This reform is aimed to create a safe environment for the existence and development of a free society by the formulation and implementation of the internal affairs policy, enhancing public confidence in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and continuing the development of Ukraine as a safe European state which is based on the needs of its citizens and high efficiency of each MIA component.
Normal development of the Ukrainian state is impossible without a stable and functional internal affairs system operating in the national security sector.
Modern challenges and threats, primarily of hybrid nature due to a set of socio-demographic, economic, political, legal, psychological and technological factors, require a systemic response and adequate transformation of the whole security sector, including the internal affairs segment. This system should also be included in the list of the country’s political priorities.
Maintaining public order and security
The Scandinavian model of public order is being used in the activities of the National Police bodies and subdivisions, in particular, during mass gatherings. This model is being implemented through the Dialogue Police project which includes the creation of communication teams (negotiators). The communication teams are involved during mass gatherings in all regions of the country.
In 2020, the police protected order in nearly 90 thousand mass gatherings attended by more than 8.2 million people. Public order was maintained by a total of 203 thousand police officers and more than 49.5 thousand servicemen of the National Guard of Ukraine.
Community Police Officer project has been launched in cooperation with international partners. They are police officers working in consolidated territorial communities — in rural areas and small towns; they are open to people, personally know local residents and their problems, and provide quality police services creating a safe common environment.
The cooperation with local communities within the project help open 338 police stations, including 16 security centres, considerably expanding access to police services in remote areas.
For today, the project has been implemented in 10 regions: Volyn, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kirovohrad, Luhansk, Rivne, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, and Cherkasy. There are 250 community police officers (30 in Volyn Region, 63 in Dnipropetrovsk Region, 17 in Kirovohrad Region, 30 in Rivne Region, 26 in Kharkiv Region, 27 in Cherkasy Region, and 57 in Khmelnytskyi Region).
In particular, 98 police stations were opened in 2020 in cooperation with local authorities and consolidated territorial community management, including 3 police stations within security centres.
Response to crime reports, detection and rapid solving has been improved by the use of video surveillance and video content analysis.
The National Police bodies and units currently have access to nearly 28 thousand CCTV cameras, of them more than 3 thousand can recognise vehicle plate number, colour and make, and have other analytical functionality.
Situation police centres actively use video information from more than 17 thousand CCTV cameras, including 1.9 thousand cameras featuring video content analysis system.
A video streaming system has also been implemented throughout the country (online streams from high profile incident sites to situation centres).
Up to 30% of crimes are solved using video surveillance and video content analysis in a number of regions, particularly in the city of Kyiv, Donetsk Region, Dnipropetrovsk Region, Odesa Region, Chernihiv Region, and Chernivtsi Region.
Harpoon data subsystem has been launched as part of the Information Portal of the National Police of Ukraine to process information on all types of vehicles and licence plates wanted in criminal, enforcement, administrative proceedings, operational search activities or by the investigating magistrate or court order.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Police representatives have been invited to join the focus group working at the development and elaboration of the Bill on Civilian Weapons and Ammunition drafted by the resolution of the Law Enforcement Committee of the Verkhovna Rada.
In 2019, the Ministry of Internal Affairs participated in a focus group developing draft Law of Ukraine “On Amendments to Law of Ukraine “On Mine Action in Ukraine”” under the guidance of the Verkhovna Rada’s National Security, Defence and Intelligence Committee.
The logistic support of the International Interdepartmental Multidisciplinary Training Centre of the National Guard of Ukraine continues to be improved: a shooting range, a training building, classrooms, a gym and other facilities have been arranged. Cooperation has been organised with the Canadian Armed Forces mission to support the Security Forces of Ukraine (Operation UNIFIER) to provide advisory assistance in arranging the training process and improving the Centre’s training programmes.
Since 2018 1,082 apartments have been built, purchased or acquired from other sources to provide housing for the National Guard personnel. Each year, housing provision increases by an average of 500 apartments, which allows balancing between providing housing for servicemen and registering servicemen who need their housing to be improved.
