Russian Military Radio Message Formats

Urgency Categories and Transmission Protocol

Message Categories

The message information is divided into the following categories, by importance and urgency:

Message Transmission Order by Urgency

Radio messages in various categories of urgency are transmitted in the following order:

1. MONOLITH

Reception and transmission of messages in other categories of urgency are interrupted.

2. AIR

After "Monolith" category messages, also called Vozdukh (Воздух), reception and transmission of messages in categories "Rocket", "Plane", and "Regular" are interrupted.

3. ROCKET

After "Monolith" and "Air" category messages, reception and transmission of messages in categories "Plane" and "Regular" are interrupted.

4. PLANE

After "Monolith", "Air", and "Rocket" category messages, reception and transmission of "Regular" messages are interrupted.

5. REGULAR

Messages are transmitted after "Plane" category messages, in order of their arrival.

Special Note

Emergency signals are given higher priority than "Monolith" category messages.

Encoding Methods

When operating an open radio channel, the category of message's urgency is coded via cipher table of radio operator on duty, or using a different method.

When using international call signs, the category of message's urgency is transmitted openly in abbreviated form in Russian:

Monolith: XXX XXX
Air: взд
Rocket: ркт
Plane: смл

Color Coding System

Received and printed messages are color-coded by their urgency:

■ RED HATCHING – "Monolith" and "Air" categories

■ GREEN – "Rocket" category

■ BLUE – "Plane" category

Training and Combat Signals

The following signals are classified based on threat level: B/C (Low), Б/B (High), A/A (Full)

PRILEZhNYJ SEJaTEL - Terrorist Threat Signals

Training Signals

Low: Прилежный Сеятель / Prilezhnyj Seyatel

("Diligent Sower") – Low level terrorist threat training signal

High: Неважный Эпилог / Nevazhnyj Epilog

("Unimportant Epilogue")

Full: Угнетающий рельеф / Ugnetayushchij Rel'ef

("Depressing Terrain")

Cancel: Осторожный Победитель / Ostorozhnyj Pobeditel

("Careful Winner") – Signal to cancel orders

Combat Signals

Low: Чепкий Ястреб / Cepkij Yastreb

("Tenacious Hawk")

High: Стихийный Пыль / Stihijnyj Pyl

("Spontaneous Fervor")

Full: Стандарт Жестокий / Zhestokij Standart

("Cruel Standard")

Cancel: Бескровный шлейф / Beskrovnyj Shlejf

("Bloodless Trail") – Signal to cancel orders