The National Militia (Національні дружини) was a combat organisation of the National Corps formed in 2017 that acted as an Unofficial Police force across Ukraine and the paramilitary wing of the Azov Movement:
600 young members of the far-right National Corps party swore ‘an oath of loyalty to Ukrainians’ on January 28 in the centre of Kyiv. The so-called ‘National Militia Units’ [національні дружини] plan to demonstrate their loyalty by “establishing Ukrainian order” on the streets of Kyiv, seemingly in cooperation with Ukraine’s National Police. The explanation provided by an Interior Ministry spokesperson cannot allay concerns about police collaboration with an organization which has on many occasions demonstrated intolerance towards ethnic minorities, as well as to people whose sexual orientation, political or other beliefs they view with antagonism.
The ‘National Militia’ will be part of a ‘civic formation’ envisaged by Ukraine’s Law ‘On the participation of citizens in protection of public order and the state border’ Their declared aim is to patrol the streets and counter drug and alcohol dens.”
“There’s nothing inherently wrong with national socialism as a political idea,” says Alexei, another militia member, as the men move stealthily through moonlit trees frosted with ice. “I don’t know why everyone always associates it immediately with concentration camps.”
Besides illegal logging, the National Militia says it aims to crack down on street crime, drug dealing and public alcoholism. “There are many of us. We are not scared to use force to establish a Ukrainian order,” it said in a recent statement.
On 29 January, hooded militia members turned up at a municipal council meeting in Cherkasy, in central Ukraine, and reportedly refused to let officials leave the building until they had approved the city’s long-delayed budget.
As of 2020 the Militia is reportedly defunct, and has been replaced by the Centuria organisation1, some of its membership later joined the military unit Lubart Brigade2.
**Interesting Links
BBC Newsnight - On patrol with the far-right National Militia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE6b4ao8gAQ
Return to 000. MOC Notables Pro-Ukrainian