As the Bionics were becoming commonplace, the military started getting interested in surgically modified troops. Such ideas were poorly received at first, mostly due to ethical and logistic issues; it was only around 2040 when first Stormtroopers were created in Russia. This experimental unit was to conduct sudden strikes far behind enemy positions, while the soldiers' enhanced bodies were to increase efficiency and survavibility. While not exactly numerous, the "Stormies" became poster boys for Russian propaganda, widely regarded as superhumans by Russians and foreigners alike. Even though the concept worked much better on paper than on the field (due to technical problems with cybernetic organisms stuck away from maintenance, and the fact that more traditional equipment was still not really that inferior), the design was being developed further as Bionics progressed; by the end of 21st century, most countries had similar units as part of their military doctrines.