Over 30,000 Rosgvardiya personnel stationed in Ukraine - UK Defence Ministry
Photo: 30,000 Rosgvardia officers were sent to Ukraine (Getty Images)
Currently, over 30,000 personnel of the Russian National Guard (Rosgvardiya) are stationed in Ukraine. Most of the Rosgvardiya's personnel are engaged in rear security, with only a few units participating in frontline combat, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
According to the briefing, the main combat unit of the Rosgvardiya, the 116th Special Purpose Brigade, likely consists of three regiments equipped with tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and artillery.
According to British intelligence, since the beginning of 2024, the Rosgvardiya has attempted to increase its frontline forces by absorbing Russian irregular formations. In May 2024, the Rosgvardiya successfully integrated the Vostok battalion from the so-called Donetsk People's Republic into its ranks.
"It is highly likely that the anticipated agreement for Wagner forces to serve under Rosgvardiya's 1st Volunteer Corps broke down in March 2024," the UK Ministry of Defence notes.
According to British intelligence, the Russian Ministry of Defence is increasingly centralizing command and control over irregular forces. In February 2023, the Russian military department created a volunteer corps, which unified over 20,000 mercenaries, reservists, and former prisoners serving in various irregular units under a single command and control system.
The Rosgvardiya was established in April 2016 based on the internal troops of the Russian Federation. The exact number of Rosgvardiya personnel is not disclosed, but experts estimate it to be around 340,000 people.
