First Joint Pre-Deployment Training On Stability Policing For National Guard And National Police

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First Joint Pre-Deployment Training On Stability Policing For National Guard And National Police

The Joint Pre-deployment Training (PDT) on Stability Policing in the de-occupied and adjacent territories (DOAT), is the first-ever joint endeavour for personnel from the National Guard (NGU) and National Police of Ukraine (NPU).

© European Union, 2024

"Check the blindage, is there anyone?"

"Wounded, massive bleeding!"

"Beware of a mine! Mark it!"

"Hostages!"

These alarming calls resonate across the training ground, immersing participants deeply in scenarios that feel strikingly similar to a battlefield. The environment is charged with the urgency of a combat zone: groups of people in camouflage, armed and vigilant, amidst smoke and the echoing sounds of gunfire and explosions. Nearby, a checkpoint scene unfolds with individuals handcuffed to the bonnet of a police car.

Among all this chaos you will notice participants in green jackets, who appear noticeably calmer; these people are making notes and discussing tactics along with representatives from the Specialised Team of the European Gendarmerie Force (EGF), who arrived earlier this year to share their extensive expertise in Stability Policing in conflict and post-conflict settlements with their Ukrainian counterparts. Those in the green jackets are ToT participants, and they will pass on the knowledge and skills they received from the EGF experts in Stability Policing to the officers who will be deployed in de-occupied and adjacent territories.

This 2-week pilot exercise aims to refine a training curriculum that was collaboratively developed by Ukrainian trainers from law enforcement agencies, with valuable insights from the previously held EGF Specialised Team's training of trainers (ToT) sessions. The curriculum is being consolidated to improve techniques, tactics, and procedures tailored for effective Stability Policing in the DOAT. The Ukrainian trainers, having recently upgraded their skills with the support of their European colleagues, have adapted the programme to align more closely with the specific challenges and realities faced in the country.

"In developing this programme, we integrated experiences from the de-occupation of Kharkiv and Kherson regions to simulate conditions as closely as possible to what our forces will encounter in the field," explains one of the organisers of the current course from the National Guard of Ukraine.

This training aims to ensure that the group of participants finishes the course as a cohesive unit, sub-unit (platoon), or team, and with the organisation and efficient working dynamics in place. The goal is that when this unit is then mobilised as a module for deployment, they are immediately ready and fit for work.

Valerii, a trainer from the Joint Pre-deployment Training and a participant in the ToT, highlighted the benefits for NGU officers of learning the nuances of police work, such as victim interrogation and evidence collection. NPU participants, moreover, appreciated the insights into military tasks like minefield isolation and site exploitation, as well as security during re-entry into de-occupied territories. Both halves of this joint group therefore have a much better understanding of each other's roles.

The role of EGF Specialised Team and the future of Stability Policing in Ukraine

EUAM Ukraine developed the Concept and Action Plan on DOAT last year, with the aim of supporting Ukrainian counterparts more effectively in their operations in the de-occupied territories. As part of this strategic initiative, the European Union selected an EGF Specialised Team to support the strengthening of competencies of NPU and NGU personnel by providing six training-of-trainers (ToT) courses in Stability Policing during February and March 2024.

"Now we are in the second phase of our collaboration with Ukrainian partners under the Concept and Action Plan developed by EUAM for the DOAT," notes Helder Garcao, Head of the EGF Specialised Team. "It includes mentoring and monitoring by our team to ensure that the training imparted earlier is effectively implemented. This collaborative effort not only facilitates the exchange of best practices but also fosters mutual understanding and enhances interoperability among all stakeholders involved in Stability Policing efforts," he adds.

Acknowledging the potential for further enhancements, participants from the NPU and NGU are keen to continue cooperation with the EUAM and Specialised Team members. They are optimistic that this partnership will soon yield significant outcomes, including the ministerial approval for a consolidated curriculum for pre-deployment trainings for law enforcement officers being deployed in DOAT; the NPU and NGU are also eagerly awaiting the completion and approval of a common operational approach focused on Stability Policing. This common operational approach seeks to update the roles of civilian and military authorities, improving inter-agency coordination, enhancing interoperability, using a balanced allocation of resources.

The EUAM remains committed to supporting Ukrainian counterparts in these efforts, assisting law enforcement personnel in preparing thoroughly for the challenges in the de-occupied and adjacent territories.

Visit the website of the the European Union Advisory Mission for Civilian Security Sector Reform Ukraine (EUAM Ukraine) .