Alpha Group (Belarus)

The Belarusian Alpha Group (Russian: КГБ «Альфа») is an elite unit of the State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus, tasked to handle counter-terrorism operations throughout Belarus when regular Belarusian law enforcement units are underequipped to handle the task. It also assists law enforcement units in anti-crime operations.[4][5]

Alpha Group
Альфа
Alpha Group OD velcro patch used by AG operators.
Active3 March 1990 (1990-03-03)
Country Belarus
BranchState Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus (КДБ/КГБ)
TypeSpetsnaz
RoleCounter-terrorism
Hostage rescue
Special operations
SizeNot disclosed officially[1]
Part ofUnder State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus
Garrison/HQMinsk
Nickname(s)Alpha Group or Group A
Anniversaries2020 (30th Anniversary)[2]
Commanders
Current
commander		Colonel Sergei Zubkov
Notable
commanders		Colonel Oleg Chernyshev[lower-alpha 1]

It traces its origin to the Soviet-era Alpha Group, created on July 28, 1974.[2] As of 2014, Colonel Sergei Zubkov is designated the commander of the unit.[6]

History

The Soviet KGB has designed the creation of Alpha Group on July 28, 1974 when Yuri Andropov was head of the KGB after the 1972 Munich massacre. It's suggested that the order was done to respond West Germany's creation of the Grenzschutzgruppe 9 (or the GSG 9).[7]

The unit was created on March 3, 1990, stationed at the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic and tasked to tackle anti-terrorist assignments throughout the BSSR and the Baltic States[2] under orders from Vladimir Kryuchkov as the 11th Group of the KGB.[4] The unit was initially staffed by 45 operators.[8]

In 1992, the unit officially received its official name[2] and was placed under the command of the SSCRB.[5]

Post-USSR breakup
Belarusian AG operators conduct a breaching exercise in 2008.

In 1994, AG was involved in a hostage rescue operation when an armed criminal took a student named Milana Martinkevich hostage.[9] She was rescued and the criminal was detained.[9]

On August 1, 1996, the AG was involved in arresting five men, including an active Belarusian soldier, for attempting to smuggle nuclear material in Borisov for $50,000.[10]

In June 2006, the KGB has reaffirmed Alpha Group's mandate to combat terrorism.[11] AG operators were involved in anti-terrorist exercises throughout the year alongside Belarusian military and law enforcement forces.[11]

In the 2010s, Colonel Oleg Chernyshev was placed under various financial and travel-based sanctions for the KGB's human rights violation activities in Belarus.[12][3]

On June 10, 2014, a Georgian national was involved in hijacking a Belavia airline in the Minsk-Kutaisi flight route.[13] AG negotiators were involved in getting him to surrender himself[9] before he was eventually arrested.[13]

On October 31, 2014, AG operators participated in an exercise with the Belarusian Ministry of Emergency Situations.[14] On November 29, 2014, AG participated in anti-terrorist exercises due to the World Ice Hockey Championship Games being held at Minsk alongside the Belarusian Special Rapid Response Unit (SOBR).[15]

On June 20, 2017, AG operators participated in an anti-terrorist operation exercise at Minsk National Airport in recapturing a hijacked Boeing 737.[16]

Alpha Group celebrated its 30th anniversary on March 3, 2020.[2]

On July 29, 2020, AG operators alongside Minsk police arrested 32 persons from the Wagner Group after they arrived in Minsk from July 24 to July 25 under allegations of planning to participate in destabilization activities before the upcoming 2020 presidential elections.[17]

On August 10, 2020, it was reported that AG operators were deployed to intervene against the growing protests towards President Lukashenko.[18]

On December 23, 2020, the unit was officially listed under the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) due to being regime actors.[19]

Requirements

According to Colonel Oleg Chernyshev, 80% of its potential recruits are experienced personnel from other Belarusian law enforcement agencies while others are trained athletes.[8] The operator's average age, after being recruited, is usually at 27 years.[8]

