Siberian National Guard District
Overview and Legal Basis
The National Guard of the Russian Federation (Rosgvardiya) was established by Presidential Decree No. 157 dated 5 April 2016. Its organization and powers are defined primarily by Federal Law No. 226-FZ of 3 July 2016 (On the National Guard Troops), alongside related statutes such as Federal Law No. 35-FZ of 6 March 2006 (On Countering Terrorism). The Siberian National Guard District is one of Rosgvardiya’s territorial commands, responsible for command and control of National Guard troops and units within its assigned Siberian area.
Headquarters and Command Structure
Headquarters: Novosibirsk (Novosibirsk Oblast). The district reports to the central command of Rosgvardiya, whose Director and Commander-in-Chief of the National Guard Troops is Army General Viktor Zolotov (as of 2024). The district command exercises operational control over National Guard troop units, OMON (special purpose mobile units), SOBR (special rapid response units), and specialized support elements across its area of responsibility.
Area of Responsibility
The district’s area of responsibility encompasses the Siberian macro-region and includes the majority of subjects within the Siberian Federal District: Altai Krai, Altai Republic, Kemerovo Oblast (Kuzbass), Novosibirsk Oblast, Omsk Oblast, Tomsk Oblast, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Republic of Khakassia, Republic of Tuva (Tyva), and Irkutsk Oblast. In November 2018, the Republic of Buryatia and Zabaykalsky Krai were reassigned to the Far Eastern Federal District; Rosgvardiya also maintains an Eastern District responsible for the Far East.
Core Missions and Tasks
In accordance with Federal Law No. 226-FZ, the district conducts: maintenance of public order and public safety; participation in counterterrorism operations under the National Anti-Terrorism Committee framework; protection of especially important state facilities and special cargos; territorial defense tasks as assigned; support to the state border regime when authorized; oversight of civilian arms circulation and private security activity through Rosgvardiya’s licensing and permitting system; convoy, detention security, and support to special law enforcement operations.
Organizational Components
Subordinate elements typically include: OMON detachments and SOBR units in each federal subject; National Guard troop units (operational regiments/battalions/companies) for rapid reinforcement and facility security; special convoy (spetskonvoi) units; engineering/EOD, canine (K-9), medical, and communications/logistics subunits. Rosgvardiya’s federal state unitary enterprise Okhrana operates region-wide contract security services under Rosgvardiya authority (it is not part of the National Guard troops but is administratively subordinate to the service).
Headquarters Location and Strategic Value
Novosibirsk is a major Siberian administrative and transport hub situated on the Trans-Siberian Railway and served by Tolmachevo (OVB) international airport, enabling rapid interregional movement by rail and air. The location provides efficient command access to western, central, and eastern Siberia and connectivity to federal transport corridors used for troop and equipment redeployment.
Infrastructure and Basing
Permanent Rosgvardiya garrisons and directorates are present in the capitals and key cities of the district’s federal subjects (e.g., Novosibirsk, Omsk, Tomsk, Kemerovo, Barnaul, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Abakan, Kyzyl, Gorno-Altaysk). Typical installations include headquarters complexes, vehicle parks and maintenance facilities, secure armories and depots, training areas (indoor and outdoor ranges), and communications nodes. Specific street addresses or internal layouts are not publicly released.
Protection of Critical Facilities in Siberia
Under Federal Law No. 226-FZ, Rosgvardiya safeguards especially important state facilities and special cargos. In the Siberian region, protected categories include nuclear fuel and nuclear-chemical enterprises (e.g., Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant in Novosibirsk; Siberian Chemical Combine in Seversk, Tomsk Oblast; Mining and Chemical Combine in Zheleznogorsk, Krasnoyarsk Krai; Angarsk Electrolysis Chemical Complex in Irkutsk Oblast), major hydroelectric dams (e.g., Sayano-Shushenskaya, Krasnoyarsk, Bratsk, Ust-Ilim), defense-industrial plants, and strategic transport hubs (rail junctions, airports, and key river port facilities).
Equipment and Vehicles
Rosgvardiya units in all districts generally field standard small arms (AK-74M family; limited AK-12; PKM/PKP machine guns; SVD/SVDS rifles), riot-control equipment, and a fleet of armored and unarmored vehicles appropriate to internal security and convoy/security missions. Typical armored assets include BTR-80/82A armored personnel carriers, GAZ-233014 Tigr light armored vehicles, and armored trucks such as Ural-VV and VPK-Ural. The unarmored fleet commonly includes UAZ Patriot, GAZelle, KAMAZ, and Ural trucks, with specialized off-road and winterized equipment used for Siberian terrain and climate.
Mobility and Logistics
Regional mobility leverages the Trans-Siberian Railway, major federal highways (e.g., R-254 Irtysh, R-255 Siberia, R-256 Chuysky Trakt, R-257 Yenisei), and principal airports (Novosibirsk Tolmachevo, Omsk Tsentralny, Krasnoyarsk Yemelyanovo, Irkutsk, Kemerovo, Barnaul, Tomsk, Abakan, Kyzyl). Logistics support includes district-level depots, repair and maintenance units, and supply chains synchronized with federal transport schedules. In remote areas, seasonal constraints (winter roads and river crossings) influence routing and resupply timelines.
Aviation Support
Rosgvardiya maintains its own aviation units for air mobility, including rotary-wing platforms such as Mi-8 and, in some formations, heavy-lift assets (Mi-26) for transport, medevac, and insertion of small detachments. In Siberia, aviation provides critical reach to remote areas and rapid reinforcement between urban centers. When authorized, additional airlift can be provided by the Ministry of Defense or EMERCOM. Specific basing details for Rosgvardiya aviation within the Siberian District are not publicly released.
Training and Preparedness
District units conduct routine training in public-order operations, counterterrorism tactics, firearms proficiency, urban operations, convoy and facility security, CBRN safety procedures pertinent to guarding sensitive sites, and cold-weather survival. Training occurs at unit garrisons, regional ranges, and, when applicable, joint sites with other services. Readiness is periodically assessed through scheduled inspections and exercises directed by Rosgvardiya headquarters.
Interagency Coordination
The district coordinates with Federal Security Service (FSB) regional offices under the National Anti-Terrorism Committee for counterterrorism operations; with the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) for public-order and criminal-police support missions; with EMERCOM for disaster response and evacuation support; and with regional authorities for civil contingency planning. Cooperative mechanisms are established by federal law and interagency directives, with joint command posts activated for major events and incidents.
Notable Event Support in the Region
Rosgvardiya forces in Siberia have provided security for major public events and infrastructure, including the 2019 Winter Universiade in Krasnoyarsk (2–12 March 2019), where enhanced public-order, counterterrorism, and critical-infrastructure protection measures were implemented in coordination with federal and regional agencies. Routine high-visibility deployments occur during national elections, large public gatherings, and periods of heightened threat levels.
Environmental and Geographic Considerations
Siberia’s climate and geography—long distances between population centers, severe winter conditions, mountainous areas (Altai, Sayan ranges), taiga and steppe, and extensive river systems (Ob, Yenisei)—impose mobility, sustainment, and communications challenges. Units employ winterized equipment, off-road vehicles, and rotary-wing lift to maintain reach, and plan operations around seasonal constraints and limited road networks in remote districts.