CIVIL DEFENSE IN THE USSR

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
T
Document Page Count: 
23
Document Creation Date: 
December 22, 2016
Document Release Date: 
September 20, 2012
Sequence Number: 
1
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
February 26, 1986
Content Type: 
NIE
File: 
AttachmentSize
PDF icon CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1.pdf1.67 MB
Body: 
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 4'4 COPY NO. - , ASSISTANT DIRECTOR SECURITY INFORMATION C29271 NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE ESTIMATE CIVIL DEFENSE IN THE USSR NI E-60 Published 30 April 1952 r,C:C, !MI:2NT CHANT: C'...P.SS.Lii DECLP,SSF.T:.T.; CLASS. CA) T3: TS S C NEXT REVIEW DATE- AUTH: HR 70-2 DATE- / MARd0 g4REVIEWER:, f etbi4,0 DOCUMENT NO. NO CHANGE iN ' LI DECLAsc'.!Fi CLASS CH NE9`=VirDp AUTH: REVIEWER. 43W' CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Allial"SteRer .s Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 , Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 -At WARNING This document contains information affecting the na- tional defense of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage Act, 50 U.S.C., 31 and 32, as amended. Its transmission or the revelation of its contents in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law. Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 Dat Ur ti FEB 1986 This is An regard to your itseoutiont Order 12355 request subsitted.to the Truman Library. ILT-114-4. t) 5 Ife`,hoieli'letovr the doe tat you reqteiest ter/tined that five-docuasst may deolasOfied and te1*asid to Ion,is . their 'tostittooty. es* ft. ..01/1{-11 .(18 ltesuarr ft1114L.=-'__ *abet 15),. ..$111-48 Id January 1982) er.NIP140 and .4111. (4 October ,.19$1)0 copies are *solos Teo ,other ummutly- S,,Septelatter. On) and .0./$1.4123 Ootober,',144.14 -can bar. is sanitised forms OOSait 'at these iil enclosed.-. hteS.semaining dOefuotests. 110-31 -(4.8epteeher..- 11,11). HIg#0.1124ebruary ISS1). and SE-WIS november 1lt0 cannot be,Aeciassitied or-released in 'ategregehle: fore. -Theset three most be 4titIteld in their -entirety. SeOtions 1.3(a)(2).04A4), M. sad/WO) provide the baste for the above determlnatiOns4 We also indltide an extract--from the-Order. You say Appeal these deterainetions by addressing your appeal ? to the "CPI IStOteStiok,psviev,psamittee. is my ottre? fhould you iibiese.:t0:itoicithiaigise?;41sOlalit the basis of youfhtipeal. aectordoseaVvith .1startostien doeurity.Oversight Di.ctive 1, sppeoiti itiett-as filed .eithis-40 days.. : / Lee S. Strickland Information sad Privacy coordinator Enclosures ?ces HST Library Attentions B. Zobrist IPD/CMR/mgs/19 Feb 86 Distribution: Orig - Adse 1 - Chrono 1 - IPD E83-0221 1 - DECAL CRD ID# 823 STAT STAT STAT Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 STAT At. Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 -a /- DISSEMINATION NOTICE 1. This copy of this publication is for the information and use of the recipient designated on the front cover and of individuals under the jurisdiction of the recipient's office who require the information for the performance of their official duties. Fur- ther dissemination elsewhere in the department to other offices which require the in- formation for the performance of official duties may be authorized by the following: a. Special Assistant to the Secretary of State for Intelligence, for the Depart- ment of State b. Assistant Chief of Staff, G-2, for the Department of the Army c. Director of Naval Intelligence, for the Department of the Navy d. Director of Intelligence, USAF, for the Department of the Air Force , e. Assistant to the Director, FBI, for the Federal Bureau of Investigation f. Director of Intelligence, AEC, for the Atomic Energy Commission g. Deputy Director for Intelligence, Joint Staff, for the Joint Staff h. Assistant Director for Collection and Dissemination, CIA, for any other De- partment or Agency 2. This copy may be either retained or destroyed by burning in accordance with applicable security regulations, or returned to the Central Intelligence Agency by ar- rangement with the Office of Collection and Dissemination, CIA. DISTRIBUTION: Office of the President National Security Council National Security Resources Board Department of State Office of Secretary of Defense Department of the Army Department of the Navy Department of the Air Force Atomic Energy Commission Joint Chiefs of Staff Federal Bureau of Investigation Research and Development Board Munitions Board Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 ? SECURITY INFORMATION NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE ESTIMATE CIVIL DEFENSE IN THE USSR NI E-60 The intelligence organizations of the Departments of State, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Joint Staff par- ticipated with the Central Intelligence Agency in the prepa- ration of this estimate. All members of the Intelligence 'Advisory Committee concurred in this estimate on 14 April 1952. Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 ? CONTENTS Page THE PROBLEM 1 ESTIMATE ? 1 SUMMARY 1 BACKGROUND 1 THE PRESENT CIVIL DEFENSE PROGRAM 1 CIVIL DEFENSE TRAINING 2 DEFENSE AGAINST SPECIAL WEAPONS ATTACK 3 OTHER CIVIL DEFENSE ACTIVITIES AND RESOURCES 3 SOVIET CIVIL DEFENSE CAPABILITIES 4 APPENDIX A: CIVIL DEFENSE ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTIONS 5 THE MPVO 5 MPVO ORGANIZATION OF A CITY OR RAYON 5 SMALLER UNITS OF THE MPVO 8 APPENDIX B: CIVIL DEFENSE TRAINING MPVO STAFF AND UNIT TRAINING CIVIL DEFENSE TRAINING STANDARDS DOSAAF TRAINING DOSAAF RADIO CLUBS 10 10 11 11 12 RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT SOCIETIES 12 APPENDIX C: PREPARATION AGAINST SPECIAL WEAPONS ATTACKS 14 DEFENSE AGAINST ATOMIC ATTACK 14 DEFENSE AGAINST CHEMICAL ATTACK 14 DEFENSE AGAINST BIOLOGICAL ATTACK 14 APPENDIX D: OTHER CIVIL DEFENSE ACTIVITIES AND RESOURCES 15 POLICE AND FIREFIGHTING 15 MEDICAL RESOURCES 15 TRANSPORT RESOURCES 16 STOCKPILING 16 PROTECTIVE CONSTRUCTION 16 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 ? CIVIL DEFENSE IN THE USSR THE PROBLEM To describe the Soviet civil defense program and to estimate its capabilities.* ESTIMATE 1. Summary. The USSR has a large: com- plex, and well-organized civil defense system, which is integrated into the over-all Soviet Anti-Air Defense system (PVO). This system is based on the extensive civil defense struc- ture which the USSR maintained during World War II. It is probable that civil de- fense organizations and auxiliaries designed to meet wartime emergencies exist in most cities and rayons,** with the most intensive preparations in large cities and at more im- portant industrial installations. The civil de- fense system is gradually being brought to an increased state of readiness and appears capable of rapid expansion in event of emer- gency. However, there is no evidence of any preparations for early hostilities. 