Officials specially appointed by the military police department perform patrol duties: ensure law and order, military discipline, combat crime, provide personal security or protection of the home, as well as property, office premises or investigative agencies, and the like.

DPS VAI

Two or more inspectors of the road patrol service of the military traffic police perform patrol duties in the prescribed manner. They must ensure road safety at the VAI traffic police control post or on a specific patrol route so that aircraft vehicles move along public roads and territories without incident. The duties of the VAI traffic police patrol include escorting aircraft transport.

Patrolling also includes the constant inspection of designated (defined) sections of the highway or traffic routes through systematic observation from a patrol vehicle or on foot. First of all, monitoring of compliance with traffic rules by drivers of vehicles belonging to the Armed Forces is carried out, and the implementation of regulations that regulate the use of aircraft transport is also monitored. All this is the responsibility of the VAI traffic police patrol.

Garrison patrol

In order to maintain order and control over the observance of discipline by military personnel in public places, at train stations, ports, railway stations, airports, and in populated areas adjacent to the garrison, patrols are organized by order of the head of the garrison. At the military commandant's office there is a reserve patrol - with a vehicle, and the duties of the garrison patrol are performed by assigned military personnel from garrison units. They can be on foot, in cars or motorcycles.

The patrol consists of two or three patrolmen and a chief - an officer, warrant officer or midshipman, sergeant or sergeant major. The areas of a port, airport or railway station are patrolled by a group under the command of an officer (usually). Patrol officers are appointed from among fit, physically developed, demanding and disciplined soldiers from the same unit (also, as a rule). The responsibilities of the patrol chief include maintaining order, proper performance of duty, and maintaining discipline among the military personnel entrusted to him along the entire patrol route.

Patrol Chief

It is also the responsibility of the patrol chief to arrive exactly at the appointed time for instructions and to review the necessary documents with the military commandant. Understand the task and competently manage the patrol service. Monitor the implementation of discipline and compliance with all rules by military personnel, including wearing a military uniform.

Remind about the order both to peers in rank and to junior military personnel who violate military discipline, check documents if necessary, and if necessary, detain them and send them to the military commandant’s office. Check the availability of telephones along this route for communication with guards on duty at the military commandant’s office and with police posts. At the appointed time, report to the military commandant or guard duty officer on the progress of the patrol.

Military Police Patrol Service

The responsibilities of the military patrol include a whole range of measures to ensure military discipline and law and order, and combat crime not only among military personnel, but also among civilian personnel. The military police can implement their functions with the help of the following powers.

The duties of the military police patrol include requiring military personnel to maintain discipline. And also the patrol must demand the cessation of obstructing the patrol’s activities or other illegal actions. It is necessary to take measures that are provided for by federal laws and legal norms of the Russian Federation, which is what the military patrol is authorized to do. The Charter specifies the duties specifically, including offenses, crimes and disciplinary offenses committed by military personnel.

Other responsibilities

The patrol is obliged to demand from civilians, personnel and strangers located on the territory of the military unit to stop interfering with the activities of the military police or other illegal actions. The duties of the head of the military police patrol include the suppression of crimes that are committed on the territory of a military unit by military personnel or civilians, and it is he who takes measures that are provided for by the Charter of the Military Police of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, federal laws or other legal acts.

Civilian personnel who have committed a crime against military personnel of any troops, formations or bodies, as well as property of the Armed Forces, must be detained by a military police patrol and transferred to the appropriate law enforcement agencies. The responsibilities of the police patrol chief also include checking the identity documents of both military personnel and civilian personnel, if warranted.

Detention

The patrol detains and delivers to the military police persons of civilian personnel or military personnel in cases of committing a crime, gross violation of discipline, or administrative offense in order to prevent the possibility of these persons committing new crimes. If there is resistance or disobedience to the demands of the military police patrol, detention is necessary. The same happens in cases where there are no documents confirming the legality of the conscript’s presence outside the unit.

If a conscripted serviceman arrived on the territory of the unit from another garrison, then even if there is a letter of dismissal, he is still subject to detention until the circumstances are clarified. In addition, there are many other cases provided for by the Military Police Charter when there are grounds for detention, and it should occur.

Personal inspection

A personal search is carried out, as well as an examination of things that are on the serviceman, in order to detect documents, tools or objects used to commit a crime, objects on which traces of an offense could remain.

Inspection is also mandatory if there is evidence that the serviceman has psychotropic substances, narcotic drugs, explosive devices, explosives, ammunition for weapons, other ammunition, as well as weapons themselves, if there are no legal grounds for storing or carrying them.

According to the Charter

The patrol must ensure the safety of all found documents, funds and substances, objects, weapons, and also ensure the protection of the crime scene. In addition, the military police patrol ensures the safety of traces and other evidence of a crime committed on the territory of a military unit by military personnel or civilian personnel.

Send or deliver military personnel for a medical examination to determine the presence of drugs or alcohol in the body, if the result of such examination is necessary and related to the commission of an administrative offense, crime or disciplinary offense. This is necessary to objectively establish all the circumstances of the offense. Persons driving aircraft vehicles may also be subject to examination at the request of the military police patrol.

Fire patrol

Military units have both regular and non-regular fire brigades. From their composition, a special squad is assigned daily, reporting to the head of the fire protection service and the unit on duty. This outfit (fire patrol) includes at least two people. The time of duty, the location of fire stations and their placement, as well as the procedure for appointment are determined by the head of the corresponding fire service, and his developments are approved by the unit commander.

Patrols include: monitoring the implementation of fire safety rules on the territory of the military unit, checking all fire protection equipment and devices, calling the fire department if a fire is detected. In addition to patrols, in certain situations there are fire posts on the territories of military units, whose responsibilities include monitoring the fire regime for special cases, such as: when carrying out events or work at fire-hazardous facilities; during a thunderstorm; when unloading or loading fire and explosive materials, during events in military camp clubs.

Fire station

Fire posts can be temporary or permanent, it depends on the importance, as well as the fire danger of the security objects and the time allotted for service. The fire post unites everything entrusted to the assigned personnel of the unit for the protection and provision of fire protection in a given military unit. However, a fire post can be a specific place or area where a fire patrol performs its duties. Fire stations are set up to prevent fires, to monitor the serviceability of extinguishing means and their readiness for action in the event of a fire.

They also monitor firefighting equipment and ensure that all tools are present and in good working order. The fire patrol is also responsible for the sources of fire water supply - reservoirs, hydrants, approaches and entrances to them. The fire patrol calls the fire brigade in a timely manner and participates in extinguishing the fire or fires using available fire protection means - sand, water, fire extinguishers, etc. Warehouses, structures, workshops, workshops, barracks, points of work with property and military equipment are guarded by fire crews.

Duties of a military patrolman

The patrolman is obliged to be vigilant, observant, and immediately report any violations of discipline to the officer or the person appointed as the head of the patrol. The latter's orders must be carried out quickly and accurately by the patrolmen. You can't go anywhere without your boss's permission. Also, nothing can be done without his permission.

Do not accept anything from persons delivered or delivered to the military commandant’s office and do not transfer anything to them, only with the permission of the head of the military patrol. Report their requests immediately. A military patrol in the performance of its duties is an example of military discipline.

Photos from open sources

In Ancient Rus' there were no military ranks, and commanders were named according to the number of soldiers under their command - foreman, centurion, thousandman. We found out when and how majors, captains and generalissimos appeared in the Russian and other armies.

1. Ensign

Ensigns in the Russian army were originally called standard bearers. From the Church Slavonic language "prapor" is a banner. The title was first introduced in 1649 by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich.

Russian soldiers had to earn the high rank of ensign with their courage and military valor. Alexei Mikhailovich's son, Peter I, when creating a regular army in 1712, introduced the military rank of ensign as the first (junior) rank of chief officer in the infantry and cavalry.

Since 1884, the first officer rank after leaving the military academy was second lieutenant (for cavalrymen - cornet), while the rank of ensign was retained by reserve officers, in the Caucasian militia and for wartime. In addition, soldiers who distinguished themselves during battle could receive the rank of ensign. Since 1886, lower ranks could take the ensign exam.

Candidates who passed the exam were in the reserve for 12 years and annually had to undergo six weeks of military training. In the fall of 1912, Nicholas II approved the Regulations on accelerated graduation during the mobilization of the army from His Imperial Majesty's Corps of Pages, military and special schools. Now you could become a warrant officer after 8 months of training.

