12th Internal Troops Division
Organizational Context and Legal Status
On 3 April 2016, Federal Law No. 226-FZ "On the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation" established the National Guard Troops (Rosgvardiya) and transferred the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (VV MVD) into the new structure. Presidential Decree No. 157 of 5 April 2016 formalized the Federal Service of the National Guard Troops. By 2017, the transfer was effectively complete. Since then, the legacy term "Internal Troops" is historical; many formations retained their wartime or administrative military unit numbers (voyskovaya chast, v/ch), but they now belong to Rosgvardiya. Core missions include protection of critical state facilities (including nuclear power plants), public order, support to counterterrorism operations, and territorial defense tasks under Russian law.
Claimed Headquarters and Command Node (Tula; v/ch 5580)
The listing cites a headquarters for the "12th Internal Troops Division" at Tula, Ryazanskaya 36, with the administrative identifier military unit 5580. The existence of a divisional headquarters of the former VV in Tula is consistent with the historical presence of Internal Troops formations in the Central Federal District; however, the specific street address cannot be independently verified from open-source records as of October 2024. Following the 2016–2017 transition to Rosgvardiya, divisional-level headquarters in the VV were reorganized or reflagged; current official naming within Rosgvardiya does not use the "Internal Troops Division" designation. Publicly accessible sources do not confirm an active divisional HQ at this specific address.
Order of Battle as Provided
The reported structure includes: 71st Separate Internal Troops Battalion (military unit 3527; tasked with security of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant); the 591st Internal Troops Regiment (military unit 3382); the 649th Internal Troops Regiment (military unit 6703); Special Motorized Internal Troops Regiments numbered 128th (military unit 7437), 129th (military unit 5961), 518th (military unit 6523), 597th (military unit 6699), and 667th (military unit 6570); the 426th Separate Special Motorized Internal Troops Battalion (military unit 6681); the 21st Separate Operational Brigade (military unit 3641); the 25th Special Purpose Detachment "Mercury" (military unit 7459); the 236th Protection and Support Regiment (military unit 7456); the 400th Separate Repair and Restoration Battalion (military unit 6833); and the 683rd Separate Internal Troops Communication Regiment (military unit 5583).
Verification Status of Key Entries
Two entries in the list are corroborated by open sources as of 2024: (1) Military unit 3527 is documented as the National Guard (Rosgvardiya) unit responsible for security at the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant in Kurchatov, Kursk Oblast; and (2) the 21st Separate Operational Brigade, military unit 3641, is publicly documented and garrisoned in Sofrino-2, Pushkinsky District, Moscow Oblast. For the remaining units cited (including military units 3382, 6703, 7437, 5961, 6523, 6699, 6570, 6681, 7459, 7456, 6833, and 5583), current official confirmation of stationing, subordination, and status is not available in open sources. Nomenclature and subordination may have changed during the transition from VV MVD to Rosgvardiya.
Kursk Nuclear Power Plant Security Battalion (military unit 3527)
Military unit 3527 is assigned to the security of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant (Kursk NPP) near Kurchatov, Kursk Oblast. Under Federal Law No. 226-FZ and related Russian government regulations, National Guard troops provide armed protection of nuclear facilities, enforce access control, secure restricted areas, and maintain quick reaction forces to counter sabotage or armed intrusion. Duties include perimeter security, patrols, operational coordination with plant security services and regional law enforcement, and response to security incidents. Exact personnel strength, equipment holdings, and guard procedures are not publicly disclosed.
21st Separate Operational Brigade (military unit 3641)
The 21st Separate Operational Brigade (v/ch 3641) is a Rosgvardiya operational unit based at Sofrino-2 (Pushkinsky District) in Moscow Oblast. Open-source reporting identifies it as a high-readiness formation tasked with public order operations, reinforcement of internal security, convoy and facility protection, and support to counterterrorism missions when directed by the National Anti-Terrorism Committee. The brigade’s peacetime chain of command is within the Central District of the National Guard Troops. Its inclusion in a divisional order of battle is inconsistent with publicly documented command relationships; it functions as a separate brigade, not as a subordinate regiment of a divisional HQ.
