Moscow Deploys 35,000 National Guards to Counter Partisans in Occupied Ukraine
Russia has become concerned about partisan activity and anti-Kremlin attitudes among the local population in the occupied territories of Ukraine as its presidential elections approach.
Around 35,000 Russian troops from the Russian National Guard (Rosgvardia) have been deployed in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, according to partisan spokespersons quoted by the National Resistance Center of Ukraine (CNR).
The Rosgvardia is a military formation directly subordinate to president Vladimir Putin and currently makes up the second largest element of his forces in the occupied areas of Ukraine after the Russian Armed Forces.
The main duties of the Rosgvardia are to detect partisans in the occupied territories, filter the local population and to conduct propaganda activities in educational institutions. They also constantly patrol areas within occupied cities in armored combat vehicles and in full gear in an ongoing display of aggression and power.
According to the CNR, half of the Rosgvardia manpower deployed to Ukraine are regular formations, which are divided into a brigade, 5 battalion tactical groups, and 44 tactical groups. The rest, more than 100 consolidated units, have been formed from detachments of the Special Purpose Police Detachment (OMON) and the Special Rapid Response Unit (SOBR) from mainland Russia that rotate regularly.
