Special Police Forces (Ukraine)

Special Police Forces (Ukraine)
The Special Police Forces is a Ukrainian volunteer corps of law enforcement units, part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. It was originally created for prevention of criminal encroachment and defence of civil order on 15 April 2014, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. During the ongoing war in Donbas, the forces of the Special Tasks Patrol Police have fought against pro-Russian separatists as a paramilitary force.
History
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. 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. After the reformation of National Police in 2015, the units were reformed as Special Task Patrol Police units.
The SPF inducted its first Offensive Guard Police Brigade in February 2023 to cope with the needs of the NPU in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Liut (Fury) Brigade was activated that month on orders from the MIA of Ukraine and is composed of personnel from the SPF formations.
List of Special Tasks Patrol Police units
Special Police Forces
Bohdan Company, Khmelnytskyi Oblast
Chernihiv Company, Chernihiv Oblast
Dnipro-1 Regiment, Dnipro Oblast
Armored Battalion
2nd Company
Aerorozvidka
5th Company Donetsk
Krym Company
East Company, Kharkiv, Kharkiv Oblast
Ivano-Frankivsk Company, Ivano-Frankivsk
Kherson Company, Kherson, Kherson Oblast
Kryvbas Company, Dnipro Oblast
Kyiv Regiment, Kyiv, Kyiv Oblast
1st Police Company Kyiv-1
2nd Police Company Kyiv-2
3rd Police Company Zoloti Vorota
4th Police Company Sich
Lviv Battalion, Lviv, Lviv Oblast
Liut Brigade, Kyiv, Kyiv Oblast
Tsunami Assault Regiment
Safari Assault Regiment
Luhansk-1 Special Purpose Police Battalion
Myrotvorets Regiment, Kyiv
2nd Kyivschyna Company
3rd Company Harpoon
4th Company
Poltava Battalion, Poltava, Poltava Oblast
Shtorm Battalion, Odesa, Odesa Oblast
Sicheslav Company, Dnipro, Dnipro Oblast
Skif Battalion, Zaporizhzhia Oblast
Berda Company
Sumy Company, Sumy, Sumy Oblast
Svitiaz Company, Volyn Oblast
Sviatoslav Company, Kirovohrad Oblast
Ternopil Company, Ternopil, Ternopil Oblast
Vinnytsya Battalion, Vinnytsia Oblast
Zakhid Battalion, Volyn Oblast
Former special police units
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. In September 2014, it was expanded into a regiment and transferred to the command of the National Guard of Ukraine.
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). In October 2014 the unit was disbanded after 50 members of the battalion were accused of looting and hooliganism. The battalion was then resurrected as the "Tornado" police battalion.
Tornado battalion – After the "Shakhtarsk" police battalion was disbanded in October 2014 after 50 members of the battalion were accused of looting and hooliganism. it was resurrected as the "Tornado" police battalion. 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). On 18 June 2015 the unit was disbanded after members were accused of looting, rape and torture. Initially the battalion refused to stop operations and disarm. Former battalion members were accused and arrested for smuggling cast iron from territory under separatist control.
Gallery
See also
Rapid Operational Response Unit
References
Volunteer military formations of Ukraine
Battalions of Ukraine
Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ukraine)