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Berkut (special police force)

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Squad of Militsiya of Special Assignment "Berkut"
Підрозділ Mіліції Cпеціального Призначення «Беркут»
Common nameBerkut
MottoБезпека народу — найвищий Закон
The safety of the people is the highest law
Agency overview
Formed1992
DissolvedFebruary 25, 2014
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionUA
Governing bodyMinistry of Internal Affairs (Ukraine)
Operational structure
HeadquartersKiev

The "Berkut" (Template:Lang-uk) was the system of special police of the Ukrainian militsiya within the Ministry of Internal Affairs.[1][2] The name means golden eagle or Aquila chrysaetos in the Ukrainian language, referring to a raptor historically associated with falconry on larger mammals, particularly foxes.[citation needed]

It was Ukraine's successor to the Soviet OMON. It operated semi-autonomously and was governed at the local or regional level (oblast, raion, city). Initially used to fight organized crime, it became used as the Police (Militsiya) for Public Security. Its full name was "Berkut" Separate Special Assignment Unit(s) of Militsiya. There was a "Berkut" unit in every region (oblast) and every big city of the country. Among the several special police units in Ukraine, "Berkut" became a catchall name for all the others.

The main stated purpose of the national special force was crowd control; however, the Berkut have also been accused of taking part in racketeering, and of terrorizing and attacking Ukrainian voters who would elect non-Yanukovych candidates to local governments,[3] and had a well-documented history of kidnapping, attack, and torture of protesters including during Euromaidan and to a lesser extent the Orange Revolution. Following the 2014 Ukrainian revolution in which the Berkut was implicated in nearly 100 civilian deaths, acting Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov signed a decree that dissolved the agency.[4][5]

History

The Berkut was the Ukrainian successor of the Soviet OMON (Special Purpose Police Unit), responsible for high-risk police operations including hostage crises and riots. Berkut teams participated in many actions of Leonid Kuchma's regime against the opposition (see Orange Revolution). In 2013 and 2014 they had been breaking up crowds during the 2013 Ukraine pro-European Union protests that came to be known as Euromaidan.

Origin and growth

Berkut officers in 2007

The order to organize the OMON in the Ukrainian SSR was issued on 28 December 1988, over a year after the establishment of the Soviet OMON back in 1987 and almost three months later after the issue of official order on October 3, 1988.[6] The first units were formed in Kiev, Dnipropetrovsk, Odessa, Lviv and Donetsk and were based on selected units of Soviet Internal Troops of the Ministry of Interior Affairs. After the fall of the Soviet Union it was decided to organize such units in every oblast (province) center as part of the Ministry of Interior of Ukraine. On January 16, 1992 the order was issued to create quick reaction force (QRF) units "Berkut", which was fully implemented by the start of 1993.

Violence and intimidation

On 30 November 2013, Berkut units in Kiev violently dispersed protesters during the Euromaidan protest movement, and have since been involved in many other instances of brutality in suppressing the movement. On 27 January 2014, the Ministry of Defense announced sharp pay raises for military personnel,[7] and the Cabinet of Ministers adopted a secret resolution to increase the size of the Berkut force sixfold to 30,000; they would also be given more power and a reserve fund would be set aside for additional ammunition.[8] Former head of Security for the Ukrainian president, General Viktor Ivanovich Palivoda, stated in early February 2014 that that those officers standing in the front lines of riot control received pay bonuses, and that they received bonuses for capturing protesters, included added years of service.[9]

Specific incidents

See also: List of people killed during Euromaidan
File:EuroMaidan-berkut-Poster.JPG
Euromaidan poster explaining difference between Berkut special police and conscripted Internal Troops

Writing in Business Insider in February 2014, Harrison Jacobs noted: "The Berkut ... has had a long history of brutality, abuse, torture, and other measures in service of whatever political regime is in control of Ukraine."[10] According to Ukraine political expert Taras Kuzio in November 2013, in recent years the force had been increasingly used to intimidate anti-government demonstrators and to influence the electoral process.[3]

  • 23-25 June 1995 — Assaulted Crimean Tatars near Sudak (Crimea) and helped criminals to escape angry crowd[11]
  • 18 July 1995, "Black Tuesday" — Prevented burial of Patriarch Volodymyr (Kiev)[12][13]
  • 24 August 1998 (Independence Day) — Violently dispersed peaceful protest of coal miners (not being paid for 2.5 years) in Luhansk[14] (governor of Luhansk Oblast - Oleksandr Yefremov)
  • November 2000–March 2001, Ukraine without Kuchma — Protected government from angry crowd
  • 19 August 2013 — Attacked people's deputies during the 2013 Kiev political protests near city hall
  • Ongoing since November 22, 2013, attack on protesters of Euromaidan
  • 23 January 2014 — Kidnapped Alexandra Haylak, a 22-year-old volunteer of Euromaidan medical service, stripped her of all identification, and left her in the woods near Vyshhorod.[15]
  • 23 January 2014 — Opposition member of Ukraine's parliament Andriy Parubiy reported Berkut was altering standard issue stun grenades into killing devices, wrapping them with nails and other shrapnel and using them on Euromaidan protesters. Parubiy showed reporters samples of the altered weapons.[16]
  • 27 January 2014 — The New York Times reported "In recent days, video emerged of the elite Berkut riot police stripping a protester naked, then forcing him to pose for photographs holding an ice scraper, before hitting and kicking him and forcing him onto a police bus. Another protester froze to death after being kidnapped at a hospital in Kiev where he had sought treatment for an eye injury, but instead was taken to the woods outside the capital and severely beaten before being left in the cold."[17]

Dissolution

Defensive line of "Berkut" unitmen in riot gear by the building of the Cabinet of Ministers during 2013 Euromaidan protests.

