At the end of September, the leadership of the Ukrainian Maritime Guard visited the management team of the Swedish Coast Guard, which met in Stockholm to learn from a total of twelve years of war. The war began with the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and continued with a full-scale invasion in 2022.

The Coast Guard's management team listened closely as Rear Admiral Oleh Kostur described the reality for the Ukrainian Maritime Guard during the ongoing war. He spoke about the rapid changes it is constantly forced to make, the completely new tasks it has taken on, and how the organisation is affected by being under constant attack. This includes everything from the mental health of staff to vessel maintenance and logistics.

During heightened alert and war involving Sweden, personnel and equipment from the Coast Guard may be used within the Swedish Armed Forces for surveillance, transport and other tasks, under an agreement between the authorities. In a similar way, the Ukrainian Navy took over operational command of the Maritime Guard in 2022.

– It was interesting to hear how the Maritime Guard prioritises the missions it receives from the Navy and, as far as possible, at the same time carries out its other coast guard tasks based on a combined approach, says Deputy Director-General Henrik Jonsson.

How cooperation with the Navy works in practice, and concrete war experience, are of great interest to the Coast Guard. It is in a phase of transition, with growing focus on its role in total defence.

– The Ukrainian coast guard has knowledge and experience that are highly interesting to us in Sweden. Our cooperation with the Ukrainian coast guard has developed from being primarily Swedish support into more of a partnership and exchange of experience between the organisations, says Director-General Lena Lindgren Schelin.

The Coast Guard's cooperation with the Ukrainian Maritime Guard began in 2024, on assignment from the Government, with a focus on civil maritime safety. So far, the Coast Guard has supported Ukraine by donating, among other things, vehicles, protective equipment and spare parts, arranging training for Ukrainian personnel in Sweden, and holding training and workshops in Ukraine. Boats and vessels will also be donated in the future.

The cooperation is continually deepening. The meeting took place at the invitation of the Coast Guard's Director-General, who visited the Maritime Guard in Odesa earlier this year together with staff from the Ukraine project.

A group of people in suits and ties posing for a photo.
The Swedish Coast Guard's management team and staff from the Ukraine project, together with the delegation from the Ukrainian coast guard.