The author talks about the participation of the NKVD troops in the Great Patriotic War. Due to the secrecy of the materials, for a long time it was not known about the activities of the detachments, the service of the military fence, the escort of special contingents and large parties of prisoners in the conditions of the mass retreat of our troops, the fight against gangs, and the conduct of special operations. The actual material is purely documentary, which is confirmed by archival materials on the activities of the NKVD troops during the described events.