NKVD troops for the protection of the rear

On June 25, 1941, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR adopted a resolution on the assignment of tasks to protect the rear of the active Red Army on the NKVD. On June 26, 1941, the Deputy People’s Commissar of Internal Affairs, Lieutenant General Maslennikov, signed an order according to which the NKVD troops ( border troops , as well as operational troops , escort troops , the NKVD troops for the protection of railway structures and critical industrial enterprises ( internal troops of the NKVD USSR ), in the combat zone, were involved in guarding the rear of the army.

The bulk of the rear protection forces were border troops (about 70%). Corresponding fronts were created to guide the activities of the rear protection forces. They were formed on the basis of the troops of the western border districts . The chiefs of the rear protection forces were appointed the chiefs of troops of the border districts.

The tasks of the rear protection forces were:

• the fight against espionage, sabotage and banditry, desertion and looting;
• the destruction of small enemy groups that seeped into the rear of the army;
• collection of trophy and military property left behind troops.

On April 28, 1942, as part of the Main Directorate of Internal Troops of the NKVD of the USSR, a special command was formed for protecting the rear of the active army (at first it was headed by Lieutenant General A. M. Leontyev , and then Lieutenant General I. M. Gorbatyuk ), which in April 1943 was transformed into the General Directorate. On May 4, 1943, the number of troops for the protection of the rear was 62,818 personnel.

In 1944 - 1945, rear protection forces in the Baltic states fought against the nationalist underground - the "forest brothers" , in Western Ukraine - against the UPA , and in Poland - against the Army Craiova . ^[one]

After the end of World War II, by order of the NKVD No. 00805 of July 9, 1945, the Directorate of the NKVD Troops for the Protection of the Rear of Abolished Fronts were put into the reserve of the Main Directorate of the NKVD Troops for the Protection of the Rear of the Active Red Army, only the Directorate for the Protection of the Rear of the troop groups were retained. In October 1945, the troops were abolished, personnel were transferred to the internal troops of the NKVD.

• OGPU troops
• Barrage squad
• Field Gendarmerie
• Fighter battalion
• Military police
• Smersh
• USSR Internal Troops
• POWR troops

• Tasks of the rear guard units.
• NKVD troops for the protection of the rear of the active Red Army