Ukraine and Poland update agreement on cooperation in the fight against crime

Today, December 11, Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko met with Polish Minister of the Interior and Administration, Marcin Kierwiński, in Lviv. The parties discussed important security issues and identified priority areas for further cooperation, including the creation of working groups in the field of anti-drone warfare, strategic communications, and public warning and evacuation systems.

The Ukrainian delegation was represented by Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Serhii Naumenko, Director of the Communications Department Mariana Reva, Director of the International Relations Department Pavlo Kasap, and Director of the Department of Organization of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Yulia Oleksiienko.

The foreign delegation included Piotr Łukasiewicz, Chargé d'Affaires of Poland in Ukraine, Advisor to the Prime Minister of Poland and former Deputy Minister of Interior and Administration Maciej Duszczyk, Director of the Public Communication Department Karolina Gałecka, Director of the Department of International Affairs and Migration Paweł Dabrowski, and Deputy Director of the Department for Public Order Mariusz Cichomski.

At the beginning of the meeting, Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko thanked his Polish colleagues and the Polish government for the comprehensive and consistent support that Poland had provided to Ukraine. He specifically noted the assistance extended to Ukrainians who had found refuge in Poland since the start of the full-scale aggression.

“Ukraine and Poland face common challenges: the security of airspace, the stability of critical infrastructure, border protection, and countering russian information attacks. And we will grow stronger together,” added Ihor Klymenko.

In turn, Minister of Interior and Administration of the Republic of Poland Marcin Kierwiński highlighted the strong Ukrainian-Polish relations:

"We have a good history of cooperation and many topics we can work on together. We share your heroism and express our full support. Poland is open and ready for further cooperation. We also want to benefit from your experience gained in such difficult conditions - it is undoubtedly unique not only for us, but for the entire civilized world."

The main topics of the working meeting were the creation of three working groups, which shall begin their work in early January 2026 in key areas:

• air and anti-drone warfare — establishing the defense of European airspace, critical infrastructure security, exchange of technologies and experience in neutralizing enemy UAVs;
• strategic communications - joint fight against russian fakes and disinformation;
• civil protection of the population - evacuation, rescue operations, and warning systems.

Air defense and anti-drone warfare

Ihor Klymenko informed the Polish side about the nature and dynamics of russian attacks, as well as the role of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in ensuring the protection of critical infrastructure. He noted that the National Police of Ukraine documents about

He noted that the National Police of Ukraine documented about 90 percent of war crimes, including those related to shelling of civilian infrastructure.

“We stand ready to exchange information and welcome Polish experts to familiarize them with the nature of the threats and share our experience, thereby helping Poland prepare for potential challenges,” the Minister of Internal Affairs stated.

The Minister stressed that critical infrastructure facilities—substations, railway junctions, depots, electric and diesel trains, transformer stations, dams, and bridges—are regularly targeted in attempts to slow down logistical support.

In addition, hundreds of cases of sabotage have been recorded in Ukraine, including explosions of railway infrastructure and arson attacks on military and civilian vehicles. Ihor Klymenko noted that Ukrainian operational services are actively working with Telegram channels and other resources to identify and neutralize such threats.

Strategic communications and countering disinformation

One of the important areas of cooperation is strategic communications and responding to disinformation. In particular, the parties agreed to create a working group consisting of specialists working in the field of strategic communications.

This will allow both countries to respond quickly to potential information threats and provide the public with reliable commentary on the topics under discussion.

Civil protection of the population

According to Ihor Klymenko, the warning system in Ukraine is differentiated by region. It is one of the key elements of critical infrastructure, whose task is to transmit a signal about a threat to every citizen in the shortest possible time.

The parties agreed to establish a third working group on further cooperation and information exchange between the State Emergency Service departments on the evacuation of the population from dangerous areas.

Separately, Ihor Klymenko and Marcin Kierwiński raised the issue of the status of Ukrainians residing in Poland. The Minister of the Interior and Administration of Poland and the advisor to the Prime Minister of Poland, Maciej Duszczyk, spoke about changes in migration policy.

The final stage of the negotiations was the signing of an updated intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the fight against crime.

"Our meeting today is proof that the Ministries of Internal Affairs of Poland and Ukraine will continue to cooperate. This is crucial for the future of both countries. The challenges we will face after the war will be partly shared: these include the movement of illegal weapons, illegal migration, and crimes that may be committed on the territory of our countries," concluded Ihor Klymenko.