| Extermination battalion | |
|---|---|
| Active | 24 June 1941 – 1954 |
| Country |  Soviet Union |
| Type | Paramilitary |
| Role | Internal security |
| Size | c. 328,000 (1941) |
| Part of |  NKVD Soviet Armed Forces |
| Anniversaries | 24 June |
| Engagements | Eastern front |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Lavrentiy Beria (general command) |
Extermination battalions or destruction battalions, [nb 1] colloquially istrebitels (истребители, "exterminators", "destroyers") abbreviated: istrebki (Russian), strybki (Ukrainian),[1][2] stribai (Lithuanian), were paramilitary units under the control of NKVD in the western Soviet Union, which performed tasks of internal security on the Eastern Front and after it. After the Fall of the Soviet Union the battalions were deemed by the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) to be a criminal entity.[3]
Cite error: There are <ref group=nb> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=nb}} template (see the help page).
- ^ "Jahrbuch der Ukrainekunde". 1990.
- ^ "Na rubieży: Ogólnopolskie seminarium historii kresów wschodnich II Rzeczypospolitej polskiej". 2002.
- ^ Okupatsioonirežiimi kuritegudest Eestis [On Crimes of the Occupational Regime in Estonia] Riigi Teataja from 18 June 2002