In April 2014,
Minister of Internal AffairsArsen Avakov issued an order to create battalions of special purpose within the Ministry of Internal Affairs structure.[5] Their goal was to protect public order and important facilities across Ukraine, but all of these units were eventually sent to the east to counter Russian aggression.[2] After the reformation of National Police in 2015, the units were reformed as Special Task Patrol Police units.[4]
The SPF inducted its first
Offensive Guard Police Brigade in February 2023 to cope with the needs of the NPU in response to the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The
Liut (Fury) Brigade was activated that month on orders from the MIA of Ukraine and is composed of personnel from the SPF formations.
Shakhtarsk Battalion (батальйон ПСМОП "Шахтарськ") – A former all volunteer territorial defence battalion of mostly former convicts from
Donbas established in Shakhtarsk in June 2014 (because the battalion is reporting to the Interior Ministry its members became formally police officers).[8] In October 2014 the unit was disbanded after 50 members of the battalion were accused of looting and hooliganism.[9] The battalion was then resurrected as the "Tornado" police battalion.[8]
Tornado battalion – After the "Shakhtarsk" police battalion was disbanded in October 2014 after 50 members of the battalion were accused of looting and hooliganism.[9] it was resurrected as the "Tornado" police battalion.[8] The battalion was about 100 people strong and most members were former convicts from
Donbas (because the battalion is reporting to the Interior Ministry its members were formally police officers).[8] On 18 June 2015 the unit was disbanded after members were accused of looting, rape and torture.[10][11] Initially the battalion refused to stop operations and disarm.[12] Former battalion members were accused and arrested for smuggling
cast iron from territory under separatist control.[13]