Internal Troops of Ukraine

Interior Troops of Ukraine
Внутрішні війська України
Abbreviation BB
Logo of the Interior Troops of Ukraine.
Badge of the Interior Troops of Ukraine.
Agency overview
Legal personality Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
Governing body Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ukraine)
General nature
Operational structure
Headquarters Kiev
Agency executive Lieutenant General Stepan Poltorak[1], Commander
Website
Official Website

The Interior Troops of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Внутрішні війська України, Vnutrishni Viys'ka Ukrayiny - Interior forces of Ukraine; abbreviated ВВ, VV)[2] was a uniformed gendarmerie-like force in Ukraine that since March 13, 2014 is merged with the National Guard of Ukraine.[3]

Interior Troops are administratively subordinated to the Chief Directorate of Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine (the civilian police authority of the country)[4] which closely cooperate with the Ministry of Emergencies. The VV are used to assist militsiya in policing, deal with large-scale riots and internal armed conflicts, and safeguard important facilities such as nuclear power plants. During wartime, the Interior 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 Interior Troops fulfill a special regime of emergency nation-wide or throughout the declared zone of emergency.

The Interior 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 have experienced substantial reform of their structure and tasks.

As of 2008, the Internal Troops of Ukraine included about 33,000 servicepersons.[5]

The Interior Troops of Ukraine was heavily involved in the 2013 Euromaidan revolution, being tasked with passively defending the building of the Administration of the President of Ukraine in Kiev.

Conscription was ended by the then President Yanukovych in October 2013.[6]

History

Creation of National Guard and Interior Troops

The Interior Troops of Ukraine were formed on January 5, 1992 within the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine as the Chief Directorate of forces of internal and convoy security.[7] The Law of Ukraine "About troops of internal and convoy security of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine" was adopted by the Ukrainian parliament on March 26, 1992.[8][9]

However, prior to that all Soviet Internal Troops units that were based in Ukraine were reorganized into the National Guard of Ukraine (initially as Republican Guard of Ukraine).[10] The respective decree was declared by the Presidium of Ukrainian parliament on January 24, 1991. Later the troops returned to their traditional tasks (and eventually original name), as the National Guard was formally liquidated.

Internal security during election unrest

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 Interior 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.

Recent reorganization attempts

After a decade of existence within the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Interior Troops were reorganized. In May 2007, the ongoing political crisis in Ukraine lead to a jurisdiction dispute over the troops. President Viktor Yuschenko issued a decree placing Interior Troops from the Ministry of Internal Affairs directly under the jurisdiction of the President. Later, on May 25, the Interior 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 Interior 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.

Euromaidan poster explaining difference between Berkut special police and conscripted Internal Troops of Ukraine.

Organization

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 Interior 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.

Territorial division

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.

Western TrK

Crimean TrK

Southern TrK

Kiev Northern TrK

Eastern TrK

Central TrK

Direct jurisdiction

Specific units

In 1994, three regiments of special assignment units were created as part of the Internal Troops of Ukraine (not the National Guard of Ukraine) in order to increase its combat potential against organized crime. All of them were named after felidae: Bars (Snow leopard, near Kiev), Yahuar (Jaguar, Vinnytsia Oblast), and Hepard (Cheetah, Zaporizhia). On May 19, 2004, the 37th Separate Battalion of Internal Troops was relocated from Pavlohrad to Crimea and transformed into the 47th Regiment of Special Assignment, later - Tyhr (Tiger).

Bars is a brigade which is part of the Kiev territorial command. It also contains a special assignment Omega unit as its battalion. Omega is an anti-terrorist unit specializing in sniping that structurally is a part of the Bars.[11] Tyhr is a regiment that is subordinate to the Crimea territorial command. Yahuar and Hepard are company-sized regiments subordinate directly to the Chief Directorate of Internal Troops.

Other selected Units

Tasks

A Ukrainian serviceman attacked by protesters during clashes in Kiev, February 18, 2014

Personnel

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.

Commanders

Weapons and equipment

AK-74 5.45mm assault rifle;

Fort-12 9mm pistol;

RPK 74 5.45mm machine gun;

PKM 7.62mm machine gun;

AKSU-74 5.45mm submachine gun.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Turchynov proposes parliament appoint Poltorak as National Guard commander, Interfax-Ukraine (19 March 2014)
  2. ↑ "History of the troops of the Interior". Vv.gov.ua. Retrieved 2014-03-08.
  3. ↑ Law of Ukraine About introducing changes to some legislative acts of Ukraine. Official document
  4. ↑ There is an ongoing legal and political dispute over the subordination of the troops,
  5. ↑ АВІАЦІЙНІ ПІДРОЗДІЛИ ТА ВІЙСЬКОВІ ЧАСТИНИ
  6. ↑ "Yanukovych: Ukraine to end military conscription after autumn call-ups". UPI.com. 2013-10-03. Retrieved 2014-03-08.
  7. ↑ "History of Internal Troops of Ukraine". Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  8. ↑ "The Law of Ukraine on Internal Troops". Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  9. ↑ "Resolution on introduction of the Law of Ukraine About troops of internal and convoy security". Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  10. ↑ "Law of Ukraine on subordination of the Internal Troops". Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  11. ↑ ПІДРОЗДІЛ СПЕЦІАЛЬНОГО ПРИЗНАЧЕННЯ ТА БОРОТЬБИ З ТЕРОРИЗМОМ ВНУТРІШНІХ ВІЙСЬК МВС УКРАЇНИ
  12. ↑ ". - .". Retrieved 15 November 2014.

External links

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