Description

OMON (Russian: ОМОН—Отряд мобильный особого назначения, Otryad Mobilny Osobogo Naznacheniya, Special Purpose Mobile Unit) is a system of special police units of Politsiya within the Russian, and previously the Soviet, MVD (Ministry of Internal Affairs). It was created as the special forces of the Soviet Militsiya in 1988, and then played major, and sometimes leading, roles in several armed conflicts during and following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.