RUSSIAN POLICE 34 - OMON / ПОЛИЦИЯ РОССИИ 34 - ОМОН /

OMON (Russian: ОМОН — Отряд Мобильный Особого Назначения, previously Отряд Милиции Особого Назначения, Otryad Mobil’nyy Osobogo Naznacheniya, Special Purpose Mobile Unit, previously Otryad Militsii Osobogo Naznacheniya, Special Purpose Police Unit) is a system of special police units of the Police of Russia within the National Guard of Russia, and previously Soviet and Russian Ministries of Internal Affairs. It was created as the special forces of the Soviet Militsiya in 1988, and then played major roles in several armed conflicts during and following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. OMON is much larger and better known than SOBR, another special police branch of the National Guard of Russia. In modern context, the OMON are used more like riot police, or as a gendarmerie-like paramilitary force. OMON units also exist in Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and other post-Soviet states. However, some post-Soviet units have changed names and acronyms. OMON officers are commonly known as the omonovtsy. On 5 Ap