Thus, warrant officers became, as it were, “precocious officers,” which affected the attitude towards them in the Russian Imperial Army. From 1917 to January 1, 1972, the rank of warrant officer did not exist. In terms of status, the “new warrant officers” were higher than the sergeant major and lower than the junior lieutenant. In comparison with pre-revolutionary ranks, the Soviet ensign was equal to the sub-ensign of the tsarist army. Since 2009, the institution of warrant officers has been liquidated, but in February 2013, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced the return of the institutions of warrant officers and midshipmen to the army and navy. Elistratov’s “Dictionary of Russian Argot” notes that in army jargon, warrant officers are called “pieces.”

2. Sergeant

The word "sergeant" came into Russian from French (sergent), and into French from Latin (serviens). Translated as "employee". The first sergeants appeared in the 11th century in England. Only then they called it not the military, but the landowners who carried out various assignments for the king. In the 12th century, sergeants in England were also called employees who performed police functions. As a military rank, "sergeant" appeared only in the 15th century, in the French army. After this, it passed into the German and English armies, and in the 17th century - into the Russian one. The rank was in use from 1716 to 1798, when Paul the First replaced the ranks of sergeant and senior sergeant with non-commissioned officer and sergeant major, respectively. In the Red Army, the rank of "sergeant" appeared on November 2, 1940.

The peculiarity of the Soviet sergeant corps was that sergeants were not career military personnel, but conscripts, which, according to the plan of the Soviet military leadership, increased the mobilization qualities of the army. This approach paid off - in December 1979, in 2 weeks, a large group of troops was formed to enter Afghanistan (50 thousand soldiers, sergeants and officers). Absolutely excellent sergeant system in the US Army. According to 2010 data, sergeants there make up about 40% of the total number of the Armed Forces. Of the more than 1,371,000 members of the US Army, 547 thousand are American sergeants. Of these: 241,500 are sergeants, 168,000 are staff sergeants, 100,000 are 1st class sergeants, 26,900 are master sergeants, 10,600 are sergeant majors. A sergeant in the US Army is first after God for soldiers and second lieutenants. Sergeants train them and take charge of them.

3. Lieutenant

The word "lieutenant" comes from the French lieutenant, which translates as "deputy". At the beginning of the 15th century in France, this was the name given to the commanding officers who held the positions of deputy chiefs of detachments, then - deputy commanders of companies; in the navy, this was the name given to deputy captains of ships. From the second half of the 17th century, “lieutenant” became a military rank.

In Spain of the 15th-16th centuries, the same position was called "lugar teniente" or simply "teniente". In Russia, from 1701 to 1917, the rank of lieutenant was only in the imperial fleet. In the USSR, the rank of lieutenant was introduced on September 22, 1935 as the primary officer rank received upon graduation from a military school or upon completion of a military department in civilian universities. Junior lieutenants are awarded the rank of lieutenant upon expiration of the established period of service upon positive certification.

4. Captain

“Captain” and “kaput” are words with the same root. In Latin caput means head. Captain is translated as "military leader". For the first time, the title “captain” began to be used again in France; in the Middle Ages, this was the name given to the heads of military districts. Since 1558, company commanders began to be called captains, and the heads of military districts began to be called captains general.

In Russia, the rank of captain appeared in the 16th century. This is how company commanders began to be called. In the cavalry and dragoon regiments and gendarme corps since 1882, the captain was called a captain, and in the Cossack regiments - an esaul. Until 1917, the rank of army infantry captain was equal to the rank of a modern army major, and the rank of guard captain was equal to the rank of army lieutenant colonel. In the Red Army, the rank of captain was introduced on September 22, 1935. At the same time, the ranks of captain of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd rank and captain-lieutenant (the latter corresponds to the rank of captain) were introduced for the naval personnel of the Navy. In artillery, the rank of captain corresponds to the position of battery commander (battler commander).

5. Major

Major is translated as "senior". Che Guevara is also a major, since in Spanish-speaking countries the rank of comandante is equal to major. The title appeared in the 17th century. This was the name given to the assistant regiment commanders responsible for food and guard duty. When regiments were divided into battalions, majors became battalion commanders. In the Russian army, the rank of major was introduced by Peter I in 1698. By analogy with major generals of that time, majors received not one star, as now, but two. The difference between the ranks was the fringe on the epaulettes.

For major generals it was a general's one, twisted, for majors it was a staff officer's one, made of thin threads. From 1716 to 1797, the Russian army also had the ranks of prime major and second major. The division was abolished by Paul the First. In the Cossack troops, the rank of major corresponded to the rank of "military foreman", in civil ranks - "collegiate assessor".

In 1884, the rank of major was abolished, and majors became lieutenant colonels. In the Red Army, the rank of major was introduced in 1935; in the navy it corresponded to the ship rank of captain of the 3rd rank. Interesting fact: Yuri Gagarin became the first senior lieutenant to become a major.

6. General and above

“General” means “chief,” but “marshal” translates as “groom” (the French maréchal still means “horseshoe blacksmith”). However, until 1917, marshal was the highest military rank in the Russian army, and after that, from the same 1935. But besides marshals and generals, there are also generalissimos. For the first time in Russian history, the title “Generalissimo” was granted on June 28, 1696 by Peter I to Voivode A.S. Shein for successful actions near Azov (we are not talking about “amusing generalissimos”).

Officially, the military rank of generalissimo was introduced in Russia by the Military Regulations of 1716.

The generalissimos in Russian history were: Prince Alexander Menshikov (1727), Prince Anton Ulrich of Brunswick (1740), Alexander Suvorov (1799). After the Great Patriotic War, on June 26, 1945, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the highest military rank of “Generalissimo of the Soviet Union” was introduced. The next day, Joseph Stalin received this title. According to Rokossovsky’s recollections, he personally persuaded Stalin to accept the title, saying that “there are many marshals, but there is only one generalissimo.” During the Brezhnev rule, there was talk about Leonid Ilyich receiving this high title, but... it didn’t work out.

7. Wash the stars

It is customary to wash the receipt of stars. And not only in Russia. Where exactly this tradition came from today is difficult to establish, but it is known that ranks were washed during the Great Patriotic War, promotions in military service and in the army of the Russian Empire were washed. The tradition is well known.

The stars are placed in a glass, it is filled with vodka, after which it is drunk, and the stars are caught with the teeth and placed on the shoulder straps.

08.08.2015 13:10

When attending various events held in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, you constantly encounter representatives of the military police. I believe that it will be interesting for readers of my blog to even often see externally how military police differ from the cops of their colleagues in the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The military police are designed to combat crime, ensure legality, law and order, military discipline, road safety in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, ensure the protection of especially important and special-security military facilities, garrison facilities and military camps, and also, within their competence, to protect other legally protected legal relations in the field of defense.

Military police personnel have the right to use physical force, including combat fighting techniques, special means, firearms, combat and special equipment in cases and in the manner provided for by federal constitutional laws, federal laws, general military regulations and the military police charter.

Organizationally, local military police units are linked to the Main Directorate of Military Police of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

2. Head of the Main Directorate of Military Police of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Major General Igor Sidorkevich.

4. VAI is an integral part of the military police.

8. For transportation of VAI personnel.

9. VAI escort vehicles.

Recently, the guest of my author’s program “General Staff” on the Russian News Service was the deputy head of the Main Directorate of Military Police of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Colonel of Justice Vladimir Kovalev. It turned out to be a very informative interview.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Today we will talk about a relatively new structure in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, about the military police. We remember many conversations that accompanied the birth and emergence of military police bodies; today the discussion has already been completed, this new body in the structure of the Armed Forces has been created and has begun to perform its functional duties.

And yet, citizens have developed an understanding of the functionality and necessity of the police as an instrument of the state that ensures their rights and security. What is the essence of the military police, whose interests is it designed to protect, and how can we explain the emergence of the military police today? Until recently and throughout the Soviet period, there were no such bodies in the Armed Forces.

V. KOVALYOV: This is a new phenomenon for the Armed Forces, for the Russian army. I want to say that in the short time it has existed, the military police have confirmed the correctness of the decision made to create it.

Despite its existence for two years, it has proven itself during exercises, in working with troops at training grounds, in supporting events that are held: tank biathlon, air darts and others, events to maintain law and order on the territory of garrisons, during parades, processions.

The recent Vostok 2014 exercise, which was covered quite well in the media, also demonstrated the action of the military police. For the first time during the exercises, the military police carried out tasks to combat sabotage and reconnaissance groups of a mock enemy, together with drug control units carried out special measures to prevent a group of drug couriers from entering the troops, and also during mobilization conscription from military commissariats, the conscript contingent was checked for the use of narcotic drugs .