On 25 February 2014 acting Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov signed a decree on the dissolution of the Berkut.[18] By then the force had become synonymous with police brutality for many Euromaidan protesters.[19] The force was dissolved four days after the opposition forces that had supported Euromaidan (they included Avakov) had taken control of the Ukrainian goverment.[20] In response to the disbanding, Russia started to give former members of the Berkut Russian passports in cities in Crimea.[21]

Anti-semitism

Bernard-Henri Levy noted that in its last days before the end of the 2014 Ukrainian revolution and the Berkut's disbandment, on its website the group denounced the "Jewish origins" of Euromaidan leaders, and posted a picture with a superimposed Star of David and Swastika.[22]

Organization

Berkut officers stand guard during a football match

The Berkut was a reserve unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVS) and subordinates to the regional (oblast) departments of the MVS. Until 1997 it was under the direct supervision of HUBOZ (Chief Directorate in Fight of Organized Crime). Due to formation of another quick reaction force unit Sokil (Falcon) under HUBOZ, Berkut was later reassigned under the supervision of the Directorate of Public Security of the MVS. The main duty of the unit was the security of the general public and enforcement of civil order, especially during mass public events (demonstrations, parades, sport or concert events, etc.), or in places of increased criminal activity as part of the fight against organized crime. The Berkut have also been assigned to provide protective custody of certain individuals, such as witnesses in criminal trials.

Berkut members were paid 1.5-2 times more than the average Ukrainian police officer.[19] Depending on the region, the Berkut's battalions ranged in manpower from 50 to 600. Also depending on its dislocation, the unit could have been commissioned as a company or regiment. As of January 2008, the force consists of 2 regiments, 6 separate battalions, and 19 companies totaling 3,250 members.[23] One of the regiments is located in Kiev, while another one is stationed in Crimea. During the Euromaidan protest movement Berkut members from more the pro-Euromaidan Western Ukraine complained to the media that they were "mistrusted" by top commanders.[19]

The Berkut militia were distinguished by their maroon berets (also known as "krapovy beret"), an honorary headgear. Standard Berkut equipment includes AKM assault rifles, PK machine guns, Dragunov SVD sniper rifles, UAZ-469 jeeps and the BTR-70 armoured personnel carriers.[19] Some units are issued with the SPG-9 recoilless rifle and RPG-7 on a need basis.

References

  1. ^ Berkut arrived to defend Yanukovych's Mezhihirya from journalists. ictv. June 6, 2013
  2. ^ Beaten up by Berkut neighbor of Yanukovych was recognized guilty and fined. 24tv. January 18, 2014
  3. ^ a b Berkut Riot Police Used to Falsify Ukrainian Parliamentary Elections, The Jamestown Foundation (14 November 2012)
  4. ^ Head of Ukrainian Interior Ministry signs order to dissolve "Berkut" , Voice of Russia (25 February 2014)
  5. ^ Аваков распустил "Беркут" : Новости УНИАН 26.02.2014 | 01:10
  6. ^ MVD website, history 1986 - 1993
  7. ^ Twitter / OS1954: Defence ministry announces 5:29 AM - 27 Jan 2014 from Westminster, London
  8. ^ "EuroMaidan rallies in Ukraine (Jan. 26-27 live updates)". Kyiv Post. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  9. ^ Ukrainian top general: There is proof of russian intervention in Ukraine | Uriks.no
  10. ^ Harrison Jacobs (27 January 2014). "Why Ukraine's Berkut Special Police Force Is So Scary". Retrieved 1 February 2014.
  11. ^ Spark that almost burned down Crimea. Mirror Weekly. June 30, 1995
  12. ^ Burial of Patriarch Volodymyr on YouTube 08.01.2013
  13. ^ Patriarch Volodymyr was buried near wall of St Sophia. calendarium.com.
  14. ^ A coal miner burned himself in sign of protest for beating people. vse.rv. December 14, 2013
  15. ^ Berkut took and left a girl in woods. tvi. 23 January 2014 Template:Uk icon
  16. ^ "Парубий сообщил об использовании "Беркутом" самодельных боевых гранат" (in Template:Ru icon). Zerkalo nedeli. 23 January 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2014.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  17. ^ "Ukraine Leader Faces New Pressure to End Unrest". New York Times. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  18. ^ Head of Ukrainian Interior Ministry signs order to dissolve "Berkut", Voice of Russia (25 February 2014)
  19. ^ a b c d Ukraine's Berkut police: What makes them special?, BBC News (25 February 2014)
  20. ^ Ukraine: Speaker Oleksandr Turchynov named interim president, BBC News (23 February 2014)
    Ukraine protests timeline, BBC News (23 February 2014)
  21. ^ http://rt.com/news/berkut-police-russian-passports-266/comments/page-1/
  22. ^ Levy, Bernard-Henri (26 February 2014). "Ukraine's Revolutionaries Are Not Fascists". Daily Beast. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  23. ^ Template:Uk icon МВС України ДЗГ МВС України 16.01.2008
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