Internal Troops of Ukraine

Internal Troops of Ukraine
Внутрішні війська України
Cross of the Internal Troops
Cross of the Internal Troops
Flag of the Troops
Flag of the Troops
AbbreviationBB
MottoЧесть, Мужність, Закон
Честь, Мужество, Закон
Honor, Courage, Law
Agency overview
Formed5 January 1992
Preceding agency
Dissolved13 March 2014
Superseding agencyNational Guard of Ukraine
Employees33,000
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionUKR
Governing bodyMinistry of Internal Affairs (Ukraine)
General nature
Operational structure
HeadquartersKyiv
Minister responsible
Agency executive
Notables
Significant Orange Revolutions
Anniversaries
  • 20 February
  • 26 March
Website
Archived website

The Internal Troops of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Внутрішні війська України, romanizedVnutrishni Viiska Ukrainy; Russian: Внутренние войска Украины, romanizedVnutrenniye 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]

  1. ^ "History of the troops of the Interior". Vv.gov.ua. Archived from the original on 2013-12-14. Retrieved 2014-03-08.
  2. ^ "Про внесення змін до деяких законодавчих актів України". zakon.rada.gov.ua. Офіційний вебпортал парламенту України.
  3. ^ There is an ongoing legal and political dispute over the subordination of the troops.
  4. ^ "АВІАЦІЙНІ ПІДРОЗДІЛИ ТА ВІЙСЬКОВІ ЧАСТИНИ". Archived from the original on 2010-11-29. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
  5. ^ [1] [dead link]