Militsiya (Ukraine)

The Militsiya (Ukrainian: міліція, pronounced) was a type of domestic law enforcement agency (militsiya) that existed in various forms in Ukraine from 1917 until 2015. The Militsiya was originally formed in March 1917, following the February Revolution, and was later put under control of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, part of the Soviet Union. Militsiya continued to serve as the national police service in post-Soviet Ukraine until it was replaced by the National Police of Ukraine on 7 November 2015.

The Militsiya was under the direct control of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (known by the Ukrainian acronym MVS and by the Russian acronym MVD), and it was widely seen as corrupt and inconsiderable to the demands of the Ukrainian public. During Euromaidan, the Militsiya was accused of brutality against protestors as well as kidnapping Automaidan activists, leading to the reputation of the Militsiya being irreversibly damaged. This resulted in its replacement under the post-Maidan Poroshenko presidency.