Special Motorized Regiments (128th, 129th, 518th, 597th, 667th) and 426th Separate Battalion
The listed special motorized internal troops regiments (military units 7437, 5961, 6523, 6699, 6570) and the 426th separate special motorized battalion (military unit 6681) match the legacy VV MVD organizational pattern for garrison-based internal security forces. Typical roles for such units included area security, reinforcement of public order, protection of designated state facilities, convoy escort, and augmentation of operational groupings when required. Open sources do not provide current official confirmation of the stationing locations or present-day Rosgvardiya designations for these specific unit numbers. Equipment sets and exact manning are not publicly disclosed.
Operational Regiments (591st and 649th)
The 591st Internal Troops Regiment (military unit 3382) and the 649th Internal Troops Regiment (military unit 6703) conform to the historical VV MVD practice of fielding operational regiments within divisional structures. In function, such regiments provided maneuver elements for internal security, facility protection, and support to counterterrorism operations under Interior Ministry or (post-2016) Rosgvardiya tasking. Current open-source materials do not confirm their active status, garrisons, or whether they have been reflagged under Rosgvardiya since the 2016–2017 reorganization.
Special Purpose Detachment "Mercury" (military unit 7459)
The 25th Special Purpose Detachment "Mercury" (v/ch 7459) corresponds to a legacy Internal Troops special purpose (spetsnaz) detachment designation within the Central region. Such detachments trained for high-risk operations in support of counterterrorism, high-value target security, and special internal security tasks. As of 2024, open sources do not provide authoritative, current details on the detachment’s garrison, manning, or whether its title and number remain unchanged within Rosgvardiya.
Enablers and Support Units (Protection and Support, Repair, Communications)
The 236th Protection and Support Regiment (military unit 7456), the 400th Separate Repair and Restoration Battalion (military unit 6833), and the 683rd Separate Internal Troops Communication Regiment (military unit 5583) align with standard divisional support functions in the legacy VV MVD structure. Protection and Support regiments typically handled garrison security tasks and logistical support; Repair and Restoration battalions provided field maintenance and recovery for vehicles and equipment; and Communications regiments established and maintained command, control, and communications for higher headquarters and subordinate units. Current, official details on their locations, present designations within Rosgvardiya, and equipment inventories are not publicly available.
Geographic Footprint and Strategic Considerations
The units cited are associated with central Russia. Tula is a longstanding military-industrial center and garrison city in the Central Federal District. The 21st Separate Operational Brigade is based in Sofrino-2, Moscow Oblast, providing a high-readiness internal security capability in proximity to Moscow. The 71st separate battalion (v/ch 3527) protects the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant near Kurchatov in Kursk Oblast, a critical energy infrastructure site. Precise garrison locations for other listed units are not confirmed by open sources, and current stationing may differ from legacy VV dispositions.
Current Status Under Rosgvardiya and Nomenclature
Since the 2016 creation of Rosgvardiya, former Internal Troops formations have been reorganized into districts, brigades, regiments, battalions, and specialized detachments under the National Guard Troops. Legacy divisional titles are no longer used in official Rosgvardiya nomenclature. Many units retained their military unit numbers (v/ch), but subordination and naming have been adjusted to the Rosgvardiya command structure. Without access to current official rosters, the present designations and chains of command for the majority of the units listed cannot be confirmed.
Data Confidence and Information Gaps
This analysis relies on verifiable, open-source facts. The following are confirmed: (1) Military unit 3527 secures the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant; (2) the 21st Separate Operational Brigade (military unit 3641) is garrisoned at Sofrino-2 and operates as a separate brigade within Rosgvardiya. The precise status, locations, and current Rosgvardiya designations of other units listed (including the claimed divisional HQ at Tula, v/ch 5580, and support elements such as v/ch 7456, 6833, and 5583) are not publicly available. Where information is not confirmed by authoritative public sources, it is identified as such, and no assumptions are made about current strength, equipment, or exact stationing.