Russian Alpha Group

Directorate ‘’A’’ of the FSB Special Purpose Center (Spetsgruppa A), also known as Alpha group is a special and stand alone sub unit of the Russian Special Forces direct subordinate of the Russian Federal Security Service, who is tasked with counter-terrorism.
In 1974 it was created by the Soviet KGB, the unit operates alongside to its sister unit the Directorate ‘’B’’ which is responsible for protecting Russia’s strategic installations. Alpha Group operates both internationally and domestically and been actively engaging in most of the wars. 

Like many other Special Forces, the Alpha group was founded shortly after the Munich Massacre on 29th July of 1974 by the orders of the KGB Chairman Yurii Andropov. With important missions such as to provide security for the Soviet leadership against the  opposite special forces in time of need it also said to created as a response to West Germany’s GSG 9. Soon after regional Alpha units were formed across the Soviet Union and its allied forces. Now it consists of over 500 operatives. 

Overall the counter-terrorism unit had some questionable missions and successes with casualties.  In 1983, the hijacking of Aeroflot Flight 6833, the unit engaged in heavy fire against the captors, killing three and capturing others with the result of losing five hostages.  On march 11th of 1991, the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic wanted to re-establish the Independent Republic of Lithuania, but a year later the Soviet Republic dispatched Alpha Group to take up the measures and maintain the Lithuania’s status as a Soviet Republic, which the team violently took over the Vilnius TV tower, resulting 13 unarmed Lithuanian’s dead and as well as one of their own. In October of 1995 the Spetsgruppa killed and armed South Korean tourist who hijacked a bus and demanded one million dollars to escape the country. In December of 1997 they faced the similar situation where the hijacker demanded money and a safe passage, which later they swapped hostages, the Swedish trade counselor into Alpha’s Colonel A.Savalyev and soon after the storming into the embassy the hostage taker was neutralized and the Colonel was heavy injured, which later died in a hospital from a heart attack.  There are dozen other incidents which showed the Group’s heavy nature and its successes since it was created.