Bodark is a Russian Spetsnaz unit comparable to The Ghosts. Highly trained and disciplined, their name comes from the myth of men who became wolves. They ally with Raven's Rock, a group of influential and ultranationalistic Russian politicians, soldiers, and weapon dealers. They had their own type of large drone.
The Ghosts first encounter Bodark operatives in Georgia where they are sent to find and rescue a Georgian Special Forces team. The team find the last surviving Georgian soldier but before they can rescue him he is taken to the church to be interrogated. The Ghosts assault the church and rescue the soldier, but after they leave the room they are ambushed by Bodark operatives. After fighting through the ambush, the Ghosts push down the hill and reach the extraction point where they are again ambushed by Bodark.
The second encounter with Bodark is at the Ghosts' base where Kozak interrogates a captured Bodark operative. When questioned, the man revealed nothing except that he knew Kozak's real name and that he was from New York, taunting him by saying that his unit "can't keep its men alive".
The Ghosts again fight Bodark operatives in Moscow when they covertly escort the Russian President. Shortly afterward, they fight more Bodark protecting the Raven's Rock leaders.
Four Bodark officers steal Russian secrets. The Ghosts kill these officers to cover the theft of the data.
Existence of Bodark was revealed to the United States Government after the NSA received a communication from a confidential source in the FSB (Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation) about an advanced Russian Special Operations unit. This information was later confirmed by ELINT surveillance of secure traffic between by Major General Vitaly Bukharov and Colonel Pavel Kuzmin in and out of Kandalaksha military base. General Bukharov has direct operational control of a company-sized formation based at Kandalaksha military base, referred to in numerous communications as SPECIAL TRAINING UNIT 500. No unit matching this designation is listed in official Russian Defense Ministry files, suggesting that this is a highly covert unit operating under the auspices of Russian military intelligence (GRU). The unit’s executive officer is Colonel Pavel Kuzmin, a career GRU officer with expertise in special operations. Phone intercepts between KUZMIN and GRU officials in Moscow indicate that KUZMIN also acts as a liaison between GRU headquarters
and STU 500, which suggests that the unit operates outside the jurisdiction of both the GRU and the General Staff. This is an unprecedented level of autonomy, even for a special operations unit.
The unit, which is unofficially referred to as BODARK (lit. “Werewolf”), is comprised of four Operational Units (OU), each the size of a reinforced platoon (36- 42 men). Each OU has its own designation, and mission responsibility. The 1st Operational Unit, designation SWORD, is tasked with FOREIGN INTERVENTION, or military operations outside the Russian Federation. The 2nd Operational Unit, designation HAMMER, is tasked with DOMESTIC INTERVENTION, or military operations within the Russian Federation. The 3rd Operational Unit, designation DAGGER, is responsible for INFILTRATION and COVERT OPERATIONS. Finally, the 4th Operational Unit, designation SICKLE, is responsible for LOGISTICS and OPERATIONAL SUPPORT.
Personnel serving with BODARK are senior Russian Spetznaz troops with extensive combat experience and superior training, equivalent to SFOD-D (DELTA), or the DWRG (GHOST RECON). They are equipped with cutting-edge weapons and tactical operations gear, including communications and battlefield management systems thought to have been purchased illegally or stolen from US or European defense contractors. It is believed that their operational doctrine includes the use of advanced warfighting technologies, such as CROSS-COM data systems, UAV and UGV support, and active camouflage gear for specialist squads. BODARK has access to dedicated air transport and long-range air support from the 7077th Separate Support Detachment, an Air Force unit based at Kandalaksha that is specially trained in covert operations. It is unknown whether the unit has similar access to Russian Navy assets, but it is assumed that BODARK is authorized to commandeer whatever resources necessary to complete their assigned mission, just like other GRU Spetsnaz units.
It is unknown at this time how BODARK fits within the Russian chain of command. Since BUKHAROV answers only to the General of the Russian Army, and further, to the President of the Russian Federation, it is assumed that BODARK requires Presidential Authority in order to be deployed, much like the US GHOST RECON teams, but given the unit’s secrecy and autonomy, this cannot be confirmed. There are anecdotal reports that suggest BODARK has been deployed more than once on missions without official authorization or oversight. It is estimated that BODARK has been operational for between ten and fifteen years, roughly coinciding with the period when BUKHAROV accepted a transfer from the GRU to the Training Directorate of the Russian General Staff. [1] [2] [3]
Trivia
- Bodark appears in Ghost Recon: Future Soldier. They also appear in the singleplayer Raven Strike DLC.
- The Bodarks are officially known as the Special Training Unit 500.
- [1] http://www.warmongersinc.net/files/special-training-unit-500/
- [2] http://www.warmongersinc.net/files/report-on-possible-beyond-black-military-unit/
- [3] http://www.warmongersinc.net/files/confirmed-bodark-operations/
Appearances
- Ghost Recon: ALPHA (First appearance)
- Ghost Recon: Future Soldier
- Ghost Recon: Wildlands (mentioned only)