Berkut (; "golden eagle") was the Ukrainian system of special police (riot police) of the Ukrainian Militsiya within the Ministry of Internal Affairs.Berkut arrived to defend Yanukovych's Mezhihirya from journalists . ictv. 6 June 2013Beaten up by Berkut neighbor of Yanukovych was recognized guilty and fined. 24tv. 18 January 2014 The agency was formed on 16 January 1992, shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, as the successor to the Ukrainian SSR's OMON.
Initially specialized in fighting organized crime, Berkut transitioned into a gendarmerie used by the Ukrainian Militsiya for public security, operating semi-autonomously at the local or regional level. The term "Berkut" came to be used for any professional special police unit in Ukraine. Prior to the 2014 Ukrainian revolution, the Berkut had a history of illegal activities against Ukrainian citizens, such as racketeering, terrorism, physical violence, torture, anti-Ukrainian sentiment, voter intimidation and other secret police tactics against those who would elect non-Yanukovych candidates. It committed violence against protesters during Euromaidan and the Orange Revolution.Berkut Riot Police Used to Falsify Ukrainian Parliamentary Elections, The Jamestown Foundation (14 November 2012) After the revolution, the new government held the Berkut responsible for most of the Heavenly Hundred civilian deaths. Acting Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov dissolved the agency on 25 February 2014, replacing it with the National Guard of Ukraine.Ukraine's new rulers disband riot police , Reuters (26 February 2014)Аваков распустил "Беркут" : Новости УНИАН 26 February 2014 | 01:10
On 25 March 2014, Berkut units stationed in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol defected to the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs during the annexation of Crimea by Russia, after the territories were approved as federal subjects.Russian interior bodies created in Crimea and Sevastopol , ITAR-TASS (25 March 2014)Crimean Berkut police to preserve name as it incorporates into Russian Interior Ministry, ITAR-TASS (24 March 2014)Ukraine: Speaker Oleksandr Turchynov named interim president, BBC News (23 February 2014)Ukraine protests timeline, BBC News (23 February 2014) There, the Berkut effectively became a Russian agency. Units were allowed to preserve their old name and now serve within the National Guard of Russia as the gendarmerie for Crimea.
Etymology Berkut means golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) in the Ukrainian language, referring to a raptor historically associated with falconry on larger mammals, particularly foxes. It is a Turkic loanword.
Ukraine
History The Berkut was founded on 16 January 1992, three weeks after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, as the "Berkut" Separate Special Assignment Unit(s) of Militsiya to serve the newly independent Ukraine as the replacement of the Ukrainian SSR's branch of the Soviet OMON (Special Purpose Police Unit). The order to organize the OMON in the Ukrainian SSR had been 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 3 October 1988.
The first OMON units in Ukraine were formed in Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Lviv, and Donetsk and were based on selected units of Soviet Internal Troops of the Soviet Ministry of Internal Affairs. After Ukrainian independence, it was decided to organize OMON units in every oblast (province) center as part of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs. The new agency was fully implemented by the start of 1993, and inherited Ukrainian OMON's functions, including responsibility for high-risk police operations including hostage crises and riot policing, but primarily as a quick reaction force with a focus on combating organized crime.
Organization
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 against 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. Depending on the region, the Berkut's units 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 consisted of two regiments, six separate battalions, and 19 companies totaling 3,250 members. МВС України ДЗГ МВС України 16 January 2008 One of the regiments was located in Kyiv, and the other one was stationed in Crimea. During the maidan protest movement Berkut members from Western Ukraine (a region leaning towards pro-Euromaidan) complained to the media that they were "mistrusted" by top commanders.
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. During the Euromaidan protests, the Berkut were also issued with Fort-500M pump-action shotguns loaded with slugs. Some units are issued with the SPG-9 recoilless rifle and RPG-7 on a need basis.
Criticism Political violence The Berkut has increasingly developed a reputation for engaging in political-related violence, including acts of police brutality and extrajudicial punishment against anti-government protesters, activists, and voters.
On 25 June 1995, during mass riots of Crimean Tatars who started so called "turf war" against the Crimean gang , Berkut policemen from Poltava on the highway near Sudak, (Autonomous Republic of Crimea) opened fire with the intention to kill from automatic weapons which resulted in seven people being wounded and two killed.Volodymyr Prytula. A spark that almost burned down the Crimea (ИСКРА, КОТОРАЯ ЧУТЬ НЕ СОЖГЛА КРЫМ). The Mirror Weekly. 30 June 1995
On 18 July 1995, Berkut was involved in a partially successful attempt to prevent the burial of Patriarch Volodymyr (Romaniuk) on the territory of St.Sophia monastery (surrounds the Saint Sophia's Cathedral).Near walls of the St.Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv was buried Ukrainian Patriarch Volodymyr . Calendarium. That day is known in Ukrainian history as Black Tuesday.
