ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the relationship between the armed and security forces and civilians. It analyses the reforms introduced by Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin. The chapter explains the concept of parallel power-wielding structures. It explores the development of the security services. Russia sees itself as a global power and believes that it needs military might to back this aspiration and to challenge the USAs increasingly unilateral global behaviour. Putin used some of Russia's increased oil revenues to begin the reform and modernisation of its forces. He drew on his siloviki network to push forward with his reforms and to provide civilian oversight of the armed forces. Continuing tensions between the Defence Ministry and the General Staff are, in part, due to disagreements about reform and modernisation, but also about the broader issue of bringing the armed forces under civilian control. Other difficulties also remain, not least the major security failures during 20024 that revealed official incompetence and corruption.
