Russia's 200,000-strong national guard is getting armed with heavy weaponry, in a sign of its growing importance to Putin, UK intel says
- Russia is granting its 200,000-strong national guard force heavy weaponry, the UK MOD said.
- This shows how the Kremlin sees the force as key to ensuring "regime security," per the MOD.
Russia's 200,000-strong national guard force is likely to be armed with heavy weaponry in a sign of its growing importance to President Vladimir Putin's regime security, according to UK intelligence.
The UK Ministry of Defense said in an intelligence update on Tuesday that Putin signed a measure into law on Friday that allows Rosgvardia "to be equipped with heavy weaponry."
It described Rosgvardia as "a sprawling organisation of up to 200,000 frontline personnel."
The MOD noted that the decision came after the uprising of the Wagner mercenary group in June, which involved the paramilitary force taking over military headquarters in a key Russian city and marching towards Moscow, before a deal was struck to have it stand down.
The leader of Rosgvardia, Putin's former bodyguard Viktor Zolotov, said that his forces "performed 'excellently' during the mutiny," the MOD said.
But "there is no evidence that Rosgvardia carried out any effective action against Wagner: exactly the sort of internal security threat it was designed to repress," it added.
The MOD also said that: "With Zolotov previously suggesting that heavy equipment should include artillery and attack helicopters, the move suggests that the Kremlin is doubling down on resourcing Rosgvardia as one of the key organisations to ensure regime security."
Reports have suggested that Putin has become increasingly isolated and paranoid since he launched the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russian independent outlet Verstka reported in May that Putin was so afraid he would be assassinated that he was refusing to travel outside of Russia.
Reports of a paranoid Putin have only intensified since the Wagner Group's mini-mutiny, which could lead to a bigger role for the national guard.