Russian strikes on border crossing infrastructure along Ukraine’s western frontiers, coupled with the EU’s rollout of its Entry/Exit System (EES), have introduced logistical complications, but border authorities are adapting to ensure stable movement, a senior Ukrainian border official said.
According to Ukrinform, Andrii Ivanskyi, deputy head of the administrative jurisdiction department of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (DPSU), outlined the compound operational pressures facing crossing points.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
“Despite the difficult conditions of war, Ukrainian border guards continue to protect the border, ensure proper crossing procedures on the western border with European Union countries, and carry out combat missions as part of the Defense Forces of Ukraine,” Ivanskyi said.
Ivanskyi explained that Russian forces have deliberately targeted border checkpoints since late August, attempting to disrupt civilian transport and commercial supply chains along Ukraine’s borders with Moldova, Romania, and Poland.
Hybrid pressure on crossing nodes
According to the DPSU representative, the physical bombardment of customs facilities and approach corridors is paired with an expanding spectrum of Russian hybrid operations engineered to generate disruption and psychological stress at checkpoints.
“The enemy uses hybrid threats – such as false bomb threats, power disruptions, and interference with operational databases – to increase the psychological pressure on checkpoint operations,” Ivanskyi noted.
Other Topics of Interest
Ukraine’s ex-PM Warns Against ‘Sham’ Trump-Putin Diplomacy
Arseniy Yatsenyuk warned against great-power talks carving up Europe, citing empty missile stocks as Russia targets the power grid.
Ivanskyi observed that recent months demonstrate how the war directly affects Ukraine’s western border, which also functions as the external border of the EU. He added that European partner nations have responded to Russian strikes in proximity to the frontier in accordance with their own national security protocols and sovereign interests.
“There is an understanding that this is the result of external aggression, rather than the consequence of our own actions or shortcomings,” Ivanskyi stated.
Adaptation to the EU Entry/Exit System
The logistical strain on western crossing points coincides with the EU’s implementation of the Entry/Exit System (EES), an automated digital framework registering non-EU citizens crossing external Schengen borders. The system requires biometric data collection – including facial scans and fingerprints – which can introduce procedural delays during initial processing phases.
Ivanskyi stated that Ukrainian border detachments are adjusting to the new regulatory requirements and explaining the procedural adjustments to departing citizens to mitigate congestion.
Despite ongoing Russian strikes on transit corridors, the overall volume of passenger crossings has remained stable, Ivanskyi reported. Border units process between 35 million and 37 million individual border crossings – covering both arrivals and departures – annually.
Ivanskyi recalled the initial days of the full-scale invasion in 2022, when Ukraine experienced the largest displaced population movement in Europe since World War II.
On March 9, 2022, a record 120,000 individuals crossed the frontier in a single 24-hour cycle, with over 5 million people exiting the country during the first 100 days of active conflict, enabled by emergency clearance procedures enacted by Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania.
Migration control and re-admission protocols
Addressing unlawful border crossings, Ivanskyi confirmed that attempts to evade state controls persist – including by men subject to military mobilization – though the overall volume of such attempts has declined.
“We strive to ensure border security and remain reliable partners of the European Union,” Ivanskyi emphasized. “If foreign nationals cross the border illegally and are detained within EU territory, we cooperate with our partners, particularly through readmission procedures, to return these individuals to their countries of origin.
The relevant bilateral agreements are functional, protocols are signed, and institutional cooperation continues.”
Ivanskyi pointed to Poland’s operational framework in countering migration pressure, noting that Warsaw’s experience managing migration flows along its frontier with Belarus between 2020 and 2022 enabled Polish border authorities to establish rapid response and containment protocols.
The DPSU official emphasized that Ukraine is standardizing its border administration procedures to align with European Union accession benchmarks.
“We operate in accordance with the principles declared by Ukraine on its path to European integration, adopting European approaches to border management and adapting best practices to our operational realities,” Ivanskyi concluded.
“This applies to service organization at external frontiers, the standardization of internal procedures, and their practical implementation across all operational echelons.”