OSCE provides specialized equipment and vehicles to strengthen Ukraine's capacity to combat illicit trafficking in weapons

The OSCE delivered an assistance package valued at more than €2.235 million to strengthen Ukraine's capacity to prevent and combat illicit trafficking in weapons, ammunition and explosives (WAE).

The package included specialized operational vehicles, explosive ordnance disposal equipment, canine transportation vehicles and modern ICT infrastructure to support operational mobility, information management and inter-agency co-operation. The equipment was distributed among the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the National Police of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine and the State Customs Service in accordance with their respective mandates in preventing and combating illicit trafficking in WAE.

"The equipment and vehicles handed over today will not only strengthen the capacities of the agencies within the Ministry of Internal Affairs system, but will also contribute to enhancing public safety, reinforcing inter-agency co-operation and enabling law enforcement officers to carry out their duties more effectively," said Kateryna Pavlichenko, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.

The handover marked an important milestone in strengthening Ukraine's institutional capacity to address the risks associated with the illicit trafficking of weapons, ammunition and explosives. It also supports Ukraine's ongoing efforts to align its arms control and law enforcement practices with European and international standards, while enhancing operational effectiveness and co-operation among relevant national authorities.

The procurement and donation of the equipment were carried out under the OSCE extrabudgetary project "In support of strengthening the capacities of Ukrainian authorities in preventing and combating illicit trafficking of weapons, ammunition and explosives in all its aspects", funded by the European Union, Finland, France, Germany, and Poland.