Titushky

Titushky
Titushky at the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, November 24, 2013

The Titushky (plural; Ukrainian: тітушки; Russian: титушки; Romanian: titușki) were mercenary agents in Ukraine who supported the Ukrainian security services during the administration of Viktor Yanukovych, often posing as street hooligans in sports clothing[1] with the purpose of serving as provocateurs at pro-European and anti-Yanukovych political rallies that would incite violence in order to get protestors arrested.[2][3] Their role grew more prominent in the wake of Euromaidan, where they were involved in numerous clashes and acts of violence during the movement.[4]

In the early 2010s, a “Titushky raid” (Russian: титушки рейд) was a widely-used slang term in both Ukrainian and the Russian spoken in Ukraine to describe street beatings, carjackings, and kidnappings by unidentified men in civilian clothes from behind the lines of political rallies.[2] Titushky were employed by the Yanukovych government, reportedly receiving 200 hryvnia to $100 per day in payments.[2][5][6] Some were also suspected of being illegal formations of combat troops carrying concealed pistols.[2] They carried out intimidation and dispersal of anti-government demonstrations, and attacked participants and representative of the news media.

Titushky adopted the strategy of blending into a peaceful crowd or mob and then instigating a violent fight, which led to arrests of peaceful protesters on the grounds of mass disorder; the perpetrators were then used either as witnesses of the supposed crime, or as victims. During Euromaidan in 2013–2014, they became a collective term for agents provocateurs and thugs,[7] who were hired by the Party of Regions and law enforcement agents in civilian clothing.[8][9][10] Supporters of President Yanukovych also used the term titushky to refer to pro-opposition thugs.[11]

  1. ^ "Кто такие "титушки", и почему их так называют на Украине?". AiF (in Russian). 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  2. ^ a b c d Katarzyna Kwiatkowska (2014). "Titusski - napadają, wyciągają ludzi z aut, palą i grabią" [Titushky swarm in, drag people out of cars, burn them and rob]. WP.PL Wiadomości (in Polish) (1123). Archived from the original on 24 February 2014. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  3. ^ "Кто такие титушки". Моя газета (in Russian). Retrieved 2018-10-11.
  4. ^ "Sharp escalation – DW – 02/19/2014". dw.com. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
  5. ^ "СМИ: "Титушкам"-провокаторам из Запорожья предлагают по $100 в день" (in Russian). Retrieved 2018-10-08.
  6. ^ Свобода, Радіо (27 November 2013). ""Тітушкам" платять від 200 до 500 гривень – Ярема". Радіо Свобода (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2018-10-08.
  7. ^ "Беркут" и "титушки" дерутся с митингующими у здания Кабмина (in Russian). 24 November 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  8. ^ Як на Банкову звозили "тітушок" автобусами та під наглядом силовиків (ВІДЕО) (in Ukrainian). Mukachevo.net. Archived from the original on 4 December 2013.
  9. ^ Администрацию президента штурмовали на заказ, - СМИ (in Russian). news.liga.net. 2 December 2013. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013.
  10. ^ "Several hundred 'titushkis' advance on protester barricades in Kyiv, but then retreat". Kyiv Post. 8 February 2014. Archived from the original on 8 February 2014. Retrieved 8 February 2014.
  11. ^ "За что они милицию бьют – быдлы, сволочи?" - как в Донецке и Макеевке оценивают столичные события (in Russian). 21 February 2014. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014.