It is true that some special forces trained to effectively use that sapper shovels shown on photo as weapon. Kind of Russian version of tomahawk. Silent, deadly and handy thing, that shovel blade is made from very good, nearly knife grade steel (have one in car trunk as a tool). So, it is quite possible that in some circumstances some reconnaissance/saboteur group killed some enemy guard with shovel.

That is the only truth behind that article.

Also, there exist an old anecdote (just like about any profession) about engineering forces (stroybat) - "Stroybat is toughest Russian forces among all, they even afraid to give them guns, looking at what they do with shovels."

Something tell me that in other countries, special forces have a lessons of using sapper shovels as a weapon too and that is not uncommon thing at all.

It is true that some special forces trained to effectively use that sapper showels shown on photo as weapon. Kind of Russian version of tomahawk. Silent, deadly and handy thing, that showel blade is made from very good, nearly knife grade steel (have one in car trunk as a tool). So, it is quite possible that in some circumstances some reconnaissance/saboteur group killed some enemy guard with showel.

That is the only truth behind that article.

Also, there exist an old anecdote (just like about any profession) about engineering forces (stroybat) - "Stroybat is toughest Russian forces among all, they even afraid to give them guns, looking at what they do with showels."

Something tell me that in other countries, special forces have a lessons of using sapper showels as a weapon too and that is not uncommon thing at all.