Editing Russian Ground Forces (section)

=== Involvement in Russian constitutional crisis of 1993 ===
{{See also|1993 Russian constitutional crisis}}
The Russian Ground Forces reluctantly became involved in the Russian constitutional crisis of 1993 after President Yeltsin issued an [[unconstitutional]] decree dissolving the Russian Parliament, following its resistance to Yeltsin's consolidation of power and his neo-liberal reforms. A group of deputies, including Vice President [[Alexander Rutskoy|Alexander Rutskoi]], barricaded themselves inside the parliament building. While giving public support to the President, the Armed Forces, led by General Grachev, tried to remain neutral, following the wishes of the officer corps.<ref name="mcnair 34">{{cite report
  | url = http://www.ndu.edu/inss/McNair/mcnair34/34fal.html
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080114032038/http://www.ndu.edu/inss/McNair/mcnair34/34fal.html
  | archive-date = 14 January 2008
  | title = McNair Paper 34, The Russian Military's Role in Politics
  | date = January 1995}}</ref> The military leadership were unsure of both the rightness of Yeltsin's cause and the reliability of their forces, and had to be convinced at length by Yeltsin to attack the parliament.

When the attack was finally mounted, forces from five different divisions around Moscow were used, and the personnel involved were mostly officers and senior [[non-commissioned officer]]s.{{sfn|Austin|Muraviev|2001|page=257}} There were also indications that some formations deployed into Moscow only under protest.<ref name="mcnair 34"/> However, once the parliament building had been stormed, the parliamentary leaders arrested, and temporary censorship imposed, Yeltsin succeeded in retaining power.