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Reports: High-Ranking Officials Of Russia's National Guard Quitting

July 01, 2019

Several top officials of Russia's National Guard, including deputy directors, are expected to resign in the coming days, reports say.

Russian media reports said on July 1 that the force's first deputy director, Colonel General Sergei Melikov, had already filed his resignation request.

Citing unidentified sources, the reports said that several other generals, including Sergei Mileiko and Sergei Zakharkin, planned to resign as well following National Guard Director Viktor Zolotov's decision to reassign duties among his deputies.

Russian President Vladimir Putin established the National Guard (Rosgvardia) in 2016 on the basis of the Interior Ministry troops and other security forces.

Its stated tasks include preserving "social order," averting "threats to state order," fighting against terrorism and extremism, guarding state facilities, and protecting regional governors.

The force has the power to detain citizens, check their documents, and seal off areas including for the purpose of preventing riots.

Media are not allowed to report on the locations of its troops and their family members.

Headed by Zolotov, a former steelworker who was chief of the presidential security service from 2000-13, the National Guard reports directly to the president.

Based on reporting by Kommersant, TASS, and Interfax

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/reports-high-ranking-officials-of- russia-s-national-guard-quitting/30029920.html

Copyright (c) 2019. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.