Patrol police to live at proving grounds in rotation, NGU fighters to instruct them – Interior Minister

Servicemen of the National Guard and the Border Guard Service who participated in combat operations will become instructors for patrol police officers at proving grounds, Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Ihor Klymenko has said.

"I spoke with General Fatsevych, who will now temporarily be assigned the duties of the head of the Patrol Police Department: it is necessary to strengthen and modernize training. Whatever it is called – we need to ensure that such shameful situations (the terrorist attack in Kyiv on April 18 and the inappropriate reaction of patrol police officers – IF-U) never happen again," the minister said during a meeting with media representatives.

He emphasized: "From now on, patrol police officers will live at proving grounds in rotation."

According to Klymenko, servicemen who saw combat as part of the 1st and 2nd army corps of the National Guard, as well as the State Border Guard Service, will be involved as instructors.

"This applies to all units: first the patrol service, then we want to move on to district departments," the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs emphasized.

He also said that the Ministry of Internal Affairs will offer demobilized veterans the opportunity to continue their service specifically within the police combat training system.

"We are talking about training and psychological resilience," Klymenko explained.

In addition, the minister noted that response protocols and training programs will be reviewed.

"We are talking about action tactics using weapons and ammunition that citizens may have in their possession. That is, every day when a patrol arrives at a conventional 'hooliganism' call, they must be prepared that a grenade, at the very least, could be thrown at them... A police officer should not be afraid when a flash-bang explodes or a bullet whistles nearby. Because a police officer is a police officer precisely to take risks for the sake of other people's lives," the minister summarized.

Separately, he noted that most of the personnel have gone through rotations in consolidated detachments. "I don't know if the leadership of the National Police will support me: I would transfer everyone for a month or two at least, if not to the front, then at least to the frontline zone. For example, the Kramatorsk Patrol Police Department. Or Pavlohrad, or Synelnykove," Klymenko added.