National Guard of Russia

The National Guard of the Russian Federation (Russian: Федеральная служба войск национальной гвардии Российской Федерации, romanized: Federalnaya sluzhba voysk natsionalnoy gvardii Rossiyskoy Federatsii), officially known as the Rosgvardiya (Russian: Росгвардия, lit. 'Rosguard / Rusguard'), is a federal executive body which is responsible for law enforcement, internal security, counter-terrorism and riot control of the Russian Federation. It is an independent agency that reports directly to the President of Russia, under the president's powers as Commander in Chief of the Russian Armed Forces and Chairman of the Russian Security Council.The President of Russia created national guard to improve the law enforcement duties.
The National Guard is separate from the Russian Armed Forces. It became a federal executive body in 2016 by a law signed by President Putin. The National Guard states that its mission is to secure Russia's borders, take charge of gun control, combat terrorism and organized crime, protect public order and guard important state facilities.
The establishment of the National Guard was an effort to enhance efficiency and to avoid duplication of responsibilities within the Russian security system, a result of the large amount of strategic challenges faced by Russia. Additionally, the National Guard serves the function of suppressing civil strife or attempts of another colour revolution, not only domestically, but also abroad, in friendly regimes.
As of 2018, the National Guard consisted of approximately 340,000 personnel in 84 units across Russia. It includes the forces of the former Internal Troops of Russia, SOBR, OMON, and other internal military forces outside of the Russian Armed Forces.
In 2017, President Putin designated 27 March, the same day Emperor Alexander I organised the Internal Guards Corps [ru] in 1811 of the Old Style Julian calendar, as National Guard Day.
The National Guard of Russia is officially known as the Federal National Guard Troops Service of the Russian Federation (Russian: Федеральная служба войск национальной гвардии Российской Федерации, romanized: Federal'naya sluzhba voysk natsional'noy gvardii Rossiyskoy Federatsii).
In Russia, it is officially referred to by the acronym Rosgvardiya (Russian: Росгвардия, an initialism for Российская гвардия, 'Russian Guard'). In Russian, the less formal acronym FSVNG RF (Russian: ФСВНГ РФ) is also sometimes used.
The establishment of the National Guard of Russia was one of the new Russian government's first and only significant actions before March 1992. At its inception, at least 11 brigades consisting of no more than 100,000 personnel were planned, each having between 3,000 and 5,000 personnel. National Guard military units were to be deployed in 10 regions, including three brigades in Moscow, two in St. Petersburg, and more in a number of other important cities and regions. At its inception, many in Moscow, mostly former Soviet Armed Forces servicemen, expressed their desire to serve in the new National Guard.
The National Guard was originally intended to be a temporary measure; however, it was never dissolved. A motion titled "on the temporary position of the Russian Guard" was tabled by then-president Boris Yeltsin.
Plans to create a National Guard that would be directly under the control of the president were first reported in April 2012. It would use personnel and resources belonging to the Russian Airborne Troops, Air Force, Navy and Military Police, as well as elements of Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations. According to Zdzislaw Sliwa, plans for a National Guard were also conceived during the 2011–2013 Russian protests.
The establishment of the National Guard reportedly caused contention within the Kremlin, since the new force took over duties and functions normally carried out by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. A spokesman denied that the establishment of the National Guard meant a crisis of confidence in the so-called siloviki and stated that the Federal Guard Service would retain its role. However, he did not comment on whether the then-incumbent heads of the Federal Drug Service and the Federal Migration Service, which underwent major reforms after their subordination to the Interior Ministry, would retain their posts.
The National Guard is a direct successor to Internal Troops of Russia (1918–2016), OMON (1988–2016), and SOBR (1992–2016) units formerly under the control of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The current iteration of the National Guard of Russia was created by President Putin on 5 April 2016 by Presidential Decree.
On 6 April 2016, Putin submitted a draft framework law for this new executive body titled "On the Russian National Guard Troops" to the State Duma, along with its corresponding amendments that contain a provision for the protection of pregnant women, children, disabled persons and crowds, which mirrored the limitations already in place in the Russian legislation concerning police work:
On 9 May 2016, 400 National Guardsmen participated in the 2016 Moscow Victory Day Parade for the first time.
