Ukraine
Berkut (Golden Eagles)
Following
the collapse of the Soviet Union, the former republics
were left on their own to develop counterterrorist capabilities.
This need has become more urgent in recent years
as the rising problem of organized crime has taxed the
internal security resources that would normally be sufficient
to deal with domestic terrorism.
Ukraine has responded by creating Berkut (Golden
Eagle) detachments under the authority of the Ministry
of Internal Affairs.
These units were originally formed in January
1992 and were based heavily on the Special Purpose Militsiia
Detachments (OMON) which dealt successfully with many
of the same problem now facing Ukraine.
The headquarters of the 5,000-man Berkut regiment
is located in Kiev, with battalion- and company-size
detachments based in the larger Ukranian cities.
It should be noted that the Ukranian government
has announced its intention to create an anti-terrorism
center by the end of 1997, although this had not been
completed as of January 1998.
Should this facility come to fruition, it will
likely bring with it the creation of newer, specialized
units to deal with hijackings and other specific scenarios.
Panther
The
Panther unit is an anti-terrorist Spetsnaz team operating
under the Ministry of the Interior (MOI).
This group was founded in 1994 and is based in
Kiev, Ukraine.
Ukrainian Special Operations
Forces: An Overview
Introduction
Since the
break up of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine's government
has downsized and reorganized its military forces
while adding a new paramilitary unit, the National
Guard, and new Special Operations forces (SOF) to
those inherited from the Soviet era. This reflects
a priority in Ukraine's perceptions of its security
needs. While perceiving Russia as a long-term potential
military threat to its independence, of more immediate
concern is the country's internal political instability
and organized criminal activity. This article is an
overview of the force structure, missions, capabilities,
training, and future of Ukraine's SOF units.
Composition
Subordinate
to the Ministry of Defense (MOD) are the Ground Forces
Command, Air and Air Defense Forces Command, Naval
Forces, and Special Operations Command. There are
also various units directly subordinate to the MOD,
including the National Guard and a Security Brigade.
Ukraine maintains
a fairly diverse make-up of SOF units within its military
and paramilitary organizations. SOF include SPETSNAZ,
airmobile, and special-purpose military police units.
SOF units in the military forces are subordinate to
the Ground Forces Command and directly to the MOD.
There is currently one Airmobile division and three
airmobile brigades, one SPETSNAZ brigade and one SPETSNAZ
regiment, and a security brigade directly subordinate
to the MOD.
Paramilitary
SOF units are found within the National Guard (which
was first established in 1991), the Ministry of Internal
Affairs (MVS), and the Ukrainian Security Service
(SBU). The National Guard has a number of special-purpose
units; one of these, called Scorpion, is a battalion
that was deployed in early 1998 to quell civil disturbances
and establish law and order in the Crimea. Within
the MVS are a variety of special-purpose military
police units, which were established over time since
1988. These include the Berkut (Golden Eagle) (see
figure 1)
riot-control police (directly subordinate to MVS headquarters);
the elite and more specialized Sokil (Falcon) police
force under the Organized Crime Directorate of the
MVS; and (within the MVS's State Protection Service)
Tytan, which provides protection for both state and
private personnel and property on a contract basis.
The MVS maintains at least one Berkut battalion in
each of 15 oblasts. Within the Internal Troops
of the MVS there are also three special-purpose regiments
on alert 24 hours a day. They were first established
in March 1994 and are named Bars (Snow Leopard), Yahuar
(Jaguar), and Hepard (Leopard). They are individually
and jointly assigned geographic areas covering all
of Ukraine. The SBU, which was the KGB in Ukraine
during the Soviet era, has SOF units known as Alpha.
Alpha, which is a direct successor to a special group
within the KGB, is composed of two kinds of combat
units—"storm" and protective—as well as
support units. Alpha units specialize in hostage rescue
operations, among others, and are in all the oblast
directorates of the SBU.
Figure
1. Berkut Shoulder Patch
Mission
Ukrainian
SOF unit missions vary and depend upon the respective
command to which they are attached. SOF units within
the Ground Forces Command have the pri mary mission
of reconnaissance and intelligence gathering within
the enemy rear area. The units within the MVS and
National Guard, and those directly subordinate to
the MOD, have missions that consist primarily of internal
security and law enforcement, including support to
antiterrorism efforts.
Capabilities
Ukrainian
SOF units have the capability to airdrop/airlift personnel,
heavy equipment, and cargo; however, SOF units (see
figure 2)
in the military face a number of critical factors
that impact their capability now and into the future.
While these units are considered the best trained,
best equipped, and most capable force in the Ukraine
military, the current economic situation does not
provide for sufficient budgets to train and equip
them with modern and serviceable equipment. Units
use older, Soviet-era equipment that is in various
states of disrepair. The Ukrainian airlift capability
is hampered by poorly maintained aircraft, lack of
spare parts, and insufficient fuel to conduct frequent
airaborne/airdrop training. As a result, the amount
and quality of airborne/airdrop training has declined.
Figure
2. Ukrainian Airmobile Unit Patch
Training
Ukrainian
SOF units generally receive more and better training
than other forces within the MOD or paramilitary forces.
Training consists of airdrop/airlift of personnel
and airdrop of heavy equipment, and cargo. Much of
the aerial training coincides with other planned air
training to save on precious fuel. Training is conducted
both at the independent unit level and jointly. Training
encompasses direct action, reconnaissance, civil unrest,
and counter-terrorism.
Ukrainian
SOF units actively participate in training with other
countries of the former Soviet Union, Russia, and
its neighboring countries. Units also participate
in training with the United States through Partnership
for Peace (PfP). PfP training has typically involved
small SPETSNAZ units from the National Guard and has
taken place both in Ukraine and the United States.
Future
The future
of the Ukrainian SOF units is dependent on many factors,
the most significant being money. The government must
first allocate a sufficient military budget in order
that these units may replace aging equipment and systems.
In turn, to ensure a sufficient level of training
to maintain the capabilities of these units, the military
should set aside adequate funds for fuel, repair parts,
maintenance, and training of air fleets and personnel.
Training
with neighboring countries and participation in PfP
will continue, as it provides two important benefits:
It allows Ukraine both to advance its relationship
with the West (NATO) and to maintain its ties with
Russia; it also provides a good source of high-quality,
inexpensive training.
Despite current
and future challenges, Ukrainian SOF are an important
part of the military force; they fulfill an important
mission and possess a capability that the Ukrainian
government would not likely want to lose. Ukraine
will look for innovative and efficient new ideas to
keep and maintain this capability.
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