I. KOROTCHENKO: What is the number of military police?

V. KOVALYOV: Currently there are about 6.5 thousand people. These are conscripted military personnel, so we are talking about the military police as a professional body that builds its foundation based on the fact that our people work on a permanent basis, conscientious, already trained specialists.

I. KOROTCHENKO: There are no conscript soldiers?

V. KOVALYOV: No.

I. KOROTCHENKO: What does the structure look like? There is a Main Police Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, and then how is the vertical structure built?

V. KOVALYOV: For the Ministry of Defense this is a standard structure, consisting of three levels. In the central office, as you correctly said, the Main Directorate of Military Police of the Ministry of Defense.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Can you give the name and military rank of the leader?

V. KOVALYOV: Yes, it is headed by Major General Sidorkevich Igor Mikhailovich. The main department consists of the main structural divisions - the law enforcement department, the military traffic inspectorate, and there are independent departments that provide work - organizational planning and information and analytical. At the regional level, at the level of military districts, we have independent regional military police departments, which are linked to the Main Directorate, that is, this is a trunk that is entirely subordinate to the leadership exercised by the Minister of Defense. At the territorial level, these are military police departments and territorial military traffic police.

I. KOROTCHENKO: That is, garrison commanders, military district commanders do not have the right to interfere in the activities of military police bodies, because these are directly parts of central subordination? I understand correctly?

V. KOVALYOV: Yes, you are absolutely right.

I. KOROTCHENKO: You mentioned that during the exercises the military police bodies practiced tasks to combat enemy sabotage and reconnaissance agencies. Is this some kind of functionality during exercises, or is it functionality that is provided, including during a special period or in wartime, or is this already prescribed by one of the areas of activity of the military police?

V. KOVALYOV: Good question.

I. KOROTCHENKO: I draw the following analogy - the SMERSH bodies, that is, the fight against espionage directly by the structures of the Ministry of Defense, by the military in its own ranks.

V. KOVALYOV: Of course, during the period of daily activities in peacetime, troops practice what they will do in war. Of course, the military police are not a body created for peacetime. Together with the troops, he will also carry out certain tasks aimed at ensuring the actions of the troops in order to free the troops as much as possible from unusual functions, to take them upon themselves, because the troops must fight. To draw a parallel with SMERSH, I think it is quite appropriate in some places.

I. KOROTCHENKO: In wartime?

V. KOVALYOV: Yes.

I. KOROTCHENKO: What weapons do the military police have?

V. KOVALYOV: Small arms: machine guns, pistols. In connection with the adoption of the charter on the military police, which we will discuss later, it spells out the powers to use weapons, both lethal and non-lethal, including rubber truncheons, handcuffs, special equipment, so that when suppressing criminal acts as much as possible cause less harm to the criminal and save human life.

I. KOROTCHENKO: The task of the military police is to ensure law and order, discipline among military personnel, or can you in some cases perform more expanded functionality?

V. KOVALYOV: In the Russian Federation there is an integral system of law enforcement agencies, and when forming the military police, we needed to find a certain niche that we would occupy without invading the competence of other bodies. And this niche is, of course, military personnel. We act only in relation to members of the Armed Forces and in relation to civilian personnel in two cases.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Civilian personnel of the Ministry of Defense?

V. KOVALYOV: Yes. in two cases: when they committed an offense while on duty, or on the territory of a military unit. In general, the purpose of the military police is spelled out in the federal law on military police, which the president signed last year, this is 7FZ of February 3, 2014, and the charter of the military police, which was approved by the president by decree on March 25, 2015. The purpose of the military police is to protect the life, health, interests, rights and freedoms of military personnel, civilian personnel, ensure the protection of military facilities and also other functions of maintaining law and order in the Armed Forces.

I. KOROTCHENKO: You mentioned small arms. Is the technology provided in the states?

V. KOVALYOV: Currently, automotive equipment is provided to carry out the tasks of the traffic police to escort convoys and ensure road safety in garrisons and automotive equipment in military police departments - these are Caravelle and Ural vehicles for transporting personnel.

I. KOROTCHENKO: What about armored vehicles?

V. KOVALYOV: There are no armored vehicles yet, but in the future, of course, we are considering the issue of including such well-proven armored vehicles as the Tiger.

I. KOROTCHENKO: By the distinctive features, can we understand from the appearance of a serviceman that these are officers, sergeants, and privates of the military police, and not ordinary military personnel?

V. KOVALYOV: In terms of the budget, the Ministry of Defense pays important attention to economically feasible spending of funds. In this regard, expenses for uniforms were not planned. We are currently developing experimental samples of this form of clothing. Currently, to distinguish a military policeman, you can look at the armband, there is “VP” written in white on a black background, there is a heraldic sign of our military police and a red beret, as well as a badge worn on the left side of the chest - a badge.

I. KOROTCHENKO: You mentioned in the conversation that the military police charter was adopted and approved by the president. Tell us in a little more detail what kind of document this is, why it is needed and what it provides.

V. KOVALYOV: For us, this is a very important document that regulates the main directions of the activities of the military police, the rights and powers of military police in the performance of duties to suppress crimes and offenses committed by military personnel and civilian personnel. This is a fairly new document; it was developed and adopted in a short time, literally within one year. The approval of this charter is provided for by the federal law of February 3 last year, which directly states that the main areas of activity and powers are provided for by the charter of the military police. It was approved by all federal executive authorities, an anti-corruption and legal examination was carried out by the Russian Ministry of Justice, approval was obtained from the state legal department, the government - we went through all the necessary stages.

I would like to thank those people who took part in the development of this charter. In my opinion, in the opinion of the leadership of the main department, it turned out to be very, very good. All that remains is to implement the powers and ideas that are contained there.

I. KOROTCHENKO: When there was a discussion of the tasks of the military police, there were many different ideas and proposals - what remained of them and what did not, I would like to know. Regarding investigations, crimes, incidents in military units, the possibility of conducting operational-search activities there - what is the functionality, what is left for you, what can you do in the units, and what do your subcontractors carry out?

V. KOVALYOV: Military police are a new player in the field of maintaining law and order, and when we occupied our niche, it was quite difficult. One of the powers that was initially proposed to be assigned to the military police was the power to conduct operational search activities. Here we were told unequivocally, let’s hold off on this for now, this is not the function of the military police. And the next area of ​​activity, which was considered inappropriate to transfer to the military police, is the investigation of war crimes of minor and medium gravity, because the Armed Forces have developed a coherent system of investigative bodies that carries out this task quite professionally.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Who supervises the activities of your structures?

V. KOVALYOV: Supervision, as in the entire state, is carried out by the prosecutor's office, in this case, in the Armed Forces - this is the main military prosecutor's office. I would like to say that the military police charter was largely developed in cooperation with this structure. Those most pressing areas that are necessary to strengthen the legal order in the Armed Forces were identified, and emphasis was placed on this. The prosecutor's office has been supervising us, starting with how we made this charter, and we thank them for this; our colleagues provided good assistance.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Do you interact with military counterintelligence agencies?

V. KOVALYOV: Yes.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Let me explain for listeners who are not aware that military counterintelligence agencies are part of the structure of the Russian Federal Security Service.

V. KOVALYOV: Military counterintelligence agencies carry out the activities provided for by the law on the federal security service in the Armed Forces, and in fact, the information that is transferred to the military police, which we transfer to the military counterintelligence agencies, it finds its application precisely in the fight against crime , with those illegal manifestations that, unfortunately, exist in the Armed Forces.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Search and detention of deserters - your functionality? Especially those who left military units with weapons in their hands?

V. KOVALYOV: Yes, definitely. To this end, next week we will have an organizational meeting with the Main Military Investigation Directorate; we are creating an interdepartmental working group to search for military personnel who left military units without permission and are on the federal wanted list. Yes, we are doing this.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Are military police bodies provided for in Russian military bases located outside the Russian Federation?

V. KOVALYOV: The leadership of military bases, including a recent example - this is the case in Armenia, says that it is necessary to create such units there, because this will be real help in maintaining law and order. Those tasks that are solved on the territory of Russia, of course, in the near future the military police will also solve them outside its borders.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Are there provisions for the presence of military police officers on ships that carry out long sea voyages?

V. KOVALYOV: In the future, yes.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Recruitment and issues of professional training - where do you recruit your contingent from? Separately for officers and separately for contract soldiers, and are there plans to create a faculty, perhaps at one of the Russian military universities, where officers for the military police would be trained in a targeted manner?