Although the National Guard was created by Presidential Decree, a bill was not read and adopted by the State Duma for its official inception until 18 May and 22 June 2016, respectively. After being passed by the State Duma, it was then approved by the Federation Council
The first National Guardsmen to be enlisted took their military oaths on 1 June 2016.
Presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the National Guard started operations before the legal basis for its work was actually finalized.
According to National Guard Director Viktor Zolotov, the formation of the Russian National Guard is to take place in three stages. The first phase is the transformation of Interior Troops, OMON, and SOBR units (previously framed within the police) into National Guard units. The second step involves the elaboration of the troops' organizational and staff structure, harmonizing regulations and assigning specific tasks to each unit. The third phase envisages the completion of all organizational activities of the National Guard.
In 2017, a new cyber-intelligence division was formed in order to "monitor the activity of citizens in social networks, revealing cases of extremism there."
In 2019, the budget of the National Guard was increased by 5% from 111.9 billion rubles to about 117.5 billion rubles. During the same year, National Guardsmen from Saint Petersburg were apprehended after planting drugs on a 16-year-old.
In February 2021, it was noticed that the National Guard had been used to silence pro-Navalny protests in an attempt by the Putin regime "to fend off threats to its political monopoly at any cost."
In late July 2021, the National Guard staged their first-ever operational-strategic exercise simultaneously in every Russian federal district except the North Caucasian.
On 21 November 2021, it was decided to classify National Guard budget requests.
Early in January and February 2022, there were reports of National Guard detachments moving to the Russia–Ukraine border and Belarus, joining the supposed "training exercise" going on during the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis. When Russian forces invaded Ukraine on 24 February, National Guardsmen moved into Ukrainian territory, establishing themselves in occupied cities and towns reportedly for the purpose suppressing local hostile population.
The National Guard participated in combat situations with the Ukrainian military and Ukrainian National Guard. National Guard units were deployed in the vanguard of the initial attack, suggesting that the Russian forces were not expecting much resistance from local Ukrainian forces. As a result, the National Guard had to act as a regular combat force, with reports that they suffered high losses. Ukrainian forces destroyed and captured military convoys carrying riot control equipment.
On 13 March, the Chechen National Guard withdrew from Kyiv after suffering "hundreds" of casualties. It was reported on the same day that the National Guard helped to repress the 2022 anti-war protests in Russia, dispersing rallies and arresting protestors.
On 15 March 2022, chief National Guardsman Viktor Zolotov, along with ten others in Russia's "Defense Enterprise," were sanctioned by the United States. All were added to the list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons.
On 17 March, it was reported that National Guard Deputy Chief General Roman Gavrilov was fired due the operational failures of the National Guard during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
On 25 and 28 March, a BTR-80 armored personnel carrier and armored Ural military truck were destroyed and several National Guardsmen were killed by the Transcarpathian 128th Mountain Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
On 2 June, it was reported that National Guard Unit #6720 had taken part in the Bucha massacre, where at least ten of them participated in looting. "Nothing was neglected... not only financial savings, jewelry, computer or household appliances, but also of linen were established. After retreating to Belarus, the Russian occupiers sent these items by mail to their relatives in Russia."
On 6 June, President Putin ordered a 5 million ruble life insurance benefit payment to the families of National Guardsmen who died in Ukraine.
On 22 May, it was reported that National Guardsmen would be deployed to defend Belgorod from the Freedom of Russia Legion.
Since August 2023, the National Guard has been recruiting ex-Wagner convicts that served in Ukraine and have proof of their pardon. Those who have breached Article 228 of the Criminal Code of Russia, however, require special approval. On 13 November 2023, it was reported that four former inmates who fought for the Wagner Group in eastern Ukraine had been receiving calls and text messages offering them military contracts. Three of the veterans reported that the National Guard specifically was trying to recruit them. A text message said, "Wagner is officially becoming a unit of Rosgvardia...The entire structure, methods of work and commanders remain the same." Other reports indicate that former Wagner fighters have joined Chechen Akhmat units whilst still wearing Wagner patches.
