45th Detached Reconnaissance Regiment

45th Guards Spetsnaz Brigade
45th Spetsnaz Brigade patch
Active	1994 – present
Country	Russia
Branch	Russian Airborne Troops
Type	Airborne Spetsnaz
Role	Special Reconnaissance Special Operations Direct Action
Part of	GRU (operational subordination)
Garrison/HQ	Kubinka, Moscow Oblast
Motto(s)	Побеждает сильнейший (The strongest wins)
Mascot(s)	Wolf
Engagements	First Chechen War Second Chechen War Georgian–Abkhazian conflict Insurgency in the North Caucasus 2008 South Ossetia War 2014 Russian military intervention in Ukraine
Decorations	Guards Order of Kutuzov Order of Alexander Nevsky
Commanders
Current commander	Col. HoRF Vadim Pankov
Notable commanders	Lt. Col. HoRF Anatoly Lebed

45th Guards Detached Spetsnaz Brigade (Russian: 45-я ОБ СпН (в/ч 28337)) (45th Guards Detached {or Separate} Special Purpose Brigade) is a special reconnaissance and special operations military unit within the Russian Airborne Troops, and based near Moscow.

It was created in 1994 from the 901st Air-Assault Battalion (created in 1979) and 218th Spetsnaz Battalion of the Russian Airborne Troops, (created in 1992). Colonel Pavel Popovskikh is credited with the creation of the 45th Spetsnaz as a “subunit of the future” designed for the type of counter-insurgency, warfare for which the forces had been so unprepared in Afghanistan.

The regiment was composed of two special purpose battalions and is equipped with 15 BTR-80, and 1 BTR-D. The regiment composition is:

The unit is part of the Russian Airborne Troops (VDV RF) and directly subordinated to VDV Headquarters. However it is also operationally subordinate to the GRU.

The regiment was formed on the basis of two battalions, each of which had a history of establishment and development. With an initial strength of 800 highly qualified personnel, the unit had especially powerful special reconnaissance capabilities and innovations to include unmanned surveillance aircraft and tailored psychological warfare assets. Almost all of its officers were “prepared in the GRU spetsnaz system”.

The 901st battalion was formed on November 20, 1979 on the territory of the Transcaucasian Military District, and was immediately transferred to Czechoslovakia in the Central Group of forces. In March 1989, in connection with the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Eastern Europe, the battalion was relocated to Aluksne, Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic and transferred to the Baltic special military district. In May 1991, the battalion was transferred to the Transcaucasian Military District and relocated in Sukhumi, Abkhaz ASSR. In August 1992, the battalion was transferred from the authority of the Transcaucasian military district under the authority of the staff of the airborne troops and renamed 901st Separate Airborne Battalion. As a separate battalion, it was transferred to the 7th Guards Airborne Division.