Patrol officers will live at training grounds — Klymenko
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko announced radical changes to the police training system.
Patrol officers will now take turns living at military training grounds to build psychological resilience to extreme situations.
This decision was made in light of recent shooting incidents that revealed gaps in law enforcement officers’ tactical training.
Experienced instructors from the National Guard and the State Border Guard Service, who have seen real combat, will be brought in to train the police.
The training system will also be bolstered by veterans who, after demobilization, will be able to share their experience with younger officers.
“We will offer them the opportunity to continue their service specifically within the police combat training system,” the minister emphasized.
According to Klymenko, the experience of being at a training ground under the guidance of an instructor is far more effective than standard psychological tests.
The minister is convinced that this is the only way to teach a patrol officer not to lose their composure when “an explosive device goes off or a bullet whizzes by.” This is critically important, as police officers must be prepared to take risks to save others.
Following President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s instructions, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has already begun reviewing response protocols.
The main focus is on changing tactics to account for the large number of weapons and ammunition that may be in the hands of the public.
Patrol officers must respond to calls with a clear understanding that an offender may even use a combat grenade.
In addition to training exercises at firing ranges, the minister advocates for a more radical training method—deployments to frontline zones.
Klymenko announced an initiative to deploy all police officers for at least two months to cities such as Kramatorsk, Pavlohrad, or Synelnykove.
In his view, serving under conditions of constant threat is the best way to build professional readiness.
The reform will affect more than just the patrol service. Once the first units have completed their training, it will be the turn of district police station officers.
The ministry’s goal is to create a structure where every law enforcement officer possesses the skills typical of combatants in a war zone.
Klymenko announced an expansion of gun rights following the terrorist attack in Kyiv
The attack occurred on Saturday, April 18, when 58-year-old Dmytro Vasylchenkov opened fire on pedestrians on Demiivska Street, after which he took hostages at the “Velmart” supermarket. Six people were killed in the attack, and about 15 others were injured to varying degrees.
Earlier, a video surfaced online showing police officers fleeing from the shooter during the terrorist attack in Kyiv on April 18, leaving civilians behind, including a child.
At the instruction of Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, an internal investigation has been launched into the actions of patrol officers at the scene of the shooting in Kyiv. For the duration of the investigation, the police officers involved in the incident have been suspended from duty.
