authorities disliked his report on the Krasnodar refuseniks. After that Krasnodar report in the Khakassia news, 11 guardsmen from Khakassia refused to fight for much same reasons as the Krasnodar refuseniks, but the court case of the Khakassian refuseniks was similarly unsuccessful. Then on 27 May it came to light that 115 guardsmen from Nalchik, the capital of the Kabardino-Balkarian republic, had similar difficulties with foreign engagements because they were hired only to police domestic troubles, and because their training is not military. The lawsuit, drafted by a lawyer called Andrei Sabinin, came as a surprise to reporters and was discovered only because they had appealed their case. The lawsuit was dismissed after the judge determined that the soldiers had been rightfully fired for "refusing to perform an official assignment" to fight in Ukraine and instead returned to a duty station. Powers According to TASS news agency, National Guard has some powers similar to the functions discharged by the Federal Security Service. Specifically, the National Guard is controversially allowed to fire into crowds in a select number of situations, such as terrorist incidents, hostage situations, or if a government building secured by the National Guard comes under attack, although the soldiers are forbidden in all circumstances from shooting at pregnant women, children, or people with disabilities. Troops can use physical force against direct threats to members of the public or fellow soldiers, special cargoes, structures along communications lines protected by National Guard troops and the National Guard troops’ facilities, as well as open and search cars, check for identification documents and detain citizens. The National Guard can seal off areas, including for the purpose of preventing mass riots. The troops of the National Guard have the authority to deliver to Russian ports illegal foreign vessels in Russian territorial waters in the Kerch Strait. In a state of emergency, the National Guard personnel have the right to ban the traffic of vehicles and pedestrians, use citizens’ cars to arrive at the scene of an emergency situation or chase criminals, enter houses, use force, special means and weapons. According to the establishing law, National Guard troops exercise their activity on the basis of the principles of legality, the observance of the rights and freedoms of an individual and a citizen, single authority and centralized control. According to Gordon M. Hahn, the rapid reaction forces and special operational forces and aviation of the