RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE-RELATED LEGAL DOCUMENTS

On the Russian Federation Defense Council

Russian Federation Presidential Edict No. 1102
25 July 1996

In accordance with Article 87 of the Russian Federation Constitution and Articles 1 and 4 of the federal law "On Defense," I decree that:

1. A Russian Federation Defense Council shall be set up. Yuriy Mikhaylovich Baturin shall be appointed secretary of the Russian Federation Defense Council and aide to the Russian Federation president.

2. The appended Statute on the Russian Federation Defense Council, composition of the Russian Federation Defense Council, and samples of the form used for orders issued by the supreme commander in chief of the Russian Federation Armed Forces and the form used for directives issued by the supreme commander in chief of the Russian Federation Armed Forces are hereby ratified. (Footnote) (The statute and the composition of the council are published on page 4)

3. With a view to ensuring the activity of the Russian Federation Defense Council, an apparatus for the council with a staff of 53 shall be set up and its structure ratified. Up to 25 servicemen and staffers from Russian Federation internal affairs organs may be seconded to the Russian Federation Defense Council apparatus. Vladimir Nikolayevich Klimenko shall be appointed leader of the Russian Federation Defense Council Apparatus.

4. This edict comes into force from the day it is signed.

[Signed] Russian Federation President B. Yeltsin
[Dated] Moscow, the Kremlin
25 July 1996
No. 1102

[The edict is followed by a flowchart diagram of the "structure of the Russian Federation Defense Council apparatus," showing that directly subordinate to the leader of the Russian Federation Defense Council Apparatus are the Russian Federation Defense Council Secretariat (with administration status) and two administrations. Each of the administrations has two departments directly subordinate to it]


Statute on the
Russian Federation Defense Council

I. General Provisions

The Russian Federation Defense Council (hereinafter the Defense Council) is the standing consultative organ preparing the Russian Federation president's decisions in the sphere of military organizational development and the implementation of the highly important decisions of the Russian Federation Security Council on strategic issues of defense policy.

2. The Defense Council elaborates decisions on important issues such as measures to prepare for the protection of the Russian Federation from armed attack or the direct protection of the Russian Federation from armed attack, the elaboration of an overall concept of military organizational development, the coordination and monitoring of the activity of the Russian Federation Armed Forces and other troops and military formations, and the definition of their mission, composition, and size in accordance with the Russian Federation Constitution, the federal law "On Defense," other Russian Federation acts of legislation and international treaties, and this statute.

3. The Statute on the Defense Council is ratified by the Russian Federation president following representations from the secretary of the Russian Federation Defense Council (hereinafter the Defense Council secretary).

II. Composition of the Defense Council

4. The Defense Council comprises the chairman of the Russian Federation Defense Council (hereinafter the Defense Council chairman), the deputy chairman of the Russian Federation Defense Council (hereinafter the Defense Council deputy chairman), the Defense Council secretary, and members of the Defense Council.

5. The Defense Council chairman is the Russian Federation president, the Defense Council deputy chairman is the chairman of the Russian Federation Government. The Defense Council secretary is appointed by the Russian Federation president. The composition of the Defense Council is ratified by the Russian Federation president. The leaders of state organs, organizations, and other persons directly involved with the issues at hand may be invited to Defense Council sessions.

III. Tasks of the Defense Council

6. The tasks of the Defense Council include examining questions of:

the elaboration of a concept of military organizational development and the drawing up of proposals on the tasks of the Russian Federation Armed Forces, other troops, and military formations stemming from the military doctrine (the main provisions of the military doctrine);

legal regulation in the sphere of military organizational development;

the organizational development, training, and maintenance of the necessary readiness of the Russian Federation Armed Forces, other troops, and military formations, as well as the determination of their composition, size, and manpower acquisition;

the deployment of the Russian Federation Armed Forces, other troops, and military formations should a threat of aggression against the Russian Federation arise;

the forecasting and evaluation of military danger and military threats on the basis of the synthesis and analysis of intelligence and other information;

the utilization of the Russian Federation Armed Forces, other troops, and military formations for purposes for which they were not originally intended ;

