Russia Establishing National Guard to Fight Terrorism, Organised Crime

Russia is establishing a National Guard force which will be tasked with fighting terrorism and organized crime, the country's President Vladimir Putin has announced.

"The decision has been made, we are establishing a federal body of executive power on the basis of the Interior Ministry Troops," TASS quoted Putin as saying at a meeting with Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Federal Drug Control Service chief Viktor Ivanov and Interior Ministry Troops commander Viktor Zolotov on Tuesday.

The National Guard will perform duties assigned at present to the Special Police Task Force (OMON) and the Special Rapid Response Unit (SOBR), Putin added.

The Russian president also said that the Federal Drug Control Service and the Gederal Migration Service would become subordinate to the Interior Ministry.