Internal Troops of Ukraine

Internal Troops of Ukraine Внутрішні війська України
Cross of the Internal Troops
Flag of the Troops
Abbreviation	BB
Motto	Честь, Мужність, Закон Честь, Мужество, Закон Honor, Courage, Law
Agency overview
Formed	5 January 1992
Preceding agency	Soviet Internal Troops
Dissolved	13 March 2014
Superseding agency	National Guard of Ukraine
Employees	33,000
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction	UKR
Governing body	Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ukraine)
General nature	Gendarmerie
Operational structure
Headquarters	Kyiv
Minister responsible	Arsen Avakov, Minister of Internal Affairs
Agency executive	Stepan Poltorak, Commander
Notables
Significant Orange Revolutions	Euromaidan Revolution of Dignity 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine
Anniversaries	20 February 26 March
Website
Archived website

The Internal Troops of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Внутрішні війська України, romanized: Vnutrishni Viiska Ukrainy; Russian: Внутренние войска Украины, romanized: Vnutrenniye voyska Ukrainy), abbreviated ВВ (VV),^[1] were a uniformed gendarmerie and Internal Troops in Ukraine which merged with the National Guard of Ukraine on March 13, 2014.^[2] They were subordinate to the Chief Directorate of Ministry of Internal Affairs (the country's civilian police authority),^[3] and cooperate with the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. The VV were used to assist militsiya in policing, deal with riots and internal armed conflicts, and safeguard important facilities such as nuclear power plants. In wartime, the Internal Troops were under the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian armed forces for local defense and rear area security.

The Internal Troops had similar personnel, bases, equipment, and traditions as the Soviet Internal Troops. Soviet VV units in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic during the dissolution of the Soviet Union were moved to the jurisdiction of newly independent Ukraine. However, Ukrainian VV troops were not a direct successor of the Soviet Internal Troops (unlike the Internal Troops of Russia) and their structure and tasks had been reformed. As of 2008, the Internal Troops of Ukraine numbered about 33,000.^[4] They were involved in the 2013-2014 Euromaidan revolution, defending the Presidential Administration Building in Kyiv.

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine issued a decree on 13 March 2014 which transferred the powers of the Internal Troops to the restored National Guard of Ukraine.^[5]