Ukraine's parliament passes bill increasing the size of border guard by 15,000

Ukraine's parliament passed a bill on April 24 raising the number of personnel of the State Border Guard by 15,000, said lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak.

The bill would apply up to one year after the cancellation of martial law, which has been in place since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022.

It was approved by 327 lawmakers, with none voting against the bill.

Once President Volodymyr Zelensky signs the bill, the new total number of State Border Guard personnel will be 75,000, 67,000 of whom will have military responsibilities.

Ukraine's State Border Guard has played an important role in Russia's full-scale invasion, in some cases being the first line of defense against Russian troops.

In comments when the bill was first submitted in March, State Border Guard spokesperson Andrii Demchenko said that "today's realities" necessitated an increase of personnel, particularly those serving in combat positions.

Board Guard: Ukraine builds up defenses along entire border with Russia, Belarus

Ukrainian forces are building up defensive capabilities along the entire border with Russia and Belarus, Ukraine’s State Border Guard spokesperson Andrii Demchenko said on April 8 on national television.

The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Hodunova