The State Border Service of Ukraine lacks resources for full border control, which is especially relevant in wartime conditions. According to Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin, the situation with the escape of People's Deputy Artem Dmytruk highlighted the acuteness of this problem. Kostin emphasized that the provided resources are not enough to ensure effective control over the country's borders, especially in the most risky regions, such as Odesa region.
The Prosecutor General noted that a significant part of the border guards are involved in hostilities, which further complicates the situation. "A large number of border guards are constantly fighting in the Defense Forces. They need to be helped with the technical equipment of the border, which is between checkpoints, and with the physical protection of the border. It takes money and time," Kostin said.
He emphasized that one of the most important tasks is the allocation of additional resources for technical equipment and strengthening of physical protection of the border. This is especially true of the most risky areas, where control is particularly difficult due to geographic and other factors.
Odesa region stands out as one of the riskiest regions from the point of view of illegal border crossing. In the first half of 2024, six indictments were brought to court in this region against criminal groups that organized illegal border crossings. This is the largest indicator in Ukraine, which emphasizes the need to strengthen control in this region.
Kostin called for an urgent allocation of resources to strengthen the Border Patrol to avoid similar incidents in the future. In his opinion, the government needs to focus its efforts on the most risky areas of the border, providing them with sufficient technical and human resources.
