was that according to the staffing table only officers and ensigns should serve in it. This is what the first commander of the Sigma, Lieutenant Colonel Igor Mitrofanov, told about this period:
“The staff of the Moscow division of Group C was 89 people, and the Krasnodar division was 30 employees. There was also an idea to create a subdivision “C” in Khabarovsk, but in the process of formation I convinced Bespalov that it was inappropriate to create such a division in the Far East. First of all, due to financial difficulties, which had a serious impact on the process of formation of units in Moscow and Krasnodar.
The selection group was based on the requirements developed in conjunction with the military medical administration. Were also developed tests of physical condition of candidates.
From group "A" came seven people. It was the backbone of the Sigma being created. At Alpha, they did not occupy senior positions, but I ventured to appoint them to senior positions in our unit. Also came the guys from the Federal Security Service, from the Emergencies Ministry and from military units. At that time, people retired from the Armed Forces and other security agencies, tried themselves civilians, but, realizing that it was not for them, they returned to serve again.
They selected people solely on the recommendation of the special forces. Looking for candidates in the Golitsyn school, as well as among the border guards. But the leadership immediately put restrictions - from the school and from the existing border units not to take people. Why, I do not know so far.
True, I managed to partially circumvent these prohibitions, and I pulled into the group one graduate school and two officers of the FPS. Specialists who knew the border service were urgently needed.
At the same time, the Sigma division was formed in Krasnodar. He was able to be staffed much easier due to the fact that regional divisions of Group A were disbanded in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and Russian officers began to leave for Russia from there. Krasnodar was accustomed to them in terms of climate, and they gladly went to serve in our unit. The special forces officers who came had special experience and good physical training, and only border training was needed to complete their qualifications. ”
First trip
The first trip fell "Sigma" in Dagestan.
Igor Mitrofanov recalls: “On July 15 on July 1995, the Director of the Federal Border Service sent our team on the first trip to the Caucasus. By this time, there were about 15 people in the Moscow division, in Krasnodar - about ten people. The main task of the trip was to conduct combat reconciliation, to check the ability of the group to perform the assigned tasks. In Dagestan, we flew out without weapons and equipment, in civilian clothes. The Caspian border detachment should have provided us with everything we needed. Here we got camouflage and weapons. The equipment was made by themselves within two weeks, displaying wonders of needlework.
We were faced with the task of conducting an internship on the border of Chechnya and Dagestan, since the security of this administrative border was entrusted to the border troops.
At the initial stage of the business trip, we solved the tasks of physical fitness, making marches in mountain conditions, brought the weapon to a normal battle and did exercises for shooting.
When the tasks of the initial mission period were generally accomplished, I conducted a combat internship. To do this, we flew to the area of the village of Dlym and settled on the basis of the border moto-maneuverable group. Here we spent several trips to the border to patrol and conduct reconnaissance. However, our appearance in the area did not go unnoticed by the intelligence of Chechen militants. We arrived by helicopter and differed externally from the local border guards of the MMG. We were immediately monitored for observation, therefore, in order to hide our exit, we left the location at night. Having discovered our absence in the morning, the observers were puzzled. In the meantime, we went to the border and then, without hiding, made a daily march along it. This time we paid minimal attention to the measures of disguise, because I had to understand the capabilities of the unit and the marching engagement of the fighters. This trip helped to understand that we are on the right track.
Training program and weapons "Sigma"
The training program was developed by the new commander himself. It was a cross between a training program for border guards and anti-terror units.
The plans also included the creation of a unified training center of the special forces of the border troops on the basis of Group C, where a training program would be developed for all border special forces, including platoons and groups. The officers worked a lot on the creation and development of tactical techniques for the special forces of the Border Troops, which would allow them to successfully solve the specific tasks facing them that no one had previously solved.
Armament from the "Sigma" at that time was the usual rifle. After the first business trip, the group received PM pistols, AK-74 assault rifles with GP-25 grenade launchers, SVD sniper rifles, PKM machine guns. At the initial stage of special equipment was not. At the direction of the director of the FPS, the group commander with the chief of armament left for Klimovsky Central Research Institute Tochmash. After their trip, an exhibition of weapons was organized. After examining the submitted samples, General Nikolaev gave instructions for the delivery of special weapons to the group. So in the "Sigma" appeared "Val" and sniper rifles "Vintorez".
Creation of platoons of intelligence and special intelligence groups
The formation of platoons and special reconnaissance groups was entrusted to Lieutenant Colonel Sergei Ososov, who had experience in hostilities in Afghanistan, where he served in the 350 Guards Parachute Regiment of the 103 Airborne Division. The number of the platoon was up to 30 people. They were all ensigns. The only officer was the commander.
The personnel of the platoons were selected from contract soldiers who had previously served in the Airborne Forces, marines and also frontier troops. The selection was conducted personally, paying special attention to moral and volitional qualities. The selected personnel was trained in the school of warrant officers of the training regiment of the GRU special forces. The second stage took place directly in the regiment.
