Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ukraine)

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Міністерство внутрішніх справ України, romanized: Ministerstvo vnutrishnikh sprav Ukrainy, MVS) is the ministry of the Ukrainian government that oversees the interior affairs of Ukraine. 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. 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 Ukraine^[6] (police service), National Guard of Ukraine (gendarmerie), the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (civil defense),^[7] State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (and its subordinate the Ukrainian Sea Guard) and the State Migration Service (customs service).

Ministry of Internal Affairs

Міністерство внутрішніх справ
Emblem of the ministry
Banner of the ministry
Ministry overview
Formed	22 January 1918 (106 years ago) (1918-01-22)
Preceding agencies	Ministry of Internal Affair of UNR (1918-1920) State Secretariat of Internal Affairs of wUNR (1918-1919) Ministry (People's Commissariat) of Internal Affairs of UkrSSR (1918-1991)
Jurisdiction	Ukraine
Headquarters	10 Akademika Bohomoltsia Street, Kyiv, 01601[1] 50°26′26″N 30°32′04″E
Employees	152,000[citation needed]
Annual budget	₴66 billion (2018)[2]
Minister responsible	Ihor Klymenko[3], Minister of Internal Affairs
Deputy Minister responsible	Vacant[4], First Deputy Minister
Key document	Provision on the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine[5]
Website	mvs.gov.ua

Formerly, the ministry directly controlled the Ukrainian national law enforcement agency, termed the militsiya (Ukrainian: міліція, Russian: милиция). 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. Ukraine's militsiya was widely regarded as corrupt,^[8] and it had received accusations of torture and ill-treatment.^{[9][10][11][12]} The State Emergency Service was transferred under the jurisdiction of the ministry since 2014.^[7]

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

Main article: Militsiya (Ukraine)

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

Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
Міністр внутрішніх справ України
Banner of the minister
Incumbent Ihor Klymenko since 7 February 2023 (acting from 18 January 2023)
Appointer	President of Ukraine
Term length	Duration of the presidential term (5 years) or less due to earlier resignation or dismissal
Inaugural holder	Andriy Vasylyshyn
Formation	24 August 1991; 33 years ago (1991-08-24)
Succession	First Deputy Minister
Website	mvs.gov.ua

See also: List of ministers of internal affairs (Ukraine)

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	Notes
1		Andriy Vasylyshyn	24 August 1991	21 July 1994	Leonid Kravchuk	First post-independence minister
2		Volodymyr Radchenko	28 July 1994	3 July 1995	Leonid Kuchma	Acting July 21–28, 1994
3		Yuriy Kravchenko	3 July 1995	26 March 2001		Involved in 'Eagles of Kravchenko' case
4		Yuriy Smirnov	26 March 2001	27 August 2003
5		Mykola Bilokon	27 August 2003	3 February 2005
6		Yuriy Lutsenko	4 February 2005	1 December 2006	Viktor Yushchenko	First civilian minister
7		Vasyl Tsushko	1 December 2006	18 December 2007		First minister never directly subordinate to the president
8		Yuriy Lutsenko	18 December 2007	28 January 2010		Acting January 28-March 11, 2010[13][14] In May 2009 first deputy (Interior) Minister Mykhailo Kliuyev served as acting Minister during a seven-day investigation.[15][16] After that Lutsenko resumed the post.[17]
-		Mykhailo Kliuyev	29 January 2010	11 March 2010
9		Anatoliy Mohyliov	11 March 2010	7 November 2011[18]	Viktor Yanukovych	First post-Orange Revolution minister
10		Vitaliy Zakharchenko	7 November 2011[19]	21 February 2014[20]		Former head of the State Tax Service of Ukraine[19]
-		Arsen Avakov (acting)	22 February 2014	27 February 2014	Oleksandr Turchynov (acting)
11		Arsen Avakov	27 February 2014	15 July 2021[21]	Oleksandr Turchynov (acting), Petro Poroshenko, Volodymyr Zelensky
12		Denys Monastyrsky	16 July 2021[22]	18 January 2023[23]	Volodymyr Zelensky	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.[24]
-		Ihor Klymenko (acting)	18 January 2023[3]	7 February 2023		Former head of National Police of Ukraine; replaced Denys Monastyrsky after his premature death.[24]
13		Ihor Klymenko	7 February 2023[3]	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

