Top managers at Russia’s Central Bank may soon carry weapons such as submachine guns, according to a draft government proposal prepared by Vladimir Putin’s internal security force, the National Guard, Russian media have reported.
The National Guard, or Rosgvardiya, is Putin’s internal military force and is responsible for the protection of state buildings, as well as domestic security. It reports directly to the Russian president.
The Central Bank sets the key interest rate and has been guiding the country through the economic fallout of sanctions as it grapples with an overheating wartime economy, accelerated by labor market shortages and inflation.
