Dog specialists of the State Border Guard Service began specialized training in Spain
The OSCE and the Civil Guard of the Kingdom of Spain are helping to strengthen Ukraine's canine potential in the fight against illegal trafficking of weapons, ammunition and explosives.
Recently, the OSCE and the Civil Guard launched a specialized training course for Ukrainian law enforcement officers at the Kennel Center of the Civil Guard of the Kingdom of Spain. Six Ukrainian border guards and two representatives of the State Customs Service of Ukraine take part in the four-month training.
First, the participants of the course will learn the experience of how a dog handler chooses a puppy for joint work, later, already in tandem with a new four-legged Spanish partner, Ukrainian law enforcement officers will master a specialized canine business, and with the completion of the practice, the dog breeders together with new eared friends will come to Ukraine to embody skills in the service and transfer experience to their colleagues.
“Recognizing the important role of the cynological component in combating illicit trafficking of firearms, as well as other forms of transnational organized crime, this joint action is a contribution to strengthening security in the OSCE region,” Oleksandr Savelyev, Head of Projects of the OSCE, said at the official ceremony opening.
A comprehensive four-month training program, built on European standards and best practices, is aimed at improving the dog training methodologies of the State Border Guard Service and the State Customs Service for the detection of weapons, ammunition and explosives.
“The program of the course is designed to meet the specific training needs of both institutions, identified through a series of joint consultations and exchange visits during previous years to Ukraine and Spain with the assistance of the OSCE,” said Lieutenant Colonel Guillermo Reyes, head of the Civil Guard of the Kingdom of Spain.
The risks of illicit trafficking of weapons, ammunition and explosives have increased significantly in the context of Russian military aggression against Ukraine and pose a threat to European security. This requires a holistic approach and immediate joint action to prevent weapons, ammunition and explosives from falling into other people's hands.
“The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine is doing everything possible to combat the illegal circulation of weapons, ammunition and explosives. It also increases the comfort, safety and speed of crossing the border through the introduction of innovations and through international cooperation. We are grateful to the OSCE and the Civil Guard for their assistance and consider this course as an important step in promoting the canine potential of Ukraine”, — emphasized the participant of the course Serhiy Lyubynetsky.
The initiative is part of the OSCE extra-budgetary project “In support of strengthening the capacities of the Ukrainian authorities in preventing and combating the illicit trafficking of arms, ammunition and explosives in all its aspects”, funded by the European Union, the governments of France, Germany, the Netherlands, the Netherlands, Sweden and Slovakia, and with the support of Lithuania and Poland.
State Border Guard Service of Ukraine