The missions of the National Guard of Russia include joint operations in securing borders (in assistance to the Border Service of Russia), fighting terrorism and organized crime, performing functions currently carried out by riot and prison police, protecting public safety and order (along with the Ministry of Internal Affairs), and guarding important state facilities. The National Guard does not perform field investigation activities; however, it has powers in the spheres of weapons turnovers and control of private security activities.
According to President Putin, another major responsibility of the National Guard is the overseeing of various kinds of security provisions, authorization systems for firearm possession, private security firms, and the management of the interior troops proper.
Until final approbation, it is not yet clear whether the National Guard will be taking part in counter-terrorism operations abroad, with different sources reporting different assessments. However, according to the draft presidential decree, the National Guard was expected to get the right to interact with competent bodies of other countries, including for training relationships. The law includes the possibility of using National Guard troops in international operations "to restore and maintain peace."
According to pro-Ukrainian sources, National Guard units were in Donbas in May 2016 in order to prevent the desertion of Novorussian soldiers.
Early in January and February 2022, there were reports of National Guard detachments moving to the Russia–Ukraine border and Belarus, joining the supposed "training exercise" during the 2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis. When Russian forces invaded Ukraine, National Guard troops started to move into Ukrainian territory, establishing themselves in occupied cities and towns, reportedly for suppressing local hostile population.
On 9 March, Ukraine claimed that in Kherson, one of the first Ukrainian cities occupied by Russia during its invasion of Ukraine, National Guard units moved in, arrested, and brutally beat close to 400 local residents after they peacefully protested against Russian occupation.
While in the Ukrainian city of Nova Kakhovka, National Guard forces attempted to disperse a rally by using sting ball grenades and firing into the crowd with rubber bullets, resulting in one death.
On 21 March, it was reported that National Guard troops opened fire on a civilian protest in Kherson.
On 24 February, the National Guard, together with Russian Ground Forces, moved into the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, attacking Ukrainian forces at the Battle of Chernobyl. After Ukrainian forces withdrew, the National Guard occupied the power plant. Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova claimed that the Russian National Guard was running a "joint operation" with local workers and surrendered Ukrainian soldiers to maintain the Chernobyl's containment operations.
After the Battle of Enerhodar, the National Guard occupied the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
National Guard units from the Kemerovo Oblast suffered heavy casualties during the Battle of Bucha.
Chechen "Kadyrovite" troops nominally under the National Guard deployed in combat roles in Ukraine, fighting in the Kyiv offensive and the Siege of Mariupol, intended as a "psychological weapon against Ukrainians" and a vanguard force. Ukrainian sources claimed that the Chechen forces in Kyiv suffered "hundreds" of casualties and retreated from Kyiv on 13 March.
On 28 September 2022, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine and National Police of Ukraine published CCTV footage showing National Guard personnel shooting at civilians during the battle of Hostomel.
On 25 March, twelve guardsmen from Krasnodar deployed in Crimea were fired after they refused the order to cross the border on 25 February. The unit claimed that their duties were strictly limited to Russian territory, that they were not informed of possible "business trips" to Ukraine, and since they did not have their passports with them, could not enter foreign Ukrainian territory without violating Russian law. The guardsmen sued the National Guard for unfair dismissal and are appealing for reinstatement. According to their lawyer, Mikhail Benyash, after the case was publicized, almost a thousand National Guardsmen contacted him with similar cases.
Mikhail Afanasyev, the chief editor of Novy Fokus in the Russian region of Khakassia, was arrested in April 2022 because the authorities disliked his report on the Krasnodar refuseniks.
On 27 May, it came to light that 115 guardsmen from Nalchik, the capital of the Kabardino-Balkarian republic, had similar difficulties with foreign engagements because they were hired only to police domestic troubles and did not have military training. The lawsuit, drafted by a lawyer called Andrei Sabinin, came as a surprise to reporters and was discovered only because they had appealed their case. The lawsuit was dismissed after the judge determined that the soldiers had been rightfully fired for "refusing to perform an official assignment" to fight in Ukraine and instead returned to a duty station.
According to news agency TASS, the National Guard has some powers similar to the functions discharged by the Federal Security Service.
