When was Alpha Group created?
Alpha Group was created on the 28th of July 1974 by KGB Chairman Yuri Andropov, two years after the 1972 Munich massacre exposed Soviet unpreparedness for a hostage crisis.
Questions about Alpha Group
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What was Alpha Group's role in the assassination of Afghan President Hafizullah Amin?
Twenty-four men from Alpha Group's Thunder detachment took part in Operation Storm-333, a 34-minute assault on Tajbeg Palace on the 27th of December 1979 that killed President Hafizullah Amin along with his mistress and son.
What happened during the Beslan school siege involving Alpha Group?
On the 3rd of September 2004, Alpha Group and Vympel raided a school in Beslan, North Ossetia that had been seized by Ingushetia-based militants; the siege killed more than 333 people, including 186 children aged 1-17 and 10 Alpha members.
Why was Alpha Group sent to the Vilnius TV Tower in 1991?
Alpha Group was dispatched to Lithuania to suppress its independence movement, and on the 13th of January 1991 it took part in seizing the Vilnius TV Tower, an operation that killed 13 unarmed protesters and one Alpha operative, Lt. Viktor Shatskikh.
What Alpha Group successor units exist in other former Soviet countries?
Former Soviet Alpha detachments now exist as separate units: Alfa in Belarus, Arystan in Kazakhstan, Special Group Alpha in Ukraine, Georgia's own Alpha unit, and the Alfa Special Operations Executive in Kyrgyzstan.
How many hostages died in the 1995 Budyonnovsk hospital siege involving Alpha Group?
More than 120 people died during the Budyonnovsk hospital crisis in June 1995, including three Alpha Group members, across two storming attempts by Alpha and Vympel.