The first platoon was formed in the Caucasus. Following in Tajikistan, it was followed by the North-West and the Far East.
The platoon commanders were selected by the commission, mainly from the officers of the border troops. True, in Tajikistan people were selected from the officers of the 201 base, who fell under the reduction. Here the commander was a former GRU special forces officer Sergei Rakovsky.
Intelligence platoons solved tasks that were characteristic of the respective region. For example, in the North-West District, smuggling was the main trouble. The tasks of ensuring the security of operational bodies and management were also carried out.
The platoons submitted to the chief of intelligence of the district headquarters and served as a reserve commander.
As for special reconnaissance groups, their numbers were within 15 people. The regular category of the commander, as well as in platoons of district subordination, was "major". This indicated that these positions are equal and differ only in the level of subordination (the groups acted in the interests of the frontier unit). At the initial stage, the personnel of the groups were recruited from conscripts, followed by replacement by contract servicemen. The groups reported to the head of the intelligence unit of the border detachment.
Training camps in the Pamirs
In order to increase skills, one month after completing the recruitment, with the newly created units, the Pamir charges were held. This is what Sergey Ososov tells about that period, who directly prepared and conducted the training sessions: “I organized the training camps in Murghab. This is the Eastern Pamirs. The town consisted of adobe duvalov, like the Afghan. Height above sea level - about 3000 meters. Lunar landscape, in which yaks roam and graze rams on the dried grass.
Here we have gathered all the special intelligence groups of the border detachments in Tajikistan: Moscow, Pyanj, Kalai-Khumb, Ishkashim, Khorog and Murghab. The training program, designed for one month, included classes in tactical and special training, mine-blasting, fire training and other military disciplines needed in combat conditions. The training camp ended with daily exercises with an 25-kilometer march in very difficult high-altitude conditions.
During the march through the mountains, tactical tasks were worked out. One group ambushed, the other led the search. Due to the sharply continental climate, the temperature difference reached tens of degrees: heat during the day and frost at night.
At around 1 am 2, the groups had to gather for meals and rest at the intended collection point. Not everyone coped successfully with physical exertion. The group of the Moscow and Khorog detachments performed well.
I gathered the commanders of the groups and ordered to organize the rest of the personnel with the provision of security. Allowed to make fires, but with the observance of the rules of disguise, to organize meals and overnight. Despite the fact that the personnel had not yet had sleeping bags and tents of the Pamirka type, no one froze and frostbitten. ”
Combat application
Igor Mitrofanov tells about the first combat use of special units of the border troops: “In November-December 1995, we were again sent to Dagestan. We flew in and settled in the village of Kakashura, an hour's drive from Makhachkala. At that time there was quite calm. We organized combat training. The main requirement in preparing the unit was the ability to act and think outside the box, to avoid patterns.
For example, in an ambush class, I offered my subordinates to stay in a certain part of the terrain, at the same time ensuring both my own safety and disguise in ambush. He went to check in a couple of hours. The condition was simple, if I could find them earlier than they did me, it means that they are waiting for a full-throw march, if on the contrary - a good officer's dinner. At the initial stage, my subordinates thought in a standard way and did not take into account that I could appear where it was not easy to go, and focused mainly on roads and paths, believing that the commander would not climb the mountain. But they were disappointed and forced march. Gradually, they learned to take into account everything, even the seemingly incredible scenarios.
Having organized the training of my subordinates, I arrived at the head of the operational-troop division of the frontier troops in Dagestan to agree on the location of the border special operation. There were two options: at sea and on land. But the general decided that now conducting such an operation on land was more relevant for him. On the border with Azerbaijan there were automobile and railway checkpoints, where, according to him, not everything was all right. Here the border guards did not fulfill their tasks, entered into an agreement with the violators.
Together we have developed a special operation with him. After working out her plan, we went with him to reconnoiter one of these checkpoints. Without explaining either my rank or position, he pointed the head of the point to me and said that it was necessary to follow all my instructions. When he inquired about who I was, the general directly and firmly replied that it was not his business.
With the onset of darkness, by car we set off towards the border and, not reaching a kilometer, dismounted and took refuge in the bush. Not far from the checkpoint there was a birch grove, where violators passed.
Having determined the front of the action on 500 meters to the right and to the left, I distributed my people by three people, like a border guard, showed them where to go out and where to wait for my signal in the future. He himself went on foot to the checkpoint. Already approaching him, he received a message on the radio from his outfits about leaving the designated place.
Seeing me, the captain was extremely surprised and again tried to ask questions, to which he received an answer again, that this was not his business. His business is to carry out my orders.
At my request, he removed his outfits from border control. I put up my own, and we detained 32 for the intruder overnight and handed them over to our scouts.
In the morning we repulsed a telegram to Colonel-General Nikolayev about the result achieved. Hearing about it scattered instantly. In Dagestan, we lived in tents. As soon as I got out of it, two local residents in fur hats approached me: “Commander, let two wagons pass. We give five thousand dollars for each. ” I immediately ordered to detain them. I have never seen people in an arable field running at such a speed.