Specifically, the National Guard is controversially allowed to fire into crowds in a select number of situations, such as terrorist incidents, hostage situations, or if a government building secured by the National Guard comes under attack, although the soldiers are forbidden in all circumstances from shooting at pregnant women, children, or people with disabilities.
Troops can use physical force against direct threats to members of the public or fellow soldiers, special cargoes, structures along communications lines protected by National Guard troops and the National Guard troops’ facilities, as well as open and search cars, check for identification documents and detain citizens. The National Guard can seal off areas, especially for the purpose of preventing mass riots. They also have the authority to deliver illegal foreign vessels in Russian territorial waters in the Kerch Strait to Russian ports.
In a state of emergency, the National Guard personnel have the right to ban the traffic of vehicles and pedestrians, use citizens’ cars to arrive at the scene of an emergency situation or chase criminals, enter houses, and use force, special means and/or weapons.
According to the establishing law, National Guard troops exercise their activity on the basis of the principles of legality, the observance of the rights and freedoms of an individual and a citizen, single authority, and centralized control.
According to Gordon M. Hahn, the rapid reaction forces and special operational forces and aviation of the National Guard remain under the MVD's operational command.
According to Aleksandr Golts of the Jamestown Foundation, on 24 May 2017, military units and formations of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation as well as other military formations, may be transferred to the operational control of the National Guard.
Within Russian presidential decree 04.06.2018 г. N 289, it is possible for the President of Russia to transfer units of the Russian military to a district commander of the National Guard. It is also possible to transfer units of the National Guard to the Russian military. The National Guard of Russia territorial units must always act together in collaboration with the Russian military and other federal and territorial bodies in accordance with federal constitution and laws, under decrees and orders of the President of the Russian Federation.
All territorial unit boundaries of the National Guard must be created after a proposal of a commander of the National Guard that has previously been agreed upon with the Ministry of Defense and then approved by the President. The National Guard is, among other things, tasked with repelling aggression against the Russian Federation together with the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, and participates in the territorial defense of the Russian Federation.
In April 2016, the National Guard was expected to be vested with the right to request federal, state and local authorities, officials and citizens documents, reference and other materials required for decision-making on the issues referred to their spheres of activity, as well as to suspend or limit in emergency situations the use of any communications networks and communications means, and to exercise the right to the priority use of these communications networks and communications means.
According to the draft provisions, the National Guard would to be allowed to shoot without warning "if delay in using them (firearms) could create a direct threat to the life or health of a citizen or National Guard soldier." According to the same draft provisions, the corps cannot exercise armed force against pregnant women, disabled people and minors, except for self-defense and other exceptional situations, although it will be authorized to block cars and pedestrians in extraordinary situations and use citizens' motor vehicles to come to the scene of an extraordinary event or chase criminals.
Despite the draft provisions, Russian Duma's Committee on Defense made the recommendation to allow the National Guard to shoot into crowds.
According to an amendment passed into the draft law, a serviceman of the National Guard has no right to use weapons in a crowded area, excluding the use of weapons in order to prevent terror attack, freeing hostages, repelling a group or armed attack on important state objects or cargos. Under similar conditions, the legislative amendments granted the National Guard the right to search individuals' vehicles.
The National Guard of Russia is directly subordinated to the supreme commander-in-chief (i.e. President of Russia) with the incumbent head of this new structure included into the Security Council as a permanent member.
The National Guard is to take over many of the existing duties of the special police forces, thus eliminating the link on their use that previously existed between President Putin and his Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev.
In a major overhaul of Russia's security agencies, the National Guard which will include Interior Ministry troops, servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces, and, as proposed in 2012, Ministry of Emergency Situations personnel such as fire fighters and rescue workers consisting of both conscripts and contract personnel and will take over functions previously managed by the OMON riot police and SOBR rapid-reaction forces. In turn, the Federal Migration Service (FMS) and the Federal Drug Service (FSKN) are to be incorporated into the structure of the Interior Ministry.
The National Guard is expected to number some 350,000 to 400,000 men. However, as of May 2016, the Russian government did not propose the size of the forces actually needed. The establishing Presidential decree points out that the transformation process should be completed by 1 June 2016.
