From 6 to 16 May 2025, officers of the State Customs Service (SCS) of Ukraine participated in specialised X-ray image interpretation training at the Rava-Ruska and Shehyni border crossing points (BCPs). In total, four groups of operators were trained during the two-week period, improving their skills in interpreting complex cargo scan images and enhancing their ability to identify potential customs violations and smuggling attempts.
These latest sessions conclude a broader training initiative launched in January 2024 under the EU4IBM-Resilience project. In total, 85 SCS officers have now been trained across six BCPs: Uzhhorod, Porubne, Yahodyn, Krakivets, Rava-Ruska, and Shehyni. The two-day format, developed by international customs experts, combined classroom learning with hands-on practice. Day one covered radiation safety, systematic image analysis, and software-based exercises. On day two, participants applied their new skills in the scanner control room using real scan images under expert supervision, ensuring practical relevance and the transfer of best practices.
“We are addressing a specific, yet crucial operational need identified jointly with the SCS,” noted Vyacheslav Toporov, EU4IBM-Resilience Project Manager. “Stationary scanners are powerful tools, but only skilled operators can unlock their full potential. This training gives customs officers the competencies to detect concealed goods more accurately and to act swiftly, based on reliable image interpretation.”
One of the participating officers commented: “The sessions helped me better recognize concealment techniques and understand how scanned images reveal different types of cargo and materials. I feel more confident now in detecting suspicious loads during real inspections.”
To build on the progress made, the project plans to deliver a train-the-trainer course, enabling up to two officers from each participating BCP to deepen their expertise and share knowledge with peers. Selection will be based on performance during previous training sessions. A practical, field-based training focused on handheld backscatter X-ray scanners is also under consideration, using custom-developed materials for hands-on application.
As a final phase of this capacity-building programme, a four-day study visit to an EU Member State is planned. The visit will include field observations of customs control procedures, demonstrations of scanning technologies, a classroom session on image analysis, and an introduction to mobile scanning systems and ANPRS technology.
This training programme is part of a broader EU effort to strengthen Ukraine’s customs capabilities and promote non-intrusive customs inspections during wartime and beyond, while aligning operational practices with EU standards. Other key components include the purchase of three mobile cargo vehicle scanning systems, with related operator and maintenance training, risk profiling and targeting webinars, data analysis and business intelligence training, and the installation of uninterrupted power supplies and stabilizers to ensure non-stop scanner operation at the border.
ICMPD also supports the SCS’s longer-term modernization goals. The stationary scanner assessment and upgrade planning initiative is about to be launched, focusing on sustainability, cost-efficiency, and performance. On-site assessments will evaluate stationary scanner conditions and infrastructure, identifying components suitable for reuse or replacement. The findings will guide long-term planning for scanner upgrades or replacements, facilitate future procurement, and reduce unnecessary waste, in line with EU sustainability principles, to ultimately enhance the efficiency and performance of scanning systems used in Customs control.
Backed by EU funding, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), through the EU4IBM-Resilience Project, pursues this and other activities and remains committed to strengthening Ukraine’s border control capacity. With a clear methodology, experienced team, and defined deliverables, ICMPD remains a trusted partner in supporting customs infrastructure modernization and capacity building.
