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Posted On

10
September
2021

EU hands over to Ukrainian National Police official vehicles, equipment worth EUR 3.4 mln

KYIV. Sept 10 (Interfax-Ukraine) – On Friday, September 10, a transfer of equipment EUR 3.4 million to the National Police of Ukraine took place on Sofiivska Square in Kyiv, the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ press service said.

"Some 18 patrol cars, some 40 cars for public safety and order units, nine defibrillators, modern servers and data storage systems, as well as a suit of explosives and related equipment, the National Police received under the PRAVO-Police program," the ministry said.

Interior Minister of Ukraine Denys Monastyrsky thanked colleagues from the European Union for their willingness to cooperate and the equipment provided.

"Behind every vehicle, armor, I see saved lives and an increased level of security for Ukrainians. This is a concrete substantive contribution of the EU to Ukraine’s security. The European Union provides law and order models in modern Ukraine, and we will use those models that work. So, the Scandinavian law and order models at public events, this is the community policing approach, because the main indicator is the level of citizens’ trust in the police," Monastyrsky said.

Head of the National Police of Ukraine Ihor Klymenko, in turn, said the long-term effective cooperation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Police with partners continues.

"For every policeman, this is not just cars and equipment, it is the safety of our citizens. Every day, law enforcement officers perform extremely difficult tasks. Last year alone, a unit of explosives technicians of the National Police in Donetsk region received more than 560 calls and neutralized more than 40,000 explosive objects, which is more than two tones of explosives," he said.

Patrol vehicles will be used in nine regions of Ukraine, namely Kirovograd, Lviv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Chernivtsi, Poltava and Khmelnytsky regions.

The explosives suit and hydrodynamic destroyers are intended for use by explosives technicians in Donetsk region for the clearance and disposal of explosive devices such as mines, bombs and improvised explosive devices, taking into account the safety of the police and the public.

Due to modern servers and data storage systems, the Ukrainian police can more effectively coordinate their activities with Interpol and Europol in combating organized and cross-border crime.

"Our efforts are aimed at making the life of citizens safe, as well as at saving the lives of our policemen," Klymenko said.

EU Ambassador Matti Maasikas said the European Union looks forward to productive cooperation with Interior Minister Monastyrsky and his team.

The ambassador also said that the EU overall goal remains the same. The European Union and partners continue to support the development of a more accountable, transparent and effective law enforcement system that will serve all citizens of Ukraine.

In turn, Deputy Head of EUAM in Ukraine Fredrik Wesslau said the EU Advisory Mission has been working in Ukraine since 2014 in order to support Ukrainian partners in implementing reforms so that they can turn the security sector into a more effective, accountable and trusted citizen.

Wesslau said that today the officials are transfering equipment from the EU for a total of EUR 3.4 million. This package includes IT equipment, security equipment and vehicles, including specialized vehicles for ensuring public order.

The program titled "Support for rule of law reforms in Ukraine in the areas of police and public prosecution and good governance" (PRAVO Police) is implemented with the financial support of the EU by the United Nations Office for Program Services (UNOPS) in close cooperation with the EU Advisory Mission to Ukraine.