Putin congratulates National Guard on 5th anniversary

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Russia's National Guard on the fifth anniversary since its creation on Saturday.

The National Guard was established by Putin in 2016 as an internal military force that reports directly to the president.

The service, which numbers over 300,000 personnel, is involved with other security forces in fighting terrorism and organized crime, guarding state facilities, controlling weapons turnover and riot control.

"The National Guard has become an independent and crucial agency for law enforcement and the protection of the rights and interests of individuals and society as a whole," Putin said in a congratulatory message on Saturday.