A law has come into force in Ukraine designed to improve the procedure for the use of military equipment and weapons by the personnel of the State border service. This was reported on December 15 by the press service of the border agency.
"The law regulates a number of important aspects that will help border guards in cases when words are ineffective to stop an offense or if it is necessary to restrain armed aggression," the report says.
As specified in the document, border guards are allowed to use weapons to repel an attack, release hostages, detain a suspect of committing a serious or especially serious crime while trying to escape, as well as to destroy drones.
It is known that the draft law allowing border guards to use weapons and military equipment to prevent conflicts and provocations was adopted in the second reading by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on November 18. Then a total of 271 deputies voted for the draft law. The Parliament received it for consideration back in March.
On the same day, the Director General of the Institute of Regional Problems, political scientist Dmitry Zhuravlev called the permission to use weapons to Ukrainian border guards a provocation and an actual call for such actions. According to him, the purpose of the innovation is not to prevent, but to artificially create conflict scenarios.
On November 23, it became known that Ukraine launched a special operation "Polesie" in five regions bordering Belarus in order to prevent a migration crisis. The exercises were coordinated by the border service and conducted jointly with the forces of the National Guard, the National Police and the Armed forces of Ukraine.
On November 12, Interior Minister of Ukraine Denis Monastyrsky announced that the country would strengthen the border with Belarus with military and police units. He said that the Ministry of Internal Affairs aviation will also work at the border — 15 helicopters. It was also noted that additional forces will be based "on the directions of the potential movement of illegal migrants" from neighboring Belarus.
