By: Warren Gray
Copyright © 2024
“I don’t think they play at all fairly. They don’t seem to have any
rules in particular; at least, if there are, nobody attends to them.”
— Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, 1865
“Of course it’s a violation of international law;
that’s why it’s a covert action!”
— Vice President Al Gore, 1993
“Out of every 100 men, 10 shouldn’t even be there,
80 are just targets, nine are the real fighters, and
we are lucky to have them, for they make the battle.
Ah, but the one, one is a warrior,
and he will bring the others back.”
— Heraclitus, 500 B.C.
The history of warfare, even very modern, high-technology warfare, is filled with inspiring examples of incredible courage and daring, and we often wonder with amazement, “Where do such men come from?”
In August 2023, one very special Ukrainian assault/commando team actually walked an astounding 370 miles on foot, deep into the Russian Federation, in order to destroy a Russian, Tu-22M3 Backfire-C jet-powered supersonic bomber by an alleged drone attack on August 19th, and damage two more at Soltsy-2 Air Base. GoogleEarth satellite imagery reveals Soltsy to actually be 414 miles north of Ukraine, but only 98 miles east of Estonia, a NATO member nation.
Tupolev Tu-22M3 Backfire-C supersonic bomber. Photo credit: Dmitriy Pichugin via WikiCommons
Their exceptional young leader, Colonel Oleh Babiy, age 32, was unfortunately killed in action on August 30th during an ambush on their way back out of Russia, and was posthumously awarded the Hero of Ukraine medal, equivalent to the prestigious U.S. Medal of Honor.
Colonel Oleh Babiy, Hero of Ukraine. Photo credit: gur.gov.ua
This tremendously brave and audacious hero, leading behind-the-lines commando raider teams, was a senior officer in the elite Main Directorate of Intelligence, or GUR (also known as HUR), the primary military intelligence branch of the Ukrainian armed forces. The ultra-secret organization is comprised of the 10th Special Detachment, eight reconnaissance battalions, the special, all-volunteer Kraken Regiment, and three National Guard Special Forces detachments (Omega, Vega, and Ares).
They also possess a small aviation detachment with a few U.S.-supplied Mi-17V-5 Hip-H transport helicopters (holds 24 troops), one or two Mi-24V Hind-E gunships (seen in photos), and at least two black-and-blue-painted UH-60A Black Hawk (formerly registered as N60FW, holds 11 troops) and Bell 427 (holds seven passengers, formerly owned by Russian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk, and registered as P4-IKH, worth $3m) special operations helicopters.
Ukrainian GUR UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter. Photo credit: Government of Ukraine
According to Greg Miller of The Washington Post on October 23, 2023, “Ukrainian spies with deep ties to CIA wage shadow war against Russia…The missions have involved elite teams of Ukrainian operatives drawn from directorates that were formed, trained, and equipped in close partnership with the CIA…The GUR…carried out dozens of assassinations against Russian officials…military officers behind the front lines…‘capable of operating behind front lines and working as covert groups.’
“Said a former U.S. intelligence official…‘GUR was our little baby. We gave them all new equipment and training’…on skills ranging from clandestine maneuvers behind enemy lines to weapons platforms and explosives…the CIA paid for new headquarters buildings for the GUR’s spetsnaz paramilitary division…the attacks (are) boosting morale among besieged Ukrainians, and achieving a degree of vigilante accountability for alleged Russian war crimes…showing enemies of Ukraine that ‘punishment is imminent, even for those who think they are untouchable.’”
Lindsay Dodgson wrote for Business Insider on December 17, 2023, that, “Ukrainian special ops commandos are freelancing sabotage missions in Russia… operatives are being trained to carry out sabotage, poisonings, assassinations, and diversions behind enemy lines…‘It’s off the books. The government is too slow and bureaucratic. We need to train people fast, and get them ready…They will…carry fake papers, no phones, use a compass, a map, and count their steps to orient themselves.’”
