The Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the law, regulating the activities of the country’s military police of the Armed Forces, said the “RIA News” on Tuesday.
The appropriate changes are made in a number of existing Russian laws, including the law “On defense”. It is complemented by Article 25.1 “The Military Police of Armed Forces of the Russian Federation”.
The new body is a part of the Armed forces. The Russian Ministry of Defense provides leadership of the military police. He determines the organizational structure, composition and numerical strength of the military police staff.
The new body is aimed at protecting of rights of servicemen and civilian personnel, ensuring legality, law and order, military discipline in the Armed forces. Ensuring road safety and protection of military facilities are also among the powers of the military police.
The law, signed by Putin, states that the military police has the right to use physical force, including combat fighting techniques, special means, firearms, military and special equipment in the cases and order, stipulated in the federal constitutional laws, federal laws and military regulations of the Armed Forces and the Charter of the military police.
The list of basic normative acts, regulating the activities of the military police, includes the Military Police Charter of the Armed Forces of Russia.
The military police was given the authority to receive, register and inspect reports on committed or planned assassination attempts, as well as adoption of procedural decisions, provided by the Criminal Procedure Code. The police can conduct an inquiry, make urgent investigative actions in criminal cases, make allowances for servicemen in the guardhouse, deal with investigation and detention of suspects, accused and convicted soldiers and deserters. The military police is also responsible for search of stolen or lost weapons, ammunition and military equipment, protection of the managing staff of the Ministry of Defense and military authorities.
The military police got the right to detain drunken servicemen in public places and conduct a personal inspection of soldiers and officers. If necessary, the military police together with the ordinary police may penetrate residential premises and land plots of citizens, as well as the territory, occupied by civil society organizations.
Head of the Main Department of the military police of the Ministry of Defense Igor Sidorkevich informed earlier, that now the number of the military police staff is 6,500 people. To perform new functions of the military police, including protection of sensitive sites and providing anti-terror protection of the fuel and energy complex, 51,000 servicemen are required.