National Guard

Ex-FSB chief: Russian National Guard creation important amid NATO’s eastward expansion

The creation of the National Guard in Russia is especially important amid NATO’s expansion closer to Russian borders, lawmaker and former director of the Federal Security Service (FSB) Nikolay Kovalyov said on Tuesday.

"The fact that Russia will get a reliable and well-organized reserve of the armed forces in the form of the National Guard primarily for the purposes of territorial defense and not only for that deserves special attention and the highest praise," the lawmaker said at a plenary session of the State Duma, the lower house of Russia’s parliament. The parliamentarian spoke at the beginning of the plenary session on behalf of the ruling United Russia party.

"This becomes especially topical amid the continued expansion of the North Atlantic alliance towards our borders and its heads openly state the intention to contain Russia. We register such calls ever more frequently," Kovalyov said.