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| 2nd Guards Separate Special Purpose Order of Zhukov Brigade | |
|---|---|
| 2-я отдельная бригада специального назначения | |
 Shoulder sleeve patch | |
| Active | 1962–present |
| Country |  Soviet Union (1962–1991) Russia (1991–present) |
| Branch |  Spetsnaz GRU |
| Type | Special forces |
| Size | Brigade |
| Garrison/HQ | Promezhitsy,Pskov Oblast |
| Engagements | |
| Decorations |  Guards.png) Order of Zhukov |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Konstantin Bushuev |
The2nd Guards Separate Special Purpose Order of Zhukov Brigade[a] is aSpetsnaz GRU brigade of theRussian Armed Forces based in Promezhitsy,Pskov Oblast.[2]
As part of increases to the GRU's Spetsnaz, on July 19, 1962, General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces Directive No. 140547 was issued, by which the 2nd Spetsnaz Brigade was to be formed in theLeningrad Military District. The creation of the brigade began on September 17, 1962 and ended on March 1, 1963.
Until 2008[3] or 2013,Dmitry Utkin served as lieutenant colonel and brigade commander of a unit ofspecial forces of Russia'sMain Intelligence Directorate (GRU), the 700th Independent Spetsnaz Detachment of the 2nd Independent Brigade.[4][5][6]
The Brigade participated in theRussian invasion of Ukraine.[7] On July 11, 2022, Russian presidentVladimir Putin awarded the unit the honorific unit statusGuards for its actions in Ukraine.[8]
The brigade comprises:[9]
Wagner Group – which does not exist on paper – got its name from its purported founder and commander