The Kremlin is subordinating two main Russian security agencies to the Chief of the General Staff, Army General Valery Gerasimov, who is loyal to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. This is stated in a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), UNN reports.
Details
It is noted that on February 11, Putin signed a decree appointing the Russian General Staff as the main command body of the Rosgvardia troops. The decree, in particular, stipulates that:
- the General Staff will organize command and control (C2) of Rosgvardia troops and their deployment in peacetime and wartime;
- will participate in the development of plans for the development of Rosgvardia troops;
- will maintain the combat and mobilization readiness of Rosgvardia.
The decree also stipulates that the General Staff is responsible for training, combat support, intelligence organization, and the development of C2 systems for Rosgvardia troops. At the same time, on February 3, a Russian insider source stated that the Russian Security Council plans to liquidate the Ministry of Emergency Situations and merge part of its employees with Rosgvardia.
The ISW source claims that the Russian Security Council may transfer the EMERCOM rescue corps, consisting of approximately 50,000 employees, to Rosgvardia and replenish the corps with sappers "and other unspecified specialists."
Putin likely seeks these changes to protect his regime, especially given that Rosgvardia failed to engage Wagner forces during the June 2023 mutiny... Putin may have perceived Rosgvardia as a new threat to his regime, especially after Rosgvardia's inadequate response to the 2023 mutiny and after Rosgvardia's leadership attempted to use the mutiny and Russia's military failures in Ukraine to expand its power.
They suggest that the subordination of Rosgvardia to the General Staff is a continuation of Putin's efforts to centralize irregular forces fighting in Ukraine under the command of the Russian Ministry of Defense, similar to how the Russian Ministry of Defense's African Corps replaced the Wagner Group after the mutiny.
"The subordination of Rosgvardia and parts of the Russian Defense High Command to the General Staff will significantly strengthen Gerasimov's control over Russian security forces, which underscores that Putin is rewarding Gerasimov for his loyalty, and that Gerasimov retains a central place in Putin's inner circle," ISW concludes.
Recall
The EU will demand concessions from Russia as part of a peaceful settlement in Ukraine: among them - a reduction in armed forces.