Private military companies in Russia are commercial organizations that enter the market with specialized services. They are, first of all, connected with the protection, protection of a specific person or object. In world practice, such organizations, including participating in military conflicts, are engaged in the collection of intelligence information. Provide consulting services to regular troops.
Background
Private military companies in Russia appeared relatively recently - in the 90s, while in the world they have been operating for several decades.
For the first time such a concept appeared in the UK in 1967. A private military company was founded by the famous English colonel David Sterling.
By the mid-70s in the world there were a large number of contractors who wanted to make money in paramilitary structures. One of the first major agreements in this area was signed in 1974. It was concluded between a private military company and the US government. The mission is to prepare the national guard of Saudi Arabia and the physical protection of oil fields in this state.
Due to the increased number of mercenaries in the world in 1979, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on the development of a convention. It was necessary to prohibit the recruitment, training and financing of mercenaries.
If during the Cold War such companies were created in many countries to participate in hostilities in third countries, then in the 2000s a new trend appeared. Large international corporations began to resort to the services of private military companies , whose interests are in countries with an unstable political situation.
Market volumes
To date, the market size of these companies is about $ 20 billion. Private military companies in Russia are also contributing.
According to experts, in the 21st century this narrow and specialized market has become a global economy with a multi-billion dollar turnover. This is the opinion of economists around the world.
Most often, the services of such organizations are used by Western governments to represent their interests in third countries. One of the largest representative offices is in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Company Services
Private military companies in Russia provide a wide range of diverse services. A similar list is provided by other international companies around the world. This is the protection of objects of strategic importance. Most often, mercenaries are used to protect oil fields and oil bases, energy systems.
Also, these organizations offer their services as private security companies in foreign countries. For example, they can defend embassies, accompany humanitarian convoys and United Nations representatives.
In the third world countries in which hostilities are being fought, specialists from these companies often train local officers and soldiers of government forces, train police officers, as well as other representatives of security services.
Private military companies sometimes guard prisons, such precedents were in Iraq and Afghanistan. They participate in mine clearance operations and perform the functions of military translators. They conduct air reconnaissance, carry out armed escort of ships to protect themselves from pirates. This type of service has become extremely popular after the revitalization of the sea robbers in Somalia.
Benefits
Almost every private military company in Russia offers financial stability. How to get there? This question is today of interest to many of those who have the experience of military service. To begin with, we will deal with its advantages.
Firstly, the use of mercenaries instead of the regular army does not cause discontent among the population. In addition, in states with weak political institutions, they represent a real opposing force to local law enforcement agencies, and sometimes to regular troops. They are mobile, the management of these units is very flexible, there is no bureaucracy at all. Compared to regular troops, which include many conscripts who have recently learned about the hardships of military service, these companies have only professionals. People who have devoted military affairs to more than one year.
disadvantages
Despite the large number of positive aspects, there are also disadvantages.
The most serious of them is that the employees of such companies work exclusively to make money. They have no other motivation - ideological or ideological. And this is very important in critical and extreme situations.
In addition, the contracts do not provide all the conditions that may arise in the course of hostilities. Therefore, it is not always possible to predict how contract mercenaries will behave. After all, they are not directly subordinate to the military authorities. These factors significantly reduce their flexibility and responsiveness.
Also, between the troops and military companies there is no clear relationship, there is no single control center and universal coordination of all available forces.
Legal status
The legal and legal status of contractors is most often not defined. Even despite the fact that their activities are regulated by a large number of international and national law.
It should be noted that all employees of these companies cannot be called mercenaries. Most often, they do not directly participate in hostilities. In addition, they are not included in the official statistics of the armed forces of the state involved in the conflict.
Moreover, mercenarism is officially prohibited in Russia. The Criminal Code has a corresponding article, which provides for punishment for this from three to seven years.
The law on private military companies in Russia was actively discussed in the federal parliament in 2015. It was supposed to adopt a special bill that would allow the Russian Federation to protect its economic interests in the Middle East and the Arctic. However, he was never accepted.
"Russian security systems"
Private military companies in Russia, the list of which is headed by the most famous - RSB-Group, today offer a wide range of services.
RSB Group is a serious organization that is an official UN partner in Russia. Works within the framework of Security Council resolutions, UN Charter, Red Cross Code.
The company provides escort on land and at sea, technical protection, provides training and consulting. Engaged in mine clearance, protection of facilities within the Russian Federation.
"RSB-Group" can offer very exotic services. For example, intelligence and analytics. In the interests of the customer, information is obtained about customers, competitors or suppliers. The only exceptions are industrial espionage and state secret information.
Private military companies in Russia can offer all of these services. How to get into them? For example, at RSB Group today vacancies are opened for the manager of active sales of security and maritime security services, and for the project development manager.
IDA
Another major organization involved in such activities is IDA. It is based in St. Petersburg.
Specializes in organizing legal investigations and ensuring security. Carries out protection of individuals, convoys, oil and gas pipelines, escort of goods of particular importance.
And this is not all the services that private military companies in Russia can provide. Training of employees, protection of ships, military and business consulting, protection of public events, as well as the preparation and exchange of information on such events - all this is within their competence.
We list some other private military companies operating in the Russian Federation:
- Cossaks.
- Ferax.
- Redoubt Antiterror
- "Antiterror-Eagle" and others.
Creation of a military company
In Russia, this type of business has been developing for a relatively short time. Undoubtedly, a private military company in Russia brings good profit. How to create such a structure, and most importantly, what are its advantages? Today, many are pondering these issues.
It is important when creating such an organization to comply with all the requirements of the law, and also in the future activities not to provide services, because of which there may be problems with law enforcement agencies.
A factor in favor of creating such firms is the reduction in the number of Russian armed forces. Now the army can not carry out the functions assigned to it earlier, in Soviet times. As a result, a reduction in the large number of officers, which negatively affected the general level of army training.
All this makes the creation of private military companies in Russia a successful and profitable business.