Need assistance with some Russian patches

FoxtrotRomeo999

Active Member
  1. OK, first patch is Russian Navy (ВМФ or VMF Вое́нно-морско́й флот) Special Forces Detachment (Отряд специального назначения ).
  2. The second patch is also Special Forces Detachment (Отряд специального назначения ) and probably VMF but can't be sure. It has Palats (palace) in the scroll.
  3. Third Patch says Wolf Scout/Intelligence (разведчuкu Boлku=razvedchuku Volku). I can't find this variant of the wolfs head though another wolfshead variant without the text is used by Spetsnaz. Could this be a Scouting badge?
  4. According to this Russian VDV Spetsnaz Airborne Special Forces Separate Battalion Patch | Soviet Army Stuff, Russian VDV Spetsnaz Airborne Special Forces Separate (Independant) Battalion. Text above says "Death before dishonour" and below separate battalion (detachment Otryad).
  5. Russian Army VDV Spetsnaz 45th Airborne reconnaissance regiment wolf patch - Spetsnaz on top and Motto Побеждает сильнейший (The strongest wins) below. 45th Guards Spetznaz Brigade - Wikipedia
There are two types of Russian Navy (VMF) Spetsnaz and I have no idea which these are: (source Russian commando frogmen | Wikiwand Sorry, I'm not too fluent in Russian so Wiki it is)

Naval Special Reconnaissance (OMRP)
The first Naval Special Reconnaissance unit, the 42nd OMRP is composed of reconnaissance divers that fall under operational subordination to the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU). There are currently four OMRPs in Russia, one for each fleet: Northern Fleet, Baltic Fleet, Black Sea Fleet and Pacific Fleet with each consisting of approximately 120–200 personnel.[2]

Counteraction Underwater Diversionary Forces and Facilities (PDSS)
PDSS are special purpose (spetsnaz) unit of the Russian Naval Infantry, trained to conduct land and sea operations behind enemy lines, and to conduct underwater combat, mining and clearance diving. These units include combat swimmers tasked to protect ships and other fleet assets from enemy frogmen and foreign special forces. The precise composition, activities and location of the unit are strictly classified.

Combat swimmers of the 313th PDSS conduct land operations.

Combat swimmers of the 313th PDSS conduct land operations.
Combat swimmer from the 311th PDSS in Kamchatka (2017).

Combat swimmer from the 311th PDSS in Kamchatka (2017).
Every PDSS unit has approximately 50–60 combat swimmers.[12]

 
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STURM

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Thank you! Your help is very much appreciated
.
Most of these badges were acquired in the mid 1990’s and I’ve long been unable to ID them

1. Leopard with crosses bayonets. I’m guessing Spetsnaz.

2. Tiger. I’ve been told this is from a ONOH unit in the.Far East region.

3. Fire breathing horse with a crossbow below.
 

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STURM

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4. Naval aviation possibly? Wings with an anchor and crossed bayonets.

5. This is fairly new. Scorpion - Spetsnaz I’m guessing.

6. Pacific Fleet divers unit?

7. Dolphin with parachute and plane. I’m guessing Pacific Fleet VDV.
 

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STURM

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This patch is an odd one. Most Russian military patches are rubberised or embroidered but this is made of plastic/vinyl. Because of the polar bear it’s definitely Northern Fleet but is a unit or a sub?

The one with the mountains is possibly a Caucasus based unit or command.
 

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STURM

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“ It has Palats (palace) in the scroll”

As in the “Nanay”?
 

FoxtrotRomeo999

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yes-ish, the 2 characters that look like an English n are the Cyrillic p and l (l looks like the p but with a little leading curve. Cheers. I am babysitting and will look at the others when I get home. 6 is naval infantry
 
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FoxtrotRomeo999

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2. Eastern region Russian interior troops (agrees with your guess). Russian Patches, Russian Military Patches, Russian Army Patches, Russian Navy patches
5. 68TH RECONNAISSANCE BATTALION (looks like they have guard status) Sleeve patch of the 68th Reconnaissance Battalion - Russian Sales
Text on top "military intelligence" (войсковая разведка=voyskovaya razvedka)
Motto below "Nothing except victory!" (Ничего кроме победы=Nichego krome pobedy)
6. words say "naval infantry"(морская пехота=morskaya pekhota).
7. words say "coastal defense" (береговая оборона=beregovaya oborona).

I have a look see if I can track down the others tomorrow.
 

FoxtrotRomeo999

Active Member
1. Leopard or Tiger. Crossed Swords or Bayonets. Dr Google ain't helping me.

2. Eastern region Russian interior troops (agrees with your guess).
3. ASW Destroyer Smetlivii Rare Patch Russian Navy. Large ASW Destroyer "Smetlivy". Black Sea Fleet | eBay
SKR (CKP not sure but a spelling of destroyer starts with R) Resourceful/quick-witted (сметливый=smetlivii)​
4. Can't find any patch resembling this (the crossed swords or bayonets are missing). But probably Naval Aviation.

5. 68TH RECONNAISSANCE BATTALION (looks like they have guard status) Sleeve patch of the 68th Reconnaissance Battalion - Russian Sales
Text on top "military intelligence" (войсковая разведка=voyskovaya razvedka)​
Motto below "Nothing except victory!" (Ничего кроме победы=Nichego krome pobedy)​
6. words say "naval infantry"(морская пехота=morskaya pekhota).

7. words say "coastal defense" (береговая оборона=beregovaya oborona).

