Also known as ‘the Rosgvardiya,’ this force was created by President Putin in 2016.

On Thursday, Gen. Viktor Zolotov, the director of Russia’s National Guard, announced that this institution, with about 340,000 members, has reintroduced tank units.

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The announcement came after military exercises in the Ryazan region, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) southeast of Moscow.

“Thanks to the expansion of the range of heavy weapons used by the troops, tank units have been recreated and the artillery’s firepower has increased significantly,” the National Guard director said.

Zolotov also stressed that in recent years, a significant set of measures has been adopted to develop the National Guard’s artillery forces.

“For the first time, weapons such as anti-tank guns, self-propelled guns and multiple rocket launchers have been incorporated,” he said, recalling that the National Guard’s artillery units have taken part in the military campaign Russia launched in Ukraine in February 2022.

The National Guard, which is also known as the Rosgvardiya, was created by President Vladimir Putin in 2016 on the basis of the former Interior Ministry troops and riot police units. It is a body separate from the Armed Forces and reports directly to the Russian presidency.

Since its founding, the National Guard has been led by Zolotov, who previously served as Putin’s bodyguard and chief of his personal security team.

teleSUR/ JF

Sources: EFE – Interfax

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