2. Background. Civil defense training in the USSR goes back as far as 1927, when the first mass military auxiliary (OSOAVIAKhIM) was organized, with mass civil defense train- ing as one of its most important functions. The totalitarian structure and elaborate con- trol mechanisms of the USSR have greatly facilitated the Soviet civil defense task. Dur- ing World War II the Soviet civil defense or- ganizations, in which nearly all civilians * The term "civil defense" as used in this study includes only those passive defense activities de- signed to: (a) minimize the immediate effects upon a civilian population that would be caused through a sudden attack; (b) deal with the immediate emergency conditions created by any such attack; and (c) effect emergency repairs to, or the emer- gency restoration of, vital utilities and facilities. ** A rayon is an administrative subdivision of an oblast, which is a; subdivision of a Union Republic. were compelled to participate, played a large and diverse role. Besides their activities in areas under air attack, civil defense units con- structed their own ground defenses and de- fense lines for the Red Army, and they par- ticipated in the reconstruction of bombed and devastated areas. The wartime civil defense organization and program has never been dis- continued, and the structure of the present civil defense system appears unchanged in es- sentials since World War II. 3. However, for a time after the war the So- viet population was evidently apathetic to- ward civil defense activities, and these activi- ties declined. The Soviet government has attempted to overcome this apathy by means of propaganda rather than by the compulsion resorted to during the war. Although all per- sons of 16 to 60 years of age are subject under existing decree to participation in the civil defense program, the government to date has chosen to keep the program on a "vol- untary" basis ("voluntary" in the Soviet sense doubtless including indirect pressures). Since 1948 internal propaganda, disseminated through Communist party organs, trade un- ions, the Young Communist League, and mili- tary auxiliaries, as well as by the press and radio, has been increasingly stressing the need ? for civil defense training of the entire popula- tion. 4. The Present Civil Defense System. (See Appendix A.) The existing Soviet civil defense program stresses planning and training for the rapid and effective mobilization of all available resources to deal with wartime emer- 1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 2 gencies in target areas. While the civil de- fense program receives supervision, support, and financial assistance from the central gov- ernment, it appears to be based upon a workable balance between this centralized control and maximum local initiative in the utilization of civilian resources and man- power. The entire program is based upon integration into the civil defense system of agencies, groups, and enterprises whose pri- mary functions are other than civil defense but which would assume civil defense opera- tional roles in event of war. 5. The core of the Soviet civil defense pro- gram, and the mechanism through which its various elements are centrally coordinated and supervised, is the MPVO (Local Anti-Air Defense) system, which is under the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) . A section of the MVD Ministry in Moscow, the Main Admin- istration of Local Anti-Air Defense (GUM- PVO) , is responsible for central supervi- sion Of MPVO activities throughout the USSR. Under it is an MPVO corps, composed of MVD personnel professionally qualified in civil defense duties. The MPVO corps func- tions as a command and staff organization which undertakes civil defense planning and supervises and coordinates the training and activities of the various existing agencies and groups which have civil defense roles. The latter provide, on a part-time basis, the vast bulk of the local MPVO personnel. MPVO ac- tivities generally are organized in staffs or units composed of MVD and local civilian au- thorities at administrative levels descending from all-union, to union-republic, oblast, city or rayon, down to individual plants, institu- tions, and even dwellings. (See chart on page 6.) 6. The basic civil defense unit is the city or rayon MPVO, which may plan for and super- vise such services as camouflage, firefighting, medical-sanitation, veterinary, damage resto- ration, anti-chemical defense, communica- tions and reporting, security and public order, transportation, shelter, and evacuation. These services are generally performed by such ex- isting agencies as the local police and fire- fighting forces, local health and sanitation facilities, Red Cross and Red Crescent Socie- ties, and others. The larger city or rayon MPVO units have under them sector units with similar organization, while the smallest MPVO unit is the "self-defense group," which is formed within apartments, small enter- prises, schools, etc., on the basis of approxi- mately one per 100 persons., There were re- portedly in 1948 some 1,060,000 local civil de- fense units of all types. These units represent cadres which can be expanded or around which new sub-units can be formed in event of national emergency, in accordance with ex- isting predetermined plans. 7. Special emphasis is apparently placed on providing local MPVO organizations at im- portant factories and other targets such as railroads. These units have crews which per- form services similar to the services of the city MPVO's. Most -industrial or economic minis- tries have special sections which, among other things, are apparently responsible for seeing to it that plants under their jurisdiction carry out the necessary civil defense preparations. 8. Although the MPVO organization is under the MVD, the military Anti-Air Defense sys- tem (PVO) also has an over-all coordinating role involving civil as well as military defense, especially in wartime situations. The PVO headquarters, a separate top level component of the War Ministry, is ultimately responsible for the entire Soviet air defense system, and as such probably monitors passive air defense measures to insure coordination of over-all de- fense plans. When a local area or city is un- der attack, the MPVO organization comes under the operational control of the PVO commander in that area, if such an officer has been designated. 9. Civil Defense Training. (See Appendix B.) The Soviet civil defense program encompasses both specialized training of MPVO personnel and mass training of large population groups through various mass organizations. With the aid of such other agencies as the Ministry of Health and the armed forces, the MPVO organization sets up standards for the train- ing of the civilian population. Actual train- ing programs are conducted by the MPVO service itself and by the existing local agencies Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 whose civil defense activities the MPVO super- vises. 10. In addition, mass training of the popula- tion in basic civil defense measures is under- taken as part of their broader functions by the Voluntary Society for Assistance to the Army, Aviation, and Navy (DOSAAF) , which is the chief Soviet military auxiliary society, and by the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, sports societies, and other similar groups. The civil defense program is widely advertised through the Soviet propaganda machinery and given unity and purpose through the agi- tation and discipline of the Communist Party and dts youth organizations. 11. The scope of mass civil defense training is indicated by evidence that 'an estimated 16,- 000,000 people participate in the activities of DOSAAF, and about 15,000,000 in the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, while per- haps 20,000,000 have been trained in the MPVO system itself. These figures undoubt- edly include considerable overlapping since many persons probably belong to more than one group. Personnel who are not officially part of the above groups, but who have had some appropriate military or medical training, must also be considered as part of the civil defense potential. These include many people trained during World War II. The Soviet civil defense potential is much greater in terms both of trained personnel and of mass popular education than it was at the beginning of World War II. Moreover, as the present train- ing programs steadily add to, the reserve of trained personnel, this potential will gradually increase. 