Russia's elite guards have been deployed to Moscow as President Vladimir Putin fears coup, according to Ukrainian intelligence. ODON unit of the Russian National Guard is in the Russian capital now and arresting other soldiers on the orders of the top officials.
Top intelligence unit in Ukraine believes that all military units that are on the perimeter of the Russian capital are put on the high alert. Kyiv's officials also alleged that in the Moscow city center, traffic was stopped for a sometime.
ODON Unit Deployed In Moscow
But these claims could not be verified as neither the Russian media nor any other group have reported any of these incidents.
ODON troops - officially named the Separate Operational Purpose Division - are an internal security division of the Russian National Guard. The special rapid response unit is comprised of around 18,000 men and is headed up by Major General Nikolai Kuznetsov, according to The Sun.
Nikolai Kuznetsov Heads ODON Unit
Multiple arrests, detention and blockades have taken place in Moscow following the deployment of ODON troops, according to the Ukrainian intelligence. The fresh deployment comes as a key bridge in Crimea faced explosion a day back.
ODON Unit To Strengthen Internal Security
It came as a truck bomb exploded on the only bridge between Crimea and Russia. The blast rocked the Kerch Bridge, which is the key route for supplies in Crimea from the Russian mainland. The truck exploded on the Kerch bridge early on Saturday.
The bridge is protected with maximum security that includes attack dolphins. In the blast, seven oil tankers caught fire and a section of the bridge also collapsed into the sea.
Russia appears to be frustrated due to recent pullbacks from Kharkiv and other regions and blasts inside the mainland. The deployment of ODOR could be aimed to strengthen internal security and ensure no other incident similar Crimea bridge blast can take place.
