Internal Troops (Russia)

Emblem of Internal Troops

Russian Internal Troops

Internal Troops, full name Internal Troops of the Ministry for Internal Affairs (MVD) (Russian: Внутренние войска Министерства внутренних дел, Vnutrenniye Voiska Ministerstva Vnutrennikh Del; abbreviated ВВ, VV) is a paramilitary national guard like force in the now-defunct Soviet Union and its successor countries, particularly, in Russia and Ukraine. Internal Troops are subordinated to Internal Affairs Ministries (police) of the respective countries. They are used to support and reinforce the Russian Police, deal with large-scale riots, internal armed conflicts, prison security (except in Russia) and safeguarding of highly-important facilities (like nuclear power plants). As such, the force is involved in all conflicts and violent disturbances in the history of Soviet Union and modern Russia, including Stalin's mass deportations, imprisonments and executions and First and Second Chechen Wars.

During wartime, the Internal Troops fall under Armed Forces military command and fulfill the missions of local defence and rear area security.

Strength has also fluctuated and was about 350,000 at its height. Currently at 200,000 it consists of both two year conscripts and volunteers.^{[citation needed]} Its officers graduated from at least four schools. Rumors abound of an officer shortage since 1998.

General organization

Despite being subordinated to a civilian Russian Police authority, Internal Troops are a military force with centralized system of ranks, command and service. The Chief Commander and Staff of the troops report only to Ministry of Internal Affairs, maintaining their separate chain of command. VV units in Soviet Union were predominantly formed up of conscripts drafted by the same system as for the Soviet Army. Modern Troops in Russia and Ukraine are experiencing a slow transition to the contract personnel system. VV officers are trained in both own special academies and Army's military academies.

The main kinds of Internal Troops are field units, prison security units, various facility-guarding units, Special Motorized Units - riot control and patrol units which use Militia uniforms and special forces like Rus. Since the 1980s, the several spetsnaz (special forces) units were created within the VV to deal with terrorism and hostage crises.

Fields units are essentially light motorized infantry, similar to respective regular army units by their organization and weapons.

Soviet prison security units (Russian: конвойные войска, konvoynyie voyska; criminal slang: vertuhai) were originally consisting of the units that guard the perimeters of the prisons, and the prisoner transport teams (actually konvoi, literally "convoy"). In post-Soviet countries, some or all of the prison-related tasks were transferred to other agencies.

Currently, the primary role of the Russian Internal Troops is their large-scale participation in the Second Chechen War.

Districts and formations

The Organization of the Russian Internal Troops comprises Internal troop Commands, Formations, Military Units, Military Training Institutions and the Institutions for Internal Troops Activities, Maintenance, and Bodies of Internal Troops Administration.

The largest units are the divisions and the units that are located in all major cities.

• Northwestern District
• Moscow Orshansko-Hingansky Order of the Red Banner District
• North Caucasus District
• Privolzhsky District
• Ural District
• Siberian District
• Eastern District

Military units under direct subordination:

• A separate rapid placement division (ODON) This formation, the former Felix Dzerzhinsky Division, based near Moscow, is the most well-known formation of the Internal Troops.
• The Central Communications
• Engineering Center
• Intelligence Directorate Internal Troops under the Intelligence Chief-Deputy Chief of Staff of the Internal Troops.

Missions

• National Defence - conducts rear area security operations and all military operations within national borders, counter-intelligence authority in wartime.
• Security - Guard "key" state institutions (except for the Kremlin and the highest echelons of the government which are guarded by the Federal Protective Service (FSO)), nuclear facilities, special storage depots, and military bases.
• Counter-terrorist operations (VV Special Forces units such as Rus)
• Military police functions
• Public Order - Assist the Russian Police for riot control operations when OMON units are not available.
• Prisoner Transport - In Soviet times, also guarded and operated the Gulag. Today: convict convoyage and transport. Security and operation of prisons has been performed by the Federal Correctional Service since its creation in 1994.
• Possible counterweight to the military, especially during the Soviet era, when allegedly units of Division size existed till the fall.
• Border control - to assist the Russian Federal Border Service in the protection of the State border of the Russian Federation.

Equipment

Internal troops ABS-40 "Lavina" riot control water cannon on BAZ-6953 chassis

• BTR-70
• BTR-80
• BMP
• BPM-97
• BMP-2
• BRDM-2
• GAZ-2330 Tigr
• Ural-4320
• UAZ-469

Shoulder Patches of Internal Troops

Internal Troops (variant)	Internal Troops (variant)	Internal Troops High Command	Moscow District	North-West District
North Caucasian District	Volga District	Ural District	Siberian District	Eastern District
Internal Security and Military Colleges	Separate Rapid Deployment Division	Management of the Protection of Important Public Facilities and Special Cargo

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Library of Congress Country Studies.

See also

• MVD
• Awards of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia