Russia is building an external military structure for the Ministry of Defense, strengthening the National Guard (Rosgvardia) as a force loyal to Putin, warns the Royal United Services Institute.

Russia is developing a "parallel structure" of force outside the Ministry of Defense, intended to protect Vladimir Putin's regime from internal threats, according to analyst William James Dixon from the Royal United Services Institute. A recent decree from the Kremlin strengthens the National Guard (Rosgvardia), transforming it into a force with operational control concentrated in the hands of its director, Viktor Zolotov, who reports directly to Putin. This change reflects a reaction to internal challenges, such as Yevgeny Prigozhin's revolt in 2023, which highlighted the regime's vulnerabilities. Rosgvardia, which has evolved from a police structure into a militarized one, is compared to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards in Iran, having the role of protecting the regime. Dixon warns that this development could generate internal tensions within the army and could complicate the succession of leadership in the future, creating competing power centers.