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)