On 24 August (Independence Day of Ukraine) 1998, Berkut participated in dispersing the picketing of miners in front of the Luhansk "House of Soviets" (administration building of Luhansk regional government and legislation).Viktoriya Mamotyuk. Miner who burned down himself in sign of protest against the Berkut's attack people (Гірник спалив себе на знак протесту побиття людей "беркутівцями"). Vse. 14 December 2013 The picketing of miners from Krasnodonvuhillia was caused by salary indebtedness for the last 2.5 years. At that time Luhansk Oblast was governed by Oleksandr Yefremov and Viktor Tikhonov.
In 2004 and 2005, Berkut teams participated in many actions of Leonid Kuchma's government against the opposition during the Orange Revolution. Former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych has been accused, including by Amnesty International, of using Berkut to threaten, attack, and torture Ukrainian protesters. Upon coming to power, Yanukovych had reversed oversight measures established during the Yushchenko administration to curb Berkut abuse of citizens, whereupon the special force "upped its brutality."
Euromaidan On 30 November 2013, Berkut units in Kyiv violently dispersed protesters during the Euromaidan protest movement, and were thereafter involved in numerous other instances of brutality attempting to suppress the movement. On 27 January 2014, the Ministry of Defense announced sharp pay raises for military personnel.Twitter / OS1954: Defence ministry announces 5:29 AM - 27 January 2014 from Westminster, London The Cabinet of Ministers adopted a secret resolution to increase the size of the Berkut force sixfold to 30,000. They were given more power and a reserve fund was set aside for additional ammunition.
Former head of Security for the Ukrainian president, General Viktor Ivanovich Palivoda, stated in early February 2014 that those officers standing in the front lines against the protestors received pay bonuses. Further bonuses were awarded for capturing protesters including the recognition of the equivalent of additional years of service.Ukrainian top general: There is proof of russian intervention in Ukraine | Uriks.no
Citizen disenfranchisement The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe confirmed witness accounts of voters being blocked from access to polls and being attacked along with local election officials who tried to frustrate the Berkut's practice of falsifying voters' ballots in favor of Yanukovych's Party of Regions candidates. Individual cases have been reported of citizens grouping together and fighting back against the Berkut in order to preserve election integrity and results.
Antisemitism Bernard-Henri Lévy noted that in its last days before the end of the 2014 Ukrainian revolution and the Berkut's disbandment, on its website the group accused Euromaidan leaders of being Jewish; one such accused was Ihor Kolomoyskyi. Berkut had posted a picture with a superimposed Star of David and swastika in order to depict an alliance of Nazis and Jews against pro-Russians in Eastern Ukraine.
Specific incidents
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." 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.
23–25 June 1995 – Assaulted Crimean Tatars near Sudak (Crimea) and helped criminals to escape angry crowdSpark that almost burned down Crimea . Mirror Weekly. 30 June 1995 18 July 1995, "Black Tuesday" – Prevented burial of Patriarch Volodymyr (Kyiv) 8 January 2013Patriarch Volodymyr was buried near wall of St Sophia . calendarium.com. 24 August 1998 (Independence Day) – Violently dispersed peaceful protest of coal miners (for a two-and-a-half-year lack of pay) in Luhansk A coal miner burned himself in protest against people's being beaten . vse.rv. 14 December 2013 (governor of Luhansk Oblast – Oleksandr Yefremov) November 2000 – March 2001, Ukraine without Kuchma – Protected government from angry crowd 19 August 2013 – Attacked Parliamentarians during the 2013 Kyiv political protests near city hall Beginning on 22 November 2013, attacked protesters of the Euromaidan 23 January 2014 – Kidnapped Alexandra Haylak, a 22-year-old volunteer of the Euromaidan medical service, stripped her of all identification, and left her in the woods near Vyshhorod.Berkut took and left a girl in woods . tvi. 23 January 2014 23 January 2014 – Opposition member of Ukraine's parliament Andriy Parubiy reported that the Berkut was altering standard-issue stun grenades, making them killing devices by wrapping them with nails and other shrapnel and using them against Euromaidan protesters. Parubiy showed reporters samples of the altered weapons.