Main Directorate of Intelligence

GRU Generalnogo Shtaba

Glavnoje Razvedyvatel'noje Upravlenije ГРУ ГШ ВС РФ Главное Разведывательное Управление
Agency overview
Formed	May 7, 1992
Preceding agencies	Main Intelligence Directorate (Soviet Union) Fifth Department of the Russian Imperial Chief of Staff
Jurisdiction	President of Russia
Headquarters	Grizodubovoy str. 3, Moscow
Minister responsible	Sergey Shoygu, Defense Minister
Agency executive	Igor Korobov, Chairman
Parent agency	Ministry of Defense
Child agencies	Svyazinformsoyuz Company Directorate for Space Intelligence
Website	Ministry of Defense Website

Main Intelligence Directorate (Russian: Гла́вное разве́дывательное управле́ние, tr. Glavnoye razvedyvatel'noye upravleniye; IPA: [ˈglavnəjə rɐzˈvʲɛdɨvətʲɪlʲnəjə ʊprɐˈvlʲenʲɪjə]), abbreviated GRU (Russian: ГРУ; IPA: [geeˈru]), is the foreign military intelligence agency of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (formerly the Soviet Army General Staff of the Soviet Union). Since 2010, the agency′s official full name is the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (Russian: Гла́вное управле́ние Генера́льного шта́ба Вооружённых Сил Росси́йской Федера́ции).

The GRU is Russia's largest foreign intelligence agency. In 1997 it deployed six times as many agents in foreign countries as the SVR, the successor of the KGB's foreign operations directorate (PGU KGB). It also commanded 25,000 Spetsnaz troops in 1997.

The first body for military intelligence was established in 1810 by the War minister Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly who suggested to the Tsar to create a permanent body for Strategic military intelligence.

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