Ukraine's Ministry of Internal Affairs has unveiled the country's first cyber police unit, designed in the mould of U.S. and European institutions.
Interior Minister Arsen Avakov broke the news about the unit on his Facebook page, writing, "The cyber police are your new police force.
"Recruitment for the cyber police and the exact requirements for application will be announced on 15 October," he continued, adding that the unit is scheduled to begin work in November.
According to Avakov, the unit will handle all matters of cybercrime and online crime prevention, while also providing citizens with real-time support if they believe they have been victims or witnesses of cybercrime.
Avakov denied commenters' accusations that the new unit would contribute to a move towards "total censorship" of Ukrainian cyberspace, saying "No, on the contrary. We are going to completely recreate European and American institutions, which do not violate the basic human rights."
An activist from the Pirate Party, a group that advocates for copyright reform, asked Avakov on social media how the new unit would treat intellectual property laws. The minister replied that the matter would need to be referred to lawmakers not the police.
Previously, Ukraine's security services (SBU) have been entrusted with preventing cybercrime. In July, the SBU announced that they would be undertaking the responsibility of securing government sites, officials' emails and social media accounts.
The new police unit will work on cases that involve fraudulent commercial activities online, phishing scams and the deliberate spread of malware, spyware and viruses, as well as contributing to matters of national security.
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