Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ukraine)

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Міністерство внутрішніх справ України, romanized: Ministerstvo vnutrishnikh sprav Ukrainy; pronounced [min⁽ʲ⁾iˈstɛrstwo ˈu̯nut⁽ʲ⁾r⁽ʲ⁾iʃn⁽ʲ⁾ix ˈsprɑu̯ ʊkrɐˈjinɪ]; MVS) is the ministry of the Ukrainian government that oversees the interior affairs of Ukraine.

Ministry of Internal Affairs

Міністерство внутрішніх справ
Emblem of the ministry
Banner of the ministry
Ministry overview
Formed	22 January 1918 (107 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

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)

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,^[6] and it had received accusations of torture and ill-treatment.^{[7][8][9][10]}

The State Emergency Service was transferred under the jurisdiction of the ministry since 2014.^[11]

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 Ukraine^[12] (police service), National Guard of Ukraine (gendarmerie), the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (civil defense),^[11] 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

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