the implementation of military-technical policy;

the improvement of armaments and military hardware, the creation of stockpiles of them, and the planning of the utilization of the radio frequency spectrum;

the planning of the transfer of federal organs of state power, Russian Federation component organs of state power, organs of local self-government, and the country's economy to work under wartime conditions;

the mobilization training of federal organs of state power, Russian Federation component organs of state power, organs of local self-government, institutions, and organizations irrespective of their form of ownership, including transportation institutions and organizations and communication services, as well as the country's population;

the creation for defense purposes of stockpiles of material resources at state and mobilization reserves;

the planning and implementation of civil and territorial defense measures;

the operational equipping of Russian Federation territory for defense purposes;

the development of science in the interests of defense;

the coordination of the activity of federal organs of state power, Russian Federation component organs of state power, and organs of local self-government in the sphere of military organizational development and the implementation of the highly important decisions of the Russian Federation Security Council on strategic issues of defense policy;

the financing of defense expenditure, and the monitoring of the spending of the funds allocated for defense and for ensuring the activity of the Russian Federation Armed Forces, other troops, and military formations;

the preparation of draft orders and directives from the supreme commander in chief of the Russian Federation Armed Forces in the sphere of military organizational development;

the implementation of other measures in the sphere of military organizational development.

7. In order to carry out expert study and evaluation of proposals and decisions on the issues referred to in Paragraph 6 of this statute, a Military Scientific Consultative Council is to be set up under the Defense Council, and provision will be made for its funding by the Russian Federation Government when planning budget expenditure under the "National Defense" line item.

IV. Powers of Persons Making Up the Defense Council

8. The Defense Council chairman:

ratifies the Defense Council's working plans and its session agendas;

sets the time and place for the holding of Defense Council sessions;

chairs Defense Council sessions;

gives Defense Council members instructions to prepare material on issues examined by the Defense Council, as well as draft decisions.

9. Defense Council members:

personally participate in the discussion of issues examined by the Defense Council;

submit proposals on the Defense Council work plan and Defense Council session agendas and the procedure governing discussions;

organize on the instructions of the Defense Council chairman or his deputy the preparation of material on issues examined by the Defense Council, as well as draft decisions;

are entitled to voice their reservations in the event of their disagreeing with an adopted decision.

10. The Defense Council secretary:

ensures under the leadership of the Defense Council chairman the preparation of the Defense Council work plans, draws up its session agendas, and organizes the preparation of reference and information material and other documents for each Defense Council session, as well as draft decisions;

informs Defense Council members in advance of the date of and agenda for the next Defense Council session, and provides them with the necessary reference and information material;

formulates the protocols of Defense Council sessions and monitors progress in carrying out the decisions reached;

organizes the activity of the Defense Council apparatus.

V. Procedure of the Defense Council's Work

11. Defense Council sessions are held at least once a month. Extraordinary council sessions may be held, if necessary, at the decision of the Defense Council chairman. Defense Council members have equal rights in decisionmaking.

Defense Council members are not allowed to delegate their powers to other officials. A Defense Council member can be temporarily replaced only with the consent of the Defense Council chairman or his deputy.

If the Defense Council chairman is temporarily absent, his duties are performed by the Defense Council deputy chairman. On the instructions of the Defense Council chairman Defense Council sessions are chaired by the Defense Council deputy chairman.

Defense Council sessions are minuted and the minutes are signed by the Defense Council chairman and the Defense Council secretary.

Defense Council decisions on the most important issues are formulated in Russian Federation presidential edicts and directives.

VI. Defense Council Apparatus

12. Defense Council activity is ensured by the Defense Council Apparatus.

The Defense Council Apparatus is part of the Russian Federation Presidential Staff and has the status of a main administration of the Russian Federation president.

13. The permanent staff of the Defense Council Apparatus is ratified by the leader of the Russian Federation Presidential Staff following representations from the Defense Council secretary.

14. The Defense Council involves federal executive organs and the Russian Federation Armed Forces General Staff in carrying out certain tasks.