Tanks lined up

I always thought this is Russian military's big problem. Rely too much on armor. Like it is still the 40s or something. Today is the age of mobile infantry. IMHO

Meeting a local resident


Specnaz GRU (note, faces blurred out)


Specnaz VDV (Airborne, my people. We don't blur our faces. Because we are men. Unlike GRU )


My other people, Morpekh, Russian Marines, aboard corvette Novorossiysk


Man in left corner is not black, his face is covered in our camo paint

Marines again


That was me once, not even that long, few years, ago... Look at this Black Sea. Beautiful, warm water. I want back there. Seriously, so much.

At the base chapel


Troops on patrol in Gudauta


No, it is great over there. It is resort. It literally is. 2,000,000 Russians vacation there every year. And men who are sent to serve there, it is like a free vacation, basically, actually not just free, but they pay you to go there Lucky.

Those are very good photos sir.

Nice pictures but these guys you called "GRU Spetznas" are most likely conscripts who serve in one of the Spetznas companies subordinated to a military district, a larger unit or the MVD but they're certainly not members of a GRU "crack-unit".

bigeye1, I don't know if they are conscripts or contracted men. Could be either. They don't take just anyone into Specnaz though, GRU or VDV. By the way, MVD is police, nothing to do with this here. And GRU is Main Intelligence Command, military intel. Bloody knights in shining armour who come in with white gloves after VDV guys like me do the dirty, shitty work lol

Anyway, some more pics

7th Army base, Gudauta

Barracks

(It does snow in Abkhazia, sometimes. Like 3 days a year. Maybe)

On the beach


Vehicles (including T-90A tanks)

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A battalion of 50 T-90s was sent over there back in '09. 50 more went in '10. Putin seems to be massing our best forces... against Georgia? Have to wonder why? Are we preparing for a new invasion???

KaMAZ "Dozor" armoured vehicles

Again, this base in Abkhazia seem to be armed and equipped better than almost any other Russian bases anywhere... I have to ask myself why.

Plane hungars (this used to be a Soviet Air base)

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Used for storage right now, but they are talking about putting planes there again.

Anti-aircraft missile complex "Osa" (in back view)


More 7 base photos





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Anti-mine vehicles


Hind


Overhead view

(The fact that this is available on Google says a lot about the state of our military counter-intelligence...)

Prapor, I of course know what MVD and GRU are. I assume that I don't need to tell you that the MVD maintains several Spetznas units.

Originally Posted by bigeye1

Prapor, I of course know what MVD and GRU are. I assume that I don't need to tell you that the MVD maintains several Spetznas units.

Yes, I know. "Vityaz", etc.

Originally Posted by Prapor

Yes, I know. "Vityaz", etc.

Vityaz was merged with Rus and several other units in 2008.

Originally Posted by bigeye1

Vityaz was merged with Rus and several other units in 2008.

True that. Either way, those guys are not them. MVD Specnaz is not allowed to operate outside the country.

Though... Whether Abkhazia is still "outside" is becoming a matter of debate these days. You don't even need to show passport anymore, to drive across the border on Russian side. Georgian side is closed, of course.