Interpol has refused to reveal the identities of former Berkut policemen suspected of killing protesters during the Revolution of Dignity due to possible political persecution, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has reported.

"We sent a respective appeal, but they aren't carrying out international criminal searches because of political persecution. We were not allowed to put them on the Interpol [wanted] list," chief of the SBU national protection department Anatoliy Dublyk said at a briefing on Thursday.

According to him, the former Berkut officers are hiding in Poland, Belarus, Crimea, in the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, and in Russia.

The SBU is searching for 18 Berkut officers, four are already in custody.