Part 6/13:
Parallel to the FSB, the Russian National Guard (Rascuia), established in 2016 under a presidential decree, has grown increasingly influential. Led by Victor Zolotov, a longtime Putin confidant and former bodyguard, the Guard has absorbed powers previously held by the Interior Ministry and riot police, thereby consolidating domestic firepower.
Zolotov’s loyalty to Putin has enabled him to expand his authority over crowd control and critical infrastructure—assets increasingly targeted by Ukrainian forces. Nonetheless, Bortnikov and the FSB see Zolotov’s rising influence as a threat. Rumors swirl that Bortnikov is strategizing to eliminate Zolotov, using Ukraine’s attacks on supply routes as leverage to justify a purge.