Just curious: Soviet black ops?

Yeah. I never really hear too much about the Soviets.

Greece: DSE, NOF
Laos: Pathet Lao
Oman: PFLOAG
Portuguese colonial empire: FRELIMO, MPLA, PAIGC
Rhodesia: ZAPU
South Africa: ANC
South-West Africa: SWAPO
Turkey: PKK

Just off the top of my head. There were also other countries that backed guerrillas on the Soviets' behalf, most prominently Cuba (though they acted on their own initiative in Angola), East Germany, Bulgaria, South Yemen, and North Korea (though they were not as Soviet-aligned as the others on this list); you decide how you count that. As for coups, I can't think of any "proper" ones, but the invasions of Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Afghanistan may count as such.
 
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Just off the top of my head. There were also other countries that backed guerrillas on the Soviets' behalf, most prominently Cuba (though they acted on their own initiative in Angola), East Germany, Bulgaria, South Yemen, and North Korea (though they were not as Soviet-aligned as the others on this list); you decide how you count that. As for coups, I can't think of any "proper" ones, but the invasions of Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Afghanistan may count as such.

The Other East European country intelligence services were specialized more in helping West Europe terrorist group like RAF and the Brigate Rosse etc. etc.
 

Sandmannius

Banned

I would kinda prefer sources so I can read up on it. It sounds extremely silly of me but I am curious mostly after playing Call of Duty: Black Ops. :eek:

I recall watching some interviews with Treyarch crewmembers about the whole black ops theme of the game, both American and Soviet. Some of the Treyarch guys said that they contacted and interviewed a bunch of former Spetsnaz to ask them questions about the whole Soviet black ops involvement in the Cold War, if it means anything to you.
 

Sachyriel

Banned
The Soviets had their Spetsnaz out across the globe, probably in more "hot" situations than the U.S. (and the rest of NATO). When you add in the Cubans, who were used by Moscow as something of a direct action arm, the Bear had his claws in a LOT of pies.

Boo-boo, don't you mean PICNIC BASKETS?

yogi-bear-show-02.jpg


Anyways I thought this thread would be about a Soviet Agent getting captured in a failed Korean Operation and falling into the US's hands, and they send him to Alaska to a secret prison camp. One of the prisoners there helps him break out, he escapes through Canada and then to Russia and his mind is infected with these numbers and stuff.

But the USSR doesn't care, they need his skill set for further operations. They send him on operations into West Germany, Israel, Rome, and even directly into the USA a time or three. Anyways turns out the USA is planning to unleash some crazy toxin into the USSR to depopulate it in preparation for an invasion.

After some crazy levels... I mean operations ... where you have a dude named Ramirez helping you out (;)) you finally find the American Broadcasting Station off the coast of Japan.
 
Boo-boo, don't you mean PICNIC BASKETS?

yogi-bear-show-02.jpg


Anyways I thought this thread would be about a Soviet Agent getting captured in a failed Korean Operation and falling into the US's hands, and they send him to Alaska to a secret prison camp. One of the prisoners there helps him break out, he escapes through Canada and then to Russia and his mind is infected with these numbers and stuff.

But the USSR doesn't care, they need his skill set for further operations. They send him on operations into West Germany, Israel, Rome, and even directly into the USA a time or three. Anyways turns out the USA is planning to unleash some crazy toxin into the USSR to depopulate it in preparation for an invasion.

After some crazy levels... I mean operations ... where you have a dude named Ramirez helping you out (;)) you finally find the American Broadcasting Station off the coast of Japan.

What? No analogue of a Project Nova mission included? :p
 
Mainly the support of guerrillas fighting the allies of the rival supporter and coups. Like the US supported the men behind Allende's ouster from power. Something along those means.

The Soviets tended to take such matters into their own hands, using a more direct approach than "special forces". Subversion of and taking over the military of their "allies" when they made the mistake of writing a critical editorial or two in one of their local newspapers (Czechoslovakia).:rolleyes: Or crushing a country foolish enough to think the Warsaw Pact was a club you were free to leave (Hungary).:mad: Or daring to organize workers (Poland):p.

TANKS, not "black ops", were the tools of the Soviet Union.

I don't know the history of the Cold War in Africa, but surely there must be examples to be found in that continent's sad history. The problem was, without the means of power projection of a true bluewater navy* for much of the Cold War, the Soviets faced the daunting prospect of having their "insurgent allies" facing the direct interdiction and firepower of the West. IF, that is, the US or any of the former colonial powers (who were more likely to meddle in Africa than the US, except for Liberia and Nigeria) chose to do so, in the name of "peacekeeping".:rolleyes:
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*-Until the 1980's, the Soviet Navy was a force with tremendous ship-sinking capability, operations in the nuclear war environment, ASW, and for coastal defense. But NOT for power projection (NO aircraft carriers), convoying, or defense from air and surface attack outside their own land-based airforces. Hence, isolation from their "allies" overseas was always a real possibility.
 

Das_Colonel

Banned
A book I read on modern day piracy gave an example from the mid 1980's for memory, after a spate of hijackings in Sunda Strait of soviet flagged merchant vessels.

Teams of spetznatz and soviet marines were stationed on the ships and The book mentioned they would let the pirates board before ambushing and massacaring them. It said it only took a few bullet ridden corpses washing up on nearby islands for no soviet flagged ship to be assaulted again.
 
- before WWII Soviet officers (under codenames) acted as commanders of german and chinese communist rebells

- the Soviets and Chinese fought a semi-war for a time that involved infiltrating and killing border garnisions
 
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