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Alpha (Directorate “A” of the Federal Security Service (FSB) Special Purpose Center)

• Originally formed in 1974 as a KGB domestic antiterrorism force. Sister unit to Vympel (see “Vega or Vympel”).

Antiterror Orel Group

• A private Russian security organization predating the creation of the Wagner Group (see “Wagner Group”). Organized from military and special operations veterans, with many offshoot agencies and affiliated organizations over the years.

EMERCOM (Ministry of Extraordinary Situations)

• The Ministry of Emergency Situations, also known as the Emergency Control Ministry, is a Russian agency responsible for emergency response services varying from disaster relief services to civil defense.

Emercom Demining

• A majority Russian state-owned company, which has won many contracts through connections with EMERCOM.

FSB (Federal Security Service)

• The chief successor agency of the KGB.

GRU (Main Intelligence Directorate)

• Officially known as the Main Directorate (GU) of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, but commonly referred to as the GRU. It is the Russian military intelligence agency.

ICIJ (International Consortium of Investigative Journalists)

• A D.C.-based independent investigative research organization, notable for its involvement in the publication of the Panama Papers.

IRA (Internet Research Agency)

• A Russian company noted for its online activities advancing Russian political interests, specifically during the 2016 election.

IRTF (Independent Research Task Force)

• A unit of the Russian private military security contractor RusCorp, offering security risk intelligence services.

KUOS (Development Courses for Officer Personnel)

• Also known as the KGB Higher School, it was comparable to an officer’s school for KGB personnel. Alpha (see “Alpha”) and Vympel (see “Vympel”) units were trained there.

Moran (Moran Security Group)

• One of the most prominent Russian private military security contractors.

MVD (Ministry of Internal Affairs)

• A Russian government ministry responsible for the police forces, drug control and migration.

OCCRP (Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project)

• An international NGO dedicated to supporting investigative reporting of organized crime and corruption.

PMSC (Private Military Security Contractor)

• PMSCs are organizations providing armed operational support in conflict zones.

PSC (Private Security Contractor)

• Organizations providing semi-passive protection services such as site security and intelligence but generally understood not to take part in supporting offensive operations, which is the realm of PMSCs (see “PMSC”).

ROSICH (7th Squad of Special Forces)

• An elite force of Russian special forces serving in the Interior Troops of the MVD.

SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces)

• A primarily Kurdish-led force in the Syrian Civil War, supported by the United States and the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.

STG (Stroytransgaz)

• A construction and engineering, public joint-stock company founded in 1990, originally as a subsidiary of Gazprom. Involved in the construction of hydrocarbon industry infrastructure in Russia, post-Soviet countries and the Middle East.

SVR (Foreign Intelligence Service)

• A successor agency of the KGB, the SVR is the foreign intelligence agency of Russia.

VDV (Airborne Troops)

• VDV are the intervention forces of the Russian Armed Forces, specially equipped and trained soldiers tasked with special operations and leading full-scale military operations.

Vega or Vympel (Directorate “V” of the FSB Special Purpose Center)

• Originally formed in 1981 as a more aggressive, foreign-operating compliment to Alpha (see “Alpha”). The unit is similarly focused on counterterror operations and nuclear security.

Vityaz (1st Special Purpose Unit of the Internal Forces of MVD)

• Founded during early Soviet times it was dissolved to help form the MVD’s 604th Special Purpose Center.