Support in Action: Stability Police Training for Ukrainian Police Officers

Daryna, a young policewoman from Zaporizhia, was one of 162 participants in the comprehensive Training of Trainers (ToT) on Stability Policing organised by the EU Advisory Mission (EUAM) Ukraine and led by the European Gendarmerie Special Team (EUROGENDFOR).

“Since the beginning of the large-scale invasion, I have seen enormous human suffering and many casualties,” says Daryna. Together with the medical team, she is often the first to arrive at the scene of the attack in her hometown. “Initially, we had to learn to deal with these situations spontaneously, as we had not received any special training to work in such extreme conditions,” she adds.

The final session of this six-week training series concluded last Friday. This initiative, aimed at representatives of the National Police of Ukraine (NPU) and the National Guard of Ukraine (NGU), as well as trainers from the National Academy of Internal Affairs (NAIA), is a response to their urgent need for increased readiness and self-reliance in the face of unprovoked Russian aggression. The goal is to strengthen police stability capabilities in Ukraine and equip Ukrainian officers for deployment in the de-occupied and adjacent territories (DOAT).

Stability Police Course for Trainers

The war has dramatically expanded the responsibilities of Ukrainian law enforcement agencies. Following the liberation of the territories by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, they have been entrusted with a wide range of important tasks, ranging from coordinating with civilian and military authorities, protecting human rights and investigating war crimes to ensuring public safety. The basis of these efforts is the concept of stability policing, which aims to restore order and enforce the rule of law in liberated areas.

“These trainings aim to strengthen the ability of law enforcement agencies to deal with these challenges. The Ukrainian trainers will now pass on the training to law enforcement officers who will be selected to operate in cleared areas,” says Rolf Holmboe, Head of EUAM. “By training law enforcement agencies together, we also hope to strengthen cooperation between agencies and support future interoperability,” adds Holmboe.

The meeting of experts from different EU countries, from Portugal to Lithuania, has a very important symbolic value for the Ukrainian colleagues. It illustrates European solidarity in supporting Ukraine’s resilience and sovereignty.

“This was the first deployment of uniformed personnel in Ukraine since Russia’s large-scale invasion, demonstrating a new level of determination in the EU’s joint support to Ukraine,” said the head of the special team, Helder Garcao.

The EUROGENDFOR special team is led by the Portuguese Guarda Nacional Republicana and consists of selected experts from the Spanish Guardia Civil, the French Gendarmerie Nationale and the Lithuanian Public Security Service. This mix of individuals serves to promote a dynamic, interactive training environment. This approach promoted a productive exchange of knowledge and experience between all participants.

The curriculum was diverse and covered aspects ranging from stability policing in conflict zones to tactical combat casualty care (TCCC) and war crimes investigation. A key element was the integrated exercise at the end of the course, which tested participants’ ability to apply their newly acquired knowledge in realistic scenarios, demonstrating the practical relevance of the training.

“I am incredibly grateful for the training, especially for learning how to communicate with victims. It is incredibly difficult not to be overwhelmed by all the pain. Maintaining our own emotional resources is crucial to being able to effectively help those who have lost their loved ones,” said Daryna after completing the course. Her colleague from the National Guard, Serhii, joined in her gratitude and stressed that the knowledge gained will be incorporated into the training programs for NGU employees.

Kateryna Pavlichenko, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, stressed the importance of such trainings for building the personnel capacity of departmental units operating on the front lines and in liberated areas. “I am grateful to our partners from the EU Advisory Mission who helped us organize such exercises,” she said.

Photo: Deputy Minister of the Interior of Ukraine Kateryna Pavlichenko presents the course participants with their graduation certificates.

looking ahead

The ToT course is just the beginning of a continuous support process. EUAM, together with experts from EUROGENDFOR, will remain engaged through monitoring and mentoring to develop a sustainable capacity building framework. The next steps include using the knowledge gained to improve officers’ skills prior to the deployment of DOAT, with a focus on the formation of stability police units capable of filling security gaps and restoring the rule of law.

This subsequent phase, during which Ukrainian trainers share their newly acquired expertise, is crucial. One of the strategic aspects of this phase is to develop a tailored curriculum for the preparatory trainings that incorporates insights and resources from the ToT course, takes into account the trainers’ experiences and meets the specific needs identified in the DOAT framework.

There are also plans to develop a pilot course bringing together forces from the NGU, NPU and EUAM with the special team. This joint effort aims to share best practices, promote mutual understanding and improve interoperability between stakeholders, thereby increasing the efficiency and coordination of stability policing efforts.

Overall, this initiative represents an important attempt by EUAM Ukraine to improve the operational capabilities of Ukrainian law enforcement agencies to ensure security and stability in the DOATs. It is a key part of the EU’s ongoing support to Ukraine and aims to improve stability policing techniques, tactics and procedures among Ukrainian law enforcement agencies in extremely difficult times.