Russian Camouflage Quick Reference Guide
This article is a work in progress, it is meant as a quick guide to common Soviet/Russian camouflage pattens and where these can be purchased. In the future i hope to expand the list and add more links and reference material.
Mabuta
The Mabuta (also known as Mobutu, Mabutu, Mobuta) suit is a Soviet made uniform that saw widespread use in the Soviet war in Afghanistan, mostly by VDV, DSHB and troops of the GRU. It was made in both summer and winter variants. It can easily been recognized because of the front thigh pockets.
Production started sometime after 1975 and seems to have continued with the second pattern until the end of the 1980's. The Splav VDV suit is very similar in design, also their Bekas style uniforms seem to have taken many inspirations.
Source: RedAllianceWiki
Availability: Rare
Source: Ebay - Soviet Propaganda - Red Alliance Adverts - Militaria Shows
Alternative: Splav VDV Set
Additional Information 1
Additional Information 2
KLMK Oversuit
Kamuflirovannyy Letniy Maskirovochnyy Kombinezon or KLMK (means Camouflage Summer Deceptive Coverall) was developed in the 1960s by the Soviet Union to overcome the widespread use of night vision optics and devices by NATO countries. This one piece camouflage suit was soon to become one of the most widespread used and revered devices out of the Soviet Union.
This piece of camouflage was first tested in 1968, and finally given to the Red Army in 1969. It is produced to this day, and has been used in combat from Soviet war in Afganistan to the lattest conflict in Georgia.
Source: Wikipedia
Availability: Size 1 and 2 Common, Size 3 Rare
Source: Soviet Propaganda - Red Alliance Adverts - Militaria Shows - EBay
Alternative: Replica KLMK Suit - Ebay Two Piece KLM
VSR
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Soviet military designers experimented with new camouflage patterns for the Armed Forces of the USSR (Вооруженные силы Союуза Советских Социалилистических Республи, trans. Vooruzhenyye sily Soyuza Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, VS SSSR). The change to a new camouflage uniform is believed to have been motivated, at least in part, by a desire to provide the Russian military with a more unified and professional image. However, the confusion of Russian ground units with the opposing security forces of regions like the Baltic States and Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic doubtless also highlighted the need for change.
The new uniforms were first authorised for wear in mid-1991, at which time the Soviet Union was still a political entity; for this reason, the series of camouflage patterns should properly be classified as Soviet. However, the uniforms were not widely issued until 1994, for which reason the pattern is better known, among collectors, as 'VSR' (from Вооруженные силы России, trans. Vooruzhenyye sily Rossii, meaning 'Armed Forces of Russia').
Source: Kamouflage.net
Availability: Uncommon
Source: RusMilitary - Soviet Propaganda - Red Alliance Adverts - Militaria Shows - EBay
Tigr
Introduced in 1994, Tigr is a four-colour camouflage, comprising ragged horizontal stripes of black, earth brown and medium green on a khaki background, Tigr bears a very strong resemblance to some Portuguese camouflage patterns.
Initially this camouflage pattern and its urban variant, Ten' (Russian: Тень, 'shadow'), seemed to be worn almost exclusively by members of the Detachment of Special Purpose 'Vityaz'' (Russian: Отряд специального назначения «Витязь», OSN 'Vityaz''). However, photos taken during the 2002 Moscow theatre hostage crisis and the 2004 Byeslan school hostage crisis show that the Ten' camouflage pattern is now also worn by other formations within the VV MVD.
Availability: Good
Source: Russian Fury - RedForces - RusMilitary - Soviet Propaganda - Ebay Retailer
LES
Introduced in the early 1990s, Les (Russian: Лес, 'forest') is a commercially-produced, four-colour camouflage, comprising black, earth brown and medium green elements on a sand-coloured background.
It appears that the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Russian: Министерство внутренних дел, trans. Ministerstvo Vnutrennikh Del, MVD) of the Russian Federation is the principal user of Les. Photographic evidence suggests that it is currently used by Internal Troops of the Ministry for Internal Affairs (Russian: Внутренние войска Министерства внутренних дел, trans. Vnutrenniye Voiska Ministerstva Vnutrennikh Del, VV MVD), as well as by spetsnaz of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (Russian: Главное Разведывательное Управление, trans. Glavnoye Razvedyvatel'noye Upravleniye, GRU).
Availability: Good
Source: Russian Fury - RedForces - RusMilitary - Soviet Propaganda - Ebay Retailer
Reed
The commercially-produced 'reed figure' (Russian: камышовый рисунок, trans. kamyshovyy risunok) camouflage pattern is often worn by soldiers of the MVD. Known simply as reed pattern camouflage, in the West, this pattern was developed specifically for the tropical camouflage uniforms that were worn in Chechnya.