V. KOVALYOV: The specialty of military policeman is new for the Armed Forces, and, unfortunately, targeted training is not yet being conducted at universities of the Ministry of Defense. At the same time, a system has been organized for advanced training and retraining of officers who have graduated from general arms, engineering, and command schools - after retraining, they join the military police.

Proposals have been prepared on the basis of two military educational institutions of the Ministry of Defense to train specialists for the military police - this is the Military Institute of Physical Culture in St. Petersburg, where it is planned to train platoon commanders, chiefs of guardhouses for the military police and interrogators for the military police.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Regarding the functions of the investigative bodies - was this done before by the commanders of military units?

V. KOVALYOV: Yes. At the same time, last year’s federal law of February 3 amended the Criminal Procedure Code, and the chiefs of the military police also began to exercise the powers of the investigative bodies. In order to develop a regulatory framework, the Chief Military Prosecutor issued Order 150 approving the instructions of the investigative bodies of the Armed Forces and other federal bodies where military service is provided. According to this instruction, it is stipulated that military police officers with a legal education will serve as investigators. They will apply to all military personnel of the Armed Forces.

In order to implement this power, the Minister of Defense issued Order 50 of January 31, 2015, and from December 1, 2015 it is planned that this function will mainly be performed by the military police. This is important because professional legal officers will do this and the gap between platoon, battery and company commanders from conducting the inquiry will be reduced. As a rule, they are appointed as non-staff investigators, who must engage in training with subordinate personnel.

I. KOROTCHENKO: What are your requirements for contract soldiers?

V. KOVALYOV: The first and second professional psychological categories, the requirements for physical training are, in principle, the same as those imposed on military personnel entering military service under a contract. Taking into account that we are now vested with the authority to use special equipment and weapons, we will conduct special courses that will provide knowledge on the procedure for using these special equipment.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Are you planning a training center or where certain issues of real application are being worked out?

V. KOVALYOV: In the future, we plan to take away one of the training centers that exists in the Armed Forces. We are considering a canine center in Dmitrov. The experience of military police of foreign armies shows that dogs are widely used by military police. We’ve been to Slovakia and other foreign countries – dogs are used very effectively. See how any trespassers react to the dog? Of course this is very good. And on the basis of this center, military specialists will be trained for both patrol service units and units.

I. KOROTCHENKO: What will the dogs do? Pursuing violators, protecting perimeters?

V. KOVALYOV: Yes. This is, first of all, used when performing patrol duty in the territory of garrisons. We have already conducted an experiment - it is in field camps in field conditions, when a serviceman is at some distance and it is clear that he has committed a crime and is leaving the crime scene, the use of dogs is very effective. And when protecting perimeters, when guard duty is carried out using dogs.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Are there any plans to increase the staffing levels of the military police?

V. KOVALYOV: Of course, the tasks assigned by the charter require a certain increase in numbers. Let's give some examples. Currently, patrolling in garrisons is carried out by both the military police and patrols that are allocated and equipped from military units - these are soldiers and officers. This charter provides that these functions are performed only by the military police.

In this regard, patrols will not be separated from military units. Also, in the charter of the garrison commandant service, the section on military traffic police was excluded, when there were garrison military traffic police and equipment and personnel were allocated from among the military units and they carried out these functions. Now this will be done by the military traffic police of the military police, and the numbers are needed in order to perform these functions.

Proposals on numbers are being prepared, but we really understand that the tasks that the Armed Forces, the military police perform, the military police provide assistance to the Armed Forces, it was created for them as an auxiliary link to maintain law and order. And numbers are needed. We talked about the inquiry - currently, in order to form this trunk, a certain number of officers are needed, and the General Staff is now working on these issues, going to a meeting, understands that this is an important and necessary task.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Do we need maritime military police and what functions could they perform, taking into account the specifics of the Russian Navy?

V. KOVALYOV: The Commander-in-Chief of the Navy asked this question, saying that he needed specialized units to protect the sea areas where ships were based, to ensure the safety of warships at their mooring sites and to limit the access of other ships to the Navy’s locations.

I. KOROTCHENKO: If these proposals are developed, then specialized naval units and, obviously, boats and other equipment will appear, with the help of which you will be able to perform certain tasks?

V. KOVALYOV: Yes, but these are unpromising plans and decisions on all these issues are made by the Minister of Defense. If it is accepted, it means it will be created, if not, it means we will solve these issues in a different order.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Do we need military prisons, like the Americans have? Do we still have disciplinary battalions? How many are there and to whom do they report?

V. KOVALYOV: Studying the experience of the United States, we know that there are military prisons where military personnel who have committed crimes serve their sentences. In Russia, such an analogue is disciplinary battalions. In Soviet times there were six of them, now there are two - this is the disbat in Mulino and in the village of Kashtak near Chita.

According to the law, one of the functions of the military police is the execution of punishments, and the execution of punishments - in general, the system of the Armed Forces, this includes the execution of disciplinary penalties, such as disciplinary arrest and the execution of criminal penalties. But if we compare in general, ours is quite humane: in disbats, a person who has served his sentence there does not have a criminal record. After serving the sentence, this period of punishment can be counted towards him during the period of service, if he conscientiously performed his duties, or not counted, and then he returns back to the military unit for service.

If we talk about the guardhouses, then recently very little attention has been paid to this important element of maintaining military discipline, and they, as a fact, have fallen into disrepair. But at the same time, in a short period of time, it was possible to restore 15 guardhouses, which are currently operating in the Armed Forces, but the procedure for assigning this punishment has changed.

I. KOROTCHENKO: We have a soldier who shows malicious disobedience to commanders and superiors, and disciplinary measures, a reprimand, a severe reprimand do not work, an arrest is required - how does this mechanism work to actually place this violator in a guardhouse?

V. KOVALYOV: A protocol is drawn up on the violation of a gross violation by the commander of a platoon or company unit, and after that this protocol is addressed to the head of the military police department. The chief accepts these documents, prepares an application to the court, and carries out the necessary measures with this fighter, he undergoes a medical examination, collects his things.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Somehow all this is humane, in contrast to the way our Ministry of Internal Affairs operates.

V. KOVALYOV: This is the order. Of course, it became much harder for the commanders. Previously, according to the charter, he appointed 10 days - that’s all.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Now how much can you assign?

V. KOVALYOV: Up to 30 days.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Is this being decided in a military court?

V. KOVALYOV: Yes, the court hearing is taking place. If necessary, a lawyer is involved.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Even with a lawyer?

V. KOVALYOV: Yes.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Including for a soldier?

V. KOVALYOV: Yes.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Who provides a lawyer?

V. KOVALYOV: There is a lawyer on duty. And the issue of applying disciplinary arrest is being decided. After this, he is placed in a guardhouse, where he serves his sentence. An important amendment to the legislation states that the period of stay in a guardhouse does not count towards the period of military service. Therefore, if he served there and returns to the unit, the conscripts with whom he was drafted have already been dismissed, and he still voluntarily serves for a whole month.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Is a guardhouse provided for officers as a disciplinary measure?

V. KOVALYOV: I think that an officer of the Armed Forces is a category that has no place there; he has a place in the troops.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Do you think the system of disciplinary battalions should be preserved? Maybe it needs to be modernized?

V. KOVALYOV: The idea of ​​the head of the Main Directorate was that if the military police as a whole is engaged in the execution of punishments, then the execution of criminal punishments should be within the functionality of the military police. At the end of last year, a government decree was adopted, which introduced changes to regulations, and disciplinary battalions are subordinate to the military police. Now there is a period of inclusion of disciplinary battalions in the military police.

As chairman of the commission, at the end of next week I am flying to Chita to receive another of the disciplinary battalions. Of course, this function is new, quite interesting and important, because how the work of re-educating a serviceman, changing his worldview will be organized, so, accordingly, will be the attitude towards these disbats - either they will work, or it will not be the best institution. I have confidence that disciplinary battalions will be an effective measure for the re-education of military personnel who have committed a crime.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Many people have a question, what are they doing there, in the disbats?

V. KOVALYOV: The best measure of education, in my opinion, is work. Any work makes a person think, and when he produces something useful, he begins to evaluate himself and look at life differently.

I. KOROTCHENKO: In Soviet times, they were engaged in drill training.

V. KOVALYOV: Yes. But there were certain industries to support these disbats; they repaired them and laid bricks. We are now accepting disbats, we’ll see, we’ll work out the system of education with disbats and set it up taking into account modern requirements and achievements.

