PSYCHOLOGICAL PECULIARITIES OF POLICE PROFESSIONAL ACTS UNDER MARTIAL LAW

Abstract

The article provides a comprehensive theoretical analysis of the impact of the full-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine on the radical transformation of the content, forms, and psychological conditions of performing official duties by employees of the National Police of Ukraine. The scientific necessity of studying the psychological specifics of professional activity in the extreme conditions of martial law is substantiated as a fundamental factor for ensuring operational efficiency, a high level of stress resistance, and the adequacy of law enforcement agencies' response to the dynamic threats of wartime. Through a critical synthesis of a wide array of contemporary scientific research, it has been established that the professional actions of police officers during this period are characterized by extreme psycho-emotional tension. This tension is caused not only by the performance of traditional policing functions but also by direct involvement in assault and search operations in combat zones, participation in territorial defense, and the elimination of catastrophic consequences of armed conflict or emergency situations of a military nature. A systematic analysis of the dynamics of personal psychological resources in situations as close as possible to combat has been conducted, where the permanent real threat to life and health acts as a catalyst for profound distress, depressive states, and chronic emotional exhaustion of personnel. Particular attention within the study is paid to the specifics of the psycho-traumatic experience that law enforcement officers acquire while working at sites of mass casualties, conducting complex exhumation activities, and meticulously documenting the atrocities and war crimes of the aggressor. It is established that such experience often exceeds the bounds of ordinary human perception and requires specialized mechanisms of psychological processing. It is proved that the personality transformations of a police officer in wartime conditions have a direct and indirect determination on the quality of professional actions, influencing the moral-volitional sphere and cognitive decision-making processes. The conclusions formulated as a result of the analysis are of significant practical importance for the development and implementation of innovative psychological rehabilitation and decompression programs. The proposed approaches are aimed at improving internal self-control mechanisms, optimizing intellectual processes in critical situations, preventing professional deformation, and accelerating the adaptation of personnel to the high-risk environment of combat operations.