It has been decided not to restore but to dismantle in the near future the defensive obstacles now idling on Ukraine’s borders, the press center of the State Border Security Committee of Ukraine told The Day on April 2. The dismantling will be carried out in compliance with the presidential decree On the Action Program to Reform Ukraine’s Border Security Force and the State Border Guard Service.
Committee press service chief Anatoly Samarchenko told The Day that electrical warning devices, which can spot the movement of any creature the size of a hare, were installed on Ukraine’s western border already in Soviet times and are now too costly for Ukraine to maintain. It is for this reason that Ukrainian border guards decided not to concentrate on the warning systems but to use other approaches in their work. In particular, the main emphasis will be put on operative and search measures and contacts with the local population. Under the new law On the Border Security Force, border guards are allowed to encourage the local residents who help them. It is also planned to institute in frontier villages and districts the office of border security inspectors working under contract who will not only guard the border but also perform operative work.
In addition, Mr. Samarchenko noted it is now planned to divert the main effort of border guards to defending Ukraine’s eastern and northern borders. It is intended to deploy another sixty border security units this year on the Ukrainian-Russian border. This is being done because most of the contraband and illegal immigrants make their way into Ukraine from Russia and Belarus, not because Ukraine wants to fence itself off its eastern neighbors. Incidentally, this was reiterated during a routine meeting between the border security commanders of Ukraine and Russia, who decided to further develop their cooperation and mutual assistance. In particular, it is planned to carry out several joint operations a year to foil smuggling, arms trafficking, and illegal migration. According to Mr. Samarchenko, while our border guards hitherto in fact contributed to the protection of our western neighbors from illegal aliens and smugglers, now it is time to think of protecting Ukraine as well.