I. KOROTCHENKO: This is interesting, because many have forgotten what disbat is. The most important thing is that this will be an effective tool for bringing to life for those who do not want to serve and perform their duty as expected. I would also like to ask a few questions regarding such important points as attributes. We all watch movies and see how important people in uniform are, whether they are police or military personnel. You mentioned the token – are there any plans in this regard?

And service IDs are also an important topic. To a certain extent, this also works to increase the authority of officers and military police personnel. What plans do you have here?

V. KOVALYOV: In order to exercise certain powers, a document is needed that would confirm the right to use them. That's why we're planning numbered badges, and by the number you can tell who you're dealing with.

And by the number it will be possible to easily determine which of the servicemen it was if any misunderstandings arise when communicating with the military police patrol. We are planning to make military police identification cards, which will have a photograph, indicate the military position, rank and rights that the owner of this certificate has. This is not far off, we will do it soon. In addition, according to the charter, special markings are provided for military police vehicles - in the near future, when changes are made to government regulations on light-graphic maps placed on vehicles, cars with the inscription military police will appear.

And military traffic police units will also have an inscription. Military police will be visible and visible. The uniform we were talking about is red berets, armbands, and besides this, there will also be colors specific to the equipment we use.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Sometimes there are high-profile incidents, they are rare, but not a single modern army can do without them, when a serviceman leaves the location of a unit with a weapon, deserts, and God forbid he may commit any crimes with the weapon that he kidnaps from military units, as it happened in Armenia at our military base.

The important issue here is prompt response. Should there be an air group, aircraft equipment, so that a group of central office officers can urgently fly to the scene of a crime? Is it advisable to use drones to search for deserters on the ground? Do you have any thoughts on whether some such technology should be included in the future?

V. KOVALYOV: It is extremely necessary now, there is such a need. We conducted extremely operational training in Novorossiysk and at the training ground we practiced the element of military police action using drones and ATVs. In conditions where troops are at the training ground, they have proven themselves very well. And in the future, when there are funds, we will return to ensuring that the military police have modern means: these are ATVs, possibly motorcycles, because we cannot refuse this means of transportation.

You are right that the most important thing is the prompt response to facts of crimes and offenses. Now, precisely in the scheme of work of the military police, it is being worked out that interrogators and officers who will be added to the staff of military police departments will work around the clock on call. They worked from 9 to 18 hours during working hours, and are on call. The duty officer has a list of interrogators on duty, both in the military unit and in the military police department.

A signal is received, the officer arrives at the scene of the crime, and secures the necessary evidence. This is very important for proving guilt and implementing the principle of the inevitability of punishment for crimes committed. And regarding rapid response, we are currently working on the creation of courses for military police rapid response teams, which could respond with lightning speed to the developing situation regarding violations of law and order in military units, together with the Military Institute of Physical Culture.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Are you planning your own special forces?

V. KOVALYOV: We are planning, but after we have our own training center, there will be certain areas for training specialists. Military police special forces are needed.

I. KOROTCHENKO: In the years of my youth as an officer, I remember there was a respected organization - the Military Commandant's Office of the city of Moscow. Officers and cadets arriving at the capital's garrison on vacation came to check in, register, there were patrols of the military commandant's office - the famous astrakhan hats in winter, headed by Lieutenant General Serykh then, if I'm not mistaken, also a legendary personality. Is there a military commandant’s office now? Who heads it: a general or a colonel? Are there patrols today that monitor military personnel’s appearance on the streets of Moscow?

V. KOVALYOV: We have a military commandant’s office in Moscow, headed by Major General Seleznev. He has a wealth of experience, he was a division commander, and for several years he headed the military commandant's office of the city of Moscow. All activities that are carried out to maintain law and order include patrolling of air terminals, railway stations, bus stations - they are all carried out. We also conduct unannounced inspections of the Armed Forces as a whole. Military police authorities enter the territory of military units and check compliance with elements of the daily routine.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Unannounced inspections of military units carried out by military police?

V. KOVALYOV: We have a plan for these inspections, approved by the Minister of Defense. All activities are carried out according to his decision and under his control. Once a quarter, the head of the main military police department reports to conference calls held by the Minister of Defense on the results of these surprise checks.

The Minister pays great attention to combating drug trafficking. Last year, he signed a protocol on interaction with the director of the federal service for combating illicit drug trafficking - FSKN, and on the basis of this protocol we are organizing joint work with the FSKN authorities. Moreover, this work is very effective, taking into account that the Federal Drug Control Service is the body that carries out operational investigative activities; we pass on to them the information that we have on those military personnel who use drugs. Fortunately, these are only a few; the Armed Forces are not affected by drug addiction. These are isolated cases that we are dealing with.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Do people already come from civilian life?

V. KOVALYOV: There is a selection system, when a good shield is installed through military commissariats, military personnel are tested, there is a certain system of work - this is the most important thing.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Are attempts by drug traffickers to penetrate the territory of garrisons recorded? After all, this is very dangerous, our military personnel are also allowed to control strategic nuclear forces, these are facilities 12 GUMO, other important facilities for life support and combat activities of the Armed Forces.

V. KOVALYOV: According to the information that I currently have, there are no facts of drug consumption by those military personnel who are authorized to operate high-precision nuclear weapons. There are military personnel, these are, as a rule, those who perform auxiliary functions and are not engaged in real combat training. Unfortunately, there are cases, but if you don’t fight them, you can get into trouble.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Does disciplinary practice need improvement?

V. KOVALYOV: Yes. The system when a commander is evaluated by the number of sticks has probably already become obsolete; it is necessary to evaluate the commander by the real measures that he takes to maintain law and order, and this is enshrined in the law.

I. KOROTCHENKO: What does the military traffic police do in practical terms?

V. KOVALYOV: This is an integral part of the military police, which escorts convoys, conducts technical inspections of the condition of vehicles, and carries out administrative practice. It is no secret that there are many garrisons where there are no traffic police units, and the military traffic police exercise these powers there.

I. KOROTCHENKO: Thank you for such a direct, frank, detailed dialogue.

In accordance with the Federal Law of February 3, 2014. N7-FZ "On amendments to certain legislative acts of the Russian Federation on the activities of the military police of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation" was created as part of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the leadership of which is directly exercised by the Minister of Defense of Russia.

At the same time, the Federal Law of May 31, 1996 N61-FZ “On Defense” is supplemented by Part 4 of Article 25 and Article 25.1, according to which the military police “takes part in ensuring the rule of law in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation” and “is intended to protect the life, health, rights and freedoms of military personnel of the Armed Forces " and other citizens, "ensuring in the Armed Forces legality, law and order, military discipline, road safety, protection of facilities of the Armed Forces, as well as, within its competence, combating crime and protecting other legally protected legal relations in the field of defense." It has also been established that the main areas of activity, functions and powers of the military police are determined by federal constitutional laws, federal laws, general military regulations, the Charter of the Military Police of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and other regulatory legal acts of the Russian Federation.

The creation of military police bodies in the Russian Federation is undoubtedly a correct and long-awaited measure. Strengthening law and order and military discipline is recognized in the 2010 Military Doctrine of the Russian Federation. one of the main directions for solving the problems of construction and development of the Armed Forces and other troops.
According to the General Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation (according to the Unified Crime Report), only in 2013. Over 10,000 crimes were committed in the troops of the Russian Federation. The indicators of the state of legality in the Russian troops are also extremely alarming. So, if for the period from 1992 to 1999. Military prosecutors annually identified an average of 18,186 violations of laws, then in 2010. 242,523 violations have already been committed, which is more than four times higher than in 2000. (55,721 violations) and almost fourteen times the indicators of the 1990s. In 2013 Military prosecutors identified 291,558 violations of laws, with the majority (over 141,000) being violations of the rights and freedoms of military personnel and other citizens.

A study of the interaction pattern of law enforcement agencies currently operating in the troops of the Russian Federation allows us to draw the following conclusions.

1. The general duty to prevent offenses and carry out initial investigative actions in criminal cases is assigned to commanders and investigators of military units and subunits, who, at the same time, do not have special knowledge and the necessary powers, in particular, do not have special powers to conduct operational investigative activities* (1).
2. The competence of the bodies of the Federal Security Service of Russia operating in the troops covers only part of a fairly broad sphere of legally protected rights and interests of the state and citizens; Professionally trained employees of departments of the Federal Security Service in the military have the authority to carry out activities only in relation to a list of offenses strictly defined by law, which does not cover all elements of ordinary crimes.
In the context of a high level of crime in the Russian troops and taking into account the significant increase in offenses identified by military prosecutors, primarily in the field of human and civil rights and freedoms, it seems necessary to create a law enforcement agency that, in accordance with federal legislation, would have the right to carry out promptly in the troops of the Russian Federation -search activities in full. This would significantly increase the possibilities of protecting the constitutional rights and interests of military personnel (and other citizens) and the interests of the state protected by law.