The next night we repeated our actions, but detained only five people, and after another day - only one. Then we defiantly gathered and left for Kakashura ... and in our place came the groups of intelligence officers who were trained by Sergey Ososov. Again, 25 violators ...
A year later, in December of 1996, the unit was again sent to the same section, to the same checkpoint. They worked successfully: as a result, a foreign secret service officer was detained, who illegally crossed the border. ”
After the creation of special units in the FPS system, there was no longer a single attack on the Russian border posts. About how it was done, the people who organized the work of the special forces are now trying not to talk. The time has not come yet. Neither has it come for the story of the many combat operations that these units carried out.
Nevertheless, we learned about some of the tasks that the Sigma group fighters had to solve from the story of Igor Mitrofanov: “At the end of May 1996, a new deputy director of the FPS called me and set the task. 27 – 28 in May, Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev, who had become president of the self-proclaimed Ichkeria after Dudayev’s death, would fly to Moscow at Vnukovo airport on the Tu-134 plane of the Rossiya airline with his guards consisting of armed militants. He flew in talks with Boris Yeltsin. Our task was to prevent militants from leaving the plane. Yandarbiyev was taken away in a car, and his guards stayed in the plane for two days, which they rolled back to a distant parking lot. This task was done by my group together with the course of the Golitsyn border school.
After negotiations, the plane flew back, delivering Yandarbiyev with protection to Ingushetia.
Change commander "Sigma"
In one of his missions, Lieutenant Colonel Mitrofanov became ill with hepatitis and was sent to a hospital. After leaving the hospital, during the flight to Moscow, he had a relapse of the disease. Despite the fact that many ideas were not yet realized, he decided to resign from military service, realizing that he was no longer able to give himself up to the service, but to take the place of the commander, not fully fulfilling his functions, not in his rules. After Mitrofanov, the group was headed by Igor Mazov, then the commanders were Vorobyov and Mochalov. All of them were pupils of "Sigma" and therefore continued the traditions of the subdivision, supported his spirit, which was already formed at the stage of formation.
Tajikistan
Special Intelligence Groups were active in Tajikistan. With their participation, violators were repeatedly detained in the Moscow and Pyanj detachments. It was here that the main smuggling traffic from Afghanistan took place.
In the area of responsibility of the Khorog detachment, because of the difficult terrain of the area, smugglers walked only along certain paths. It was here that the scouts lurked them. Frequent were clashes with militant groups that ensured the safety of drug trafficking.
The reconnaissance platoon ensured the safety of the FPS leadership during visits to border guards and outposts in Tajikistan.
In the North Caucasus region, special intelligence groups had to act quickly on intelligence information relating to the movement of bandit groups from Georgia to Chechnya. Their task was to suppress actions to cross the state border, arrest and disarm violators.
During the period when the border of Dagestan was not properly equipped, special intelligence groups of border agencies covered most likely border crossing points.
Return to the FSB
After leaving the post of director of the FPS General of the Army Andrei Nikolayev 26 in January 1998, Colonel General Nikolai Bordyuzha was appointed in his place. After accepting the position, he arrived in group “C”, checked the state of affairs in the subdivision and was satisfied with what he saw. He assured everyone: "This unit is necessary, and we will develop it." People, previously lost in conjecture about the future of the group, took heart and felt their importance and necessity. The Moscow division continued to operate until 2003 (the Krasnodar Sigma fell short of the 1997 year). True, with the arrival of Colonel General Konstantin Totsky in September 1998, the division began to receive less and less attention.
Group "C" existed 9 years and was disbanded in 2003 year, when the FPS and the FSB merged. Then it was decided that since the FSB already has a Special Purpose Center, then the agency does not need another special unit. However, this decision, of course, was erroneous, since the tasks that the special divisions of the Federal Border Guard Service solved had their own specifics. Moreover, the CSF FSB officers were constantly involved in actions in the North Caucasus, and they were not in the mood for problems of the state border.
It would be more sensible to introduce one more control into the CPS, while retaining the tasks being solved in due time by the Sigma group.
During its short history, Group C made a name for itself not at window dressings and parades, but during combat work in the North Caucasus and in Tajikistan.
In the "Sigma" were wounded, one day the soldiers even fell by helicopter, but all remained alive. However, the entire history of the group has not killed a single person, despite the fact that it was necessary to fight often.
After the frontier guards re-entered the FSB, the intelligence units of the border troops received a different submission. According to the deputy head of the Border Guard Service of the Federal Security Service of Russia, Lieutenant General Nikolai Rybalkin, now all the forces are combined into two departments: the coast guard and the border guard. Each department has its own intelligence, its technical means, its special forces and border control. Today it is obvious that the need for special units of the border troops has not disappeared with time, but has become more urgent due to the change in the procedure for ensuring border security. Lieutenant-General Nikolai Rybalkin reported that the border special forces unit is already operating at the state border in the North Caucasus. Its tasks include prompt response to the actions of gangs and the fight against trans-border organized crime.
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