Josh Layton added for Metro on January 7, 2024, that, “Ukraine’s special forces are carrying out missions deep behind Russian lines, stalking Russian targets in the dark and operating deep behind enemy lines, a secretive Ukrainian special forces unit is at the tip of Kyiv’s spear…’Most of the missions which were carried out are still classified and cannot be made public. However, we assure you that the Ukrainian SOF operate in all operational directions, both on the frontline and behind enemy lines.’”
Most Ukrainians speak their own language, as well as Russian, although they are choosing not to speak Russian so often anymore, since the 2022 invasion. These elite commandos already speak fluent Russian, and therefore have no real difficulty traveling incognito behind Russian lines.
GUR Kraken Regiment commando with suppressed, FN SCAR-L carbine in 5.56mm. Photo credit: mil.gov.ua
Ideally, a raider detachment behind enemy lines should consist of about eight to 12 Russian-speaking, combat-seasoned GUR commandos, wearing unmarked, MultiCam field uniforms, just like most of the Russian SpetsNaz (Special Forces) commando units and special services these days. This team should include at least one officer, one or two snipers, a team medic, a radio operator, and seven or eight reconnaissance troops.
They should carry captured, suppressed, Russian weapons, hopefully including an Orsis T-5000M “Terminator” bolt-action sniper rifle in .338 Lapua Magnum, a faster-firing Chukavin SVCh-8.6 semiautomatic, sniper rifle in .338 LM, with suppressor, a Lobaev DXL-4 Sevastopol in .408 CheyTac, or other high-quality, plausibly-deniable foreign weapons.
The Ukrainian government has already captured thousands of Russian firearms over the past two years, so Russian weapons, including brand-new AK-12Ks or AK-15s, are unquestionably available. But even Ukraine’s standard-issue AK-74 assault rifles are a Russian design and are perfectly acceptable.
In fact, The Washington Post reported on April 14, 2023, that according to leaked, U.S. intelligence assessments, “All but one of five Russian Separate SpetsNaz Brigades that returned from combat operations in Ukraine in late summer 2022 suffered significant losses,” and the 22nd SpetsNaz Brigade and two other brigades suffered an estimated 90-to-95-percent attrition rate. One brigade alone, the 346th SpetsNaz, “lost nearly the entire brigade.” So, there should certainly be an abundance of captured, suppressed, SpetsNaz weapons available for covert missions.
GUR commandos have worn the standard 2013 pixelated, woodland-camouflage uniform in the past, but the ever-popular MultiCam pattern has been seen more often lately. They are also frequently seen in civilian clothing. Here are some of their other weapons and equipment:
Assault Rifles: The new standard weapon for Ukrainian Special Forces and GUR commandos is the UAR-15 (Zbroyar Z-15, an AR-15 copy), with 10.5-inch, 14.5-inch, or 16-inch barrel, in 5.56x45mm NATO. Small numbers of SIG MCX carbines in either 5.56mm or .300 BLK have been observed, as well as FN (Belgian-made) SCAR-L rifles in 5.56mm.
The Fort-221 carbine is a license-built copy of the Israeli CTAR-21 bullpup weapon with 15-inch barrel, but chambered in 5.45x39mm instead of the usual 5.56x45mm. The IPI Malyuk (“Baby”), also known as the Vulcan-M, and also made in Ukraine, is a nearly-identical copy of the Fort-221 or CTAR-21, with a 16.33-inch barrel, in either 5.45x39mm or 7.62x39mm models, adopted for service in 2016.
The Fort-227, 228, and 229 are copies of the IWI (Israeli) ACE-22, 31, and 52, with 13.2-inch, 8.5-inch, and 16.1-inch barrel, respectively. The compact AKS-74U (often suppressed) weapon is the Ukrainian Army’s standard carbine.
Submachine Guns: The Fort-224 submachine gun is a copy of the Israeli MTAR-21/X95 carbine, chambered for 9x19mm. There is also a new, ultra-compact Fort-230 submachine gun/personal defense weapon, since 2021, looking somewhat like an H&K MP7A1, which is sure to attract military interest.
