98th Internal Troops Division
Organizational Context and Current Status
The listed entities are formations of the former Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (Vnutrenniye Voiska MVD, VV MVD). By Presidential Decree No. 157 of 5 April 2016 and Federal Law No. 226-FZ of 3 July 2016, the Internal Troops were reorganized into the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation (Rosgvardiya). As of 2025, units previously designated as Internal Troops operate within Rosgvardiya; many retained their military unit numbers (voinskaya chast, v/ch). Detailed current orders of battle, personnel strengths, and internal designations for specific v/ch numbers are generally not publicly disclosed.
Strategic Location: Seversk (Tomsk Oblast)
Seversk is a closed administrative-territorial formation (ZATO) in Tomsk Oblast and is the site of the Siberian Chemical Combine (Sibirsky Khimichesky Kombinat, SKhK), a major nuclear-fuel-cycle complex operated within Rosatom. Historically, Internal Troops maintained a permanent presence to secure such especially important state facilities and associated special cargoes. Seversk’s status as a closed city, the presence of nuclear infrastructure, rail spurs, and controlled access points necessitate layered security involving armed troops, departmental security, and law-enforcement coordination. Notable historical context includes a radiological release at SKhK on 6 April 1993, underscoring the criticality of robust site security.
Division-Level Entity: 98th Internal Troops Division (military unit 3478; headquarters: Seversk)
The 98th Internal Troops Division, identified with military unit (v/ch) 3478 and headquartered in Seversk, is referenced in open reporting as a division-level Internal Troops formation associated with security of especially important facilities in Tomsk Oblast. Following the 2016 transition, division-level formations of the Internal Troops were incorporated into the National Guard Troops (Rosgvardiya). Specific current naming, staffing, and subordinate elements of v/ch 3478 are not officially published. This formation is distinct from the 98th Guards Airborne Division of the Ministry of Defense; the latter is a separate entity.
44th Internal Troops Regiment (military unit 3481)
The 44th Internal Troops Regiment, v/ch 3481, is identified as a regiment-level formation of the former VV MVD. Regiments of this type are organized to protect especially important state facilities, support public-order missions, and provide armed security for special cargo transports under the legal authorities of the Internal Troops (now Rosgvardiya). Post-2016, such regiments operate within Rosgvardiya; precise current official designations, garrison details, and equipment inventories for v/ch 3481 are not publicly released.
592nd Internal Troops Regiment (military unit 3480)
The 592nd Internal Troops Regiment, v/ch 3480, is recorded as a regiment-level unit of the Internal Troops. In line with statutory tasks, formations of this type provide armed security for critical state infrastructure, reinforce law-and-order operations, and can be tasked to secure special cargoes. After the 2016 reorganization, regiments of the Internal Troops transitioned into Rosgvardiya. Public, authoritative data on the present-day title, internal structure, and equipment holdings of v/ch 3480 are not available.
555th Internal Troops Regiment (military unit 3287)
The 555th Internal Troops Regiment, v/ch 3287, is documented as a regiment-level Internal Troops formation. Such regiments typically provide facility security, convoy and perimeter protection, and support to public-order and counterterrorism operations in coordination with other state bodies. Following incorporation into Rosgvardiya in 2016, detailed current information (manning, subunit breakdown, and current formal name) for v/ch 3287 is not published in open sources.
431st Separate Special Motorized Internal Troops Battalion (military unit 6887)
The 431st Separate Special Motorized Battalion, v/ch 6887, is identified as a battalion-level Internal Troops unit with a designation that indicates independent tasking and motorized patrolling/protection roles. In Internal Troops practice, "separate" battalions operate under higher-echelon headquarters but have the administrative capacity for independent deployment; "special motorized" indicates a focus on wheeled mobility for patrols, checkpoints, and perimeter-security duties. Post-2016, such units fall under Rosgvardiya. Specific current details on v/ch 6887’s exact garrison, subunit structure, and equipment are not publicly disclosed.