According to the author, such functions and powers could be assigned by law to military police bodies, which could play an active offensive role in strengthening the rule of law in the country’s troops, ensuring the protection of the rights and freedoms of Russian citizens during their military service, as well as legally protected interests of the state when organizing military service for citizens.
In connection with the creation of the military police in Russia, the practice of its functioning abroad deserves attention.
An analysis of the results of the work of military police bodies in the armed forces of foreign states shows that the task of strengthening law and order is characteristic not only of the Russian Armed Forces.

In the last decade, as A. Valdez writes, it has become obvious that all the social diseases and vices characteristic of the United States have also affected the armed forces of this country. In the US armed forces, such types of crimes as murders for various reasons, attempted murder, death threats, use of weapons for shooting outside of official necessity (even shootings from cars on the move), theft and resale of weapons from units and military bases are common, drug trafficking, vandalism, robbery of citizens, apartments, offices, car theft, rape, beatings and group fights, violations related to the carrying and use of weapons, military uniforms, computer hacking, racketeering, etc. According to law enforcement and military authorities, an increase in crime in in the ranks of the US armed forces threatens to undermine discipline, combat readiness, moral and moral principles, and leads to unforeseen incidents with weapons and ammunition with unpredictable and very dangerous consequences. Experts believe that the trend towards expanding crime in the US armed forces requires the adoption of effective measures, including the tightening of certain legal norms to prevent and suppress crime *(2).

Based on the results of the work of a special commission created in the US Department of Defense, a report was sent to the Secretary of Defense, which contained 59 recommendations aimed at radically improving the state of military discipline and preventing offenses and crimes. The document notes that the problem of crime and violence goes beyond the competence of the Ministry of Defense and poses a real threat to the national security of the country * (3).
Moving on to the consideration of the functions and powers of military police abroad, we note, in particular, that in the United States the military police investigates crimes committed by soldiers and officers, protects prisoner of war camps, rear areas and defense facilities during hostilities, and regulates the movement of military transport *( 4).

In peacetime, military police in the United States perform tasks related to maintaining order in garrisons, protecting facilities and assisting commanders in training personnel, investigating crimes committed by military personnel, and regulating traffic. Military police may also be used to combat riots and assist regular police in areas adjacent to military installations.
In accordance with the regulatory legal acts of the United Kingdom, in peacetime, the British military police are responsible for ensuring law and order and discipline in garrisons, places where military units are located and the residence of military families, carries out preventive measures aimed at preventing crimes and any violations of military legislation in military groups, bears protection of important military installations. The military police also has special units that provide protection to the country's top military leadership and organize the escort of important military delegations. A special department investigates crimes of military personnel. Note also that in the United Kingdom two types of police units of the armed forces coexist. This is the so-called defenspolice, which carries out the tasks of the Ministry of Defense and acts in its interests, and directly militarypolice - the military police, which is entrusted with law enforcement functions.

The German military police, in particular, exercises control and management in the field of transport, monitors the maintenance or restoration of discipline and order in the troops, performs some counterintelligence functions, and ensures the prevention of crimes.
In Italy, the military police are the Carabinieri troops, which are part of the ground forces. Due to the specifics of the tasks being performed, these troops are subordinate to the Minister of Defense and the Minister of Internal Affairs. The Carabinieri troops consist of 103 thousand. people (24% of the total number of armed forces). In the interests of the armed forces, the Carabinieri troops solve the tasks of the military police, military counterintelligence, guard military installations, and participate in events in accordance with civil and territorial defense plans.
Through the Ministry of Internal Affairs, carabinieri units ensure the maintenance of public order, territorial supervision, border control, protection of citizens' rights, investigate criminal offenses, and carry out police actions *(5).
France does not have its own military police units. Its functions are performed by the national (military) gendarmerie, which is an integral part of the country's armed forces and reports to the Minister of Defense. At the same time, the activities of the gendarmerie are inter-ministerial in nature and are also coordinated by the ministries of internal affairs and justice.
The French Gendarmerie Corps numbers 65 thousand. people and are mainly used to perform purely police functions, especially during periods of socio-political crises (strikes, demonstrations, uprisings). Gendarmes solve a variety of tasks: ensuring public order, fighting crime, protecting state borders, monitoring the sanitary condition of the territory, regulating traffic, monitoring foreigners, searching for deserters and those evading military service * (6).
In peacetime, Turkish military police units are entrusted with ensuring the security of important military installations and their external security, maintaining discipline and order among military personnel in garrisons and troop locations, arresting and protecting persons who have committed crimes on the territory of garrisons, ensuring the security of military transportation, and exercising control. monitoring the movement of military vehicles, providing assistance and assistance to the criminal and traffic police in cases of violation of public order in emergency conditions.
Japan's military police are a specialized force within the country's armed forces. It was created in 1954. Its tasks are similar to those of the US military police * (7).
The Royal Netherlands Gendarmerie also functions as a military police force. Its powers, on the one hand, include carrying out preventive, preventative measures: patrolling, serving in transport, ensuring the conduct of exercises, escorting convoys, issuing recommendations and explanations to commanders and personnel. On the other hand, it applies coercive measures of various nature to military personnel related to violations of the traffic law, environmental protection legislation, etc. *(8)
In peacetime, 80 thousand serve in the US military police. people*(9) (4% of the total number of the country's armed forces)*(10).
In peacetime, the German military police number more than 4.5 thousand. people * (11), in wartime its composition can be increased to 15 thousand. people (about 3% of the Bundeswehr).
In Great Britain, the military police consists of 4 thousand. people (1.3% of the total number of armed forces).
The US military police are recruited from volunteers on a competitive basis.
The German military police are formed by calling up citizens for active military service for a period of 12 months, hiring military personnel under a contract for a period of two to 15 years, and recruiting regular military personnel.
The UK Military Police recruits employees on a contract basis *(12).
The French military gendarmerie is recruited by conscription and on a contract basis (more than 80% of military gendarmes are officers and non-commissioned officers)*(13).
The Carabinieri troops in Italy (including the military police) are recruited 90% on a contract basis and 10% by conscripting youth aged 17-26 years into active military service for a period of 18 months*(14).
Based on the data presented, we can conclude that the number of military police abroad ranges from 1.3 to 4% of the total number of troops.
In our country, the prototype of the military police was created back in the 17th century: in 1621. The Charter of military, cannon and other affairs in the Russian army established a professional institute for maintaining law and order - the Gewaldiger units. They were entrusted with the protection of troop locations, field headquarters and supervision of military personnel's compliance with laws.
During the Patriotic War of 1812. The functions of the military police of the Russian army were expanded. The Gewaldigers were charged with ensuring order on troop routes, guarding transport and prisoners, and most importantly, investigating cases of crimes of lower ranks.
The military police service in Russia reached the peak of its development at the end of the 19th century, when, in accordance with the law “On the Army Gendarmerie” (1876) and the regulation “On the gendarmerie squadrons attached to the troops” (1887), it was entrusted with solving a number of important tasks .In peacetime, army gendarmes were supposed to monitor order during garrison events, prayers, processions and celebrations with the participation of military personnel, and ensure the maintenance of discipline on the march and in troop locations. In battle, they were instructed to position themselves “in a chain” behind the fighting units, detaining deserters and marauders, and ensuring the delivery of the wounded to dressing places. In wartime, gendarmerie units were assigned to guard duty to protect military and important civilian installations in cities occupied by troops. They were also entrusted with protecting the personal and property interests of the local population, assisting military counterintelligence agencies in capturing enemy infiltrators, guarding prisoner of war camps, etc. *(15)
The military police bodies of the armed forces of the Russian Empire, along with fulfilling army duty, solved numerous police tasks. O.E. Fomin, who studied this issue, noted a significant volume of police functions of the army (including the fight against “thieves and robbers,” guarding places of detention and escorting criminals, detaining “suspicious persons” and spies). In 1811 Troops (corps) of the internal guard were created, which were also intended to suppress mass riots, “capture thieves, pursue and exterminate robbers, disperse crowds prohibited by law, pacify disobedience and riots,” and partially perform penitentiary functions * (16).
Based on the Military Charter of 1716. military personnel were involved in putting out fires, while ensuring public order, “for in such cases many indecencies occur and great thefts occur” (Chapter LYII), military patrols were appointed “so that there would be no disturbances on the streets from idle people” (Chapter LXYI). Military guards and patrols ensured the passport regime, having the authority to check persons without documents and establish their identity, and detained offenders (both military personnel and townspeople) * (17).
As we see, even the performance of certain police functions by army units in the Russian Empire did not cancel the state’s need for independent military police service.
The mentioned Federal Law of February 3, 2014. N7-FZ, the functions and powers of the military police bodies created in the Russian Federation have not yet been defined.
We believe that the military police should be endowed with the following main functions: carrying out operational intelligence activities in the troops in order to identify, suppress, solve and prevent crimes; conducting inquiries and investigating criminal cases of crimes; maintaining public order and ensuring public safety in connection with the functioning of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation; carrying out legal educational work in the troops. Let's consider these tasks in more detail.
Carrying out operational-search activities in the troops in order to identify, suppress, solve and prevent crimes. Until now, the troops of our country did not have a body that, on the basis of the current legislation * (18), would conduct operational search activities in them in full, i.e. in criminal cases about all crimes provided for by the criminal legislation of Russia. Hence the numerous unprevented serious crimes, hazing, and unpunished abuses by command staff.
Operational search activities in accordance with the federal law of the same name are carried out in the country by bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, bodies of the Federal Security Service, customs and other law enforcement agencies. There is no doubt that the Russian troops should have a special service that protects military personnel and other citizens from offenders and prevents crimes.
One of the areas of work of the military police may be working with informants. The legislative and judicial authorities of developed countries have always actively supported undercover activities, which occupy a significant place in police operations and actions of special services * (19).
When military police bodies carry out operational investigative activities, there may be some overlap between the functions they perform and the operational functions of the Federal Security Service bodies operating within the troops. However, this should not be an obstacle to military police officers carrying out such activities.
Firstly, the field of activity of the military police includes the entire array of ordinary crimes, while the objects of operational work of the FSB bodies, in accordance with the legal status of the federal security service bodies, are limited mainly to the preparation and commission of state crimes, offenses related to theft and loss weapons and ammunition, prevention of drug abuse in the troops * (20).
Secondly, the military police and the Federal Security Service, having common goals, will be able to effectively use all available information, providing it to each other in accordance with established powers, providing mutual assistance in obtaining it. As foreign experience has shown, it is very advisable to create systems that duplicate and control each other *(21).
The function of conducting operational intelligence activities in the troops should thus become one of the main ones in the activities of the military police.
Conducting inquiries and investigating criminal cases. The created military police bodies are designed to relieve the bodies of inquiry of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation from functions that are not typical for them, which, working on an unprofessional basis, spend significant public funds, while insufficiently qualified to conduct detentions of offenders, inquiries, and preventive legal educational work. Thus, they are unable to properly organize the prevention of crime among military personnel.

