Russia: the National Guard – the internal troops join the game

On 5 April 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin carried out a restructuring of the internal security system for the first time since 2003. The changes were introduced on the basis of presidential decrees with immediate effect and essentially changed the balance of power and the competences of the ministries in charge of the country’s internal security. The Federal Service for the National Guard Troops (FSGN) reporting to the president was established using the organisational potential of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Viktor Zolotov was put in charge of the new agency. Before this, Zolotov served as commander of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and earlier he had for many years been the head of the Presidential Security Service. At the same time, the Federal Drug Control Service (FSKN) and the Federal Migration Service (FMS) were liquidated, and their structures became specialised departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.