Unit of the Soviet/Russian Federal Security Service
This article is about Soviet and later Russian special operations force. For other organisations, military or otherwise, with the same name, see Alpha Group (disambiguation). For Russian investment group, see Alfa Group. For Cuban militant group, see Alpha 66. For Mexico City Police Alfa Group (Agrupamiento Alfa), see Law enforcement in Mexico City § Preventive Police.
Directorate "A" of the FSB Special Purpose Center
Spetsgruppa "A"
Alpha Group emblem
Founded
28 July 1974; 49 years ago (1974-07-28)
Country
Soviet Union (1974–1991) Russia (1991–present)
Allegiance
FSB
Branch
Spetsnaz of the KGB (1974–1991) Russia: GUO (1991–1993) MVD (1993–1995) TsSN FSB (1995–present)
Type
Spetsnaz
Size
Classified (estimated 500 in 1991,[1] 250–300 in Russia in 2004[2])
Part of
Federal Security Service Moscow (main force) Khabarovsk, Krasnodar, Yekaterinburg, Grozny (in Russia)
Nickname(s)
Alpha Group, Alpha (Alfa)
Motto(s)
Победить и вернуться
Engagements
Operation Storm-333 Aeroflot Flight 6833 hostage crisis January Events Soviet coup d'état attempt Russia: Russian constitutional crisis Budyonnovsk hostage crisis Kizlyar-Pervomayskoye hostage crisis First Chechen War Second Chechen War Moscow theatre hostage crisis Beslan school hostage crisis Insurgency in the North Caucasus Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War Russian invasion of Ukraine
Commanders
Current commander
Col. Valery Kanakin [citation needed]
Notable commanders
Gen. Vitaly Bubenin Gen. Viktor Karpukhin Gen. Gennady Zaitsev[3]
Military unit
Spetsgruppa "A", also known as Alpha Group (a popular English name), or Alfa, whose official name is Directorate "A" of the FSB Special Purpose Center (TsSN FSB) (Russian: Спецназ ФСБ "Альфа"), is a stand-alone sub-unit of Russia's special forces within the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB). It was created by the Soviet KGB in 1974. Although little is known about the exact nature of its primary directives, it is speculated that the unit is authorised to act under the direct control and sanction of Russia's top political leadership, similar to its sister unit, the Directorate "V" (Vympel), which is officially tasked with protecting Russia's strategic installations, as well as conducting black operations inside and outside Russia. It is also available for extended police duties, for paramilitary operations, and for covert operations, both domestically and internationally.
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Global Information
Soviet Union (1974–1991)
Russia (1991–present)
FSB
Spetsnaz of the KGB (1974–1991) 
GUO (1991–1993) 
MVD (1993–1995) 
Federal Security Service Moscow (main force)