Police chiefs of Ukraine and Romania discussed the issue of expanding cross-border cooperation
The working meeting of the Head of the National Police of Ukraine Igor Klimenko and the Inspector General of the Romanian Police Benon-Mariana Matei took place in Chernivtsi. During the event, the parties discussed cooperation in the areas of migration security, the fight against crime, illegal arms trafficking and crimes of economic orientation.
The meeting was attended by heads of structural units of the National Police: Head of the Department of Organizational and Analytical Support and Operational Response Oleksiy Sergeev, Head of the Department of Strategic Investigations Andriy Rubel, Head of KORD Mykola Putiy, Deputy Head of the Department of International Police cooperation Vladimir Sherstnev, as well as the head of the GUNP in the Chernivtsi region Ruslan Dudarets. The foreign delegation of the Romanian police was represented by the head of the special unit, the police quaestor Alexandru Scurtu and the deputy head of the special operations department, the chief commissioner of police Ovidiu-Cyprian Antoje.
Igor Klimenko thanked his foreign colleagues for supporting Ukraine in wartime and for welcoming our citizens, who, fleeing from enemy missiles, found a safe haven in Romania. The head of the NPU introduced Romanian law enforcement officers to the peculiarities of the work of Ukrainian police officers during the legal martial law regime and new enhanced functions.
“Since February 24, the police have received almost 6 million calls. We organized the work of duty units and dispatch services in such a way as to promptly respond to citizens' messages, even in conditions of bombing. The police provided the escort of evacuation flights, including the pupils of specialized children's institutions of various types. I am grateful to my Romanian colleagues for welcoming 249 children. It is important for us that our citizens who are temporarily in your country are protected from any possible illegal encroachments,” said Igor Klymenko.
He said that Ukrainian law enforcement officers are currently gaining unprecedented experience documenting war crimes. In addition, police investigators have undergone specialized training in Poland.
“As of today, the police have launched more than 44 thousand criminal proceedings of this category. Most often it is a violation of the laws and customs of war. As a result of the Russian invasion, more than 6,700 civilians were killed, including 433 children. More than 2,500 bodies remain unidentified. We use several mobile DNA laboratories in our work. With their help, it is possible to determine the identity of the deceased within an hour and a half,” Igor Klymenko said.
The head of the National Police also stressed that, despite the additional tasks related to the war, Ukrainian police continue to counter the internal enemy — criminality. Law enforcement officers pay special attention to the fight against organized crime, illegal arms trafficking and smuggling.
Romanian Police Inspector General Benone-Marian Matej thanked Ukrainian police officers who, with their effective work, do not allow the criminal authorities to take advantage of the situation in the state and spread criminal activity to EU countries.
“I want to assure you that our support will be total, no matter what the circumstances. We will actively respond to the needs of Ukrainian colleagues, so we will try to use all opportunities for this. It is important for us to respond to such requests in a timely manner, so that cooperation is based on mutual understanding. It is also important to know where we can direct our resources. We are confident that we will cooperate with you more objectively,” the Romanian police chief said.
During the working meeting, the parties agreed on the expansion of cross-border cooperation, the prompt exchange of information and discussed priority measures to respond more quickly to all challenges.
National Police of Ukraine
