| Internal Troops of Ukraine Внутрішні війська України |
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| Legal personality | Governmental: Government agency | ||||||||||
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| Governing body | Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ukraine) | ||||||||||
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| Headquarters | Kiev | ||||||||||
| Agency executive | Lieutenant General Serhiy Yarovyi, Commander
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The Internal Troops of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Внутрішні війська України, Vnutrisni Viys'ka Ukrayiny - Interior forces of Ukraine; abbreviated ВВ, VV) is an uniformed gendarmerie-like forces in Ukraine. Internal Troops are administratively subordinated to the Chief Directorate of Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine (the police authority of the country)[1] and closely cooperate with the Ministry of Emergencies. The VV are used to assist militsiya in policing, deal with large-scale riots, internal armed conflicts, and safeguard important facilities such as nuclear power plants. During wartime, the Internal Troops fall under the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian armed forces and fulfill tasks of local defense and rear area security. In case of a state of emergency, the Internal Troops fulfill a special regime of emergency nation-wide or throughout the declared zone of emergency.
The Internal Troops of Ukraine retain much of the personnel, bases, equipment and traditions of the Soviet Internal Troops. The reason for this is that Soviet VV units that were stationed in Ukrainian SSR during the dissolution of the Soviet Union fell under jurisdiction of the newly-independent Ukraine. However, Ukrainian VV troops are not a direct successor of the Soviet Internal Troops (unlike in Russia) and experienced substantial reform of their structure and tasks. In 2008 there were about 33,000 troops of the Interior forces.[2]
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Soviet Internal Troops units in Ukraine were initially reorganized into the National Guard of Ukraine. This was an interim national military created while the Armed Forces was under formation. Later the troops regressed back to their traditional tasks (and eventually original name), as the National Guard was formally liquidated.
The Orange Revolution was a series of peaceful protests that overturned an election for the Presidency in the winter of 2004/2005 resulting in the election of Viktor Yushchenko.
On November 28, 2004 over 10,000 Internal Troops mobilized to put down the protests on Independence Square in Kiev according to their commander Lt. Gen. Sergei Popkov. The SBU warned opposition leaders of the crackdown. Oleksandr Galaka, head of GUR (Chief Directorate of Intelligence) made calls to "prevent bloodshed". Col. Gen. Ihor P. Smesko (SBU chief) and Maj. Gen. Vitaly Romanchenko (military counter-intelligence chief) both warned Popkov to pull back his troops, which he did. Thus, the senior officers of the Ukrainian Security Services claimed the credit for averting a situation that they said risked bloodshed and, possibly, a civil war.[1]
After a decade of existence within the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Internal Troops undergo a new period of reorganization now. In May 2007, the on-going political crisis in Ukraine lead to a jurisdiction dispute over the troops. President Viktor Yuschenko issued a decree placing Internal Troops from the Ministry of Internal Affairs directly under the jurisdiction of the President. Later, on May 25, the Internal Troops command loyal to the President ordered an unprecedented and dramatic march on the capital Kiev. The MVS criticized both the decree and the subsequent troop move.
Sides of the political crisis managed to avoid further clashes between law enforcers. The Internal Troops subsequently returned to their routine tasks and have re-established practical co-ordination with the militsiya. However, the legal dispute over the troops remains unsolved. The Troops command declares its loyalty to the President in accordance with the decree which is currently appealed in the court by the Cabinet of Ministers.
Despite reporting to a civilian militsiya authority, the Internal Troops of Ukraine are a military-like force with a centralized system of ranks and service. The Chief Commander and Staff of the troops maintain their separate chain of command and the VV units (battalions and regiments) are under the command of territorial commanders (six), who in turn report to the Chief Commander. The units are stationed in military bases throughout the country, including a base in the center of the capital Kiev.
The Internal Troops also have one aviation brigade that was initially formed out of 51st Separate Helicopter Guard Regiment (Oleksandriya) and 31st Special Helicopter Battle Squadron (Bila Tserkva). In 2000 the 51st Separate Helicopter Brigade was reinforced by another aviation squadron from a special operations unit "Yaguar" as well as receiving an extra airfield in Kalynivka of Vinnytsia Oblast.
There are six directorate of territorial commands sometimes abbreviated as Trk: West, North, East, Center, South, and Crimea. Each Trk has a certain units assigned directly to it which are identified by a four digit number. Beside that there are several units of a direct subordination.
The Internal Troops of Ukraine are experiencing a slow transition from the Soviet conscript system (similar to that for the Soviet Army) to the contract personnel system. VV officers are trained in the special Academy of Internal Troops.
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