After the coup attempt by the Wagner group in June 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin attempts to protect Moscow by creating new military structures.
The Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom reports this on Twitter.
In November 2022, Putin approved the creation of the Moscow Government Security Forces, a new organization for protecting the capital's infrastructure.
By July 2023, this structure became more militarized, obtaining permission to use firearms. Several thousand recruits, likely less than the planned 15,000, were reportedly enlisted.
According to British intelligence, the new structure is another example of a long-standing Russian tradition of militarization, increasing the number of armed organizations beyond the regular armed forces. However, the Moscow Government Security Forces were likely strengthened in response to concerns about the readiness of Moscow's local security forces against the advance of the insurgent forces of the "Wagner" group in June 2023.
"The project also provides an opportunity for Moscovites to volunteer for "patriotic" war time duties - while avoiding front line service in Ukraine. Moscow mayor ergei Sobyanin has been successful in limiting the direct impact of the conflict on the capital's relatively well-off population. The majority of Russian casualties in Ukraine have come from poorer, provincial regions," noted the UK Ministry of Defence.
