Russian President Vladimir Putin is pursuing a radical reform of law enforcement agencies. On the basis of the internal troops, a fundamentally new, powerful power structure has been created - the Federal Service of the National Guard of the Russian Federation, which will receive broad powers.

What power structure was created in Russia

On April 5, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree transforming the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs into the national guard, reporting directly to the head of state.

In accordance with the document, in addition to the troops themselves, the private security structures of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Okhrana, units exercising control in the field of private security activities, special rapid reaction units (SOBR), riot police, the Special Purpose Center for operational forces response and aviation.

It is expected that the reform will solve several problems at once: it will increase the level of law enforcement, optimize the budget of the law enforcement system and eliminate duplication of functions.

The tasks of the new service will include the fight against terrorism and organized crime; the National Guard will also continue to perform the functions that were performed by special units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Among other things, the service will be engaged in the protection of nuclear facilities.

The National Guard will be staffed not only by contract soldiers, but also by conscripts.

Dissemination in the media and public speeches of information about the locations of the command and control bodies of the National Guard in the Russian Federation, its military units and subunits is prohibited.

What powers will the National Guard receive?

According to the draft law sent to the State Duma, members of the National Guard will be able to use force and weapons without warning in the event of an immediate threat citizens or military personnel themselves.

As directed by the appropriate commander or his deputy water cannons and armored vehicles can be used followed by mandatory notification of the prosecutor within 24 hours from the moment of their use, if this is necessary to free hostages, seized buildings, premises, structures, vehicles and land, as well as to suppress riots.

Members of the National Guard of the Russian Federation will be able to:

check citizens' documents and detain them for no more than three hours suspected of encroaching on someone else's property;

conduct vehicle inspections;

enter the living quarters of citizens when performing combat service to ensure an emergency situation, to save the lives of citizens and public safety;

cordon off areas, including when suppressing riots;

in a state of emergency - prohibit the movement of cars and pedestrians, use citizens' cars to travel to the scene of an emergency or to pursue criminals;

use firearms when escaping persons sentenced to imprisonment committed with weapons or on vehicles, aircraft, sea or river vessels.

Who led the National Guard

Army General Viktor Zolotov, an acquaintance of Vladimir Putin from his work in St. Petersburg, has been appointed Director of the Federal Service of the National Guard Troops - Commander-in-Chief of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation.

Zolotov Viktor Vasilievich was born on January 27, 1954 in the city of Sasovo, Ryazan region. Graduated from the Law Institute and the General Staff Academy. Served in the border troops of the KGB of the USSR. In the 1970s–1990s, he was an employee of the 9th Directorate of the KGB of the USSR (currently the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation). On August 19, 1991, he guarded the President of the RSFSR Boris Yeltsin during his famous address to the Russians from a tank in front of the White House.

In the early 1990s, he provided personal security for the mayor of St. Petersburg Anatoly Sobchak and the first deputy chairman of the city government Vladimir Putin. In 1996, he was dismissed from the FSO. Worked in private security companies in St. Petersburg.

In 1999, he headed the security service of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. From 2000 to 2013, he served as Deputy Director of the FSO - Head of the Security Service of the President of the Russian Federation. In 2013 he moved to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. From September 2013 to May 2014 - Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. Since May 12, 2014, he was First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and Commander-in-Chief of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation.

Who and what will be part of the National Guard

In accordance with the presidential decree, the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (number - about 170 thousand people) transformed into troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation.

The structure of the National Guard also includes:

management bodies and divisions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs exercising federal state control over the circulation of weapons and in the field of private security activities, as well as private security (including the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Security" of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation);

special rapid response units of the territorial bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (SOBR, 87 units, 5.2 thousand people);

special purpose mobile units of territorial bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (OMON, 160 units, total 40 thousand people);

Special Purpose Center for Rapid Reaction Forces and Aviation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, including:

special purpose mobile detachment "Zubr" - 421 people;

special rapid reaction squad "Lynx" - 200 people;

special purpose aviation squad "Yastreb" - 100 people;

aviation units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The ranks of the National Guard can also be replenished by Cossack formations.

Military equipment in service with internal troops(data from the International Institute for Strategic Studies):

9 main battle tanks;

1650 BMP-1, BMP-2 and BTR-80;

35 artillery installations;

29 aircraft - 9 Il-76, 2 An-12, 12 An-26, 6 An-72;

70 helicopters - 10 Mi-26, 60 Mi-8.

Automotive technology(data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs):

UAZ-31519 Hunter;

KamAZ-5350;

Ural-4320–0911–60;

Ural-32552–3013–79 “Watch”;

Ural-4320 "Federal-42590";

armored vehicles SBM VPK-233136 "Tiger".

World experience in creating national guards

National Guard USA formed in 1903 as an organized reserve of the United States Armed Forces. National Guard units operate in all American states, subordinate to the federal center and state authorities. The total number is more than 460 thousand people. Service in it is carried out on a voluntary basis, as a rule, while maintaining their main place of work.

Every year, about 60 thousand men and women enter the service, they undergo a course - 192 hours of training, in addition to this, they participate in exercises with regular units of the Armed Forces. Guardsmen are mobilized both individually and en masse to eliminate emergencies or maintain law and order in the event of unrest.

By decision of the President, the National Guard may be used to provide military support to the US Army and Air Force, including abroad. Thus, since 2001, more than 300 thousand National Guard soldiers have been involved in the war in Afghanistan. In 2005, 43 thousand guardsmen eliminated the consequences of Hurricane Katrina.

National Republican Guard Portugal created in 1911. Number of people: 26 thousand people. Formed on a professional basis. In peacetime, it performs the functions of a gendarmerie, subordinate to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Engaged in patrolling highways and strategic sites primarily outside large cities. Guardsmen also participate in rescue operations, the coast guard, and fight tax and customs crimes. The National Guard can also be transferred to the command of the Army General Staff to carry out combat missions.

National Guard Ukraine was created in 1991 on the basis of the internal troops of the Ukrainian SSR, disbanded in 2000 and then recreated in March 2014 as a military formation with law enforcement functions on the basis of the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The total number is 42 thousand military personnel, about a third of them serve under contract.

More than 75% of the National Guard were involved in combat operations in eastern Ukraine. The National Guard also includes several volunteer operational battalions.

National Guard Kazakhstan was created in 2014 as a result of the liquidation of internal troops, subordinate to the republican Ministry of Internal Affairs. The number of units is not disclosed. The functions of the Kazakh National Guard basically coincide with the functions of the Russian internal troops. The National Guard also includes military police.

Evgeny Kozichev, Mikhail Malaev, Dmitry Shelkovnikov