Reliable protection of the national borders and convenient border-crossing service
22 July 2020, Nibulon, Mykolaiv: an agreement for building patrol boats for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine was signed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Border Guard Service, on the one part, and OCEA, a French company, on the other part.
Demarcation of the borders between Ukraine and Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus, and Ukraine and Russia is underway, in particular:
with the Republic of Moldova — demarcation of the national border line has been completed and 99% of border signs have been installed; with the Republic of Belarus — demarcation of 80% of the national border has been completed and 2,070 (60%) positions for border signs have been identified;
with the Russian Federation — demarcation of 23% of the national border line has been completed and 1,330 (20%) positions for border signs have been identified. Ukraine has been performing demarcation of its borders unilaterally since May 2015.
Measures have been taken to upgrade the surface lighting in the water zone of the Sea of Azov. Five fixed surface lighting radar systems have been put into operation at 5 observation posts of the Berdiansk Border Guard Detachment.
The combat potential of the national border guard units has been increased by providing them with modern armaments, automobile vehicles, armoured vehicles and engineering equipment, and upgrading obsolete models by the use of funds from the budget and the international technical aid projects.
The Unified Aviation Security and Civil Protection System investment project is being implemented to provide the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine with 24 patrol helicopters by the end of 2021. Two patrol helicopters were provided in January 2020.
Two small patrol boats (Brig 730M) of the Maritime Border Guard were received and put into operation under the state defence order.
Measures have been taken to maintain the technical availability of the ships and patrol boats: 27 ships and patrol boats had shipyard overhaul and 7 vessels of the ship and boat fleet were repaired by the State Border Guard Service. The best models of coast guard boats of the leading European states have been monitored. The Framework Agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the French Republic on official support for strengthening maritime security and defence of Ukraine has been ratified (Law of Ukraine No. 523-IX dated 03 March 2020).
A fortification and engineering system has been deployed at the permanent base of armed units performing tasks in the security zone in the area of the Joint Forces Operation and the administrative border with the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. The sections of the national border where illegal activity had been detected we protected with additional barriers.
A total of 150 km of engineering barriers, 398 km of antivehicular ditches, more than 316 km of belt roads, nearly 70 km of drag roads have been created or improved, 14 strong points and other protective facilities have been deployed. During Q1 2020, contractors performed works totalling UAH 59.5 million.
Ukrainian borders with Moldova and Poland are jointly controlled at 10 checkpoints (6 with Moldova and 4 with Poland).
The EU visa-free regime for Ukraine has been fully implemented, in particular, 157 (100%) border crossing points have been equipped with automated biometric control workplaces.
The order of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine on recording biometric data of foreigners and stateless persons at the state border checkpoints has been implemented.
An automated system has been launched to control and identify persons whose right to leave Ukraine is temporarily restricted by state executive orders (debtors, alimony payers, etc.).
Automatic verification of insurance certificates has been introduced for vehicles crossing the national border. The system uses the database of the Motor Transport Insurance Bureau of Ukraine “Green Card” (for road transport).
The Terms of Reference have been approved for upgrading Arkan integrated interdepartmental information and telecommunication system. Online operation of the system has been ensured.
The E-queue Digital Queuing System Roadmap has been developed together with the approach to the implementation of the Roadmap at Krakivets checkpoint, Lviv Region.
Prevention of and prompt response to emergencies
50 classified emergencies occurred in Ukraine during the first half of 2020, a 39% reduction compared to the same period in 2019 (82).
During the first half of 2020, there were 51,613 fires, a 10.3% increase compared to the same period in 2019 (46,773 fires).
2,694 persons were rescued by the State Emergency Service teams. 14,939 buildings and 1,180 pieces of equipment were protected from fire.
The State Emergency Service explosive devices teams promptly responded to each civilian report on detecting explosive items and performed scheduled clearing (demining) of explosives in Ukraine in the first half of 2020. The teams made 6,597 on-site visits, detected, removed and defused 29,644 explosives, including 407 aerial bombs, examined and demined a total area of 2.98 hectares of land and 20.82 hectares of water bodies, including in Donetsk and Luhansk Regions: 537 on-site visits, 8,887 explosives found and defused, 1,189 hectares of land and 3.33 hectares of water bodies examined and demined.
