The Internal Troops of Russia (VV) was a paramilitary force of the Russian Interior Ministry that was active from 20 October 1991 to 5 April 2016. Serving as a paramilitary gendarmerie, the Internal Troops dealt with crowd control during riots and internal conflicts, guarded important facilities such as nuclear power plants, and enforced local defense and rear area security during the Chechen wars. The VV was merged into the Rosgvardiya in 2016.