Ministry of Internal Affairs
Scope Clarification
The data provided refers to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus (MVD Belarus), headquartered at 4 Gorodskoy Val Street, Minsk. This is a Belarusian internal security institution, not a site of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Its relevance to Russian security considerations arises from Belarus–Russia Union State integration and longstanding bilateral law-enforcement cooperation, but it remains a national Belarusian authority.
Entity Identification
Official designation: Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus (MVD RB). Functionally, it is the central executive authority responsible for policing (militsiya/police), public order, migration and citizenship administration, weapons and security-services licensing, traffic safety (State Automobile Inspectorate), and the command of the Belarusian Internal Troops.
Location Analysis
Headquarters address: 4 Gorodskoy Val Street, Minsk. The site is situated in central Minsk (Tsentralny District), within the city’s administrative core. It is an administrative complex hosting ministerial leadership and staff elements. There is no public evidence that this facility functions as a training ground, depot, or armaments storage site.
Leadership and Chain of Command
The ministry is headed by Lieutenant General of Militia Ivan Vladimirovich Kubrakov, appointed Minister of Internal Affairs on 29 October 2020 by presidential decree. The MVD is subordinate to the Council of Ministers and the President of Belarus. The central apparatus includes a collegium and multiple deputy ministers; the Internal Troops are commanded by a designated deputy minister and operate as a militarized formation under the ministry’s authority.
Mission and Authorities
Core mandates include maintaining public order and public safety; crime prevention and detection within the ministry’s statutory remit; road traffic safety via the State Automobile Inspectorate (GAI); migration and citizenship services; licensing and supervisory functions over civilian weapons and private security; and management of the Internal Troops for protection of key facilities, riot control, convoy and guard duties, and support to emergency regimes. These authorities are established in Belarusian national legislation governing internal affairs bodies and internal troops.
Subordinate Forces and Units
Subordinate components include regional and city internal affairs directorates, OMON riot-police detachments, specialized units such as SOBR, and the Internal Troops (VV MVD RB). The Internal Troops comprise separate formations stationed across Belarus; publicly known units include military unit 3214 in Minsk. These forces are equipped and trained for public security operations, convoy and facility protection, and support to other state security organs.
Infrastructure and Capabilities
As a national headquarters, the facility houses the ministerial leadership and staff directorates responsible for policy and planning, command-and-control over regional directorates and subordinate formations, personnel and training oversight, logistics planning and procurement, analytical functions, and public communications. It supports interagency coordination within Belarus and liaison with foreign law-enforcement counterparts.
Operational Role and Notable Events
The headquarters directs nationwide internal security operations. In 2020–2021, the ministry coordinated the countrywide policing response to post-election protests, employing OMON and Internal Troops; leadership roles and the scope of these operations are extensively documented in public reporting. The headquarters continues to oversee routine public-order, criminal-police, and administrative functions across the republic.
International Linkages and Russian Integration
Belarus and Russia are linked by the Union State treaty (signed 8 December 1999) and maintain extensive law-enforcement cooperation. The Belarusian MVD conducts regular bilateral coordination with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and engages with Russia’s National Guard (Rosgvardiya) on training and public-order topics. These arrangements enhance interoperability and policy alignment but do not alter the Belarusian ministry’s national command and legal status.
Sanctions and International Restrictions
Ivan V. Kubrakov and other senior MVD officials have been designated under restrictive measures by the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada in connection with post-2020 internal security actions in Belarus. These listings are publicly accessible in the sanction databases of the respective authorities and remain subject to updates.
Security and Access
The headquarters is a secured state facility with controlled public access for administrative services. Specific details on internal layout, security systems, guard procedures, communications networks, and other sensitive site characteristics are not publicly released. No classified or restricted operational information is included in this assessment.
Relevance to Russian Military-Sites Analysis
Although not a Russian military installation, the Belarusian MVD headquarters is pertinent to regional security assessments involving Russia due to Union State integration, cross-border law-enforcement cooperation, and coordination with Russian counterparts on public-order and internal-security matters. It does not constitute a Russian command node, nor does it fall under Russian military command.
Information Gaps and Limitations
Open sources substantiate the headquarters location, leadership, and institutional functions. Detailed order of battle, staffing levels, secure communications architecture, and physical security specifics for the site are not publicly available or are restricted. This analysis is limited to verifiable public information and excludes nonpublic or classified details.