The State Emergency Service explosive devices teams destroyed 10,237 explosives as part of the unwanted and unusable ammunition disposal activities under the Implementing Agreement between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the NATO on the Destruction of Light Weapons and Small Arms, Conventional Ammunition and Anti-Personnel Mines of PFM-1 Type.
During the first half of 2020, the State Emergency Service explosive devices teams destroyed 39,881 explosives (including as part of disposal measures).
By 01 July 2020 1,228 fire emergency response units have been established (12 in the first half of 2020) by local governments with the assistance of the territorial bodies of the State Emergency Service, including 512 units in the consolidated territorial communities.
Security Centres are being created in the consolidated territorial communities. As of 01 July 2020, there were 25 Security Centres (2 established in the first half of 2020), including the newly created local fire emergency response units, the National Police units and ambulance teams.
The State Emergency Service active organised active cooperation with authorities and public organisations to develop the volunteer fire-fighter movement.
The following statutory instruments and engineering regulations have been adopted for the renovation of the alerting system in Ukraine:
Resolution No. 733 of the Cabinet of Ministers dated 27 September 2017 “On approval of the Regulations for Emergency Risk/Occurrence Alert and Organisation of Civil Protection Communication”;
Order No. 43-p of the Cabinet of Ministers dated 31 January 2018 “On approval of the Concept of Improving and Upgrading the Centralised Emergency Risk/Occurrence Alerting System”;
Order No. 488-p of the Cabinet of Ministers dated 11 July 2018 “On approval of the Action Plan to the Concept of Improving and Upgrading the Centralised Emergency Risk/Occurrence Alerting System”;
Order No. 884 of the Ministry of Internal Affairs dated 05 November 2018 “On approval of the national centralised automated alerting system specifications”;
Order No. 93 of the Ministry of Internal Affairs dated 08 February 2019 “On approval of the Guidelines to Practices/Procedures of Design, Examination, Commissioning, Operation and Technical Support (Maintenance) of Automated Centralised Alerting Systems” registered with the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine on 22 April 2019, reg. No. 418/33389;
Order No. 438 of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine dated 26 July 2018 “On approval of the Guidelines for Design and Calculation of the Primary Coverage Area of the Attention-to-All Siren”.
To ensure governmental hydrometeorological surveys in the SES scope of competence and provide state-of-the-art hydrometeorological services for the emergency response system, regulations were approved, in particular, Order No. 154 of the Ministry of Internal Affairs dated 28 February 2018 “On approval of the Procedure for Monitoring of Arsenic, Cadmium, Mercury, Nickel and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Air” (registered with the Ministry of Justice on 22 March 2018, reg. No. 351/31803) and Order No. 931 dated 16 November 2018 “On approval of the Environmental Monitoring Programme of Hydrometeorological Facilities of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine”.
Ukraine implemented the Realtime Online Decision Support System (RODOS) developed by the of European Institute Consortium as part of the European Commission’s 3rd—7th Framework Programmes for Research.
33 fire-extinguishing tankers were received and transferred to subordinate territorial subdivisions of the State Emergency Service to equip emergency rescue units and fire-fighting crews with modern machinery and equipment under agreements signed in 2019.
By the results of the auction held on 19 June 2020, the State Emergency Service signed a contract for the supply of 74 fire-extinguishing tankers with increased amount of extinguishing agents within the State Budget expenditure approved for 2020.
Humanitarian and international technical aid amounting to more than UAH 12.9 million was received during the first half of 2020 for upgrading the SES units, including from the US Government represented by the US Department of State (Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs) and the Defence Threat Reduction Agency in the US Department of Defence, and the German Society for International Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, GIZ), etc.
Under the State Programme of Road Safety Improvement in Ukraine to 2020 approved by Resolution No. 435 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated 25 April 2018 (as amended), 30 Volkswagen Crafter-based rescue vehicles SARM-S were received by the SES.
