Ukrainian Border Guards Explore Finnish Practices in Border Surveillance
October 02, 2025
As part of the European Integrated Border Management (IBM) concept, border security relies on two main pillars: border checks at official crossing points and border surveillance along the so-called “green” and “blue” borders. Both are essential to ensuring safety, but each requires distinct approaches and organisational solutions.
Following a study visit to Estonia earlier this year which focused on border checks, a delegation from the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (SBGS), with the support of EUAM Ukraine, travelled to Finland from 14 to 20 September to learn about the Finnish model of monitoring and controlling natural, often remote, land and lake borders.
Learning from Finland’s experience
The visit allowed participants to observe Finland’s advanced border surveillance systems, technologies, and operational practices. The programme featured visits to border guard stations and command and control centres in the Southeast Finland and North Karelian Districts, demonstrations of surveillance tools, and discussions with Finnish experts on how to best plan and organise patrol activities.
The Ukrainian delegation also visited sections of the “green” border and, reflecting Finland’s unique geography, joined a patrol on the external “blue” border by boat.
Cooperation as a model for Europe
A key focus of the visit was Finland’s long-standing cooperation between the Border Guard, Customs, and Police. Their interoperability, considered among the best European practices, ensures efficient use of resources and stronger response capacity, particularly in remote areas.
“Police, Customs and Border Guard cooperation in Finland has a long tradition and focuses on crime prevention at central, regional and local levels. To enable the efficient use of common resources and enhance response capability, especially in remote areas, the executive powers partly overlap. This allows the parties to flexibly perform tasks on each other’s behalf and support each other with personnel and resources,” explained Antti Hartikainen, EUAM Ukraine’s Senior Border/IBM Adviser.
Tools, challenges, and lessons for Ukraine
During the study visit, Ukrainian officers explored a wide range of equipment used by their Finnish colleagues, including drones, protective gear, real-time reporting systems, and K9 teams. Discussions also covered current challenges such as instrumentalised migration and hybrid threats, which affect border management across Europe.
For the SBGS delegation, the visit offered both practical knowledge and inspiration: “The practical value of the visit lies primarily in the opportunity to gain insight into border security approaches and tools that have already proven effective and comply with European standards. These practices may be taken into account in developing a national system of integrated border management and border security, which is an important component on Ukraine’s path toward membership in the European Union.”
