Alpha Group (also called the Alfa Group or Spetsgruppa A) is an elite, stand-alone component of Russia's special forces and the dedicated counter-terrorism task-force of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB). Alpha Group is organized under the "A" Directorate of the FSB Special Operations Center (TsSN FSB), and tasked specifically with responding, preventing, and thwarting acts of terrorism. Regional deployments to conflict-prone areas (such as Chechnya) are not uncommon. Although little is known about the exact nature of its primary directives, it is speculated that the unit is authorized to act under the direct control and sanction of Russia's top political leadership, similar in practice to the "B" Directorate's secretive Vympel unit, making it at once available for expanded police duties, essentially paramilitary applications, and/or additional covert operations.
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