Russia approves bill on military police

Russia's Federation Council approved the presidential law on January 29 about  military police of the Armed Forces of Russia. The law "On Defense" has thus been supplemented with a new article " Military Police of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation."

The military police will subordinate to the Minister of Defense of Russia.

The document says that the military police have the right to use physical force (including combat fighting techniques), special tools, firearms, military and special equipment in cases stipulated in federal constitutional laws, federal laws, military regulations of the armed forces and the charter of the military police.

Previously, the head of the Directorate of Military Police of the Ministry of Defence, Igor Sidorkevich, reported that the military police would carry out new functions, in particular, to defend highly important objects and provide anti-terrorist protection of the fuel and energy complex. To execute the goal, according to Sidorkevich, 51,000 troops will be required, while the currently authorized military police is 6,500-strong. Sidorkevich also reported that the military police would work closely with the FSB, the Federal Drug Control Service and the military prosecutor.