12. The MPVO Main Administration (GUM- PVO) has emphasized the necessity of main- taining MPVO in a state of readiness, stressing the use of up-to-date techniques. Civil de- fense conferences called by GUMPVO have re- viewed wartime experiences and their applica- tion to civil defense activities. These matters have also been treated extensively in profes- sional publications. Moreover, as a result of wartime experience, the MPVO system has re- portedly adopted new equipment and tech- niques. One is a "mobile command post" ve- hicle with radio equipment, a switchboard 3 which can be connected with the local tele- phone system, and amplifiers from which op- erations can be directed at the scene of the disaster. Another MPVO development is pro- vision for technical emergency vehicles, hav- ing simple equipment for rescue and mainte- nance work, and serving as moveable blacked- out workshops. Portable lighting systems ap- parently have also been developed specifically for civil defense purposes. However, the ex- tent to which such equipment is available in quantity is not known. 13. Defense against Special Weapons Attacks. (See Appendix C.) Although it is not clear from available evidence that the USSR i mak- ing specific preparations for civil defense against atomic weapons, the USSR is - prob- ably preparing against such attacks in its broader civil defense measures. In any event, known Soviet internal propaganda has con- sistently minimized the effects of atomic at- tacks, and there is apparently little popular anxiety over the consequences of atomic bombing. One motive for such minimizing might be to reduce the element of panic im- mediately preceding or during atomic attacks on the USSR. 14. The USSR has long placed great emphasis on defense against chemical attack in its civil defense program. These measures, particu- larly the medical and decontamination facili- ties, are also adaptable to some aspects of de- fense against atomic attack and such adaptation may be planned. Existing Soviet facilities for combatting human, plant, and animal diseases also give the USSR a substan- tial capability for civil defense against biologi- cal warfare attack. However, there are no in- dications that specific anti-BW training is underway. Soviet chemical warfare defense facilities would to some degree be adaptable to supporting BW defense. 15. Other Civil Defense Activities and Re- sources. (See Appendix D.) Soviet civil de- fense plans provide for the integrated use of resources such as the police, firefighting, pub- lic health, communications, transportation, construction, and other agencies under MPVO supervision in event of emergency. The highly developed MGB police services would have ex- Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 4 tensive capabilities for maintaining order in event of emergency, while the firefighting sys- tem, which is under the MVD, is trained for a majoi civil defense role. The extensive medi- cal and sanitary facilities of the Ministry of Health are already tied into the MPVO system. 16. Although no elements of the extensive So- viet stockpiling program have been identified as being set aside specifically for civil defense, numerous items which would be useful for this purpose are known to be kept in reserve. There are also unconfirmed reports of a plan for the emergency decentralization of Soviet adminis- tration on a regional basis. 17. While present shelter facilities in the USSR consist primarily of those remaining from World War II, there is evidence of pro- vision for shelter facilities in new building in important target areas. Dwelling construc- tion specifications in some areas include pro- vision for shelters, and some installations, such as subways and other tunnels, have ap- .parently been constructed with auxiliary shel- ter needs in mind. Construction agencies fre- quently retain "defense specialists" (probably MPVO officers) to monitor construction plans from the point of view of defense needs, in- cluding not only possible shelter facilities but also proper siting and dispersal of facilities, and possible alternative emergency uses, for example, the use of schools as emergency bar- racks or hospitals. 18. We cannot estimate the extent to which these resources would enable the USSR to cope with wartime emergencies, especially atomic attacks. 19. Soviet Civil Defense Capabilities. In the light of the above evidence as to the nature and extent of the Soviet civil defense program, we believe that the USSR must already be given a substantial civil defense capability, probably greater than that of any other major country except perhaps the UK. Its present civil defense system appears well-planned and organized, although it may be deficient in s specific preparations against atomic attack. It includes a full-time civil defense staff or- ganization, comprehensive plans for the utili- zation of other existing agencies and facilities, and an extensive training program. In addi- tion, civil defense needs are apparently being taken into consideration in new construction and urban and regional planning, and perhaps in stockpiling and decentralization programs. 20. The Soviet civil defense program is made less difficult by the existing dispersal of popu- lation and industry. Moreover, the elaborate Soviet control mechanisms and the highly reg- imented character of the population also make control and evacuation in case of air attacks easier. On the other, hand, the Soviet civil defense problem is, in some respects, greater than that of most other major countries. The large proportion of wood construction in the USSR creates a serious fire hazard, while, in a civil defense emergency, there would be a serious shortage of transport facilities and of materials. 21. Although the civil defense system appears capable of rapid expansion in event of emer- gency, there is no evidence of preparations which would indicate an expectation of early hostilities. In the limited areas open to them, Western observers have seen slight evidence of the building of special air raid shelters, air raid drills, posters giving civil defense instruc- tions to the populace or other indications of preparation against air attacks. The "volun- tary" nature of the civil defense program also indicates that it is still in a preoperational stage, and has not been given so high a prior- ity as to call for compulsory measures. 22. We believe that the USSR is placing in- creased emphasis on civil defense activities, along with its other efforts to improve the de- fenses of the USSR against enemy air attacks. The expanding civil defense program, together with the USSR's increasingly effective air de- fenses, contributes to a growing Soviet capa- bility for defense against hostile air attack. Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 5 APPENDIX "A" CIVIL DEFENSE ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTIONS 1. There is abundant evidence that the USSR maintains a large and elaborate civil defense system, which is based on the extensive civil defense structure in use during World War II.* The primary operational roles in this sys- tem are assigned to existing agencies, groups, and enterprises at local, regional, and national levels, whose primary functions are other than civil defense. Aside from the existing peace- time resources of these agencies and groups, however, we do not have any adequate infor- mation as to the extent to which they have been allocated special civil defense equipment and resources, which would probably be essen- tial to cope with wartime emergencies, espe- cially from atomic attack. 