Like the earlier MVD Tigr pattern, kamyshovyy risunok camouflage exists in woodland variants and blue urban variants. The green version, shown here, is a three-colour camouflage pattern, comprising jagged, hard-edged black and dark green splinters on a light olive green background. As was the case with the 1990 3-Ts family of camouflage patterns, the design elements are aligned vertically, rather than horizontally.
Availability: Good
Source: Russian Fury - RedForces - RusMilitary - Soviet Propaganda - Ebay Retailer
Flora
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Soviet military designers experimented with new camouflage patterns for the Armed Forces of the U.S.S.R. (Вооруженные силы Союуза Советских Социалилистических Республи, trans. Vooruzhenyye sily Soyuza Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, VS SSSR). The change to a new camouflage uniform is believed to have been motivated, at least in part, by a desire to provide the Russian military with a more unified and professional image. However, the confusion of Russian ground units with the opposing security forces of regions like the Baltic States and Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic doubtless also highlighted the need for change.
The new uniforms were first authorised for wear in mid-1991, at which time the Soviet Union was still a political entity; for this reason, the series of camouflage patterns should properly be classified as Soviet. However, the uniforms were not widely issued until 1994, for which reason the pattern is better known, among collectors, as 'VSR' (from Вооруженные силы России, trans. Vooruzhenyye sily Rossii, meaning 'Armed Forces of Russia').
However, the production of new Russian military camouflage patterns did not stop there. Toward the end of the 1990s, IVU MO developed a new three-coloured camouflage (трёхцветный камуфляж, trans. tryokhtsvetnyy kamuflyazh, 3-TsV). It was produced through the simple expedient of enlarging the drawings used for the 1990 3-TsV camouflage and rotating them through 90°, while preserving the established colours. The camouflage works well at a range of 50 meters, when new, and at 100 meters, when washed several times.
More widely known as Flora, the 1998 3-TsV camouflage pattern is seen in a range of colour combinations. It is frequently suggested that these variations represent nothing more than carelessness and a general lack of standardisation in Russian industry; however, the evidence of the article numbers suggests otherwise. Unlike Western camouflage patterns, Soviet designs were never given an 'official' name. Instead, they were assigned an 'article' — a unique number, which was used to identify any given product. In other words, every new product was assigned its own unique article.
Not surprisingly, this system has been continued by the Russian Federation. Significantly, the different versions of Flora have different articles. In other words, each is a new product, distinct from any of the others that resemble it. At this time, I have been unable to establish the article for the variation of Flora shown here. It is, however, distinguished from other versions of Flora by its green background colour.
Availability: Good
Source: Russian Fury - RedForces - RusMilitary - Soviet Propaganda - Ebay Retailer - Red Alliance Adverts
Smog
Also known as Kukla (Russian: Кукла, 'doll') and 'universal camouflage' (Russian: универсальный камуфляж, trans. universal'nyy kamuflyazh), Smog (Russian: Смог) is a good example of one such commercially produced camouflage pattern.
In Russia, the use of Smog is largely limited to special detachments of the VV MVD, since most commercially manufactured uniforms must be provided by sponsors or purchased by soldiers out of their own pockets. However, it appears that Smog might also be a export item, now. Recent photographs seem to show this camouflage pattern being used by police special operations units in Srbija i Crna Gora ('Serbia and Montenegro').
Availability: Good
Source: Russian Fury - RedForces - RusMilitary - Soviet Propaganda - Ebay Retailer
Berezka
Although the commercially-produced Berëzka (Russian: Берёзка, 'young birch tree') camouflage strongly resembles the older 'sun bunnies' (Russian: солнечные зайчики, trans. solnechnyye zaychiki) design, the two patterns are, in fact, quite distinct. The shapes and distribution of the light-coloured elements in this two-colour camouflage pattern differ significantly from those of its Soviet progenitor. The colours — lime green and khaki — are also quite distinctive, and are suggestive of the deep yellow and khaki colour scheme that was introduced with the 1981 2-colour PV KGB camouflage. pattern.
Like most commercial Russian camouflage patterns, Berëzka is presumably intended for use by Frontier troops of the Committee of State Security (Russian: пограничные войска Комитета государственной безопасности, trans. pogranichnyye voyska Komiteta gosudarstvennoy bezopasnosti, PV KGB) and the Interior Troops of the Ministry for Internal Affairs (Russian: Внутренние войска Министерства внутренних дел, trans. Vnutrenniye Voiska Ministerstva Vnutrennikh Del, VV MVD), who might seek to supplement their regular army camouflage uniforms. It might also be worn by private security contractors.
