What You Need to Know: Russia's Spetsnaz special operations forces, among the most elite military units in Russia, have been severely impacted in Ukraine. Initially tasked with high-stakes missions, including decapitation strikes on Ukrainian leadership, Spetsnaz units have faced devastating losses, especially during Ukraine’s 2022 counteroffensives.

-According to Pentagon leaks and BBC reports, several Spetsnaz brigades have been reduced to fractions of their initial strength.

-As elite forces are irreplaceable on short timelines, Moscow may need up to a decade to rebuild Spetsnaz to pre-war capacity, marking a critical setback for Russia’s strategic special operations capabilities against near-peer adversaries.

Since the opening hours of the large-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s elite Spetsnaz special operations units have been on the front of the fighting. Much like the rest of the Russian military, their performance has varied. They have also suffered extremely heavy losses that undermine their strategic utility for years to come. Nonetheless, Spetsnaz units remain Moscow’s go-to force for difficult missions.

Spetsnaz, an abbreviation of “special purposes forces” in Russian, is a term that describes the specialized units of the Russian military, law enforcement, and intelligence services.

The term dates before World War One but it wasn’t until after World War Two that Stalin created the first official Spetsnaz units.

The original Spetsnaz units were part of the Russian Chief Intelligence Office (GRU) and Federal Security Service (FSB). Today, several Spetsnaz units provide the Russian military and law enforcement with specialized troops.

When it comes to mission sets, Spetsnaz units specialize in direct action, strategic reconnaissance, and unconventional warfare. They usually have the best weapons and equipment in the entire Russian armed forces.

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