Rapid Operational Response Unit
The Rapid Operational Response Unit (Ukrainian: Корпус Оперативно-Раптової Дії, romanized: Korpus Operatyvno-Raptovoyi Diyi), commonly abbreviated KORD (Ukrainian: КОРД), is a special purpose unit of the National Police of Ukraine. HistoryKORD was created as a special police force for the then-recently created National Police of Ukraine. Recruitment and training started in 2015 and in 2016 the first units were formed.[1] KORD received training from special police units from the United States, specially from the DEA and US Marshals.[2] Support was overseen by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.[3] KORD conducted its training exercise on November 3, 2016 at Boryspil International Airport with the State Border Guard Service's Dozor unit.[4] OrganisationIts structure is based on SWAT units in various American police forces.[5] In the summer of 2024, KORD was reformed into a Special Purpose Police Brigade, taking advantage of its current military role while retaining police ranking and uniforms with operational control over units organized in the cities. The KORD Brigade will be organized on military lines with its own formations directly reporting to brigade headquarters.[6][7] KORD's main headquarters is in Kyiv with various regions having a regional office.[3] Missions Among the main missions of KORD are:[8][9]
 EngagementsKORD participated in anti-terrorist Operations in Eastern Ukraine.[10] KORD has been involved in fighting in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine,[11] where the Kyiv units ambushed Russian tanks and BMPs at the Kyiv offensive and at Brovary.[12] For their actions, the KORD operators were awarded military awards by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.[13] In February 2022, KORD received Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vehicles and small arms equipment from the US Embassy.[14] In popular cultureKORD features in the opening scenes of Tenet (2020), during a terrorist attack at a Kyiv opera.[15] References
External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to KORD.
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