2nd Guards Spetsnaz Brigade

The 2nd Guards Separate Special Purpose Brigade (Russian: 2-я отдельная бригада специального назначения) is a Spetsnaz GRU brigade of the Russian Armed Forces based in Promezhitsy, Pskov Oblast.

History

As part of increases to the GRU's Spetsnaz, on July 19, 1962, General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces Directive No. 140547 was issued, by which the 2nd Spetsnaz Brigade was to be formed in the Leningrad Military District. The creation of the brigade began on September 17, 1962 and ended on March 1, 1963.

Until 2008 or 2013, Dmitry Utkin served as lieutenant colonel and brigade commander of a unit of special forces of Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), the 700th Independent Spetsnaz Detachment of the 2nd Independent Brigade.

The Brigade is reportedly taking part in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. On July 11, 2022, Russian president Vladimir Putin awarded the unit the honorific unit status Guards for its actions in Ukraine.

Structure

The brigade comprises:

• Headquarters
• Signals Battalion (2x Company)
• Support Company
• 70th Special Purpose Detachment (roughly battalion equivalent)
• 329th Special Purpose Detachment
• 700th Special Purpose Detachment
• Training Battalion (2x Company)

References

1. 45th Guards Spetsnaz Brigade
2. 3rd Guards Spetsnaz Brigade
3. Spetsnaz GRU
4. 24th Separate Guards Special Forces Brigade
5. Spetsnaz
6. Order of battle for the Russian invasion of Ukraine
7. 2024 western Russia incursion
8. Order of battle for the 2024 Kharkiv offensive
9. List of guards units of Russia
10. 15th Independent Special Forces Brigade
11. Guards unit (Soviet Union)
12. Battle of Kharkiv (2022)
13. National Guard of Ukraine
14. Special forces of Ukraine
15. 110th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade
16. 17th Tank Brigade (Ukraine)
17. List of Russian units which invaded the territory of Ukraine (2014–2022)
18. 92nd Assault Brigade (Ukraine)
19. Western Military District
20. 80th Air Assault Brigade (Ukraine)