In the period between 2018 and 2019, steps were taken to develop the Unified Aviation Security and Civil Protection System in the bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in particular:
an Agreement was signed between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the French Republic for formal support of the introduction of the Unified Aviation Security and Civil Protection System in Ukraine;
a contract was signed with Airbus Helicopters SAS for the purchase of goods and services;
France provided Ukraine with 8 helicopters (6 Airbus H225 and 2 Airbus H125) and resources for the establishment of a state service centre for maintenance and repair;
46 members of the aviation personnel (pilots and engineers) of the State Emergency Service, the State Border Guard Service and the National Guard of Ukraine were trained in Airbus Helicopters SAS to operate H225 and H125 helicopters.
To implement the 112 emergency civil protection assistance system:
the State Emergency Service continues to take steps necessary for the deployment of the 112 system in Ukraine.
In pursuance of Order No. 4639/0/1-20 of the Prime Minister of Ukraine dated 04 February 2020, the State Emergency Service, its Main Directorates in Dnipropetrovsk Region, Kyiv Region and the city of Kyiv, together with local executive bodies, are taking measures to implement the 112 system-related pilot projects in Dnipropetrovsk Region, Kyiv Region and the city of Kyiv.
The 112 Regional Centre Terms of Reference for the city of Dnipro and connection to the public telecommunication network have been prepared.
6 automated workstations for the 112 system operators have been installed and prepared for use in Kyiv Region. A new routing pattern for 112 calls from mobile subscribers in Kyiv Region has been introduced in cooperation with mobile operators on the digital telephone lines of the Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service in Kyiv Region.
Administrative services development and digitalisation
In order to provide individuals and businesses with access to quality and convenient public services free of corruption risks, the State Migration Service of Ukraine is preparing to launch a pilot project which will enable electronic residency registration and deregistration (draft Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers “On the implementation of a pilot project of electronic residency registration/deregistration” developed by the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine pursuant to Clause 10 Article 1 of Presidential Decree No. 647/2019 dated 04 September 2019 “On measures to ensure the provision of quality public services”).
To digitise the most popular public services, create good economic opportunities for businesses (car dealers), introduce an efficient public online services process (state registration/deregistration of vehicles) and minimise the time spent by visitors, the Main Service Centre of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA MSC) and the State Agency for E-Governance, as part of the Transparency and Accountability in Public Administration and Services (TAPAS) project implemented by Eurasia Foundation,
in August 2018, in partnership with texty.org.ua, launched an open service of data on initial registration of vehicles in Ukraine on the MIA MSC website;
the Driver E-Office pilot project launched in December 2018 is accessible on the MIA MSC website at https://e-driver.hsc.gov.ua and the E-services section of the Government portal https://kmu.gov.ua. It can be accessed with a qualified electronic signature, PrivatBank's BankID or MobileID;
Online service Vehicle Registration Certificate Verification was presented in December 2018 on the MIA MSC website where users can check the validity, series and number of their vehicle registration certificates. The service offers verification of the data from the MIA Unified State Register about vehicle registration certificates issued in or after 2013. Information is updated monthly;
The Ministry of Internal Affairs issued Order No. 1058 of 26 December 2018 registered with the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine on 18 January 2019, reg. No. 67/33038. This order amended the Procedure for ordering, issue and registration of custom-made licence plates (Procedure). In particular, in accordance with Section III of the Procedure clients can use the Driver E-Office service to check if a licence plate is available in the selected region, apply and pay for models of individual licence plates;
the most useful and popular services have been made available online. For example, the Driver E-Office can be used to: register in the electronic queue to the MIA service centres; get correct information about own vehicles and driving licence; get full information about administrative offences and pay penalties; get information about involvement of a vehicle in road accidents; get an extract from the MIA Unified State Register, free of charge or for a fee, by using the vehicle VIN-code; check if the vehicle is encumbered; apply for a new driving licence after expiration of the initially issued driving licence (2 years); apply for a new driving licence if the old one is unsuitable for use; apply for a new driving licence after any change in the vehicle owner’s personal data; get a driving licence replacing the lost or stolen document.
