The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine (; ; ) is the ministry of the Ukrainian government that oversees the interior affairs of Ukraine.
History
Name People's Committee of Internal Affairs of the Ukrainian SSR (1919–1930, regional autonomous agency) State Political Directorate of the Ukrainian SSR (1930–1934, part of the Joint State Political Directorate of USSR) People's Committee of Internal Affairs of the Ukrainian SSR (1934–1946, part of the People's Committee of Internal Affairs of USSR) Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Ukrainian SSR (1946–1991, part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of USSR) Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine (since 1991, a government agency of the independent Ukraine)
History of Militsiya The ministry directly controlled the Ukrainian national law enforcement agency, termed the militsiya (, Russian: милиция). Ukraine's militsiya was widely regarded as corrupt,Transparency International Global Corruption Barometer: Ukraine has become more corrupt over the last two years , The Ukrainian Week (9 July 2013) and it had received accusations of torture and ill-treatment.Ukraine: Victims of police brutality , Amnesty International USA (September 27, 2005)Amnesty International: Ukrainian police told not to touch foreign fans during Euro 2012 , Kyiv Post (4 July 2012)Yanukovych calling for greater control over detention facilities , Kyiv Post (15 December 2011)Ukrainian Police Arrested For Alleged Torture , Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (April 1, 2010)Ukrainian Police-Abuse Protests Come To The Capital , Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (17 July 2013) This changed in July 2015, in the aftermath of Euromaidan, with the introduction of reforms by Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko to reduce corruption, whereby the militsiya was replaced with the National Police.
The State Emergency Service was transferred under the jurisdiction of the ministry since 2014.
Duties The ministry carries out state policy for the protection of rights and liberties of citizens, investigates unlawful acts against the interest of society and state, fights crime, provides civil order, ensures civil security and traffic safety, and guarantees the security and protection of important individuals.
Organisation It is a centralised agency headed by the Minister of Internal Affairs. The ministry works closely with the office of the General Prosecutor of Ukraine.
It oversees the National Police of UkraineNational Police established in Ukraine , Interfax Ukraine (2 September 2015) (police service), National Guard of Ukraine (gendarmerie), the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (civil defense), State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (and its subordinate the Ukrainian Sea Guard) and the State Migration Service (border control service).
Ministerial institutions Central office (in Kyiv)
Sub-departments (central offices of executive authority) National Guard of Ukraine National Police of Ukraine Special Tasks Patrol Police State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Ukrainian Sea Guard State Emergency Service of Ukraine State Migration Service of Ukraine
Supporting institutions Medical Central hospital (in Kyiv) Hospital of Rehabilitative Treatment (in Kyiv) Military-medical commissions
Educational National Academy of Internal Affairs National Academy of National Guard of Ukraine Kharkiv National University of Internal Affairs Dnipropetrovsk State University of Internal Affairs Didorenko State University of Internal Affairs of Luhansk Lviv State University of Internal Affairs Odesa State University of Internal Affairs Donetsk Justice Institute
Ministers of Internal Affairs
The minister of internal affairs is in charge of the ministry. Prior to the 2015 police reforms, the minister was recognized as head of the militsiya.
Many former ministers previously had experience with serving in the police, and were, prior to taking up the ministerial post, generals of the militsiya.
Typically, the minister was afforded the rank of Colonel-General of the militsiya upon taking up his post in the Ukrainian government.