Mission Sets and Operational Roles
By law and doctrine, Internal Troops (now Rosgvardiya troops) perform: security of especially important state facilities and special cargoes; support to public order and public safety; participation in counterterrorism and counter-extremism activities alongside other state agencies; territorial defense functions when directed; protection of critical infrastructure during states of emergency; and reinforcement of checkpoints and controlled-access zones in closed cities (ZATO). Units stationed in or commanded from Seversk would, within these legal frameworks, be positioned to secure nuclear-fuel-cycle installations and associated transport within Tomsk Oblast.
Infrastructure and Support Capabilities
Garrisons for Internal Troops/Rosgvardiya units typically include: controlled-access barracks and administrative compounds; motor pools and maintenance workshops for wheeled armored vehicles and trucks; secure armories and ammunition storage conforming to federal safety standards; communications nodes linked to district and federal networks; small-arms ranges and training facilities (including urban operations mock-ups); and logistical stores for extended guard and patrol operations. In closed-city environments such as Seversk, military compounds and patrol routes interface with facility security perimeters and access-control infrastructure. Precise facility addresses and internal layouts are not publicly available.
Equipment and Armament (typical for Internal Troops/Rosgvardiya units of this type)
Openly documented categories of equipment used across Rosgvardiya ground units include: wheeled armored personnel carriers (e.g., BTR-80/82-series) for convoy and perimeter security; protected patrol vehicles and armored cars (e.g., GAZ Tigr-M/AMN-233114 and BPM-97 "Vystrel" in some units); general-service trucks (Ural-4320, KamAZ-5350 family) and light utility vehicles (UAZ Patriot); small arms such as AK-74M (with ongoing AK-12 introduction in select units), RPK-74, PKM/PKP machine guns, SVD designated marksman rifles, and 12-gauge riot-control shotguns; protective and riot-control gear (ballistic helmets/vests, shields, non-lethal munitions); and standard VHF/UHF tactical radios. Specific equipment inventories for the listed v/ch numbers are not published in authoritative open sources.
Command Relationships and District Alignment
Tomsk Oblast falls under the Siberian District of the National Guard Troops (Rosgvardiya). District commands exercise operational control over subordinate military units and coordinate with regional Rosgvardiya directorates, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Federal Security Service, and Rosatom’s security elements where applicable. At the federal level, Rosgvardiya is led by the Director of the Federal Service of the National Guard Troops; Viktor Zolotov has held this position since 2016. Unit-level command arrangements, including specific regimental and battalion tasking, are not publicly detailed.
Legal Basis and 2016 Transition
The transfer of Internal Troops to the National Guard Troops was effected by Presidential Decree No. 157 (5 April 2016) and codified by Federal Law No. 226-FZ (3 July 2016) "On the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation." These instruments define the missions of the National Guard Troops, including security of especially important state facilities and special cargoes, participation in counterterrorism, and support to public order. Following this transition, former Internal Troops units—at division, regiment, and battalion levels—operate under Rosgvardiya while typically retaining their military unit numbers for administrative identification.
Open-Source Confidence and Information Gaps
The identification of the 98th Internal Troops Division (v/ch 3478, Seversk) and associated regimental/battalion designations (44th, 592nd, 555th regiments; 431st separate special motorized battalion with v/ch 3481, 3480, 3287, 6887 respectively) is consistent with historical Internal Troops nomenclature. However, authoritative, up-to-date open publications do not provide comprehensive details on present-day official names, precise garrison addresses, unit strengths, equipment lists, or internal layouts for these military unit numbers. Such information is typically restricted for security reasons. Where specific details are not public, they are omitted here.
Operational Significance
The Seversk-centered grouping indicated by the listed designations aligns with the legally defined role of Internal Troops/Rosgvardiya in securing especially important state facilities and special cargoes, a mission critical to the protection of Russia’s nuclear-fuel-cycle infrastructure in Tomsk Oblast. Division-, regiment-, and battalion-level structures provide layered security, mobility for perimeter and convoy tasks, and the capacity to reinforce public-order and counterterrorism operations when directed. This posture supports continuous security of closed-city assets and rapid response to incidents affecting critical infrastructure.