Border Guard Service, SBU, Interior Ministry working on Donbas electronic pass system

The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, the Interior Ministry of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) are creating a unified electronic database of persons who received passes to cross the contact line in Donbas.

"This week, in accordance with the President's tasks and the decision by the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, the Border Guard Service, in cooperation with the Interior Ministry, SBU and other law enforcement agencies, has started [taking] steps to improve the work of checkpoints," Press Secretary of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Oleh Slobodian said at a briefing in Kyiv on Thursday.

According to him, this concerns the organization of border guard units at roadblocks on the first row of the contact line, as well as the implementation of an electronic entry pass system.

"A unified electronic data base of persons who have received passes is being created in cooperation with the SBU," Slobodian has said.

According to him, this will significantly simplify the control and automation of the process, as well as making the process more convenient for citizens.

"As for issuing passes, this problem is under SBU and Interior Ministry's jurisdiction. However, this system is being worked on, and the State Border Guard Service will provide as much assistance as possible to agencies in order to improve and simplify the system of issuing passes," he said.

"As of now, nearly 100,000 passes have been issued already," Slobodian added.