GRU (Soviet Union)

Main Intelligence Directorate

Glavnoje Razvedyvatel'noje Upravlenije ГРУ СССР Главное разведывательное управление
Agency overview
Formed	5 November 1918 as Registration Agency; GRU since 1942
Preceding agencies	Fifth Department of the Russian Imperial Chief of Staff Expedition for Secret Affairs
Dissolved	7 May 1992
Superseding agency	GRU (Russian Federation)
Jurisdiction	Red Army (1918–1946) Soviet Army (1946–1991)
Headquarters	Moscow
Employees	Classified
Annual budget	Classified
Parent agency	Ministry of Defense
Child agencies	Osnaz Spetsnaz GRU

Main Intelligence Directorate (Russian: Главное разведывательное управление, romanized: Glavnoye razvedyvatel'noye upravleniye, IPA: [ˈglavnəjə rɐzˈvʲɛdɨvətʲɪlʲnəjə ʊprɐˈvlʲenʲɪjə]), abbreviated GRU (Russian: ГРУ, IPA: [ɡɨ̞‿rɨ̞‿ˈu], [gru]), was the foreign military intelligence agency of the General Staff of the Soviet Armed Forces until 1991. For a few months it was also the foreign military intelligence agency of the newly established Russian Federation until 7 May 1992 when it was dissolved and the Russian GRU took over its activities.