References

1. "Official website of the Ministry. Address (section)". 2017. Archived from the original on 13 May 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
2. Allocation of expenditures of the State Budget of Ukraine for 2018 (document .xls) Archived 2018-02-22 at the Wayback Machine, sheet "д3", row 60 - Verkhovna Rada official website
3. (in Ukrainian) National deputies voted for the new head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ukrainska Pravda (7 February 2023)
4. (in Ukrainian) Monastyrsky presented a new team of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Archived 2022-03-21 at the Wayback Machine, Suspilne (6 September 2021)
5. Положення про Міністерство внутрішніх справ України, затв. Постановою Кабінету міністрів № 878 [Provision on the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, approved by Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers No 878] (in Ukrainian).
6. National Police established in Ukraine Archived 2018-02-03 at the Wayback Machine, Interfax Ukraine (2 September 2015)
7. "ДСНС перейшла в підпорядкування МВС DSNS has become subordinated to MIA" (in Ukrainian). Gazeta Lviv. 25 April 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
8. Transparency International Global Corruption Barometer: Ukraine has become more corrupt over the last two years Archived 2019-07-17 at the Wayback Machine, The Ukrainian Week (9 July 2013)
9. Ukraine: Victims of police brutality Archived 2009-06-24 at the Wayback Machine, Amnesty International USA (September 27, 2005)
   Amnesty International: Ukrainian police told not to touch foreign fans during Euro 2012 Archived 2015-05-06 at the Wayback Machine, Kyiv Post (4 July 2012)
10. Yanukovych calling for greater control over detention facilities Archived 2015-07-22 at the Wayback Machine, Kyiv Post (15 December 2011)
11. Ukrainian Police Arrested For Alleged Torture Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (April 1, 2010)
12. Ukrainian Police-Abuse Protests Come To The Capital Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (17 July 2013)
13. Lutsenko says he's calm about his dismissal Archived 2011-02-19 at the Wayback Machine, Kyiv Post (28 January 2010)
14. Regions Party: Kliuyev is legitimate head of Interior Ministry Archived 2011-02-01 at the Wayback Machine, Kyiv Post (1 February 2010)
15. Speaker:Lutsenko suspended as Ukraine's interior minister, Kyiv Post (May 18, 2009)
16. Kliuyev to serve as Ukraine's interior minister during Lutsenko's suspension from duty, Kyiv Post (May 16, 2009)
17. Lutsenko says he will resume fulfilling duties as interior minister, Kyiv Post (27 May 2009)
18. Yanukovych appoints Mohyliov to Crimean post Archived 2012-04-18 at the Wayback Machine, Kyiv Post (7 November 2011)
19. Chief tax officer Zakharchenko appointed interior minister of Ukraine Archived 2012-06-12 at the Wayback Machine, Kyiv Post (7 November 2011)
20. Rada suspends Acting Interior Minister Zakharchenko from his duties Archived 2022-02-27 at the Wayback Machine, Interfax-Ukraine (21 February 2014)
21. Rada supports Avakov's resignation Archived 2021-11-06 at the Wayback Machine, Interfax-Ukraine (15 July 2021)
22. Parliament appoints Monastyrsky as Ukraine's interior minister Archived 20 March 2022 at the Wayback Machine, Ukrinform (16 July 2021)
23. "Ukrainian minister among 17 dead in helicopter crash near Kyiv". Sky News. Archived from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
24. "Ukraine-Russia news – live: Helicopter crash near Kyiv leaves at least 14 dead, including interior minister". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2023.

• 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) (in Ukrainian)
• 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) (in Ukrainian)

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 (in Ukrainian)
• Ukraine Police Twitter
• Overview of MVS' special units (in Russian)
• How to Avoid Problems with Ukrainian police (in English)