Ukrainian customs officers learned to deliver scanner training following EU4IBM-Resilience Training of Trainers in Lviv

Ukrainian customs officers learned to deliver scanner training following EU4IBM-Resilience Training of Trainers in Lviv

Kyiv, 12 December 2025

From 9 to 12 December 2025, the ICMPD-implemented "EU Support to Strengthening Integrated Border Management in Ukraine - Resilience (EU4IBM-Resilience)" Project delivered a specialised Training of Trainers (ToT) course for x-ray stationary scanner operators. The initiative marks the next step in strengthening Ukraine's operational capacity at border crossing points (BCPs) equipped with stationary scanning systems, including Chop, Uzhhorod, Yahodyn, Porubne, Rava-Ruska, Shehyni and Krakivets.

The course built on the X-Ray Image Interpretation Training Sessions held throughout 2024 and 2025, moving from technical proficiency to trainer-level competence. Fourteen experienced operators - two from each BCP - completed two rounds of the two-day programme and received certificates of completion. By qualifying local trainers, the Project ensures that scanner skills can be expanded and maintained within customs units without relying solely on external training support.

The programme combined classroom theory with extensive practical work. Participants refreshed their understanding of image analysis software, deepened their ability to distinguish threats from legitimate cargo, and refined their interpretation of "difficult" images such as densely loaded vehicles or layered concealments. Practical modules included analysing x-ray images of cars, minivans, buses, trucks, ammunition and weapons, helping operators practise identifying indicators of smuggling, hidden compartments, modified vehicle structures and other high-risk patterns encountered in real inspections.

The key element of the ToT model was instructional preparation. Officers learned how to structure training sessions, present complex material clearly, and guide colleagues through hands-on exercises. They also developed their own micro-lessons and received feedback on the clarity and accuracy of their explanations. These skills will allow newly trained instructors to deliver regular in-house briefings, onboarding sessions for new operators, and refresher trainings at their respective BCPs, ensuring continuous and standardised use of the scanners.

Participants represented Customs Offices from Zakarpattia, Volyn, Chernivtsi and Lviv regions, creating a future network of trainers able to support each other and exchange practical insights from different sections of the border.

Reflecting on the relevance of the training, Vadym Panyshchev, Head of the Unit of Technical Means of Customs Control of Zakarpattia Customs, noted: "This training has equipped us with deeper technical skills and strengthened our ability to transfer this knowledge to our colleagues at local customs and BCPs. Just like the previous training for operators, this course is essential for maintaining a high level of professionalism and ensuring effective border control."

Vyacheslav Toporov, Project Manager of EU4IBM-Resilience, emphasised the broader impact of developing in-house trainers "Modern border management relies not only on advanced equipment but on the people who operate it every day. By helping customs officers develop both strong analytical skills and the ability to train others, we are strengthening institutional resilience and ensuring that scanner-based controls remain effective even as threats evolve. This Training of Trainers model is key to sustaining knowledge where it is most needed - directly at Ukraine's borders."

Strengthening the instructional capacity of scanner operators contributes directly to improving operational readiness at Ukraine's busiest BCPs. Well-trained operators are better prepared to detect concealed goods, prevent illicit trafficking, and reduce the time needed to clarify ambiguous images, supporting both security and the smooth flow of legitimate trade. With a wider pool of certified trainers, customs offices can now deliver regular internal training cycles adapted to emerging risks and operational needs.

The ToT forms part of a wider EU4IBM-Resilience comprehensive effort to improve how scanning technology is used in daily customs work. Alongside repeated X-ray image interpretation trainings, the Project installed seven uninterrupted power supply (UPS) units to prevent scanner downtime, certified officers to operate and maintain Rapiscan mobile scanners, and carried out technical assessments of Nuctech stationary systems at Porubne and Yahodyn to inform future upgrades. Complementary activities - such as a study visits to examine EU approaches to scanner infrastructure and maintenance, and risk-analysis webinars with experts from EU Member States - reinforced officers' ability to target high-risk consignments before scanning even begins.

The EU4IBM-Resilience Project, funded by the European Union and implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), continues to assist Ukrainian authorities in modernising border-management infrastructure, refining control procedures, and strengthening institutional capabilities essential for the country's IBM reform and progress toward EU integration.

Background information: The project "EU Support to Strengthening Integrated Border Management in Ukraine -Resilience (EU4IBM-Resilience)" is funded by the EU and implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD). The project is aimed at building the resilience of the Ukrainian border management agencies during wartime, as well as supporting further reforms to approximate the border management system of Ukraine to the EU standards and best practices in line with the Integrated Border Management Strategy of Ukraine adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers on 24 July 2019. The project runs from December 2022 until February 2026.