Internal Troops of Russia

Internal Troops of Russia
Magnum045 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Unit name	Internal Troops of Russia
Native name	Внутренние войска Российской Федерации
Dates	1918–2016
Country	Russia
Branch	Ministry of Internal Affairs
Type	Gendarmerie, Paramilitary
Role	Internal security, riot control, prison security, counterinsurgency
Garrison	Moscow
Notable commanders	Viktor Zolotov, Nikolai Rogozhkin

Internal Troops of Russia were a paramilitary force under the Ministry of Internal Affairs responsible for internal security, crowd control, and facility protection from 1918 until 2016. Originating from Imperial and Soviet formations such as the Internal Troops of the Soviet Union and the Cheka, the force participated in major events including the February Revolution, the Russian Civil War, the Second Chechen War, and operations in Soviet–Afghan War contexts. The Internal Troops drew personnel from conscripted units, career officers from institutions like the Moscow Higher Military Command School and the St. Petersburg Military Institute, and cooperated with services such as the Federal Security Service, the National Guard (Russia), and the Ministry of Defence (Russia).

History

The lineage traces to Cheka formations of 1917–1922 and the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army internal security detachments that operated during the Russian Civil War, the Polish–Soviet War, and the Soviet invasion of Poland. Under the NKVD and later the MVD (Soviet Union), internal troops enforced policies during the Great Purge, guarded Gulag facilities administered by the NKVD Directorate of Camps, and conducted operations in the Baltic states during Soviet annexation. During World War II, internal troops took part in counterintelligence with the SMERSH system and collaborated with the Red Army in rear-area security. In the late Soviet era, they were deployed in ethnic conflicts such as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and Tajikistani Civil War. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russian Internal Troops were officially formed within the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Russia) and saw extensive combat in the First Chechen War and the Second Chechen War, engaging with groups like the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria and commanders such as Dzhokhar Dudayev and Shamil Basayev. The force was frequently restructured under ministers including Boris Yeltsin-era officials and later presidents Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev, culminating in the 2016 transfer of functions to the newly created National Guard (Russia).

Organization and Structure

Organizationally, the Internal Troops comprised territorial commands, operational divisions, and specialized units such as ODON (the Separate Operational Purpose Division) linked to the Moscow garrison and modeled after Soviet formations like the Vityaz (special unit). Commanders were appointed from graduates of academies including the Moscow Higher Military Command School and the Krasnodar Higher Military School, and coordinated with agencies like the Federal Penitentiary Service (Russia) and the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations. Unit types included motorized regiments, military police-style detachments, convoy troops for the Federal Penitentiary Service, aviation detachments with helicopters similar to Mil Mi-8 operations, and naval security detachments associated with the Black Sea Fleet in times of joint operations. Rank structure mirrored the Russian military ranking system used by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and officers often held decorations such as the Order of Courage and Hero of the Russian Federation awards.

Roles and Missions

Missions encompassed riot control at events associated with State Duma sessions and political gatherings, counterterrorism operations against groups like Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, anti-separatist campaigns in regions such as Chechnya and Dagestan, protection of strategic infrastructure including nuclear power plants at sites like Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, and guard duties for prisons tied to the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN). The Internal Troops supported border security in coordination with the Border Service of the Federal Security Service during crises like the First Nagorno-Karabakh War spillover and provided civil defense assistance alongside the Ministry of Emergency Situations (Russia). They conducted special operations resembling those of the Spetsnaz GRU and cooperated with the FSB for hostage rescue operations similar to responses to incidents like the Moscow theater hostage crisis and the Beslan school siege.

Equipment and Uniforms

Standard-issue equipment included small arms such as the AK-74, AKM, PK machine gun, and sniper rifles comparable to the SVD, as well as sidearms like the Makarov PM and MP-443 Grach. Vehicles ranged from GAZ-2330 Tigr patrol vehicles to armored personnel carriers like the BTR-80 and infantry fighting vehicles such as the BMP-2 adapted for internal security, while heavier support included armored recovery and engineering vehicles patterned after UR-77 Meteorit and mine-clearing systems. Aviation assets operating in support mirrored those of the Russian Aerospace Forces with helicopters like the Mi-8 and Ka-226 for transport and reconnaissance. Uniforms were influenced by Soviet-era designs with insignia regulated by decrees from the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Russia), and special units wore camouflage patterns similar to EMR (Digital Flora) and tactical gear produced by domestic firms such as TsNIITochMash.

Training and Recruitment

Recruitment drew from conscription within the Conscription in Russia system and contract volunteers trained at institutions like the Yaroslavl Higher Military School and the Saint Petersburg Police Academy. Training emphasized crowd control under curricula influenced by practices from the Soviet Armed Forces, urban warfare techniques taught at centers like the Ryazan Guards Higher Airborne Command School for interoperability, riot dispersal using methods derived from manuals used by OMON units, and counterinsurgency lessons learned in Chechnya and Dagestan. Specialist instruction included marksmanship at ranges modeled on those used by the Russian Ground Forces, explosive ordnance disposal in cooperation with the Russian National Guard precursor elements, and legal training on statutes like the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation as applied by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Russia).

Controversies and Human Rights Issues

The Internal Troops faced allegations from organizations such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the European Court of Human Rights concerning operations in Chechnya and crowd control in cities like Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and during protests against figures such as Alexei Navalny and events like the 2011–2013 Russian protests. Incidents included accusations of excessive force, unlawful detentions, and involvement in disappearances linked to regional actors like Akhmed Zakayev and tactics scrutinized after sieges such as Beslan. Domestic critics including members of the State Duma (Russia) and international bodies like the United Nations Human Rights Council cited concerns about accountability, chain-of-command responsibility under ministers like Vladimir Kolokoltsev predecessors, and compliance with international instruments such as the European Convention on Human Rights.

Dissolution and Legacy

In 2016, presidential decree by Vladimir Putin transferred most functions and personnel to the newly formed National Guard (Russia), led by former Internal Troops commander Viktor Zolotov, consolidating units that had cooperated with the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Ministry of Defence (Russia). Legacy elements persist in doctrines within the National Guard (Russia), training institutions such as the Moscow Internal Affairs University, and memorials honoring service in conflicts like the Second Chechen War, with decorations retained in veterans' communities and museums including exhibits connected to the Central Museum of the Armed Forces (Russia). The evolution influenced contemporary Russian internal security policy, parallels with historical formations like the Cossack units and the Imperial Russian Gendarmerie, and shaped debates in legislative bodies such as the Federation Council (Russia) about civil-military relations and law enforcement reform.

Category:Law enforcement in Russia Category:Paramilitary forces of Russia