8. Northern Fleet 33 Submarine Division. Галерея33 дивизия подводных лодок Северного флота
Caption is as follows​
33​
Submarine Division DIPL (дивизия подводных лодок=diviziya podvodnykh lodok)​
сф Northern Fleet (северный флот=severnyy flot)​
9. Russian 62nd Military Base, Akhalkalaki, Georgia, Akhalkalaki - Wikipedia Can't find a picture of the actual patch to prove conclusively.
Line 1 In Service (in Serviceman’s honour) (в служвые чести=v sluzhvyye chesti)​
Line 2 62 VB GRVZ Operational Group of Russian Forces in the Transcaucasus ( Gruppa rossiyskikh voysk v Zakavkaz'e or GRVZ) https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/ogrv-transcaucasus.htm​
 
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FoxtrotRomeo999

Active Member
Sturm, Actually I'm a neophyte in Russian (but google supplements my mediocre skills), have a moderate interest in Russian history and worked with a Russian recently and we both could have been trying to kill each other in the early 1980's if things had gone to pot, but fortunately they didn't and we got along well. Just having a little fun finding out about the patches.

1. 1st testing center, missile testing fire range Strategic Missile Force (ракетные войска стратегического назначения=raketnyye voyska strategicheskogo naznacheniya). Peaceful (мирный=mirnyy) OK, training center of the Strategic Missile Forces) and cosmodrome is in Mirny, Arkhangelsk region so no deliberate 'peaceful' pun here. Test site (испытательный полигон=ispytatel'nyy poligon) badge information page - badge information page - Viewing Badge 1st testing center, missile testing fire range

2. 300 separate parachute regiment. (300 Independent Airborne Regiment, a guards regiment). Looking at the words, we have Svirskiy (Russian Saint from the fifteenth Century). OPDP is an abbreviation for technically Independant Parachute Descent Regiment (отдельный парашютно-десантный полк=otdel'nyy parashyutno-desantnyy polk) Googling OPDP in Russian I get Нашивки 300 отдельного парашютно-десантного полка ( 300 опдп ). (Patches 300 Independent Airborne Regiment). and a tad more info at 300th Guards Parachute Regiment.

3. Special Forces (Войска Специального Назначениня=Voiska Specialnogo Naznachyeninya). All military Spetsnaz ... as opposed to Police etc, I think. GRU? Some are in GRU.

4. Russian Naval Infantry (Morskaya Pechoty as before) of the Black Sea Fleet (Черноморский флот=Chernomorskiy flot)

5. Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (Министерство внутренних дел, МВД, Ministerstvo Vnutrennikh Del, MVD). Ministry of Internal Affairs (Russia) - Wikipedia. On 5 April 2016 Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the Internal Troops, OMON (the Special Purpose Mobility Unit), and SOBR (SWAT) forces to form the basis of the new National Guard of Russia, and these moved from MVD control and were reassigned to the Security Council of Russia. In turn and on the same day, the Federal Drug Control Service and the Federal Migration Service merged into the MVD and is now known as the Main Directorate for Drugs Control and the Main Directorate for Migration Affairs, respectively. So not as sexy nowadays!

Also updates to
  • 3 in first list Vopku is really Volku (Wolf - the P and L in some fonts can look similar to babes in the woods like me) and the writing now reads "Wolf Scout/Intelligence" (still can't find a matching patch);
  • 8 in second list - found it - 33 Submarine Division, Northern Fleet.
  • 3 in the second list could be a Black Panther rather than a Leopard or a Tiger. Russian Baltic Fleet Naval Infantry PATCH PATCHES CHEVRON NAVY AIR FORCE AIRBORNE ARMY MILITARY MILITARIA FORCES | eBay use a black Panther head and swords, but it looks nothing like your patch. The Separate Operational Purpose Division or ODON, is a rapid deployment internal security division National Guard Forces Command of the Russian Federation and use a White Panther RUSSIAN ARMY MILITARY SLEEVE PATCH SPETSNAZ ODON DETACHED DIVISION BLACK PANTHER | eBay . Could a sub-unit use a Black Panther? And it may not even be a russian military patch.
How many more unidentified patches have you got?
 
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STURM

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That’s about it. Thank you. I really appreciate the help/effort you put into it.

I have a 1st gen 1960’s/1970’s NVG with an instruction booklet which I’m trying to ID though :) If you’re interested in having a look I could post some pics.

On the Black panther patch I’m pretty sure it’s Russian. Got it from the same source many years ago and it made using the same rubberised material. The problem I suspect is quite a few of the patches were variations made in small numbers; units which don’t exist anymore.

Do you collect insignia/patches?
 
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FoxtrotRomeo999

Active Member
That’s about it. Thank you. I really appreciate the help/effort you put into it.

I have a 1st gen 1960’s/1970’s NVG with an instruction booklet which I’m trying to ID though :) If you’re interested in having a look I could post some pics.

On the Black panther patch I’m pretty sure it’s Russian. Got it from the same source many years ago and it made using the same rubberised material. The problem I suspect is quite a few of the patches were variations made in small numbers of units which don’t exist anymore.

Do you collect insignia/patches?
Sturm,
Not a problem helping you. It was fun.
1st gen 1960’s/1970’s NVG with an instruction booklet I am not really that interested in kit.
Do you collect insignia/patches? No I don't collect any militaria, other than a little small scale modelling/wargaming. I hike/bushwalk, photograph nature, visit historical sites (Covid has killed this), sing in a choir (Covid has also killed this), babysit grandchildren and visit family and friends. I have family in Winnipeg (currently in lockdown), Victoria (coming out of lockdown), Queensland (gradually letting persons from other States and Terrritories enter) and Canberra (coffee shops R Us!). I once was a Reservist and my youngest son is currenly an active Reservist. I retain an interest in the Australian Defence Force and world current affairs.

до свиданья ( Da Svidanye - Goodbye)
 
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