---
product_id: 4247185
title: "Russian Security and Paramilitary Forces since 1991 (Elite, 197)"
brand: "mark galeottijohnny shumate"
price: "$182475"
currency: COP
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 12
url: https://www.desertcart.co/products/4247185-russian-security-and-paramilitary-forces-since-1991-elite-197
store_origin: CO
region: Colombia
---

# Russian Security and Paramilitary Forces since 1991 (Elite, 197)

**Brand:** mark galeottijohnny shumate
**Price:** $182475
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Russian Security and Paramilitary Forces since 1991 (Elite, 197) by mark galeottijohnny shumate
- **How much does it cost?** $182475 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co](https://www.desertcart.co/products/4247185-russian-security-and-paramilitary-forces-since-1991-elite-197)

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## Description

Russian Security and Paramilitary Forces since 1991 (Elite, 197)

## Images

![Russian Security and Paramilitary Forces since 1991 (Elite, 197) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51HZ4u8g+cL.jpg)
![Russian Security and Paramilitary Forces since 1991 (Elite, 197) - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51P8zx0GUQL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Good overview of post-communist police and security in Russia.
  

*by S***G on Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2015*

I think author Mark Galeotti has done a fine job of giving the reader a lucid overview of the often confusing security situation in post-communist Russia. This is an Osprey book and has all the usual excellent photos and color plates. Good color artwork by Johnny Shumate too.The author begins with a short review of secret police since the communist revolution and subsequent state security (or, oppression, actually) apparatus as well as the confusing situation when the evil empire collapsed. The new government and the challenges it faced required a new look at internal police and security requirements. It didn't always rationally make good decisions. There were units retained from the Soviet era, new units created (but not fully funded), expanded roles for other services. Like in the US, where SWAT teams have proliferated among federal agencies (even the Forest Service has a SWAT team), many of these units are created to have an "elite" unit and get more funding.Some of these units were thrown into combat in Chechnya as a result of the implosion of the Red Army and subsequent Russian conventional army. Interior ministry troops, state police, spetsnaz (from different agencies...yeah, confusing, isn't it?) and had to struggle with poor training, scsnty resources and an effective opponent. The Beslan massacre and the Dubrovka Theater are covered briefly and give a good idea of the effectiveness of these units.One will note the often conflicting and confusing jurisdictions and overlapping responsibilities. The book ends with a brief, but decent, inventory of weapons used by these units. On the whole, a good intro to the subject and I do recommend it with four stars.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    The means to keep order in a troubled state...
  

*by H***E on Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2013*

"Russian Security and Paramilitary Forces since 1991" is a superb introduction into the proliferation and use of specialized security units in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union.  In this Osprey Elite Series book, author Mark Galeotti makes sense of the many heavily-armed and specially-trained paramilitary organizations created to police dissidents and demonstrations, defeat terrorists and criminal groups, and conduct counterinsurgency inside and outside the borders of Russia.The old Soviet Union had a variety of specialized security units designed to help the regime maintain internal control.  The fall of the Soviet Union created new instabilities and threats to order.  The institutional response has been to create and equip units capable of armed response to threats.  The MVD or police, the Interior Ministry, the Federal Security Service, and other government agencies each have their own specialized units.  These specialized units resemble SWAT teams, heavily-armed police, special forces, commandos, or even conventional military units.The book has an excellent selection of photographs, illustrations, and color plates to specify the uniforms, equipment, and identifying insignia of security and paramilitary units.  The author cites a number of case studies, including the Chechen campaigns, the 2004 Beslan Massacre, and the Dubrovka Theater hostage crisis, as examples of unit operating methods.  "Russian Security and Paramilitary Forces since 1991" is especially impressive given the constant changes in the naming conventions and subordination of some units; highly recommended.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Historic Precedent?
  

*by J***N on Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2016*

As you read through the myriad of Russian forces and their Byzantine structures, three things may come to mind. First, the proliferation of units since 1991 has come largely during Putin's reign. Second, the inter-agency rivalries must be enormous and so would be coordination and cost. Lastly, it was this type of structure that helped end The Third Reich. These forces number over 400,000 personnel...remember this does not include the military. That seems mind boggling but Russia covers 9 time zones, have 143 million citizens and is comprised of 83 republics and regions (it is a country of committees that get little done).These forces protect the laws of the state not the rights of the individual. This feels palpable if you have ever visited the country. It also explains why there are dedicated forces set aside for crowd and riot control in larger urban centres. Author Galeotti does a fine job documenting purpose, equipment and uniform of each. Subtle in his tone is conflicting admiration for this might and a bewilderment for its existence.

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*Product available on Desertcart Colombia*
*Store origin: CO*
*Last updated: 2026-02-26*