Berkut (special police force)

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Berkut (Ukrainian: Беркут; "golden eagle") was the Ukrainian system of special police (riot police) of the Ukrainian Militsiya within the Ministry of Internal Affairs. 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. After the...

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