11 weapons used by Russia's elite Spetsnaz operators

Ilya Naymushin / Reuters

The elite Russian force known as the Spetsnaz has a long history going back to the Red Bolshevik Guard, but little is known about them because of the unit's secretive nature.

Numbering around 15,000-17,000, most Spetsnaz are comparable to US Army Rangers, according to the book "Spetsnaz: Russia's Special Forces" by Mark Galeotti. About 1,000 of them, however, are on par with the US Army's Delta Force or Navy SEALs.

The Spetsnaz are also organized differently than US special operations forces in that they have units in multiple military branches, all with their own specialized training.

The Spetsnaz are also afforded the opportunity, according to Galeotti, to usually "get the first pick of new types [of weapons], and also enjoy much greater freedom to customize and "mix and match"" their weapons.

Below are 11 of the most commonly used Spetsnaz weapons, according to Galeotti.