The changes are due to the country’s high crime rate, corruption and organised crime, economic instability, new types of threats and crimes caused by Russia’s military intervention, and the need to:
streamline the response to reported personal safety/security threat;
increase the efficiency of emergency response;
improve the local security infrastructure, video surveillance and emergency occurrence alerting systems;
train people to ensure personal safety and increase public awareness of the active role of society in safeguarding public security;
improve the provision of administrative services in areas within the scope of competence of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Improving protection of life, rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of people, crime prevention, protection of the national border and civil defence by the National Police, the State Border Guard Service, the State Emergency Service, the State Migration Service and the National Guard of Ukraine.
Reducing the response time between the report and the first contact with the victim.
Appointing police officers in each local community.
Increasing the number of servicemen/personnel of military formations and law enforcement agencies who had training, retraining or professional development in the International Interdepartmental Multidisciplinary Training Centre of the National Guard of Ukraine.
Improving the provision of housing for servicemen.
Reducing violence and persons injured during peaceful assemblies.
Maximising special police operations without casualties.
Reducing the share of serious and particularly serious crimes in the total number of registered criminal offences.
Enhancing the quality of crime prevention in general and increasing the percentage of solved crimes.
Introducing joint control and streamlining control procedures at a greater number of border crossing points.
Increasing people’s satisfaction with the service when they cross the national border.
A timely and prompt response to emergencies and life-threatening events.
Speeding up operational search activities, extinguishing fire in natural ecosystems, aeromedical evacuation of victims, and delivery of humanitarian assistance.
Improving the technical availability of the SES fire-fighting and emergency rescue units for the performance of their tasks.
Providing up-to-date information about actual and expected changes in hydrometeorological conditions, alerting about hydrometeorological hazards and the level of environmental pollution.
Maintaining public order and security in the areas adjacent to facilities where COVID-19 patients are treated or monitored (isolated); control of adherence to isolation/self-isolation measures.
Extending the Community Police Officer project. Selecting, training, funding and logistical support of police officers for consolidated territorial communities in the regions covered by the project.
Assisting the local governments methodologically and practically in establishing police stations, including security centres. Selecting, training and logistical support of police officers for consolidated territorial communities.
Enhancing the collective training opportunities of the International Interdepartmental Multidisciplinary Training Centre of the National Guard of Ukraine.
Developing and submitting to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine draft Law of Ukraine “On the National Guard Charter on the protection of state-owned nuclear facilities, nuclear materials, radioactive waste and other ionising radiation sources, important state property and restricted articles”.
Launching a project of international technical assistance in integrated border management.
Involving Ukrainian companies in the implementation of the Framework Agreement on official support for strengthening maritime security and defence of Ukraine between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the French Republic dated 19 November 2019.
Equipping the national borders with engineering systems.
Providing the national border guard units with tools for detecting and neutralising unmanned aerial vehicles.
Developing the Unified Aviation Security and Civil Protection System.
Improving the prevention of man-made fires and emergencies.
Providing state-of-the-art hydrometeorological services for the emergency response system.
Upgrading the rescue vehicles and fire-extinguishing equipment of the Civil Defence Operational Rescue Service.
Introducing the option for signing electronic vehicle sale contracts using the Driver E-Office service without the need for the seller or buyer to visit the MIA territorial service centre in person, and the option for the automatic entry of vehicle refurbishment authorisation data in the MIA Unified State Register.
Offering persons aged between 14 to 18 years, who are getting their ID card for the first time, an opportunity to be registered as taxpayers in the State Register of Individual Taxpayers at the time of issue of their ID cards.
Developing electronic services to facilitate for Ukrainian citizens, foreigners and stateless persons access to administrative services provided by of the State Migration Service of Ukraine.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs, the National Police of Ukraine, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, the State Migration Service of Ukraine, the National Guard of Ukraine, the Main Service Centre of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.