kamouflage.net camouflage data

Kompaniya «Splav» calendar girl, wearing Les (trans. Russian: 'forest') patterned T-shirt and kepi. To judge by the company's success, it appears that sex appeal is just as effective a marketing tool in the former Soviet Union as it is in the West. [Image: Kompaniya «SPLAV».]

Les
Russian Federation

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).

However, this is not an official restriction. Rather, it is a financial one, since most commercially-manufactured uniforms are provided by sponsors or purchased by soldiers out of their own pockets. Increasingly, soldiers in the regular armed forces are also using Les instead of the issued Flora camouflage pattern.

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