A recruit is placed through interviews and lie detector tests in order to remove anyone who is motivated to join AG for financial or vanity reasons.[8]

Equipment

AG is known to have access to armored vehicles, including the Bogdan Bars armored car.[14] They also use armored vehicles outfitted with the MARS assault ladder system when conducting raids on hijacked airplanes.[20]

Notes
  1. His name in Belorusian is Aleh Anatolievich Charyshou.[3]

References
  1. "ГРУППА "А": Кто они, люди в масках?" (in Russian). Interfax. 2012-03-02. Archived from the original on 2020-06-27. Retrieved 2020-07-27.
  2. "Special Alpha unit of Belarus KGB turns 30". National State Television and Radio Company of Belarus. 2020-03-03. Archived from the original on 2020-06-21. Retrieved 2020-03-05.
  3. "Sanctions program: Belarus" (PDF). State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research. 2016-02-29. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-06-22. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
  4. "SSS Belarus. Day in special forces: from rise to end". Archived from the original on 2020-06-21. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  5. Группе "А" КГБ Беларуси – 25 лет (in Russian), Sovetskaya Belorussiya – Belarus' Segodnya, 2015-03-03, archived from the original on 2019-04-02, retrieved 2020-06-21
  6. "Заместителем председателя Комитета государственной безопасности назначен полковник Олег Чернышев" (in Russian). Sovetskaya Belorussiya – Belarus' Segodnya. 2014-04-07. Archived from the original on 2020-06-27. Retrieved 2020-07-27.
  7. David Cox (2001). Close Protection: The Politics of Guarding Russia's Rulers. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 59. ISBN 978-0-275-96688-1. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
  8. Yulyya Kochubey (2012-03-02). "Группа "А": Кто они, люди в масках? - фоторепортаж" (in Russian). Unity, Democracy and Freedom. Archived from the original on 2018-03-18. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  9. "Проводят операции под грифом "секретно". Как работает группа А КГБ Беларуси" (in Russian). Capital TV. 2020-03-03. Archived from the original on 2020-07-27. Retrieved 2020-07-27.
  10. Interfax (1996-08-01). "Five Detained For Smuggling Nuclear Materials Near Minsk". Nuclear Threat Initiative. Archived from the original on 2020-06-21. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  11. "КГБ информирует / 19 июня 2006" (in Russian). State Security Committee of the Republic of Belarus. 2006-06-19. Archived from the original on 2020-06-21. Retrieved 2013-09-27.
  12. "Belarus: Financial Sanctions Notice" (PDF). HM Treasury. 2015-11-02. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-07-27. Retrieved 2010-06-22.
  13. "Investigative Committee is investigating the case of an attempt to hijack the Belavia aircraft". Investigative Committee of the Republic of Belarus. 2014-06-17. Archived from the original on 2020-07-27. Retrieved 2020-07-27.
  14. "Бойцы отряда "Альфа" освободили "захваченный" самолет" (in Russian). Naviny. 2014-10-31. Archived from the original on 2018-03-13. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  15. Kira Alyakseyeva (2013-11-29). "In pictures: Counter-terrorism exercise held at Minsk National Airport". Belarusian Information Company. Archived from the original on 2020-06-21. Retrieved 2020-06-21.
  16. "KGB holds tactical-special exercise at Minsk National Airport". National State Television and Radio Company of Belarus. 2017-06-20. Archived from the original on 2020-06-22. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
  17. "BelTA: 33 militants of Russian Wagner PMC detained in Belarus". Belsat TV. 2020-07-29. Archived from the original on 2020-07-29. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  18. https://defence-blog.com/news/army/belarus-uses-special-forces-to-deal-with-growing-protests.html
  19. https://belsat.eu/en/news/us-sanctions-omon-central-election-commission-internal-troops-as-belarusian-regime-actors/
  20. "Белорусские спецслужбы продемонстрировали свои возможности в борьбе с терроризмом и ликвидации последствий терактов" (in Russian). Belarusian Information Company. 2014-10-31. Archived from the original on 2020-06-22. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
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