2. The core of the Soviet civil defense pro- gram, and the mechanism through which the - civil defense activities of the various agencies and groups are centrally controlled and super- vised, is the MPVO (Local Anti-Air Defense) system, ,which is under the Ministry of Inter- nal Affairs (MVD) . A section of the MVD headquarters in Moscow, the Main Adminis- tration of Local Anti-Air Defense (GUMPVO) is responsible for central supervision of MPVO activities throughout the USSR. GUMPVO was probably organized in 1939 or 1940 to take over from the Red Army the coordination and supervision of local civil air defense. Under it is an MPVO career corps composed of full- time MPVO personnel specially trained in civil defense duties. Such a full-time civil defense corps has evidently existed for at least ten years. The MPVO corps functions as a command and staff organization which under- takes civil defense planning, and supervises and coordinates at all levels the activities and training of the various other existing agencies -" The data on this subject is derived largely from Russian and German World War II documents, which have been extensively confirmed by more recent information from repatriated German POW's, Soviet defectors, Soviet professional journals, train- ing manuals, press releases, and open Soviet litera- ture such as Soviet encyclopedias. such as local police and firefighting services, local health and sanitation facilities, Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, etc. which provide, on a part-time basis, the vast bulk of local MPVO personnel. 3. MPVO activities generally are organized in staffs and units composed of MVD and/or local civilian authorities at administrative levels descending from all-union to union-re- public, oblast, city or rayon, and down to in- dividual plants, institutions, and even dwelling units. (See chart on page 6.) Through these MPVO units, voluntary or auxiliary groups of the civilian population can :be brought together in a coordinated effort with existing local policie and firefighting units, ambulance and rescue units, medical facilities, and the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Moreover, the peacetime MPVO units them- selves represent nuclei which can be expanded or around which new units can be formed in event of war, in accordance with existing pre- determined plans. 4. MPVO Organization of a City or Rayon. The basic MPVO unit is the city or rayon MPVO.** Local governmental and party or- gans, economic enterprises, public organiza- tions, and individuals within a city or rayon are brought together for the purposes of civil defense under the local chief of MPVO, usually an MVD officer, and his staff. (See chart on page 9.) The chief and his staff formulate and carry out the plan of action for his city or rayon, finance and direct acquisition of ma- terial and technical operations, provide for training of staff and public, and supervise the operation of civil defense forces and facilities of the city or rayon in event of war disasters. For execution of this course of action, the city or rayon MPVO calls upon its supporting serv- ices which may vary according to local con- ditions and the living requirements of a par- ticular city or region. Various MPVO serv- ices may be created within a variety of exist- ing organizational structures: ** It is not clear when city-wide MPVO organiza- tions were first formed, but they were mentioned in Soviet documents as early as 1938. Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 ?-'? Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 SOVIET ORGANIZATION FOR AIR DEFENCE WITHIN THE USSR "MILITARY DEFENSE" OTHER MINISTRIES HEA LTH TRANSPORTATION COMMUNICATIONS WITH IMPORTANT CIVIL DEFENSE ROLES ADMINISTRATIVE, TECHNICAL AND OPERATIONAL CONTROL COORDINATION AND mem SUPERVISORY CONTROL COUNCIL OF MINISTERS "CIVIL DEFENSE" WAR MOBILIZATION DEPARTMENT AIR DEFENSE LOCAL AIR DEFENSE IN FACTORIES AND SHOPS *MILITARY COMMANDER OF THE PVO HAS OVERALL COORDINATION AND SUPERVISORY CONTROL OF AIR DEFENSE, INCLUDING CIVIL DEFENSE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS (MVD) MAIN ADMINISTRA TION OF LOCAL AIR DEFENSE GUMPVO MVD ADMINISTRATION OF UNION REPUBLICS LOCAL AIR DEFENSE DIRECTORATES (UMPVO) MVD ADMINISTRATION OF KRAY OR OBLAST LOCAL AIR DEFENSE DEPARTMENT (OMPVO) LOCAL AIR DEFENSE IN CITIES AND REG'S (MPVO GORODA OR RAYONA MINISTRY OF WAR NAVAL MINISTRY COMMANDER OF AIR DEFENSE 11 ? ms+Issol (KPV0)* COMMANDERS OF AIR DEFENSE REGIONS COMMANDERS OF AIR DEFENSE IN MILITARY DISTRICTS U... COMMANDERS OF AIR POINTS (TARGETS) 1110 ADMINISTRATION OF AIR DEFENSE OF NAVAL FORCES COMMANDERS OF NAVAL AIR DEFENSE DISTRICTS, FLEETS AND FLOTILLAS FIGHTER AVIATION UNITS ANTI -AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY UNITS EARLY WARN- ING AND REPORTING SERVICE UNITS Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 7 4 a. The Shelter Service organizes and super- vises the registering of cellars or other areas of possible use as air raid shelters. It also plans and constructs shelters, including dug- outs and trenches, and is responsible for pro- viding protection for the population. b. The Camouflage Service provides for blackout precautions, for camouflage with paint or vegetation, and for smoke camou- flage. The latter may be used only with the authority of the PVO (Air Defense Force) commander, since it may affect military oper- ations. Camouflage measures are the respon- sibility of all civilians, with special attention required in each home, enterprise, school, and office. C. The Evacuation Service is responsible for developing a plan for evacuation of people and valuable goods and insuring orderly execution of this plan should it become necessary. It must register all living space which might be used for quartering evacuees. d. The Transportation Service is designed to provide the city or rayon with emergency transportation facilities. This includes keep- ing transportation personnel informed about traffic routes, adapting equipment for special tasks, organizing and training crews of drivers for civil defense operations, and registering and employing all forms of transportation. e. The Service for the Preservation of Order and Security is built around the regular local police force (MGB militia) augmented by crews of auxiliary organizations, including the Society for Assistance to the Police, which are trained by the police. It has the following basic missions: fighting panic and the spread- ing of false rumors during enemy air raids, insuring conformance of local population with public laws and civil defense rules, isolating stricken areas, and directing traffic. The highly developed Soviet security services would be of great value in coping with panic in case of heavy air attacks. f. The Communication and Reporting Serv- ice of the MPVO of a city or rayon is designed_ to insure communication facilities required by the commands and staffs of MPVO for relay- ing orders during an attack and during resto- ration of damage. It is also responsible for warning the city or rayon of impending air at- tack. In this function it cooperates with the warning system of the PVO system. Facilities and personnel employed include local radio fa- cilities and the local telephone network, the chief of which may be designated as the chief of the Communications and Reporting Serv- ice. To fulfill its purpose the Service must provide for the restoration and repair of com- munications in case of damage and for the training of civilian groups for employment as emergency communication crews. g. The Anti-Fire Service. The MPVO fire- fighting service employs the existing local fire- fighting unit of the MVD and is headed by the chief of that unit. Its duties include training the populace to fight large fires and to deal with incendiary bombs, developing a fire-sig- nalling system and familiarizing the popula- tion of a city with it, providing for fire-preven- tion measures, and coordinating the em- ployment of firefighting equipment. The Fire- fighting Service organizes, trains, and equips auxiliary groups (Volunteer Firefighting Bri- gades) to augment the regular units of the MVD and trains "self-defense groups" in apartments, houses, schools, and other estab- lishments. h. Anti-Chemical Defense Service is primar- ily designed for decontamination. It trains and directs decontamination crews and trains the local populace in chemical warfare de- fense. It is also responsible for providing and maintaining decontamination materials and equipment. i. The Disaster Restoration Service has as its primary function to render engineering and technical assistance to insure the con- tinued functioning