Mysterious Alpha Force

Author: Zhao Weizhong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: Terrorism has become a major threat to world peace and stability today. In Russia, our northern neighbor, the Chechen issue has never been fully resolved, becoming the most significant domestic security concern in the country. On July 29, 1974, Yuri Andropov, who was then the Chairman of the KGB (Soviet Union's State Security Committee), signed a top-secret order to establish a new elite secret unit within the KGB system—the Alpha Group, with its primary mission being to combat terrorism. Today, the Alpha Group is a renowned special counter-terrorism assault team under the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia. Due to the black makeup that Alpha operatives always wear during missions, they are also known as the "super black soldiers."
On the early morning of October 26, 2002, Russian special forces stormed a theater occupied by Chechen rebels, eliminating most of the hostage-takers and successfully rescuing the majority of the hostages. In this hostage rescue operation, the little-known but highly elite Russian counter-terrorism assault team—the Alpha Group—played the leading role. Over nearly 30 years of growth, the Alpha Group has participated in dozens of combat operations, repeatedly demonstrating exceptional capabilities and achieving remarkable accomplishments, becoming a globally recognized anti-terrorism sword and a backbone force in Russia's counter-terrorism efforts.
This book briefly introduces the formation of the Alpha Group, the training of its members, and the weapons and equipment they use. It also provides detailed accounts of the actions taken by the Alpha Group, such as the Moscow hostage rescue, the assault on the Presidential Palace in Afghanistan, and the hostage rescue in May City. These accounts will help readers understand the main aspects of the Russian Alpha Group and allow them to draw on its successful experiences and learn from its lessons, which will be beneficial for the organization and implementation of counter-terrorism operations in our country and for maintaining national unity and territorial integrity.