Pistols: GUR commandos use the Glock-17 pistol in 9x19mm, the locally-manufactured Fort-17 service pistol in 9x18mm, and the suppressed Makarov PB in 9x18mm (also used extensively by Russian SpetsNaz troops). Ukraine also recently (2021) introduced the new Fort-20 pistol in 9x19mm for military use, and the Fort-28 is a 5.7x28mm weapon, very similar to the FN Five-seveN, also with military potential, but not yet adopted for service. The Stechkin APS machine pistol is also employed.
Sniper Rifles: These include the Zbroyar Z-10 (or UR-10) in 7.62x51mm NATO with 20-inch barrel, the older Dragunov SVD in 7.62x54mmR, and the Barrett M107A1 in .50 BMG, since 2018. The Barrett MRAD in .338 Lapua Magnum is also very popular.
In addition, Canada has exported a number of PGW Defense LRT-3 .50-caliber rifles to Ukraine, and Italian-made Victrix Scorpio V rifles in .338 Lapua Magnum have been photographed in action. The country also manufactures some of its own, new sniper rifles, in the form of the brand-new PG-14.5 Night Predator (suppressed) in 14.5mm, the Snipex T-Rex and Snipex Alligator in 14.5mm, and other interesting, indigenous designs.
Yet another possibility are license-made copies (in Ukraine), since 2012, of B&T (Swiss-designed) APR308 bolt-action rifles, in .308 Winchester or .338 Lapua Magnum, produced locally by Tactical Systems (TS), Ltd., and designated as the TS 308 and TS 338. B&T also currently manufactures most of the suppressors sold in Western Europe.
Light Machine Guns: GUR troopers favor the Fort-401 in 5.56x45mm, a highly-modified version of the Israel IWI Negev NG-5 machine gun. Ukraine’s standard, light machine gun is the RPK-74 in 5.45mm.
Medium Machine Guns: The nation’s standard-issue medium machine gun is the combat-proven PKM in 7.62x54mmR.
Heavy Machine Guns: Limited quantities of Russian DShK and NSV heavy weapons in 12.7x108mm have been transferred from Lithuania, and the U.S. has sent M2HB heavy machine guns in .50-caliber.
Combat Vehicles: GUR troops use the locally built Varta Novator four-door, armored personnel carrier (more than 100 acquired), with a 6.7-liter, turbo-diesel engine generating 300 horsepower. U.S.-supplied, M1113 or M1114 Humvees are also widely employed. Other possible vehicles include the Ukrainian-produced, Kozak-2M1 armored personnel carrier, and the BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle.
During the Cold War, NATO, the U.S. Special Forces, and the CIA created a vast network of clandestine, stay-behind units (Operation Gladio, from 1956 to 1990) in many European countries, tasked with conducting intelligence and reconnaissance operations, as well as guerrilla attacks behind enemy lines, in the event of a Warsaw Pact invasion. The precedent has already been set, and CIA paramilitary officers have already worked with U.S. Special Forces soldiers in Ukraine, training Ukrainian SpetsNaz commandos to initiate the necessary actions for establishing a widespread resistance network, should the Russian Army overrun the country.
Meanwhile, elite GUR commandos continue to execute their embattled nation’s most-hazardous and daring, Top-Secret missions, often deep into Russian territory, posing as either civilians, or as Russian special operations forces, and striking fear deep inside the enemy’s homeland, just like the world-famous Doolittle Raid of April 18, 1942, that bombed downtown Tokyo only four and a half months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, initiating World War Two for all U.S. forces. There is always a tremendous psychological advantage in taking the war directly to the enemy’s heartland, and that’s where the Ukrainian GUR commandos truly excel.
As former President Theodore Roosevelt, a heroic combat veteran who would be posthumously awarded (103 long years later) the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary valor in Cuba in 1898, stated so eloquently in Paris in 1910, “It is not the critic who counts…The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly…who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
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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, four college degrees, 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, historian, and hunter.