The "Dnipro-1" Regiment (Ukrainian: Полк «Дніпро-1») is a Special Tasks Patrol Police regiment subordinated to Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. The regiment is based in Dnipro.
| Dnipro-1 Regiment | |
|---|---|
| Ukrainian: Полк патрульної служби поліції особливого призначення «Дніпро-1» | |
 Dnipro-1 Regiment shoulder sleeve insignia | |
| Active | 2014–present |
| Country |  Ukraine |
| Branch | Special Tasks Patrol Police |
| Type | Police tactical unit |
| Role | Counterinsurgency |
| Size | 600 |
| Part of |  Ministry of Internal Affairs |
| Garrison/HQ | Dnipro |
| Engagements | Russo-Ukrainian War |
| Insignia | |
| Former Insignia (2015-2023) |  |
| Former Insignia (2014) |  |
The Dnipro-1 was one the first official Ukrainian volunteer battalions to be created. The unit also has a football club of the Ukrainian Premier League named SC Dnipro-1, named after the unit.[2]
History
editThe unit was first established as "Dnipro-1" Special Tasks Patrol Police Battalion in April 2014 on a voluntary basis as the response to 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine.[3][4][5][6] Its assignments included duties at multiple checkpoints in the south-eastern part of Ukraine.[7] The unit claimed to have hired Romanian and Georgian military advisers to help with the training of troops.[8] Before June 2014 this training was often just one week.[8] It first operated outside Dnipropetrovsk Oblast in May 2014.[8]
The militia unit, nicknamed Kolomoyskyi's battalion,[8] was funded by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine and also through the charitable organization "Fund Dnipro-1".[9][10][11] Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoyskyi (who was Governor of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast during the 2014 pro-Russian conflict in Ukraine) is believed to have spent $10 million to create the unit.[7]
Commander of the unit Yuriy Bereza is since the 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election a member of the Ukrainian parliament for the People's Front; he was placed 10th on the party's election list.[12][13] Member of the unit Volodymyr Parasyuk was also elected into parliament during these elections by winning the electoral district of Yavoriv with 56.56% of the votes.[14]
The unit was involved in the liberation of Lyman during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Human rights violations and war crimes
edit- Reports (2016) published by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights documented a worrying case of punitive damage to property in Donetsk by members of the armed groups targeting the house of a member of the Government-affiliated 'Dnipro-1' battalion.[clarification needed] "On 20 January, a group of ‘Dnipro-1’ battalion members raided a house in Avdiivka, severely beating a man, subjecting him to asphyxiation with a plastic bag and mock execution."[15]
- From the reports (2016) by Global Rights Compliance LLP: "For example, <UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine> has documented specific allegations of enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention and ill-treatment by the members of volunteer battalions such as "Aydar", "Dnipro-1", "Kyiv-1" and "Kyiv-2"; "The Volodymyr Kulmatytsky case gives rise to similar questions concerning the absence of war crimes charges. The accused persons in this case were charged with illegal confinement (Article 146(2)) and illegally handling arms (Article 263(1)). It is alleged that Mr Kulmatytsky, former deputy mayor of Sloviansk, was kidnapped by three soldiers and one commander (Mr. A) of the Battalion Dnipro-1 (Ukrainian police) and murdered later that day by Mr. A. Mr. A was informed that Mr. Kulmatytsky was involved in financing DPR formations".[16]
- On 24 December 2014, Amnesty International reported that the unit was blocking humanitarian aid sent from Ukraine by another Ukrainian oligarch Rinat Akhmetov reaching the population in the separatist-controlled areas; over half the population in these areas depend on food aid. The reason the aid was being blocked by the Dnipro, Aidar and Donbas battalions is that the battalions "believe food and clothing are ending up in the wrong hands and may be sold instead of being given as humanitarian aid."[17] Denis Krivosheev, acting Director of Europe and Central Asia for Amnesty International, stated that "using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is a war crime".[18][neutrality is disputed]
Structure
edit- Management & Headquarters
1st Armored Company
2nd Infantry Company
3rd Aerorozvidka Group
4th Kryvbas Company
5th Donetsk-1 Company
6th Krym Company
References
edit- ^ Butenko, Nick Paton Walsh, Victoria (2022-10-02). "CNN team visits key city of Lyman, hours after Ukraine regains control from Russian forces". CNN. Retrieved 2022-10-02.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Нам 6 років!". scdnipro1.com.ua. Офіційний сайт СК «Дніпро-1». 2021-11-29.
- ^ The secret of eastern Ukraine's one rebel-free region, The Wall Street Journal, July 8, 2014.
- ^ Ukrainian city stays quiet amid war, The Washington Post, June 25, 2014.
- ^ (in Russian) Батальон "Днепр" взял контроль над железной дорогой , Vesti.ua, May 30, 2014.
- ^ (in Russian) МВД Украины создает спецподразделения по охране общественного порядка, TASS, April 15, 2014.
- ^ a b The Town Determined to Stop Putin, The Daily Beast (12 June 2014)
- ^ a b c d Ukraine's Secret Weapon: Feisty Oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky, The Wall Street Journal (June 27, 2014)
- ^ Ukraine's fractures: Interview with Volodymyr Ishchenko in 'New Left Review', (Ukrainian socialist Volodymyr Ishchenko is the founding editor in Ukraine of the journal ″Spilne″), New Left Review, No. 8, May–June 2014.
- ^ (in Ukrainian) Всі бажаючі можуть допомогти батальйону «Дніпро» і Полку національного захисту, Dnipropetrovsk news, May 19, 2014.
- ^ Here are the payment requisites for sending funds for the battalion "Dnepr" and the Regiment of national protection needs, Interfax-Ukraine (28 May 2014)
- ^ People's Front names top ten candidates in elections, Ukrinform (September 15, 2014)
- ^ Poroshenko Bloc to have greatest number of seats in parliament Archived November 10, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Ukrainian Television and Radio (8 November 2014)
People's Front 0.33% ahead of Poroshenko Bloc with all ballots counted in Ukraine elections - CEC Archived November 12, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Interfax-Ukraine (8 November 2014)
Poroshenko Bloc to get 132 seats in parliament - CEC, Interfax-Ukraine (8 November 2014) - ^ (in Ukrainian) Candidates and winner for the seat in constituency 122 in the 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election Archived 2014-11-05 at the Wayback Machine, RBK Ukraine
(in Ukrainian) Volodymyr Parasyuk very short bio Archived 2014-12-10 at archive.today, RBK Ukraine
Video of first brawl in Verkhovna Rada becomes a YouTube hit, Kyiv Post (5 December 2014) - ^ "Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine 16 August to 15 November 2016" (PDF). Retrieved 2022-09-09.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). www.globalrightscompliance.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 April 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Amnesty International Archived 2015-02-10 at the Wayback Machine, "Eastern Ukraine: Humanitarian disaster looms as food aid blocked", Amnesty International 24 December 2014.
- ^ "Amnesty International | Eastern Ukraine: Humanitarian disaster looms as food aid blocked". www.amnesty.org. Archived from the original on 2014-12-27.
External links
edit
- Volunteer detachments fighting in Donbas (in Ukrainian)