Putin Establishes General Staff Within Russia's National Guard

President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree establishing a General Staff within the National Guard (Rosgvardia), expanding the force’s role in operational planning and intelligence. The move underscores Rosgvardia’s broadening responsibilities as an influx of personnel and hardware accelerates the transformation of the force led by a close ally of Putin. According to the decree , published on the official legal information portal, the new structure will be responsible for maintaining Rosgvardia’s combat readiness, overseeing the “service and combat employment” of its troops and conducting intelligence activities. The document says the headquarters will carry out intelligence work “for the purpose of fulfilling the tasks assigned to Rosgvardia troops.”