OMON or Otryad Militsii Osobogo Naznacheniya (Russian: Отряд милиции особого назначения, ОМОН; literally: Special Purpose Detachment of Militsiya) is a generic name for the system of special units of militsiya within the Russian and earlier the Soviet, Ministerstvo Vnutrennih Del (MVD; Ministry of Internal Affairs). There is an OMON unit in every subnational entity of the Russian Federation. The units are utilized in emergencies such as high-risk arrests, hostage crises and riots, as well as in response to acts of terrorism. OMON are often accused of rash actions and excessive and indiscriminate use of force.

History

The history of OMON starts in 1979, when an anti-terrorist group was founded in preparation for the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, to ensure that there was no hostage crisis as in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. They were initially dressed completely in black with black face masks. OMON itself is the successor of this group and was founded in 1987. They are now recognizable by their black berets.

Allegations

The unit was initially used to control and stop demonstrations and hooliganism. They earned a bad reputation due to their extensive use of black rubber clubs. However, as a police force their aim is to protect civilians, and they cause a smaller death toll than other Russian special forces units.

OMON has also been accused of corruption and of taking bribes, including protection money, to improve their salaries. Since August 1999 they have also been accused of checking the identity papers of anybody who seems to be a foreigner in order to extract bribes.

There have also been allegations that the group appears to not always be under the full control of the government and often acts independently. During the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the group appeared to be trying to hinder the independence movement of other states.

Government control is also questionable in Chechnya, where one source even claims that Russian artillery was shelling OMON members on purpose.

Operations

• On January 20,1991, OMON attacked Latvia's Interior Ministry during the Latvian independence movement, killing five people and injuring ten. Seven OMON members were subsequently found guilty by the Riga District Court and received suspended sentences.
• During the summer of 1991, a number of hit-and-run attacks on border outposts of Estonia were attributed to OMON. Some sources say that Mikhail Gorbachev had lost control of the unit.
• OMON is active in the Second Chechen War in Chechnya. The group sustained heavy losses in this conflict. Almost every Russian city sends, on a regular basis, small units of police (often composed of OMON members) for tours of duty in Chechnya lasting several months. One group of 47 OMON members became known as the Perm OMON, since this was part of Perm's police. OMON member Sergei Udachin, 37, used a small camera to take snapshots of his group, and had used about half of the film before he and all but seven members of his group were killed or captured (and later killed). A Chechnian fighter picked up the camera, and documented the Chechnyan side of the conflict, including killed and captured Russians. Eventually the images became public. The case was also brought to court. During the conflict the OMON were also accused of raping and murdering civilians.
• OMON members were used for counter-drug operations in Central Asia
• At the beginning of September 2004, OMON were involved in the Beslan hostage crisis.

Personnel

Males between the ages of 22 and 30 who have completed their two-year military service can apply to join OMON. The selection procedure for OMON is tough, as is expected for a special forces unit. The application includes medical and psychological tests, and tests of speed and fitness. The initial training lasts for four months. The applicants are extensively trained in the use of different weaponry and close combat, and are also trained to follow orders at any cost. Special emphasis is put on urban combat and the entering and clearing of buildings. The training also includes legal training. The application procedure closes with a final test, where the applicant has to fight three to five trained members of OMON by hand wearing boxing gloves. Less than one in five applicants pass and are selected to join. Members of OMON are extremely fit and experts in small arms and hand-to-hand combat.

Information from different sources suggests that there were between 5,500 and 9000 OMON members stationed at population centers and transportation hubs around the country in the 1990s. Currently it is said that there are about 2,000 members.

Members receive a comparatively small salary of about $100 per month. Most members retire at the age of approximately 45 years, and receive practically no financial aid from Russia afterwards. Due to the use of OMON members in high risk situations, especially in Chechnya, the group often loses members in combat.

Weaponry

The OMON group uses a wide range of weapons, including but not limited to the following list:

• AK-47 assault rifle
• 9a-91 assault rifle
• AKSU assault rifle (modified AK-47 with folding stock, short barrel, altered sight and gas mechanism)
• GP 25 underbarrel grenade launcher for AK 47
• Bizon machine pistol
• Kedr machine pistol

They also use armoured personnel carriers and helicopters.

See also

• SWAT - the United States model for the initial OMON
• SOBR - another system of militsiya special units specializing in organized crime

External links

• Ministry of Internal Affairs, including links to the Perm OMON
• Glossary of Russian weapons and troops