By: Warren Gray
Copyright © 2024
“The units of the Belarusian SSO (Special Operations Forces), which
include two airborne brigades and one Spetsnaz brigade, are the only
fully manned ground combat units in the armed forces of Belarus.”
— Muzyka 2021/Wikipedia.
“Anywhere, anytime, any problem.”
— Motto of the 5th SpetsNaz Brigade.
The Republic of Belarus, under the strict, authoritarian rule of Alexander Lukashenko since 1994, is the Russian Federation’s staunchest ally in the entire world, sharing a 770-mile border. It has been an independent nation since August 25, 1991, but Belarus and Russia established the Union State in 2000, a supranational confederation based upon a shared language, culture, and goals. In fact, at least 70 percent of the population speaks Russian at home, and the very name “Belarus” translates as “White Russia.” Belarus serves as a de facto buffer zone between Russia, to its east, and the NATO nations of Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, to the north and west. But perhaps more importantly at present, is the 674-mile southern border that Belarus shares with the embattled Republic of Ukraine.
Since 1995, Russia has maintained its own leased military installations on Belarusian soil, just west of Vileyka, with a giant, two-mile-wide VLF transmitter station for the Russian Navy, at Baranovichi Air Base, where Russian Su-30SM Flanker-H and Su-35S Flanker-E+ jet fighters have been permanently stationed, only 87 miles from Poland, since 2021, and a massive Russian 70M6 Volga early-warning radar (1,200-mile range) exists just 25 miles to the southeast, near Hantsavichy, surrounded by a dense forest.
GoogleEarth satellite imagery dated October 14, 2022, clearly shows four gray-camouflaged Su-30SM fighters, probably Russian, deployed at the northern part of the Baranovichi base, and two blue-camouflaged Su-35S fighters on the main parking ramp, although Belarus has since acquired four of its own Flanker-Hs, with a further eight on order, but they do not possess any Su-35s, so those are definitely Russian.
Belarus and Russia jointly take part in numerous military exercises at least every two years, and during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a massive array of Russian forces staging from within Belarus launched the unsuccessful Kyiv offensive. Because of this, the U.S. and European Union have imposed trade sanctions upon Belarus. More recently, since March 2023, Russian SS-26 Stone (9K720 Iskander-M) short-range (about 300 miles), nuclear missile systems have been based at Asipovichy in central Belarus.
Currently, the Belarusian Army Special Operations Forces Command (SSO in English, or CCO in Russian) consists of the 38th Guards Air Assault Brigade, at Brest, only two miles from the Polish border, the 103rd Guards Airborne Brigade, at Vitebsk, in the northeast, near Russia, and the 5th Spetsnaz (“Special Designation”) Brigade (one of the very best in the nation), at Marina Gorka, in central Belarus. In addition, there are the 33rd Guards SpetsNaz Detachment, a special detachment of the 5th SpetsNaz Brigade, the 527th SpetsNaz Company, and the 22nd SpetsNaz Company. This is a total of 6,150 men, and they have participated in joint exercises with Russian, Communist Chinese, and Venezuelan forces.
In general terms, SpetsNaz troops are not “Special Forces” in the American sense of the term, because their role is not to train and organize foreign, allied units, like our own Special Forces groups. Belarusian SpetsNaz are more like U.S. Army Rangers, paratroopers, or Navy SEALs, trained primarily for direct-action commando missions. SpetsNaz troops and Belarusian paratroopers wear light blue berets and camouflage uniforms, mostly in the Russian VSR-84 Dubok digital pattern.
Belarusian SSO officers are initially trained for five years at Russian military academies (the Novosibirsk Higher Military Command School, and the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School), graduating with the rank of lieutenant. Next, they are trained by the military intelligence department (GRU) of the Military Academy of Belarus in telecommunications, management of field units, and military weapons employment. Most of their enlisted troops are young conscripts, serving for 12 to 18 months.
Belarusian SSO troops with AK-74M variants. Photo by Grey Dynamics
It’s virtually impossible to list every weapon variant in use by Belarusian special units, so let’s break the list down into those that are most widely seen in active service:
Assault rifles and carbines:
The Kalashnikov AKM in 7.62x39mm is still present, but the AK-74M/AKS-74M variants in 5.45x39mm, often suppressed, are the standard service rifles, with the compact, AKS-74U carbine also in widespread use. The integrally suppressed AS Val (“Shaft”) in 9x39mm subsonic is used by special forces, and the new AK-12 assault rifle is available in limited numbers. The KBP 9A-91 compact, integrally suppressed assault carbine in 9x39mm is another available option.
Service pistols:
The Makarov PM in 9x18mm is still the most numerous pistol, but the Stechkin APS machine pistol in 9x18mm is also seen quite often. Most unusually, the Belarusian Special Forces prefer the German-manufactured SIG Sauer P226 pistol in 9x19mm.
