British Intelligence: Rosgvardia Tanks May Join Fighting in Ukraine

The Federal National Guard of the Russian Federation ("Rosgvardia") has created tank units as part of a broader expansion of its heavy weapons, according to its head (and former bodyguard of Russian President Vladimir Putin) Viktor Zolotov, British intelligence reports, Defense Express reports, quoted by Focus.

"Rosgvardia", numbering up to 400,000 people, reports directly to Vladimir Putin and is not part of the Russian Ministry of Defense. Its main purpose is to provide internal security to ensure the continuity of the Russian regime. Units of "Rosgvardia" are deployed in Ukraine, where they play an important role in rear-end security operations.

Some units have also participated in combat operations on the front, although they are not suitable for intensive fighting.

The decision to strengthen the forces with heavy weapons, signed by Vladimir Putin in August 2023, followed the failed uprising of the "Wagner" group in June 2023. Despite Viktor Zolotov's claim that his forces performed "excellent" during the uprising, there is no evidence that the "Rosgvardia" has taken effective action against the "Wagner" group – exactly the kind of internal security threat it was designed to suppress.

The creation of tank units is a clear militarization of the "Rosgvardia", improving its ability to deal with military and paramilitary threats to the security of Vladimir Putin's regime. It also almost certainly demonstrates the Kremlin's continued confidence in the "Rosgvardia"'s loyalty.