Activities of the NKVD bodies and troops of the USSR to fight banditry during the Great Patriotic War
The article gives a characterization of banditry in the country during the Great Patriotic War, and notes that during this period in the country in addition to criminals intensified their activities former participants of armed anti-Soviet speeches, defeated rebel, counter-revolutionary organizations. The situation in the fight against banditry has developed in the border regions of the country. The activities of the NKVD bodies and troops of the USSR to eliminate gangs are being considered. In order to strengthen the fight against banditry, specialized units were formed in the NKVD to combat banditry, in addition to which the fight against banditry was carried out by police units, state security, NKVD troops, military counterintelligence agencies. It is noted that in the course of the fight against banditry, operational and chekist operations were combined with intelligence-operational measures, along with which public education was actively used. The article pays special attention to the fight against nationalist gangs, including Western Nationalists. The article provides statistics on the state of banditry contained in archival documents.