«Volunteer battalions of the MIA and the National Guard are the most combat-ready military units», - said the Minister of Internal Affairs (VIDEO)
The Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov stated it while speaking at the IX Kiev Security Forum on April 14, 2016.
"Volunteers are a very important element of the National Guard and the MIA special force units in this strange hybrid warfare. We call them volunteer battalions, but in fact they are regular units of the law enforcement system. These guys have engaged in battle against the aggressor from the first days of this war, when the regular units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were not prepared to fight. Volunteers came on the forefront of actions in the first and most difficult weeks of the war. They did not have any military skills but had a great will to fight and sense of duty. They have shielded Ukraine with their bodies during these critical days and weeks” - said the Arsen Avakov.
According to him, during the last two years the volunteer battalions of MIA and the National Guard have become one of the most disciplined and combat-ready military units in the country. Now they number more than 30 battalions and they have demonstrated a new model of resistance.
"These special force units will exist within the MIA structure as long as we have a war in our country” – said the head of MIA.
He also stressed that part of volunteers "is a reserve" for the new police and other civilian agencies. "When we open a new patrol police unit and 15% of its staff has gone through the war, through the ATO – then our citizens trust these people. Now it is important to set the bar high and continue our work in the right direction" - emphasized Arsen Avakov.
Department of communication of MIA-Ukraine