At the same time, the extremely paradoxical situation will be eliminated when, in the presence of a huge staff of various types and positions of commanders and superiors, a significant number of internal inspections, educational and other support services, not only cannot be prevented, but also massive violations of the law, unjustified and inexplicable by any means, increase significantly. Injuries and deaths of military personnel are in the interests of the state. Significantly smaller military police bodies are capable of taking on the full scope of functions performed by the listed structures that are not typical for them, change the current situation and make a serious contribution to the prevention of crime in the troops. This idea is confirmed by Russian military history.
V.A. Sobolevsky, in his voluminous legal study “Justice and Legal Order in the Troops,” noted: “The police, of course, are better able to carry out investigations than officers. The former have at least practice” * (22). We believe that the author here does not mean the military police, but the regular police bodies operating on the territory of the country (as they now say, territorial bodies). In addition, we are talking about conducting inquiries by officers (military).
Considering the interaction of the “general” police and the military command in the work “On the inquiry, its purpose, production, consideration in the military department and on the participation of the military authorities in the preliminary investigation and bringing before a military court,” V. Savinkov writes that the inquiry in relation to military personnel is carried out as the “general” police and the command, emphasizing that “the conduct of the inquiry is entrusted by military commanders to those subordinate to them” * (23). The publication of the book by the printing house of the headquarters of the military district and the reference on its title page to the fact that the publication was “permitted by censorship on September 20, 1884” suggest that the author used accurate information about the procedure for conducting inquiries in the troops of the Russian Empire.

The publication “Production of Inquiries in the Military Department,” also approved for publication by censorship, states that “inquiries are conducted by military authorities in the following cases: when military personnel violated the laws of military discipline and service, or when a crime or misdemeanor not related to service matters was committed in a place under the exclusive jurisdiction of the military authorities... When a crime or misdemeanor is committed by military personnel alone during the performance of their service duties... In the same cases when a misdemeanor or crime not related to the affairs of the service is committed by military personnel in places of general police authority, the inquiry is carried out through the local police"*(24).

Thus, the institution of inquiry is traditional for domestic troops. At the same time, taking into account the possibility of the body of inquiry providing the operational and investigative bodies with the necessary assistance, as well as the peculiarities of military service and the principle of unity of command operating in the troops, it is necessary to retain for the bodies of inquiry of the Russian troops certain procedural powers related to the execution of orders of investigators, prosecutors (and in perspective and military police), as well as with the conduct of inquiries in criminal cases, the conduct of a preliminary investigation in which is not necessary.
By carrying out inquiries into cases of crimes committed by military personnel, those liable for military service during military training, and civilian personnel of military command and control bodies, the military police will significantly reduce the current costs of searching and detaining persons who left military units without permission. Inexperienced, untrained officers and soldiers of military units, moving in an unorganized manner throughout the country in search of military personnel who have left their military units (place of duty) without permission, will be replaced by professional military police officers.
It also seems worthy of attention that the military police authorities in the USA, Great Britain and Italy have the right to conduct a preliminary investigation.
Protecting public order and ensuring public safety in connection with the functioning of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. As part of this area of ​​activity, military police officers, by patrolling, posting posts and using other forms and methods of work, will maintain public order in the territories of military camps and settlements at the location of military units, ensure order during sessions of military courts, protect the premises of military courts and military prosecutor's offices, escorting persons under investigation and defendants, respectively, to the military prosecutor's office and to military courts, etc.
Of particular interest is the study of the situation in the US armed forces: “The problem is also the system of security of bases, units, and the admission of outsiders to them. Often the system of admission to bases is too “liberal” and uncontrolled and makes it easy to bring and take out drugs, weapons, equipment, which leads to the spread of drug addiction in and around units, to the underground trade in weapons and ammunition"*(25).
Military police bodies vested with the proposed powers would be able to significantly prevent violations of public order and military discipline on the territory of military units and military camps, and ensure proper protection of sensitive and other military facilities *(26).
We believe that we can count on a significant improvement in law and order in those populated areas of the Russian Federation where patrol and other law enforcement activities of the military police will be carried out, i.e. at the location of the troops.
Carrying out legal educational work in the troops. The role of the military police in carrying out this work will be all the more significant, the less successfully it is currently carried out by military legal services, which do not have the proper powers and staff to increase the efficiency of their activities.
Let us provide some data on the composition of the military legal service of the US Army, which was established back in 1875. with the introduction of the position of military lawyer of the army and the organization of the corresponding department. One of the many functions of this service is to ensure legal protection of military personnel, members of their families, as well as civil servants, including assistance in resolving issues of civil procedural law, the status of military personnel, and service. The headquarters of a mechanized (armored) division has a military legal service department. It consists of 25 people, in particular, the head of the division VJS (lieutenant colonel), four of his assistants (two majors, two captains), a technical secretary (warrant officer), a senior defense attorney (major), four defense attorneys (captains), a senior judicial defender (major), four judicial defenders (captains), chief clerk (master sergeant), senior clerk (sergeant 1st class), four clerks (staff sergeant, two sergeants, private), two bailiffs (staff sergeant, sergeant) , stenographer (corporal). In general, according to the American military press, about 1,800 military lawyers serve in the US ground forces*(27).
The structures of the Russian troops do not have such a powerful legal service, and therefore the involvement of military police in conducting legal educational activities in the troops seems completely justified.
One of the main principles of the activities of the Federal Military Police Service being created in the Russian Federation should be its independence in the exercise of its powers. Therefore, after vesting the military police with the functions and powers we recommend, it would be logical to subordinate it directly to the President of the Russian Federation, i.e. creation of the Federal Military Police Service. The subordination of the military police to the Minister of Defense will actually prevent its activities in the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, military units and divisions of the Ministry of the Russian Federation for Civil Defense, Emergency Situations and Disaster Relief, and the border troops of the Federal Security Service (since units and divisions of these bodies of the federal executive authorities are not subordinated or controlled by the Minister of Defense). In addition, due to vertical subordination, the military police are unlikely to contribute through their activities to the real and objective identification and recording of offenses and crimes specifically in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Finally, precisely due to the subordination of the military police to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, it will not be possible to entrust it with conducting operational intelligence activities in the troops, including those not subordinate to the specified military department.
In our opinion, the military police in Russia should be organized as a federal law enforcement agency, and not a unit subordinate to the command of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and dependent on it.
We hope that the military police bodies will be successfully adapted to the Russian law enforcement system and will be able to work effectively from the moment of their creation.

