Spetsnaz (Russian: Войска специального назначения, (спецназ, ) tr: Voyska spetsialnogo naznacheniya; ) is an umbrella term for any special forces in Russian, literally "special purpose forces". Historically, the term referred to the military special units controlled by the military intelligence service GRU, the Spetsnaz GRU. Currently, the term is also used to describe any special purpose units or task forces of other ministries (even the Ministry of Emergency Situations special rescue unit), also in some other post-Soviet countries.
Read more about Spetsnaz: Etymology, Timeline of Spetsnaz Units, Nomenclature in The USSR and Russia, Soviet/Russian Military Special Forces, KGB/FSB Special Forces, Soviet/Russian MVD Special Forces