Vladimir Putin creates a preemptive army
On April 5, 2016, the President of Russia signed a decree on the creation of the Federal Service of the National Guard Troops. The new structure will be engaged in anti-terrorist activities, the fight against organized crime, will take over the functions that were performed by the OMON and SOBR units.
The military personnel and employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who will go to the National Guard, will retain their ranks and social guarantees. They will not need recertification. The head of the National Guard will report directly to the president, which speaks of the special status of these troops. A new form of clothing is envisaged, which will certainly become even more attractive, since the National Guard is also entrusted with representative functions. All these changes, as the Kremlin said, do not speak of a crisis of Vladimir Putin's confidence in the security forces. And yet, what is behind this presidential decree, why did it appear right now?
Alignment with Peter
The concept of "guard" comes from Italy. In the XII century, this was the name of the detachment for the protection of the state banner. From the most ancient times, rulers, whether they were leaders, princes or monarchs, had special guards with them, in all the armed forces there were selected units that served as a reserve for military leaders. In European countries, the guard was distinguished by the best training, uniforms, weapons and, in addition to combat missions, performed the functions of guarding the monarch. This is in many ways typical of Russia as well.
In the Russian Empire, the Life Guards appeared under Peter I. Its core consisted of the Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky regiments, whose officers and soldiers were recruited and trained personally by the tsar and were selflessly devoted to him.
By the end of the 19th century, the guards officers consisted mainly of hereditary nobles: 96, 3 percent - in the cavalry, 90, 5 percent - in the infantry. For comparison: in the ordinary infantry, only 39.6 percent of the officers were nobles. Surprisingly, even marriages were strictly controlled: marriage to the daughter of a merchant, banker, stockist, albeit with a dowry of many thousands, entailed expulsion from the Guards regiment.
In Soviet times, the rank of guards was received by military units, ships, formations for mass heroism, courage and high military skill displayed during the Great Patriotic War. Therefore, we can assume that the presidential decree is also a return to traditions, to the spirit of units that have won military glory. But the main thing, perhaps, is the response to the challenges of the time and the international situation.
From gendarmerie to Dynamo
It is interesting that attempts to create guards units in the structures of the Ministry of Internal Affairs were made earlier. One of the first to try to do this was the Minister of Internal Affairs (1995-1998), General of the Army Anatoly Kulikov, to whom the "VPK" asked for an explanation of the situation. “At that time I had on my table a ready-made concept for the further development of the internal troops and calculations for the creation of a federal guard,” he recalls. "But then it turned out to be impossible due to a number of reasons: political, economic."
There was an attempt to create its own gendarmerie (as in France), which would take over the fight against street crime. It was supposed to be special motorized militia units, consisting of conscripts. For which the schools of the Ministry of Internal Affairs were transferred to the legal profile. Their graduates could detain offenders for a certain period, conduct an inquiry in a simplified form, draw up detention protocols, conduct a preliminary investigation, and then submit the materials to the court. It was expected that by 2005 such a system would be operational everywhere.
When Kulikov was relieved of his post in 1998, everything was postponed, although the concept was approved by the President - the Supreme Commander-in-Chief at the Collegium on October 29, 1995. But the war began in Chechnya. She broke the usual way of life and service. Confusion and corruption gradually overshadowed the interests of the state. In the presidential administration, Kulikov was once even offered to withdraw the internal troops, traffic police and traffic police from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He replied that he did not want to remain the chairman of the Central Council of the Dynamo Society.
Ukrainian lesson
After the presidential decree "On the creation of the Federal Service of the National Guard Troops on the basis of the Interior Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation" was issued, problems still arise that need to be resolved. “I have read the decree, but there are still many questions,” says Kulikov. - The first is jurisdiction. The second is the operational subordination of OMON and SOBR troops to the Minister of Internal Affairs”.
How will the services interact? When, say, there is an Investigative Committee and operational support for solving crimes, this is one thing, Kulikov reflects. And how, if suddenly there are riots, will the SOBR, OMON, which are part of the National Guard, but are operatively subordinate to the Minister of Internal Affairs, work? Who is responsible for what exactly?
In general, the decision, according to Kulikov, is correct and timely. We see what is happening in the world and in the country. Much has been overestimated after the coup d'état in Ukraine, which could have been avoided if the rights of riot police were spelled out in the relevant laws more clearly.
Are our internal troops performing their functions now? Yes. The President recently praised them. Therefore, the creation of the National Guard, apparently, pursues the goal of preventing the development of events, taking into account the situational forecast, information war against Russia, the activation of all our enemies, opponents, the "fifth column".
One of the most important tasks is the fight against IS. The methods of this organization, banned in Russia, are known when, for example, young people, even from wealthy families, are recruited into a bandit group. “The leaders of these extremist structures go for the most dastardly tricks up to the perversion of the canons of Islam,” says Kulikov. - For example, IS agents in Europe and Russia are allowed to wear crosses, smoke and throw cigarette butts. That is, to behave like others, so as not to be exposed. But at the same time they must wait for a convenient moment to detonate the object, which the leaders will point to."
Let us repeat: the decree on the creation of such a power structure is fully justified. We do not know what the country will face. And the president knows. 10 years ago, Russia adopted a law "On Countering Terrorism", in the work on which Kulikov had to take an active part. According to the director of the FSB Alexander Bortnikov, today this law not only helped to avoid many terrorist attacks, but also allowed us to become the best in the world in the fight against terrorism. “I am sure that our political leadership, creating the guard, looks a little further than many of us,” Kulikov emphasizes. "Perhaps, from a tactical point of view, this is not clear to many now, but from a strategic point of view, it is quite justified."
It turns out that the hopes that the president places on such a structure correspond to the aspirations of the people - to live in harmony, peace and security. It seems that the national leader has worked here in his characteristic style - ahead of the curve.
The presidential decree requires additions, details of the legislative base. This work has already begun.
