Avakov disbands Tornado, scandalous battalion of Ukraine’s Interior Ministry

Ukrainian Interior Ministry’s Tornado battalion that participated in the military operation in Donbass has been disbanded, says Arsen Avakov, Ukraine’s Interior Minister.

“I have signed a decree on disbandment of the battalion today,” Avakov said at a press briefing in Kiev. He said some of the battalion’s security officers “will continue serving, while others will face trial.”

EADaily reported earlier, Head of the Lugansk civil-military administration Hennadiy Moskal demanded the national security, defense and the law-enforcement agencies of Ukraine to disarm Tornado and Chernigiv battalions. Moskal said the battalions have turned into an organized criminal group that is engaged in abductions, murders, rapes, assaults, robberies, armed attacks, thefts and other crimes. 

Reportedly, the commander and eight officers of Tornado battalion have been detained in Ukraine today. Chief Military Prosecutor of Ukraine Anatoly Matios said Commander of the battalion Onishchenko – has five previous convictions –created a criminal gang in the town of Privolye and incited his officers to grave crimes. In particular, Matios said, in the local school basement where they had torture tools the group members committed tortures and collective rapes and took the process on camera.