Availability: Good
Source: Russian Fury - RedForces - RusMilitary - Soviet Propaganda - Ebay Retailer
Partizan Summer
The commercially produced Partizan camouflage pattern, shown here, first appeared around 2004. It was prominent during the Beslan school hostage crisis, during which it was worn by members of FSB Spetsgruppa Al'fa.
Partizan is a four-colour camouflage, comprising dark brown, dark earth and yellow ochre elements on a medium green background. Overall, it is very similar in appearance to the war-time SS-Eichenlaubmuster ('SS oak-leaf pattern') camouflage pattern.
Oversuits printed in the Partizan camouflage pattern are reversible. With its strong green colouration, the bright variant, shown here, is presumably intended for wear during the spring and summer months. The subdued variant, which appears on the reverse side of the cloth, is presumably intended for wear in drier regions.
Availability: Good
Source: Soviet Propaganda - RedForces - Ebay
Partizan Autumn
The summer variant of Partizan camouflage pattern first appeared around 2004. It was prominent during the Beslan school hostage crisis, during which it was worn by members of FSB Spetsgruppa Al'fa.
The autumn variant, shown here, probably was not introduced earlier than 2007. It is a six-colour camouflage, comprising black, dark brown, dark earth, ochre and medium green elements on a yellow ochre background. Overall, it is very similar in appearance to the war-time SS-Eichenlaubmuster ('SS oak-leaf pattern') camouflage pattern. Oversuits printed in the Partizan camouflage pattern are reversible. The subdued variant, which appears on the reverse side of the cloth, is presumably intended for wear in drier regions.
Availability: Good
Source: Soviet Propaganda - RedForces - Ebay
Flektarn D
Introduced in 2006, Flectar-D is a three-colour camouflage, comprising black, grass green and tan clumps and dots. It is obviously based upon the 1990 variant of Danish Pletsløring, although Flectar-D utilises considerably less black. Since its introduction, the Flectar-D camouflage pattern has become popular among Russian Airborne Troops (Russian: Воздушно-десантные войска, trans. Vozdushno-desantnyye voyska, VDV).
Availability: Low
Source: Soviet Propaganda - RedForces - Ebay
Izom
Availability: Low
Source: Soviet Propaganda - Ebay
Digital Flora
The current Russian military uniform was adopted under the presidential decrees of 23 May 1994. The uniform was intended for personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and other services, such as the Foreign Intelligence Service (Russian: Служба внешней разведки, trans. Sluzhba vneshney razvyedki, SVR), the Federal Counterintelligence Service (Russian: Федеральная служба контрразведки, trans. Federal'naya sluzhba kontrrazvyedki, FSK), the Border Guard Service of Russia (Russian: Russian: Пограничная служба России, trans. Pogranichnaya sluzhba Rossii, PSR) and the Presidential Security Service (Russian: Президентская служба безопасности, trans. Prezidentskaya sluzhba bezopasnosti, PSB).
The decree on military uniform and insignia was amended twice: once in January 1997 and again in March 2002. The changes were intended to bring military insignia into line with State symbols, as well as to perpetuate and develop historic traditions of Russia's military heraldry.
In May 2007, however, Defence Minister Anatoliy Eduardovich Serdyukov (Russian: Анатолий Эдуардович Сердюкóв) raised the question of changing the military uniform entirely. As a result, internationally-renowned fashion designer Valentin Abramovich Yudashkin (Russian: Валентин Абрамович Юдашкинnew) was commissioned to revise the image of Russia's armed forces.
The fruits of Yudashkin's labours were presented to President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (Russian: Владимир Владимирович Путин) at the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation (Russian: Министерство обороны Российской Федерации, trans. Ministerstvo oborony Rossiyskoy Federatsii) on Monday, 28 January 2008. The uniforms on display included designs for enlisted soldiers and generals; for winter and summer service; and for men and women.
The fact that professional models were hired to show the women's uniforms seems to have attracted far more attention than the fact that the Russian Federation seems set to jump aboard the digital camouflage bandwagon.
This Russian digital camouflage pattern, which was also presented for Putin's appraisal, is a four-colour design. It retains the colours seen in Flora — for which reason it is sometimes called 'digital Flora' (Russian: дигитальная Флора, trans. digital'naya Flora) — with the addition of a very small amount of black. It is a low-contrast design, and its effectiveness as a camouflage pattern is the subject of much debate.
Availability: Low
Source: Soviet Propaganda - RedForces - Ebay
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