Armament Research Services has a post on their blog, The Hoplite, that is showing a recent video released by the terrorist group Daesh, in which they display the equipment from a fallen Russian Special Operations advisor to the Syrian Army. As far as knowing what kind of equipment the various SF groups in the world are using, it can be difficult to see some of this because of their secretive nature. However in this case, we looking at some interesting trends and equipment that might be prevalent among Russia’s elite. The rifle is a 5.45x39mm AK74M, that has been heavily accessorized, from the CAA forend, to the AR telescoping (and what appears to be folding) stock, to the pistol grip, suppressor, IWT 640 ‘Haron’ thermal weapon sight with what appears to be an image magnifier, but ARES says it is probably a red dot sight. However, if it were a red dot sight, it would have adjustment knobs or screws, and it doesn’t appear to have any.

Notice the heavy use of spray paint on the rifle, and the magazines, something that can be extremely useful in helping to break up the outline of a weapon system. Also notice the helmet, with the Ops Core like helmet rails. Also, if you’re interested in reading more about how Russian SF is being employed in Syria, this is an excellent article explaining their role in the conflict.

This is a product from IWT, different thermal optic from the one on this operators rifle, but pretty advanced compared to similar products in the U.S.