Russia’s New National Guard
Strengthening the Putin Regime’s Power Vertical
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
In April 2016, the Kremlin created a new paramilitary force: the National Guard. It is directly subordinated to the President, equipped with wide-ranging powers, and heavily armed. With 400,000 personnel, it will be bigger than the army and the troops of the secret service FSB. Officially, the National Guard is to serve the “protection of public order”. Behind this lies the task of deterring and suppressing social protest. Equally important is their function in disciplining the elite, containing Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov’s extensive power, and securing the balance of power between the various Russian institutions responsible for repression and use of force.
(Osteuropa 5/2016, pp. 19–32)