Special Police Forces (Ukraine)

Not to be confused with National Guard of Ukraine, Territorial defence battalions of Ukraine, or Special Forces of Ukraine.

Robed woman, seated, with sword on her lap
Members of the "Sich" Battalion, linked to political party Svoboda, in a formation. The embroidered patch of the Militsiya can be seen on their sleeves
Special Police Forces
Патрульна служба поліції особливого призначення України
Ministry of Internal Affairs emblem
Ministry of Internal Affairs emblem
Agency overview
FormedJuly 2, 2015 – Today
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionUkraine
Operational structure
Minister responsible
Parent agencyMinistry of Internal Affairs

The Special Police Forces (Ukrainian: Спеціальні поліцейські сили, romanized: Spetsialni politseiski syly) is a Ukrainian volunteer corps of law enforcement units, part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.[2] They were formed during the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine to strengthen the state’s capacity to maintain public order and security, and were later deployed to Eastern Ukraine as a paramilitary force to fight against Pro-Russian separatists.[3]

The units were primarily composed of volunteers, including former police officers, reservists, and civilians.[3] Similar to the Territorial Defence Battalions, which were under the Ministry of Defence, the Special Police Forces were volunteer formations but fell under the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In addition, many of the units also had links with far-right and nationalist groups.[4] In the first months of the War in Donbas, these volunteer forces took brunt of the fighting.[5]

In 2023, as part of the Offensive Guard initiative, most of the former Special Police Forces battalion were reformed into the Liut Brigade.[6][7]

History

Embroidered patches of the Militsiya and Sich Battalion

In April 2014, Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov issued an order to create battalions of special purpose within the Ministry of Internal Affairs structure.[8]

Their goal was to protect public order and important facilities across Ukraine, but all of these units were eventually sent to the east to counter Russian aggression.[2][9]

After the reformation of National Police in 2015, the units were reformed as Special Task Patrol Police units.[3]

At war in Donbas, the forces of the Special Tasks Patrol Police have fought against pro-Russian separatists as a paramilitary force.[3] Many of the units also engaged against Russian forces at the Russian invasion of Ukraine and in 2023 most units were reformed and merged into the Liut Brigade as part of the Offensive Guard campaign.[6][7]

Structure

Special Police Forces

Former special police units

  • Robed woman, seated, with sword on her lap
    Volunteers of the special police "Azov" Battalion
    Azov Battalion (батальйон "Азов") – a volunteer battalion which became notable for its participation on the Battle of Mariupol and controversial as it was formed by members coming from ultranationalist and neonazi parties.[10][11] In September 2014, it was expanded into a regiment and transferred to the command of the National Guard of Ukraine.[10]
  • Shakhtarsk Battalion (батальйон ПСМОП "Шахтарськ") – A former all volunteer territorial defence battalion of mostly former convicts from Donbas established in Shakhtarsk in June 2014 (because the battalion is reporting to the Interior Ministry its members became formally police officers).[12] In October 2014 the unit was disbanded after 50 members of the battalion were accused of looting and hooliganism.[13] The battalion was then resurrected as the "Tornado" police battalion.[12]
  • Tornado battalion – After the "Shakhtarsk" police battalion was disbanded in October 2014 after 50 members of the battalion were accused of looting and hooliganism.[13] it was resurrected as the "Tornado" police battalion.[12] The battalion was about 100 people strong and most members were former convicts from Donbas (because the battalion is reporting to the Interior Ministry its members were formally police officers).[12] On 18 June 2015 the unit was disbanded after members were accused of looting, rape and torture.[14][15] Initially the battalion refused to stop operations and disarm.[16] Former battalion members were accused and arrested for smuggling cast iron from territory under separatist control.[17]

See also

References

  1. ^ Parliament appoints Monastyrsky as Ukraine's interior minister, Ukrinform (16 July 2021)
  2. ^ a b Прищепа, Ярослав (24 February 2022). "Вторгнення Росії і що відбувається на Донбасі". Суспільне | Новини (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d Gessen, Masha; Friedman, Misha (10 September 2015). "The Cops Who Would Save a Country". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  4. ^ "Партія Свобода створює власний батальйон". Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  5. ^ "Abandoned Donbas Battalion fights on". Kyiv Post. 24 August 2014. Archived from the original on 25 August 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  6. ^ a b Mazurenko, Alona (2 February 2023). "Ukraine's Interior Ministry forming volunteer assault brigades known as Offensive Guard". Ukrainska Pravda. Archived from the original on 12 February 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  7. ^ a b O'Grady, Siobhán; Khudov, Kostiantyn. "Cops in the trenches: Ukrainian police key to fight against Russia". The Washington Post. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  8. ^ "Central Asia's New Best Friends Cement Relations". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 7 May 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  9. ^ «Нацполіція і Нацгвардія мають бути, як ви – бійці добробатів», – Арсен Аваков (ФОТО, ВІДЕО). mvs.gov.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  10. ^ a b "Ultra-nationalist Ukrainian battalion gears up for more fighting". Reuters. 24 January 2016. Archived from the original on 24 January 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  11. ^ "Inside Azov, the far-Right brigade killing Russian generals and playing a PR game in the Ukraine war". The Telegraph. 18 March 2022. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  12. ^ a b c d Convicts-turned-cops on forefront of Ukraine's battle against Russia, Kyiv Post (18 February 2015)
  13. ^ a b "Shakhtarsk battalion disbanded over looting claims". Interfax.
  14. ^ http://www.rferl.org Web results 'Tornado' Trial Tests Kyiv's Ability To Rein In Rogue Paramilitaries
  15. ^ Ukrainian interior minister dissolves 'Tornado' task force, several members arrested for serious crimes, Interfax-Ukraine (18 June 2015)
  16. ^ Куандыкова, Жанель (18 June 2015). Бойцы расформированного батальона «Торнадо» пригрозили Киеву стрельбой (in Russian). rbc.ru. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  17. ^ Commander of volunteer unit detained amid smuggling scandal, Kyiv Post (18 June 2015)
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Tasks_Patrol_Police_(Ukraine)