The final formation of the National Guard of Russia (Rosgvardiya) units in all regions of the country will be finished in January of 2018. Today in Moscow, the collegium of the Ministry of Defense will discuss the training of the personnel. Intelligence, one of the Rosgvardiya elite units, is conducting a drill in the Krasnodar Krai.
Andrei Chistyakov has the details.
The youngest soldier with a red cross on his ammunition carrier is having a hard time in the rumble of a simulated combat. His motions are a bit wooden but he knows the price of seconds between a wounded soldier's life and death.
It's been only a year since the army doctor joined the team. His brothers in arms jokingly call him "a young guard." Many of them have had multiple missions to the North Caucasus. These men have eliminated dangerous terrorists.
The southernmost unit of the Rosgvardiya is only 20 strong. They call themselves Vyatichi after the ancient Slavic warriors. The command calls them the unit which is always combat-ready. They only have 60 minutes to pack before being deployed.
The emergency kit of every soldier is located in this room with a strange name "Sibsal". Each of these bags allows him to operate up to three days in the field during winter and even more in summer. There are water, rations, and a special uniform. And armament, of course: light and rifle arms, adding up to 30 kilos per soldier. Additionally, they have mortars for city fights and mountain pursuits.
A soldier: "Two-meter distance, aim at zero".
"Always be there where it's hot" is the motto of this unit. They call themselves specialists because the people here are special. It is all for one and one for all.
A soldier: "A fist is on our chevrons for a reason. A fist means a unit. If one finger falls out the unit becomes incomplete. That's why we're a united body, a combat brotherhood."
One in ten here wears a crimson beret: a special merit badge, a symbol of courage and skill. More than a thousand soldiers from this unit received state decorations.
An order to rally can be delivered at any time of the day and night. Right now, this unit has been ordered to move up to the helicopter pad in half an hour. From there the guys will be deployed on a new mission.
Andrei Chistyakov, Evgeny Radayev for Vesti from Armavir, Krasnodar Krai.
