Russian Special Forces Day, a professional holiday celebrating the nation’s elite special forces, also known as the Spetsnaz, is marked on October 24. The history of the country's special forces dates back to 1919, when special units were formed in Russia. These Spetsnaz units carry out missions during both wartime and peacetime, in emergencies nationwide and beyond. Currently, the Russian special forces include paramilitary units related to the Russian Security Service (the FSB), the Interior Ministry, the Defense Ministry, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Justice Ministry and other federal bodies of state authority, which have their own code names, such as Alfa, Vityaz, Vympel and some other.