On 20 April 2016, National Guard Director Zolotov stated that the National Guard of Russia is to exclude the appointment of employees with low moral and professional qualities who have committed defamatory acts.
According to the establishing presidential decree, the National Guard is part of the executive branch, which is headed by the president of Russia. The National Guard is led by a "director," which has six deputy directors, including a first deputy director who is simultaneously Chief of Staff of the National Guard and a "state secretary/deputy director".
On 5 April 2016, Viktor Zolotov, the former commander of Russian Interior Troops and former head of the Russian President's personal security service, was appointed as Director of the Federal National Guard Service and Commander of the National Guard Forces Command and relieved of his previous duties—and by a separate Presidential Decree was also appointed a member of the Security Council.
On 20 May 2016, newly promoted Colonel General Sergei Chenchik was appointed as Chief of the General Staff and First Deputy Director of the Russian Federal National Guard Service. General Chenchik has reportedly a significant role in the North Caucasus security system since the late 1990s; according to Valery Dzutsati, Chenchik's appointment as deputy head of the National Guard indicates that his approach to security problems is approved.
According to the official website, other top positions include those of Commander of the Troops of the National Guard of the Russian Federation, held in 2016 by Oleg Borukayev and Sergei Yerygin.
As of January 2022, the current organizational leadership consists of:
According to Sergey Sukhankin of the Jamestown Foundation, the National Guard includes a special cyber security and intelligence unit tasked with monitoring and analyzing online social networks.
The National Guard's territorial organization consists of eight National Guard Districts, which each have the same name as their relevant Federal District counterparts. An exception is the Eastern National Guard District, which handles military units stationed in the Far Eastern Federal District. In addition, the Central and Northwestern National Guard Districts have honorific titles included in their full names. Each District can be further subdivided into Brigades and has the same boundaries, names and headquarters as those of the former Internal Troops.
Police officers are appointed as heads of the National Guard Districts, while military officers are appointed as chiefs of staff.
Districts of the Federal National Guard Troops Service directly operate task forces, military units and carry out the other missions of the National Guard, as well as region-level territorial units, such as main administration departments, local administration structures, other departments.
The National Guard Districts are the:
The educational organizations of the National Guard operate directly under the Director of the National Guard.
Located in St. Petersburg, the National Guard Forces Command Military Institute serves as the training facility for the National Guard's National Guard Forces Command personnel, including officers, warrant officers and non-commissioned officers. It was established on 4 September 1947 as the MVD Central School and since then has had many name changes before acquiring its present title in 2016.
Located in Saratov, the Saratov Institute of the National Guard trains officers for service in the National Guard.
The Perm Military Institute is the only military educational institution of the National Guard that trains specialists with higher professional education in 8 specialties with qualifications.
The Moscow National Guard Presidential Cadets School is a pre-university specialized educational institution of the National Guard. It was opened on 2 September 2002 in the Southeast Administrative District of Moscow in the Kuzminki district.
Before their uniform reformations, some units of the National Guard wore blue variants of various Russian camouflages like Police of Russia, such as tiger stripe camouflage and KLMK, during urban policing. During military exercises, parades, and combat deployments, the National Guard uses greener versions of the aforementioned camouflage patterns plus Flora and EMR until 2021.
In 2022 the standard camouflage patterns of Rosgvard are ATACS FG and ATAKA Moss (Russian domestic variant of ATACS). Rosgvard wears SURPAT on jackets occasionally.
The National Guard has the same equipment as the former Internal Troops.
The AK-74 and AK-74M assault rifle variants are the primary service weapon of the Russian National Guard. Special operations units attached to the National Guard are armed with AS Val sub-sonic suppressed assault rifles. Other weapons include weapons against underwater sabotage forces and non-lethal weapons.
On 4 August 2023, the Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a federal law giving the National Guard the right to have heavy weapons. Deliveries of tanks, artillery and mortars have reportedly started as of May 2024.
The establishment of the Russian Federal National Guard Service triggered several domestic and international reactions and assessments, with attempts to interpret and explain the move, ranging from power games to plans to prevent colour revolutions.