of the city's or rayon's services and enterprises during and after air raids. It trains restoration brigades from the civilian populace, in all specialties, including the immediate removal of debris so that MPVO crews may have access to stricken areas. j. The Medical-Sanitation Service (MSS MPVO) is staffed primarily by local agencies of the Ministry of Health. It is headed by the director of the city or rayon health depart- Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 a ment or, in rural areas, by the chief of the rural medical district. In fact, the Ministry of Health in Moscow maintains a section de- voted to MPVO affairs. The Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are also assigned roles in the Medical Sanitation Service. The basic purpose of this Service is to render prompt first aid to the victims of an enemy attack. To this end the MSS has emergency authority to administer all civil medical institutions within the area and to adapt them to the needs of MPVO, and to organize stationary and mobile facilities. Provision is made for utilization of first aid points, decontamination points, school buildings, club houses, theaters, and air raid shelters. The MSS may, if neces- sary, requisition other resources, such as transportation facilities and, With permission of the commanding officer, utilize the medi- cal facilities of local military garrisons. k. The Veterinary Service is organized to render veterinary help for stricken animals, to evacuate them to safe zones, and to ensure procurement of food. On. account of their medical training, veterinarians may also ad- minister first aid to humans. 1. Other Services than those mentioned may be organized in large cities, for example, for the restoration of roads and bridges, water supply and sewage disposal, electric and gas utilities, trade, food supply, etc. 5. Smaller Units of MPVO. Subordinate to the city or rayon MPVO are sectors (uchastki), and the MPVO's of special indus- trial targets. Sector units are divisions of the city or rayon MPVO which can operate semi- independently to meet emergencies within their own area. Below the sector is the small- est MPVO unit, the "self-defense group," which is formed within each dwelling unit, en- terprise, or institution which comprises 100 or more people. Where dwellings or enterprises comprise less than 100 people, they are grouped together to form the "self-defense group." These groups have their own MPVO chiefs who are subordinate to the MPVO sec- tor chief, and have six sub-units, similar to the city MPVO services, for observation and com- munication, decontamination, fire protection, preservation of order, disaster restoration, and 8 medical aid. The organization of these smaller units is arranged so that duties as- signed to their members do not conflict with duties which these members may have with respect to one of the services of the city or rayon MPVO. 6. Factories and other establishments of great economic or defense importance which are likely targets have special MPVO organiza- tions. The MPVO chief at these targets is the director of the enterprise or establishment. Most industrial or economic ministries appar- ently have their own War Mobilization depart- ments which, among other things, supervise MPVO preparations in the various installa- tions and factories under their control. Op- erationally, however, the factory MPVO chief is subordinate to the chief of the city or rayon MPVO. The primary mission of a target MPVO is to insure the uninterrupted and proper continuation of the activity under at- tack: This includes the protection of the labor force, machines, finished products, and raw materials. Crews of the MPVO services men- tioned above are organized within the target MPVO unit, including staff, decontamination, disaster restoration, fire protection, medical, veterinary aid (when animals are present), and order and security. MPVO medical bri- gades are organized from the workers em- ployed at factories and other enterprises. Several reports indicate that factory workers have been receiving training in air raid defense. 7. The Soviet rail network has its own well- organized air raid defense program which ties into the MPVO system. The Railway Admin- istration of the Ministry of Transportation in- cludes an Air Defense Service with air defense inspectors in the operating departments. Pro- vision is made for camouflage and dispersal at stations and other important installations, protection of rolling stock from air attack, and dealing with air raid damage. There is evidence that a railway air defense plan is ready to go into effect upon receipt of coded notification of war. The numerous well- trained and organized railway repair brigades already used in the USSR would be of major civil defense value. Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 ORGANIZATION OF THE MPVO IN A CITY OR REGION CITY OR REGION MPVO (MPVO GORODA OR RAYONA) STAFF (SHTAB) SERVICES (SLUZHBA) CAMOUFLAGE MEDICAL CHEMICAL WARFARE PRESERVATION OF ORDER AND SECURITY SHELTER ANTI-FIRE DISASTER - RESTORATION COMMUNICATIONS AND AIR RAID TRANSPORTATION " EVACUATION OTHERS VETERINARY RESTORATION OF ROADS AND BRIDGES WATER SUPPLY AND SEWAGE DISPOSAL ELECTRIC AND GAS FACILITIES TRADE FOOD SUPPLY SECTOR MPVO (MPVO UCHASTOK) STAFF (SHTAB) CREWS (KOMANDY) DECONTAMINATION FIRE PROTECTION MEDICAL DISASTER- RESTORATION PRESERVATION OF ORDER AND SECURITY MPVO HOME SMALL BUSINESS, ETC. MPVO (DOMOV) STAFF (SHTAB) SELF-DEFENSE GROUPS (GRUPPA SAMO- ZASHCHITY) Immo=Ilmmomer UNITS (ZYEN'EV) OBSERVATION AND COMMUNICATIONS DECONTAMINATION FIRE PROTECTION PRESERVATION OF ORDER DISASTER - RESTORATION MEDICAL TARGET MPVO (MPVO OB'EKTA) STAFF (SHTAB) CREWS (KOMANDY) ADMINISTRATION DECONTAMINATION DISASTER - RESTORATION FIRE PROTECTION VETERINARY AID MEDICAL ORDER AND SECURITY 111111111111=1?111111MMINIMIIII SHOP MPVO (MPVO TSEKHA) SECTIONS (OTDELENIE) DECONTAMINATION FIRE PROTECTION MEDICAL PRESERVATION OF ORDER AND SECURITY Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 - 10 APPENDIX "B" CIVIL DEFENSE TRAINING 1. There is abundant evidence from Soviet of- ficial sources that the Soviet Union recognizes that the effectiveness of civil defense opera- tions in large measure depends upon the a- mount of training carried on beforehand. The civil defense training program is large and complex, including both intensive specialized training of the MPVO staffs and units, and mass training through various other agencies. Inasmuch as civil defense is part of the total air defense system which is the responsibility of the military Anti-Air Defense system (PVO) , PVO officials monitor civil defense training to see that it corresponds to over-all defense plans. Certain categories of MPVO training supervisors are designated by area PVO commanders. 2. Besides the training of members of civil de- fense units and services within the MPVO sys- tem, mass training in the fundamentals of civil defense is carried on by such agencies as the Voluntary Society for Assistance to the Army, Aviation, and Navy (DOSAAF) and the Voluntary Societies of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent as part of their broader func- tions. A system of standards has been devel- oped for the standardization of mass training. In addition, education is provided through propaganda channels, press, radio, and pub- lications. 3. The rapidity with which civil defense groups can be organized under pressure and with systematic propaganda is illustrated by the experience in Moscow early in World War II. On 1 June 1941 there were 1,680 self-de- fense groups with 40,000 participants, while on 22 July there were 5,463 groups with 120,000 participants. During the course of the war, all people in some measure took part in MPVO activities. Total participation was achieved through compulsion, as provided by the de- cree of 2 July 1941 by the Council of Ministers of the USSR. The decree required the partici- pation of all men between the ages of 16 and 60 and women between the ages of 18 to 50 in- clusive, except invalids, mothers of young children, and pregnant women. Training of laborers and office workers was to take place at their respective places of work, train- ing of students at their schools, and training of other civilians at their places of residence. 