What is Spetsnaz?
{{One source|date=June 2020}} '''Spetsnaz''' is an umbrella term (used for many different things) for special forces in Russian language and is used in numerous post-Soviet states. [[File:Great emblem of the 45th Guards Spetznaz Brigade.svg|thumb|The Spetsnaz's embelem]] Historically, the term meant a special operations units controlled by the main [[military intelligence]] service GRU (Spetsnaz GRU).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.military.com/off-duty/2020/02/21/green-beret-describes-how-good-russian-spetsnaz-are.html|title=A Green Beret Describes How Good the Russian Spetsnaz Are|last=Stilwell|first=Blake|date=2020-02-21|website=Military.com|language=en|access-date=2020-06-30}}</ref> It also describes task forces of other ministries (such as the Ministry of Internal Affairs' ODON and Ministry of Emergency Situations' special rescue unit) in post-Soviet countries. Russian special forces wear different berets depending on the branch of the armed forces they belong to. As Spetsnaz is a [[Russian language|Russian]] term, it mostly means the [[special forces]] of [[Russia]], but other [[post-Soviet states]] often refer to their special forces units by the name as well, since these nations also got their special purpose units from the old Soviet security agencies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.marshallcenter.org/en/publications/security-insights/spetsnaz-operational-intelligence-political-warfare-and-battlefield-role-0|title=Spetsnaz: Operational Intelligence, Political Warfare, and Battlefield Role {{!}} George C. Marshall European Center For Security Studies|website=www.marshallcenter.org|access-date=2020-06-30}}</ref> == Known Operation History == === Second World War === During the [[World War II|Second World War]], it Soviet forces needed intelligence on German troop positions in northern Norway and Finland. On 5 July 1941 Admiral Arseniy Golovko of the Northern Fleet authorized the formation of a ground spy troop. This unit, the 4th Special Volunteer Detachment, was to be recruited from the fleet's sports