On the first reading of the draft law, held on 18 May 2016, ruling party United Russia, nationalist leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky and A Just Russia backed the establishment of the National Guard, with A Just Russia MP Mikhail Yemelyanov holding that there is no reduction of democracy in Russia.
On the other hand, Communist MP Vyacheslav Tetekin said that the Communist Party of the Russian Federation does see a link between the move and the bad conditions of the Russian economy; according to Tetekin, assigning all combat units to a separate structure would critically weaken the Interior Ministry and that assigning to the National Guard the task to license private security firms had nothing to do with countering terrorism and extremism.
With the timing of President Putin's creation of this National Guard force coming ahead of the 2016 parliamentary election to the State Duma in Russia and crashing oil prices, Pavel Felgengauer, an independent military analyst based in Moscow, said this new force is "a kind of Praetorian Guard to deal with the internal enemy" and further stated "It reminds me of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. We see an aging emperor appointing his bodyguard chief of everything."
Mark Galeotti, professor at New York University, wrote in a post on his blog "'In Moscow's Shadows, that "[National Guard] forces have little real role fighting crime or terrorism; they are public security forces, riot and insurrection control and deterrence assets."
Konstantin Gaaze, a Moscow-based political analyst and journalist with the Carnegie Moscow Center, said this new force was "linked to the election cycle" and that "Putin wants to make sure the situation that took place on the Maidan, in Ukraine, won't happen in Russia." Gaaze further said that Putin's creation of the National Guard created a counterbalance not only to the Federal Security Forces, but also to the Russian Army itself and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu stating: "The newly established National Guard is the president's army in the literal sense of the word. An army, which can be used without intermediaries in the form of a defense minister and without the constitutional rules on the use of the Armed Forces."
Ella Paneyakh, senior researcher for the Department of Political science and Sociology at the European University at Saint Petersburg, said that this new National Guard force was not just another law enforcement agency, but another army that had the right to conduct military operations against the country's citizens.
Russian political scientist Gleb Pavlovsky, who heads the analytics department of the Center for Political Technologies (CPT), said Putin's creation of the National Guard was to counter the power of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.
Tatiana Stanovaya, who heads the Center for Political Technologies (CPT) in France, in commenting on Viktor Zolotov's appointment to head the National Guard said: "The unnecessary link, that of a minister between the commander-in-chief and the head of the National Guard is removed. Whoever the minister is, a brother, friend, classmate or judo coach, his hand may tremble when you need him to execute an order. Zolotov is protected from those fluctuations as much as possible."
Researcher Gordon M. Hahn for The Duran deemed the probability of a "palace coup" as being minor compared to other scenarios, saying that the National Guard is an added insurance against a regime split, palace coup, or other elite politics. Another "power game"-related reason may be, according to Hahn, the will to reduce power of Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov.
According to Roger McDermott of The Jamestown Foundation, the National Guard was established in order to counter future colour revolutions and to link foreign and domestic threat assessments as part of a seamless web. McDermott links the origins of the corps to experience acquired during internal crises and power games among key actors in the 1990s, as well as to future colour revolutions abroad, especially close to the Russian borders and in Middle East. In this view, the 2016–2017 election cycle in Russia supplied domestic context for the timing of the implementation of the 2016 reform aimed to counter a strategic threat, but the deep reason does not lie into the actual elections.
Gordon M. Hahn lists possible reasons behind the establishment of the National Guard as inter-departmental tension, violent conflict, and even armed clashes possible in conditions of potential greater instability.
According to former Federal Security Service Director and Russian Parliament Member Nikolai Kovalyov, the establishment of the National Guard was important amid NATO's eastward expansion.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a televised debate, denied any mistrust in the National Guard, saying that the Guard's direct subordination to the President comes from the fact that they have the authority of a ministry, and as a power ministry, it reports to the President.
The National Guard of Russia has published the full-color magazine In the Line of Duty for their troops since 1958. It is stated to cover matters of the corps' service activity, as well as history and literature.
The media is not allowed to report on the location of National Guard soldiers, in order to "protect the safety of the troops and their families."