4. Although the decree under which wartime civil defense mobilization was accomplished is still in effect, it apparently has not been used during the postwar period. Civil defense ac- tivities declined considerably after the war. The Soviet government is apparently attempt- ing to overcome postwar apathy by propa- ganda and indirect pressure rather than by the methods of compulsion used during the war. 5. MPVO Staff and Unit Training. The Soviet civil defense training program puts special stress on the training of MPVO command staffs, on the premise that the successful training of MPVO personnel and the organiza- tions and agencies they supervise depends to a large extent upon the preparation of the staff echelon. Consequently, the training of MPVO officer personnel occupies an important place in the preparation of cadres for the en- tire local defense system. According to Za Oboronu (For Defense) ,* special attention is given to the chiefs of city and rayon MPVO units by means of courses supervised from the republic level of MPVO organization. In this training the experience of specialists who have worked under combat conditions is utilized. Upon completion of training, the chief MPVO officers should be able not only to lead their MPVO organizations but also to organize them and to direct the training of the units under their control. 6. In addition to their regular study programs the MPVO officers are required to improve their general education and to become famil- iar with' the economic, geographic, and cli- matic peculiarities of their region, including * Za Oboronu is a bi-weekly publication, appar- ently discontinued in 1948, of the Central Council of the Union of OSOAVIAKhIM of the USSR and the Main Administration of Local Anti-Air Defense of the MVD, which was largely devoted to civil defense. Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 T , 11 the plans for its development under the five- year plans. This broad knowledge prepares them to integrate civil defense preparations with the development of municipal economies, transportation, and industrial planning. 7. City- or rayon-wide MPVO instruction is conducted under a chief supervisor, who is the officer responsible for all MPVO education in his area. Under him are senior intermediary personnel, and intermediary personnel. The senior intermediaries instruct the intermedi- aries who are then detailed to staffs, crews, services, and institutions, to carry on training at a lower echelon. 8. Staff and field exercises are an integral part of MPVO training. These exercises, which simulate actual conditions first with maps and then on actual terrain, help to perfect the MPVO officer's skill in handling the per- sonnel and facilities of the local civil defense organization. Critiques of these exercises are employed to note the accomplishments and shortcomings of the training and to indicate remedial measures. 9. There were reportedly in 1948 some 1,060,- 000 local civil defense sections under the su- pervision of the Main Administration of Local Anti-Air Defense (GUMPVO) . Since Soviet literature has set the peacetime size of a training group variously at 15, 18, or 20 per- sons, the size of the civil defense organization in training at that time, if it were at full strength (which it probably was not) , would have ranged from 15,000,000 to 20,000,000 peo- ple. However, 5,000,000 people reportedly re- ceived civil defense training in 1948. If the program has continued on this scale, at least as many as 20,000,000 people may now have received or be receiving civil defense training under MPVO auspices since the war. Many of these people probably also receive training from other groups discussed below. 10. Civil Defense Training Standards. Civil defense training to prepare persons for par- ticipation in MPVO activities is built around a set of training norms called Anti-Air-and- Chemical Defense (PVKhO) PVKhO re- quirements can be met through organized study groups, such as those of DOSAAF, or through self-study. Examinations can be con- ducted by DOSAAF personnel or by personnel of other agencies coordinated through MPVO, depending upon the type of activity and by whom the candidates have been trained. Per- sons meeting the PVKhO requirements receive certificates and are eligible for inclusion in MPVO crews or for further specialized train- ing for more skilled MPVO work. 11. PVKhO examinations require general knowledge of civil defense problems, including types of attacks likely to occur, identification of gases, recognition of civil defense alarms, signals, and symbols, and the general roles of MPVO services. In anti-chemical defense the candidate must understand the mechanism and use of gas masks, the structure of gas- proof shelters, how to react in contaminated areas, and the elements of decontamination. In medical-sanitary defense he must be able to recognize symptoms and provide first aid, in- cluding artificial respiration, hemorrhage ? control, and transfer of injured. He must also show knowledge of fire-control measures, in- cendiary bombs, and use of fire extinguishers. 12. There is also a GSO (Ready for Medical- Sanitary Defense) training standard which serves as the basis for the training of lay med- ical personnel functioning as part of or along with the Red Cross or the MPVO medical serv- ices. A junior version of this standard, the BGSO, is employed for Komsomols (Commu- nist Union of Youth) , . Pioneers, and other youth organizations. During World War II reportedly 23,000,000 people fulfilled GS0 standards. 13. DOSAAF Training. The Society for As- sistance to the Army, Aviation, and Navy (DOSAAF) is a mass organization whose prin- cipal purposes are to acquaint the population with the various fields of modern warfare, to provide civilians with pre-military instruc- tions, and to strengthen the defenses of the country by extensive organizations of public opinion behind the defense program. Histori- cally DOSAAF has grown out of the former Union of Societies for Assistance to the De- fense and to Aviation and Chemical Construc- tion of the USSR (OSOAVIAKhIM) which, according to Soviet statistics, provided during the last war for the instruction of 98,000,000 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 12 persons in passive anti-air defense. Mass civil defense training in the USSR probably goes back as far as 1927, when OSOAVIAKhIM was first organized. OSOAVIAKhIM was reorgan- ized after the war into three new societies: The Voluntary Societies for Assistance to the Army, Navy, and Aviation (DOSARM, DOS- FLOT, and DOSAV, respectively) . Since the last reorganization, large increases in mem- bership have been announced. DOSAAF re- ceives important support from the Communist Party, especially the Communist Union of Youth (Komsomol) , the sports societies, and the trade unions, whose members are often obliged to participate in DOSAAF activities. 14. It is estimated that about 16,000,000 peo- ple participate in the activities of DOSAAF. Although DOSAAF is concerned primarily with pre-military training and other activities which supplement the armed forces, it is also concerned with training for and propagandiz- ing civil defense preparations to prepare the population for action during air raids.