1. Serhiy Ivanovych Serdyuk (Deputy Head of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine; Ukrainian military officer; Major General; recipient of the Orders of Bohdan Khmelnytsky and “For Merit”)

2. Andriy Demchenko (spokesperson for the Chairman of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine)

3. Konstantin Koida (Colonel, Deputy Director of the Personnel Department of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine)

4. Andriy “Bard” (officer of the “Dozor” special forces unit)

5. Maksym Balagura (Commander of the “Dozor” Special Forces Unit of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine)

6. Ivan Ivanovych Ivanchuk (Administrative Officer of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine)

After Ukraine declared its independence in 1991, an important task arose: to establish its own state border guard service.

• 1991 — the formation of the Ukrainian Border Guard began.

• 1992–1993 — Establishment of the organizational structure, creation of border detachments, and fortification of the border.

• 2003 — The Law of Ukraine “On the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine” was adopted.

• 2003–2004 — Transition to the modern model of the State Border Guard Service.

Today, it is a military unit with law enforcement functions.

• Protection of the state border on land and at sea.

• Control of people and vehicles at border crossing points.

• Detection of illegal border crossings.

• Combating smuggling and the illegal movement of goods.

• Intelligence and operational activities.

• Protection of Ukraine’s maritime borders.

Since 2014, border guards have been participating in repelling Russian aggression.

Particularly severe challenges began on February 24, 2022.

Border units were the first to bear the brunt of the attack along many sections of the border.

They:

• defended the state border;

• engaged in combat with Russian troops;

• defended border outposts;

• participated in the defense of cities;

• carried out combat missions alongside the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The story of the defenders of Zmiinyi Island has become particularly well-known.

4. Notable Border Guard Units

“Steel Border”

15th Mobile Border Guard Detachment. Participated in combat operations, including as part of the “Guard of the Offensive” project.

Luhansk Border Detachment

One of the units that has been resisting Russian forces since 2014