Submachine guns:
These include Century Arms (Turkish-made) copies of the German H&K MP5A3, MP5SD3, MP5A5, and compact MP5k, all in 9x19mm.
Light machine gun:
The existing standard is the battle-proven RPK-74 in 5.45x39mm.
Infantry machine gun:
The venerable PKM in 7.62x54mmR is the most common medium machine gun.
Sniper rifles:
The classic Dragunov SVD-63 (in 7.62x54mmR) dating back to the Vietnam War is still the standard sniper rifle. The suppressed VSS Vintorez (from the Russian acronym for “Special Sniper Rifle”) is used by special forces for quiet operations. More recent developments are the highly accurate Orsis T-5000M “Terminator” in .338 Lapua Magnum, or long-range OSV-96 rifle in 12.7x108mm. They also use the very rare, Russian-made MTs-116M bolt-action sniper rifle in 7.62x54mmR. Of special note is the unique, Belarusian-made, SVK Konev rifle, also called the VK-003, in 7.62mm NATO or special Norma 6x39mm BR chambering.
Combat knives:
The issued knives are normally AK 6×5 bayonets or Kampo 6×9-1 combat knives, but OTs-04 combat/survival knives are also seen. Some Special Forces men privately purchase fighting knives from Kizlyar Supreme, handcrafted in the Russian Republic of Dagestan, which was a war-torn region in 1999.
Other equipment:
Small drones, such as the Orlan-10 (“Sea Eagle-10”), Supercam S100, Supercam S350, Irkut-3, Irkut-10, and VR-12 Moskit-N (“Mosquito-N”) are also widely employed. Special Forces also employ the RPG-26 rocket-propelled grenade launcher, the 2B23 NONA-M1 120mm artillery piece, and D-30 122mm howitzer.
Combat vehicles:
The Belarusian Special Forces utilize the GAZ Tigr-M (“Tiger-M”) 4×4 utility vehicle, often armed with a PKTM machine gun, the locally produced Caiman 4×4 reconnaissance vehicle, BTR-70MB1 and BTR-80 armored personnel carriers, and the MZKT Volat (“Giant”) V1 Light Armored Vehicle, usually armed. Foreign-manufactured vehicles include the Communist Chinese Dongfeng EQ2058 (Humvee copy) infantry mobility vehicle, and the Chinese Dajiang (“Dragon”) CS/VN3 4×4 tactical vehicle.
In summary, the Belarusian Special Forces (SSO) are utterly loyal to the Russian Federation, but are inferior in almost every aspect to Russian SpetsNaz units, which use newer and more advanced weapons and equipment. While their training is certainly tough, the Belarusians are primarily ordinary paratroopers or shock troops.
The remote possibility still exists that Belarus could commit combat forces into Ukraine, but after their failed attempt to facilitate the Russian invasion force bound for Kyiv in February 2022, this seems less likely, and the introduction of a third-party force at this point in the war would signal a huge escalation into the dreaded, “World War” category, which even belligerent President Lukashenko seeks to avoid.
However, if Vladimir Putin’s imperialistic ambitions are allowed to continue for much longer, we may reach a tipping point, with a Russia-Belarus alliance against Ukraine and NATO. Let’s hope that it never comes to that, but if so, the Belarusian Special Forces will surely be at the forefront of the battle lines.
As a counterpoint, however, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, a Belarusian opposition leader and political activist whose husband, Sergei Tikhanovsky, ran as a presidential candidate in the 2020 presidential election, and has been wrongfully imprisoned in Belarus since then, told the Polish media on March 17, 2024, that, “For over a year, I’ve been without any contact with my husband, who is in solitary confinement…we owe it to future generations to act against tyranny now…We are grappling with the tyranny of two dictators: Alexander Lukashenko and Vladimir Putin…to defend Belarus against this dual threat.
“Each time Western support for Ukraine has amplified, Putin has responded with nuclear provocations. The stationing of nuclear weapons in Belarus is a tactic of coercion, and a blatant menace to neighboring states. Our response to such dictatorial threats must be resolute, without giving in to blackmail. Supporting Ukraine comprehensively is crucial for its victory…essentially a battle for the freedom of the entire Western civilization…A Ukrainian triumph would signify a definitive setback for both Putin and Lukashenko.”
* * *
Warren Gray is a retired U.S. Air Force intelligence officer with experience in joint special operations and counterterrorism. He served in Europe (including Eastern Europe) and the Middle East, earned Air Force and Navy parachutist wings, eight more military qualification badges, two command badges, 19 U.S. military medals, and three foreign medals. He also earned four college degrees, including a Master of Aeronautical Science degree, and was a distinguished graduate of the Air Force Intelligence Operations Specialist Course, and the USAF Combat Targeting School. He is currently a published author and historian.