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Although Spetsgruppa Vympel is one of the more famous Spetsnaz units very little is known about this unit. Both Vympel and Al'fa were special units of the Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti (Committee for State Security) better known as the KGB.
Vympel, which means "pennant" or "banner", was created in 1981 as a covert paramilitary unit. The KGB created a number of covert special operations units (called Spetsgruppa) to carry out a variety of tasks. Vympel was subordinate to the KGB's First Chief Directorate (Foreign Operations). The First Chief Directorate was responsible for all international clandestine operations conducted by the KGB. Within this Directorate, Vympel was placed under the Illegals Department, or Department S , which recruited, trained and controlled KGB officers operating covertly in foreign countries. The First Chief Directorate also ran the Executive Action Department, or Department V, which conducted assassinations, snatches and sabotage in enemy territory.
Vympel was tasked with conducting special reconnaissance in enemy territory, assassination or kidnapping of key persons, protection and evacuation of Soviet citizens and establishments in foreign countries as well as training militant and guerrilla groups in unfriendly countries (similar to US Special Forces). Immediately before the outbreak of war, Vympel (along with other spetsnaz groups) would infiltrate enemy territory and sabotage or capture major power plants (hydroelectric, nuclear, etc.), industries, and other infrastructure. Vympel was also tasked with sabotaging military installations as well as rescuing POWs.
Some sources claim that the size of Vympel reached battalion strength (500) while others say there were almost 1000 members operating in units of 10 to 12. Of these, 90% were officers under 42 years of age | 
