VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
A variety of military hardware was brought out and representatives of various departments of the Interior Troops assembled for Vladimir Putin's arrival at the parade ground of the military town Balashikha. The prime minister was also shown armoured personnel carriers, which have seen action more than once over several decades of service, and the relatively new Tiger vehicles, as well as a satellite communications station built into a Land Rover SUV.
The Interior Troops' aircraft were also on display – a tactical hang glider and a drone, which especially interested the prime minister.
The Interior Troops were assembled in full military gear next to the hardware. Standing in the row of soldiers was a golden labrador named Bonnie. Vladimir Putin petted the dog, who raised a paw in response.
Vladimir Putin laid a bouquet of red roses at the memorial to soldiers of the division who had died in the line of duty.
The independent operational division, which was once named for Felix Dzerzhinsky, traces its history back to 1924. Its soldiers participated in operations against organised crime, fought in the Winter War and World War II, carried out special operations in the areas of ethnic conflict in the former Soviet Union and were engaged in relief efforts in the aftermath of major disasters, including the Chernobyl disaster and earthquakes in Armenia. Twenty of the division's soldiers have been awarded the title of "Hero of Russia" for their courage and heroism, and more than 6,000 soldiers, non-commissioned and commissioned officers alike, have received Russian state decorations.
