Every Message Has a Purpose: How the SBGS Puts Strategic Communications to Work

November 05, 2026

Most people encounter the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (SBGS) at a border crossing point. They see an officer checking documents, asking questions or inspecting a vehicle. What they do not always see are the security risks these procedures are designed to prevent.

Explaining this connection is one of the challenges facing the SBGS communication team. But its work goes much further than informing the public about border procedures or responding to the latest news. Over the years, the Service has developed a strategic communications system that connects its institutional priorities with what it communicates to the public every day.

As Andrii Demchenko, Spokesperson for the SBGS, observed during a communication forum in May 2026, ‘Our officers interact with citizens thousands of times every day.’ Each of those contacts is also a form of communication: how a check is carried out and explained shapes how people see the Service.

EUAM Ukraine has supported this development for many years, helping the SBGS build the expertise and practical capacities needed to turn strategic communications into everyday practice.

When strategy becomes daily practice

At the SBGS, strategic communications are reflected in everyday decisions about what to communicate, whom to reach and how to explain the Service’s work.

Rather than simply reporting events as they happen, communication officers work with a common set of strategic messages. These help explain not only what the Service does, but also why its work matters to citizens.

‘Strategic communications are essential to SBGS’s resilience. Our task is not simply to inform the public, but to help people understand what the Border Guard Service does, its role and its contribution to national security. We aim to stay ahead of information threats, counter hostile narratives and strengthen public trust. Cooperation with EUAM Ukraine plays an important role in building this system, helping us develop professional expertise and use strategic communications as an effective tool for achieving the Service’s objectives,’ said Serhii Yakymets, Assistant to the Head of the SBGS on Strategic Communications.

Importantly, the SBGS does not stop at delivering messages. It also monitors how they appear in the media and social networks, examining which topics receive attention and where further explanation may be needed. Monthly reports track which strategic messages each publication carried and how the media picked them up.

In 2025, a media analysis supported by EUAM Ukraine examined approximately 96,700 mentions of the SBGS in the media and on social networks. The research assessed the visibility of the Service’s strategic messages, providing data driven insights to inform future communication.

The same approach can be seen in the public information campaign ‘Security in Detail’, implemented with EUAM Ukraine’s support in 2025. The campaign addressed a familiar misconception: that border guards are primarily there to check passports and enforce restrictions. Through videos, media stories, outdoor advertising and digital content, it explained the security purpose behind everyday border procedures.

A partnership built over time

EUAM Ukraine’s cooperation with the SBGS on strategic communications dates back to 2018.

One of the Mission’s early contributions was to help develop the SBGS Communication Strategy, which the Service subsequently adopted. Since then, the partnership has increasingly focused on helping SBGS communication professionals apply a strategic approach in their everyday work.

Public information campaigns have helped to explain important issues, from the consequences of smuggling to the security measures taken at the border. Three forums of SBGS press officers, held annually since 2024, have brought colleagues together to exchange experience, discuss challenges and strengthen coordination across the Service.

Advanced training has helped communication officers develop new professional skills. Donations of modern IT and communication equipment have given them better tools for producing content. Study and partnership visits to European countries have offered opportunities to learn from counterparts and build professional relationships.

Communication officers need the skills to explain difficult issues, the confidence to communicate proactively, the tools to produce quality content and opportunities to learn from one another.

‘We can offer training, bring colleagues together and share European experience. But the real test is what happens after a project ends: whether SBGS communicators use that knowledge on their own, in their everyday work,’ said Katja Holboell, Strategic Communications Adviser at EUAM Ukraine.

Looking ahead

This cooperation is continuing. In 2027, EUAM Ukraine plans to support a review of the SBGS communication strategy, building on the experience gained from its implementation and taking account of new challenges and priorities.

‘We won’t be starting from scratch in 2027. The SBGS already has practical experience of using strategic messages, delivering campaigns and monitoring how its messages appear in the media. The review will give us an opportunity to look at what works, what needs to be adjusted and how the strategy can better support the Service’s communication priorities in the years ahead,’ said Oksana Ushakova, Strategic Communications Officer at EUAM Ukraine.

At a border crossing point, citizens may never hear the words ‘strategic communications’. What matters is whether they understand why a particular check is necessary and whether the institution communicates with them clearly and honestly.

That is where the real value of a communication strategy becomes visible – not in the document itself, but in the everyday work of the people putting it into practice.