Bibliography

1. Amirov R.Z. Police functions of the army of the Russian state: XVIII - first quarter of the XIX century: Author's abstract. dis. ...cand. legal Sci. M., 1997.
2. Kapustin Yu.T. Police in the mechanism of the bourgeois state: A textbook. M., 1981.
3. Knyazev V.V., Samokhin B.M. Gendarmerie and military police of some foreign countries: Analytical review. M., 1996.
4. Kulakov V.F. Military police of foreign armies // Independent military review. 1997. N22.
5. Ovsyanko D.M. Administrative and legal problems of public service in the Russian Federation: Dis. ... doc. legal sciences (in the form of a scientific report). M., 1998.
6. Conducting inquiries in the military department is permitted by censorship. M., 1879.
7. Savinkov V. About the inquiry, its purpose, proceedings, consideration by the military department and the participation of military authorities in the preliminary investigation and bringing it to a military court. Vilno, 1884.
8. Sobolevsky V.A. Justice and legal order in the troops: Legal research. St. Petersburg, 1901.
9. Fomin O.E. Internal Guard Corps in the law enforcement system of the Russian Empire (1811-1864): Author's abstract. dis. ...cand. legal Sci. M., 1999.
10. Valdez A. Crime in the Armed Forces of the United States // Fight against crime abroad: Collection. Issue 2. M., 1999.

N.N. Karpov,
Doctor of Law,
professor, head of department
general problems of prosecutorial supervision
for the implementation of federal legislation
and participation of the prosecutor in civil
and the Academy's arbitration process
General Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
*(1) In addition, the investigators conducting the inquiry are completely dependent on the commander of the military unit in which they themselves serve.

There is a formation called the “Military Police” in almost all countries. And everywhere it performs approximately the same functions - it monitors compliance with laws by active military personnel. The list of powers, uniform and other phenomena that determine the status of the military police differ depending on the country of location.

Despite the objective differences, the main purpose of this structure in all countries is to maintain law and order.

What is military police

Military police did not exist in Russia until 2010. It was then that the decision was made to create it on the basis of a network of commandant’s offices, however, it was implemented a little later in 2014.

At the moment, the legal basis for the activities of the police of the RF Armed Forces is the Federal Law “On Defense” and the Charter, which is in force instead of the Regulation “On the Military Police”. This document regulates the activities of the service in detail and completely.

Separate provisions are being developed for territorial and regional authorities, as well as for the commandant’s offices of Moscow and St. Petersburg.

The training of specialists is carried out in combined arms command schools. In particular, the first intake of cadets took place in Moscow in 2017. It is also possible to train personnel as part of retraining and retraining. Not all officers are accepted, but only those who have graduated from command, combined arms and engineering schools.

Structure

Few articles are devoted to the structure of this organization, from which not much information follows, in particular, paragraphs 14-18 of the Charter.

This formation is subordinate to the Ministry of Defense. The head of this particular department is competent in matters of composition, structure and number of staff.

According to general information, the structure is as follows:

• central office;
• regional offices;
• territorial offices;
• disciplinary units;
• guardhouses.

Territorial offices are located near major locations of the Armed Forces. Their number depends on the total number of military personnel located in a certain territory. If necessary, separate formations can be created within large divisions.

Garrison commandants in two federal cities (Moscow and St. Petersburg) have a special position; they are also city commandants.

Main goals

The department's tasks are quite extensive. They involve a large amount of work, both direct and paperwork. Among the main functions of the military police are the following:

• Ensuring and maintaining order, discipline and legality, warning to prevent crime. This task is accomplished through the deployment of a military police patrol. As a rule, patrolling is carried out in the most crowded places: train stations, airports, public gardens, parks. The patrol has broad powers: to check whether the uniform is worn correctly, to detain and deliver to the commandant’s office, to issue directions for studying regulations, to use physical force.
• Conducting an inquiry. The procedure is possible for a limited number of persons: men and women serving and civilian personnel.
• Carrying out administrative investigations. It is possible when the offense was detected by the commandant’s office or the VAI, committed by a person brought to the commandant’s office, or if a corresponding statement was received.
• Providing assistance, searching for “evaders” and civilian personnel suspected of committing a crime. It involves examining places and premises where wanted persons may be, obtaining information and characteristics, interviewing, pursuing, cordoning off, and more.
• Execution of punishments: detention in the guardhouse and in disbats. Security at the guardhouse is carried out by guard forces, and an officer is appointed as its commander. In disbats, personnel are divided into permanent and variable. Variable - punished persons serving their sentence, permanent - serving there and ensuring the maintenance of order. These persons are kept separately from each other.
• Security and convoy of military personnel. Necessary for delivering an army soldier to a guardhouse, to disbats, or to court. The convoy ensures the safety of the person being escorted and prevents attempts to escape. The number of escorts is calculated based on the proportion 2/1: two guards per escort. A reinforced convoy requires a larger number of employees.
• Security of objects determined by personal instructions of the Minister. Protected places also include premises of investigative agencies. The organization of this task is carried out on the basis of general Charters.
• The protection of victims, witnesses and other participants in the process is carried out in the presence of real threats to the life, health or property of investigators, prosecutors or witnesses.
• Control over compliance with traffic rules is carried out by the VAI. This unit was specially created to ensure the safety of vehicles registered in units. VAI has broad powers related to vehicle registration, traffic restrictions during exercises, and vehicle clearance.
• Carrying out garrison service.

Military police are best known among military personnel for tasks such as patrolling, document checks and uniform requirements. In some cases, its employees have the right to detain citizens who are intoxicated.

Structure powers

The tasks of the police are very diverse and require an extensive network, otherwise the effective performance of the functions assigned to it is reduced to a minimum. There are approximately 10 areas of work for the department. These functions are performed by different structures, which are endowed with powers sufficient to effectively perform the assigned task.

Police powers are divided depending on who they apply to. Thus, the powers applicable to:

• military personnel;
• conscripts serving in the FSB;
• other persons and general.

The powers regarding military personnel include the requirement to stop committing an offense or crime. The action may violate the Charter, the Criminal Code, other laws, and have signs of an administrative violation.

Document verification is possible when a crime has been committed or if there are grounds for detention. In this regard, another function is provided, such as detaining and delivering suspects to the commandant’s office, conducting personal and clothing searches.

A referral for an examination is possible when there are grounds to suspect that a prohibited act has been committed, or the results of this study are necessary to establish an objective picture of what happened.

An internal investigation into the circumstances of actions that violate the law is carried out by an investigator in the police of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

Similar powers are granted to military police officers in relation to conscript soldiers serving in the FSB.

Powers regarding third parties

Third parties are understood as citizens not listed above, but who come to the attention of law enforcement officers as a result of their committing illegal actions that infringe on the rights and interests of civilian personnel of units and military personnel.

Police officers have the right to demand the cessation of an unlawful act if events occur on the territory of the unit, or in relation to personnel, civilian or military, as well as government property. These persons who have committed an offense may be detained until they are transferred to civilian law enforcement agencies.

Military police officers guard some important objects determined by the head of the law enforcement agency. In this regard, they are given the right to detain those who tried to illegally enter the protected area. The period of detention is limited to 3 hours, after which the detained citizens should be transferred to other structures or released.

Police have the right to check identification documents, but only if the person is suspected of committing an illegal act and is in the unit’s custody.

The obligation to ensure the safety of traces of a crime, evidence, and other evidence relevant to the investigation is separately indicated.

Did you serve in the military police or commandant's office? Share your impressions in the comments below the article.