* 15. Primary DOSAAF organizations are formed in factories, institutions, collective and state farms, machine tractor stations, and schools. The primary groups affiliate them- selves with the city or rayon, oblast, and re- public societies. Membership is open to citi- zens between the ages of about 15 and 60. Material provision, including equipment, for training in city or rayon groups is the re- sponsibility of the city or rayon Soviet (coun- cil) . Groups in enterprises and institutions are supported by the ministry or administra- tion of which they are a part. 16. DOSAAF Radio Clubs. A civil defense role is also apparently assigned to the numerous radio clubs which are subsidiary to DOSAAF. Most of their activities have been conducted in conjunction with that part of the organiza- tion which was formerly DOSARM. The ac- tivities of the radio clubs have increased greatly since the war and are currently ex- panding. This expansion probably reflects, at least in part, Soviet recognition of the contri- * Patriot Rodiny, a bi-weekly newspaper published by DOSAAF, which may have replaced Za Oboronu, contains details of DOSAAF civil defense training. bution which a large bod?y of persons familiar with radio techniques can make to national defense, including civil defense. In an area under attack, especially in the case of the fail- ure of the telephone system, portable radio communication would be almost indispensa- ble. Widely scattered amateur radio operators could also form an important link in the air- craft warning system and, in time of emer- gency, might be employed to relieve the over- loaded normal communication networks. 17. Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (SOKKIKP). A major civil defense role is also played by the Volunteer Societies of the Red Cross, or the Red Crescent in Moslem areas, whose medical, sanitary, and first aid activities affect large masses of the popula- tion. Their functions include not only a well- developed system of training but also forming and managing groups which perform particu- lar tasks connected with public health and with sanitary and first aid aspects of military and civil defense operation. 18. The Societies of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent had an estimated membership of over 15,000;000 in 1948 (comparable to their highest enrollment in World War II) . As in the case of DOSAAF, primary units (250,000 in 1946) are found throughout the country in such locations as factories, collective farms, and schools. The primary units are controlled by committees on the rayon level which in turn are under the jurisdiction of city or oblast committees. Central control of the SOKKIKP is assured by its further organization up through Union-Republic and All-Union Com- mittees. 19. The wide dispersion of the primary units of the SOKKIKP enhances their effectiveness in many functions ?concerned with public health and civil defense. The Societies' pri- mary units assist the civil and military health authorities in such programs as innoculation against diseases, better sanitation and hy- giene, and the collection of blood donations. Also, the primary units comprise first aid sta- tions and teams trained in decontamination procedures and in the care and evacuation of the injured in time of disaster. As partially trained groups, the primary units form a con- Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 .o venient and important part of the Medical- Sanitary Service of the MPVO system. 20. To maintain its own operating units and to increase interest in and knowledge of medi- cal and sanitary measures among the popula- tion, the SOKKIKP conducts a large and ef- fective mass education program. Persons sat- isfying GS0 (Ready for Medical-Sanitary De- fense) standards become qualified to serve in various types of units under the SOKKIKP 13 and in the civil defense system of the MPVO. The MPVO must then further train such per- sons and the units to which they belong to function efficiently within the civil defense system. While medical and sanitation train- ing is also conducted by the Ministries of Health and by DOSAAF, the Societies of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent are the most important source of mass medical and sani- tary assistance in time of emergency. Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 4 APPENDIX "C" PREPARATION AGAINST SPECIAL WEAPONS ATTACKS 1. Defense against Atomic Attack. It is not clear from available evidence that the USSR is making any specific preparations for civil defense against atomic weapons. There is no visible attempt to improve shelter areas and other facilities specifically for atomic defense purposes. On the other hand, there have been unconfirmed reports of construction and reno- vation of underground installations, and in- vestigation of the capacity of tunnels to with- stand explosion. Moreover, there are various indications that preparations are underway which contribute indirectly to Soviet capabili- ties for meeting such attacks. Most of the emergencies contemplated in Soviet civil de- fense planning are those resulting from air raids, and the preparations being made would be of use in both atomic and conventional at- tacks. It is probable that the USSR is pre- paring for atomic defense in its broader civil defense measures. For example, preparations for civil defense against chemical warfare are to some degree adaptable to atomic attack, particularly the medical and decontamination facilities. All Soviet internal propaganda con- stantly reiterates statements minimizing the effects of atomic attack and there is appar- ently little popular anxiety over the conse- quences of atomic bombing. One motive for such minimizing might be to reduce the pos- sibility of panic immediately preceding or dur- ing atomic attacks. 2. Defense against Chemical Attack. It is known that from 1927 through the immediate post-World War II period, OSOAVIAKhIM widely disseminated information regarding de- fense against chemical attack. The training program for defense against chemical and air attack thoroughly covered the various ele- ments of civil defense against chemical war- fare. Despite the subsequent reorganizations of OSOAVIAKhIM and its successors, the same program has probably been retained. At least 151/2 million Soviet citizens, including medical and other specialized personnel, prin- 14 cipally in urban areas, have been trained at some time since World War II in chemical warfare defense. This group, with a minimum of retraining, would provide an effective nu- cleus for the extension of civilian chemical warfare defense training in the USSR. 3. Soviet military chemical defense equipment is believed to be adequate; it is conventional in quality and design. It is not known, however, to what extent Soviet civil organizations have been supplied with this equipment, either for training or for use in case of attack. 4. Defense against Biological Attack. The well-developed Soviet research and develop- ment activities and experience in control of natural diseases of man, livestock, or crops create an existing capability for defense against biological warfare (BW) attack of many kinds, since diseases resulting from BW are likely to differ only in degree, not in type, from those of natural origin. This capability is increased by the availability of professional and nonprofessional personnel and by the apparent linking of a reported Anti-Epidemic Service in the Ministry of Health with local civil defense plans. Although there is no con- vincing evidence that Soviet efforts to improve their control over human, plant, and animal diseases have been affected either in intensity or direction by fear of BW, it seems likely that their fight against diseases of whatever origin must have been stimulated and accelerated by their notorious fear of sabotage. 5. Although the USSR has made propaganda claims that the Western Powers are using BW in Korea, there are no specific indications that specific BW defense training is currently un- derway. The USSR may be relying upon its regular medical, veterinary, and phytopatho- logical services as sufficient to care for any BW emergency. Moreover, Soviet civil de- fense preparations for defense against chemi- cal warfare also are somewhat adaptable to biological attack, especially the medical and decontamination facilities. Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 15 APPENDIX "D" OTHER ACTIVITIES AND RESOURCES BEARING ON CIVIL DEFENSE 1. The ultimate effectiveness of Soviet civil defenses in an emergency will largely depend upon the capabilities or limitations of the re- sources at their disposal. These resources in- clude the regular public service agencies, such as health, transportation, firefighting, police, communications, construction, and others. The effectiveness of Soviet civil defense opera- tions will also be governed by the country's economic production capacity, which will limit the supply of equipment or emergency re- serves. Other limitations are imposed by geog- raphy and population distribution and by the extent to which civil defense needs are taken into account in city, regional, or indus- trial construction planning. All of the above factors are apparently taken into account in the Soviet civil defense program, and plans for the integrated use of all available resources in event of emergency undoubtedly exist. 2. Police and Firefighting Resources. The highly developed police services under the Ministry of State Security (MGB) form an ef- ficient military organization, whose uniformed police are normally responsible for law en- forcement, regulation of order and public safety, and .protection of public and private property. In an emergency, these forces would have extensive capabilities for enforcing laws, maintaining order, and warning the population. The firefighting system, like the MPVO, is part of the MVD. Although proper equipment is often lacking, the system is well- organized. The fact that both firefighting and MPVO are part of the same administra- tive network provides for close coordination of the two activities. 3. Medical Resources. The large and complex facilities of the Ministry of Health, which con- trols all aspects of medicine and sanitation in the USSR, are closely integrated with the MPVO system. Although the quality of its hospitals, drug supplies, and medical person- nel are inadequate and sometimes even primi- tive by US standards, the Ministry of Health has expanded remarkably in recent years, pri- marily in quantity of personnel and facilities. While these facilities vary from one locality to another, the USSR is by no means impover- ished of medical facilities, as can be seen by comparison of numbers of hospital beds in the USSR with those in the US: Number of Hospital Beds Available Country & Population Year Non-Psychiatric Psychiatric USSR (est. 1947 popula- 1941 661,431 beds 100,000 beds tion about 193 million) 1950 887,500 beds (est.) US (1950 population ' about 151 million) 1948 732,021 beds 691,499 beds In addition, in recent years schoolhouses suitable for emergency conversion to hospitals have been built in locations which fit civil de- fense planning. Improvement of ambulance services also has been stressed. Although the USSR is short of well-qualified M.D.'s, it has many subprofessional medical personnel (feldshers) who are trained to perform ele- mentary diagnosis and treatment and minor surgery. 4. Most pharmaceuticals are kept in central supply depots and distribution is controlled centrally. In case of war, priorities in favor of military needs would probably lessen reserves available for civilian defense purposes to such an extent as to make certain drugs unobtain- able. Increasing production, however, indi- cates a more favorable pharmaceutical situa- tion by 1954. With respect to blood plasma and blood substitutes, although no stockpiling _ is evident, the USSR is known, from its World War II experience, to have a large capacity for obtaining and processing and distributing whole blood. Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 16 5. Transportation Resources. In recent years, attempts have been made to improve the So- viet vehicular facilities, in quality as well as quantity. Motorcycles and trucks have re- portedly been made available to MPVO and DOSAAF, although to what extent the supply meets the needs is not known. Aircraft of the Civil Air Fleet of the USSR has, on occasion, been withdrawn from commercial service to meet emergency needs and could form a part of civil defense transportation. Specialized medical aviation services are currently oper- ated by some units of the Civil Air Fleet to fly medical personnel and supplies to remote areas and to transport patients to hospitals by ambulance plane. 6. Stockpiling. In postwar years, the USSR has undertaken an extensive stockpiling pro- gram, with special attention to the construc- tion of storage and maintenance facilities, in- cluding underground space. Although no stockpiles have been identified as being spe- cifically set aside for civil defense pur- poses, the following items of importance to civil defense needs are known to be subject to reserve: fuels, tools, air defense and sanitary equipment, chemical equip- ment, automotive equipment, communica- tions equipment, illuminating and signal sup- plies, rope, anti-friction compounds, heat in- sulation materials, asphalt, cement, etc. There are indications of static reserves of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies. 7. Protective Construction. Present shelter facilities in the USSR consist primarily of those which remain from World War II. The audible warning systems and designations of shelter areas in large cities have not been re- moved, but there is no evidence that these fa- cilities are being renovated or prepared for use. There are numerous reports, however, of provision for shelter facilities in new construc- tion. Dwelling construction specifications in some areas, such as Stalingrad, include provi- sion for shelters. Some new shelter areas are also being provided by new structures and in- stallations which can be used as auxiliary air raid shelters or which have been constructed with that as a secondary purpose. Auxiliary shelters include subways, railroad and other tunnels, mines, cement bunkers, aqueducts and sewer pipes, cellars, and bridge abut- ments. Tunnels dug recently in Moscow for subway expansion and for other vehicular traffic were probably built with civil defense needs in mind. Special bombproof and gas- proof shelters reportedly exist for use of key government officials in Moscow. 8. Evidently civil defense needs are taken into account in much of the new construction in the USSR. Construction agencies maintain close liaison with military organizations by regularly retaining defense specialists (prob- ably members of MPVO) . The duty of these specialists is to monitor construction plans from the point of view of defense. Monitoring consists of preventing, where possible, the concentration of industrial plants and railway facilities. In the planning of schools, the de- fense specialist considers their possible use as emergency hospitals or barracks. He also tries to insure the location of hospitals at the edges of towns. 9. Civil defense needs are probably also taken into account in Soviet long range urban and regional planning. The development of agree- ments between regions for mutual aid and sharing of equipment in event of emergency is apparently contemplated. Unconfirmed re- ports also indicate the existence of a plan for the emergency decentralization of Soviet ad- ministration into regional subsections. In the event of the loss of communication with the central government, these subsections could carry on all necessary central direction of the area. The focal points of these subsections are probably the Union-Republic Councils of Min- isters and other existing local governments. In an emergency these bodies would report- edly assume authority over war industry and supply centers in their areas. Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1 .0121P. SECRET , Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/20: CIA-RDP79R01012A001900010001-1