Yuriy Lutsenko and Vasyl Tsushko are the only former holders of this office who had never served in any law enforcement agency. +List of ministers of internal affairs of Ukraine# Photo Name From Until President Notes1 Andriy Vasylyshyn 24 August 1991 21 July 1994 Leonid Kravchuk First post-independence minister2 Volodymyr Radchenko 28 July 1994 3 July 1995 Leonid Kuchma Acting July 21–28, 19943 Yuriy Kravchenko 3 July 1995 26 March 2001 Involved in 'Eagles of Kravchenko' case4 Yuriy Smirnov 26 March 2001 27 August 2003 5 Mykola Bilokon 27 August 2003 3 February 2005 6Yuriy Lutsenko 4 February 2005 1 December 2006 Viktor Yushchenko First civilian minister7Vasyl Tsushko 1 December 2006 18 December 2007 First minister never directly subordinate to the president8Yuriy Lutsenko 18 December 2007 28 January 2010 Acting January 28-March 11, 2010Lutsenko says he's calm about his dismissal , Kyiv Post (28 January 2010)Regions Party: Kliuyev is legitimate head of Interior Ministry , Kyiv Post (1 February 2010) In May 2009 first deputy (Interior) Minister Mykhailo Kliuyev served as acting Minister during a seven-day investigation.Speaker:Lutsenko suspended as Ukraine's interior minister, Kyiv Post (May 18, 2009)Kliuyev to serve as Ukraine's interior minister during Lutsenko's suspension from duty, Kyiv Post (May 16, 2009) After that Lutsenko resumed the post.Lutsenko says he will resume fulfilling duties as interior minister, Kyiv Post (27 May 2009)-Mykhailo Kliuyev29 January 201011 March 20109Anatoliy Mohyliov 11 March 2010 7 November 2011Yanukovych appoints Mohyliov to Crimean post , Kyiv Post (7 November 2011)Viktor Yanukovych First post-Orange Revolution minister10Vitaliy Zakharchenko 7 November 2011Chief tax officer Zakharchenko appointed interior minister of Ukraine , Kyiv Post (7 November 2011) 21 February 2014Rada suspends Acting Interior Minister Zakharchenko from his duties , Interfax-Ukraine (21 February 2014)Former head of the State Tax Service of Ukraine-Arsen Avakov (acting) 22 February 2014 27 February 2014 Oleksandr Turchynov (acting) 11Arsen Avakov 27 February 2014 15 July 2021Rada supports Avakov's resignation , Interfax-Ukraine (15 July 2021) Oleksandr Turchynov (acting), Petro Poroshenko, Volodymyr Zelenskyy12Denys Monastyrsky 16 July 2021Parliament appoints Monastyrsky as Ukraine's interior minister , Ukrinform (16 July 2021) 18 January 2023Volodymyr Zelenskyy Term ended prematurely after a helicopter transporting himself and the First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs crashed, killing both Monastyrsky and his First Deputy, Yevhen Yenin, among others.- Ihor Klymenko (acting) 18 January 2023 National deputies voted for the new head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ukrainska Pravda (7 February 2023) 7 February 2023 Former head of National Police of Ukraine; replaced Denys Monastyrsky after his premature death.13Ihor Klymenko 7 February 2023 16 July 202614Ivan Vyhivskyi 16 July 2026 Incumbent
The minister of Internal Affairs is responsible directly to the Prime Minister of Ukraine, to the Ukrainian Parliament (Verkhovna Rada) and ultimately the President of Ukraine. His office is located in Kyiv's Pechersk District.
See also Berkut (special police force) General of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Internal Troops of Ukraine Prosecutor General of Ukraine Security Service of Ukraine
Notes
References
How Top Spies in Ukraine Changed the Nation's Path by K.J.Chivers of the New York Times How the Gongadze Case Has Been Investigated (June 2005 Ukrayinska Pravda article on the history of the Gongadze Case investigation) The Key Witness in the Gongadze Case Dead (March 2005 Ukrayinska Pravda article on the death of Kravchenko, analysing also his role in the Gongadze case - includes fragments of the Melnychenko recordings)
Further reading Full collection of laws of the Russian Empire since 1649. Vol.5. Saint Petersburg, 1830. page 13. (Полное собрание законов Российской империи с 1649 г. - Спб., 1830. - Т. 5. - С. 13)
External links
Official website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Ukraine Police Twitter Overview of MVS' special units How to Avoid Problems with Ukrainian police