Khinshtein called “absolutely correct” the transition of Wagner fighters as volunteers to the Russian Guard

The initiatives are signed by a group of United Russia senators and deputies, among them the head of the Federation Council Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building Andrei Klishas and the heads of three Duma committees (on security and anti-corruption, on defense, and on information policy, information technology and communications) Vasily Piskarev, Andrey Kartapolov and Alexander Khinshtein.

The basic bill amends 22 existing federal laws at once. Now the troops of the Russian Guard, along with the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, are taking “direct participation in a special military operation”, performing “tasks similar to those assigned to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation,” the explanatory note recalls, the Ministry of Defense has the right to form volunteer formations (the army already has 40 of them), and the Russian Guard No.

For the sake of “unification,” the authors believe, it is necessary to give the Russian Guard powers to create and use volunteer formations, similar to those of the military department.

It follows from the bill that the decision on the recruitment of volunteers by the Russian Guard will be made by the president. Citizens who wish to become volunteers of the Russian Guard will enter into an appropriate contract to remain in such a formation, the procedure for material support for volunteers and their weapons, and the procedure for performing service will be determined by the leadership of the Russian Guard through its departmental acts (the financial and economic justification states that additional expenses from the federal budget for implementation of innovations will not be required).

It is planned to extend to volunteers and their family members the same social guarantees, benefits and compensation that Ministry of Defense volunteers already have. This also applies to the provision of free legal assistance and compensation for harm caused to health during service.

Officials who have left the civil service as volunteers of the Russian Guard will retain the position they filled; for the period of service, civil, administrative, arbitration and enforcement proceedings against the volunteers of the Russian Guard will be suspended. The right to preferential admission to universities for budget-funded places will be extended to them and their family members, etc., etc.

The monetary allowance of volunteers will be established by the Russian Guard itself, but the amount of monetary allowance must not be lower than the amount of monetary allowance for military personnel serving under contract and occupying similar military positions. “Additional payments” are also acceptable.

The package also includes bills amending the Labor and Tax Codes (also about benefits, so that they are the same as for volunteers of the Ministry of Defense), as well as the Code of Administrative Offenses and the Criminal Code, which have long punished public actions that discredit the Armed Forces and volunteers Ministry of Defense, and now they will punish for discrediting the actions of the Russian Guard volunteers.

Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, we recall, will promise a fine of 30-50 thousand for citizens, from 100 to 200 thousand for officials, and from 300 thousand to 500 thousand for legal entities, and if the discredit was accompanied by calls for unauthorized actions and carried a “threat mass violation of public order” – the fine increases to 50 thousand -100 thousand rubles for citizens, 200 thousand – 300 thousand rubles for officials, and 500 thousand – one million rubles for legal entities.

If the army and volunteers of the Ministry of Defense are repeatedly “discredited” within a year by a person punished for it administratively, criminal liability arises: the maximum penalty under Article 280.3 of the Criminal Code is up to seven years in prison.

This article will also contain a mention of Russian National Guard volunteers. For fakes about the actions of volunteers, Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code will be punishable, which currently punishes for fakes about the actions of the Armed Forces and volunteer formations in general (up to 15 years in prison), and Article 284.3.1 of the Criminal Code, which is about assistance in the implementation of decisions of international organizations aimed against officials of the Russian Federation (up to five years in prison).

MK spoke with one of the authors of the package, head of the Duma Committee on Information Policy, Information Technologies and Communications Alexander Khinshtein.

– What will be the difference between a person who simply gets a job in the Russian Guard, having concluded a contract, and a volunteer of the Russian Guard?

– The difference is that a volunteer who has entered into a contract does not become a military serviceman; he is not subject to a number of responsibilities and guarantees associated with military service.

He will receive the same salary as a serviceman of a similar position, he will be covered by the entire package of social guarantees and payments, but this will not make him a man in uniform.

This is the same difference, very roughly speaking, as between a policeman and a vigilante: a vigilante also has the right to assist the police, to detain an offender, he, like a policeman, is protected by law in the event of an attack on him – but he is not a policeman.

– Is the scope of use of the Russian Guard volunteers approximately the same as the scope of use of the Russian Guard troops? Ensuring internal security first?

– Volunteer formations of the Russian Guard will be created by decision of the president, and then act depending on the situation. The decision on specific issues of application remains with the leadership of the Russian Guard.

This could be participation in the protection of state borders, territorial defense, protection of some objects, and ensuring the regime of a counter-terrorist operation, martial law or a state of emergency. Volunteers can be in a cordon, take part in hostilities, etc.

– Will their contracts have time limits?

– Yes, contracts with volunteers are concluded for a certain period. Now, during the period of last year’s presidential decree on partial mobilization, the dismissal of non-volunteers who have entered into a military contract with the Ministry of Defense has been suspended. In general, this design is similar to that which is already in effect for Ministry of Defense volunteers. Nothing additional appears there.

– What about the “Wagnerites”? Can they join the volunteer formations of the Russian Guard?

– It is impossible to take and hang the sign “PMC “Wagner” on the volunteer regiment of the Russian Guard. But it is possible to take and conclude an individual contract with individual people who served in Wagner, if they, of course, want it. I believe that this would be absolutely correct: people have combat experience and are motivated for such service.

– When will the State Duma discuss bills from this package?

“We look forward to receiving it as quickly as possible.” We hope that on Monday, September 25, the Duma Council will determine the timing of their consideration.