How “Blue Haven for Ukraine” = “Блакитне небо для України” Will Help Police Officers and Communities
January 28, 2025
Approximately 10% of the personnel of Ukraine’s National Police serve directly on the frontlines. This is more than 10,000 police officers. Another 40 – 45,000 officers are working in areas close to the combat zones, according to the Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko. Every day, they face extraordinary challenges, ranging from working at missile strike sites to communicating with victims and traumatised families.
“More than half of my colleagues have been injured while performing their duties since the beginning of the full-scale invasion,” shares a psychologist from the National Police from a frontline region during a workshop on conceptualizing the “Blue Haven for Ukraine” project, which took place on 21–23 January in Lviv.
“Many are working at the edge of their limits. Some colleagues inform families every day about the dead, missing, or detained. It’s emotionally draining,” adds Iryna Hurska, Head of Psychological Support Unit of the Social and Psychological Work Division within the Human Resources Department of the National Police of Ukraine.
Under such circumstances, the effective performance of law enforcement officers depends directly on their mental health. This in turn impacts the safety and welfare of citizens, as police officers are the ones who maintain order, act as first responders in emergencies, and assist people during the most challenging moments of their lives.
“Blue Haven for Ukraine”: Why It Matters
The European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM) Ukraine, with financial and expert support from the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and in cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, has launched the “Blue Haven for Ukraine” project. This initiative aims to enhance the performance and efficiency of Ukrainian law enforcement and improve community safety by advancing mental health practices for police officers working under difficult conditions and in very stressful situations.
The project seeks to enhance the psychological resilience of law enforcement officers, whose work often involves significant stress and psychological trauma due to the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine and continuing attacks against civilians and the law enforcement agencies in the liberated territories and in areas close to the front.
“In frontline areas, police officers and personnel of the National Guard work under enormous pressure. They are frequently targeted by Russian artillery, drones, and guided bombs. Beyond the ever-present physical danger, these officers investigate deeply traumatic war crimes involving victims who have endured horrific experiences. Supporting and interviewing these victims inevitably leads to emotional strain for the officers themselves,” explains EUAM’s Head of Mission Rolf Holmboe, emphasising the importance of the “Blue Haven for Ukraine” project.
“Without proper support, unresolved direct and secondary mental trauma experienced by law enforcement officers can affect their families and the communities they serve,” he adds.
The project is focused on creating an effective psychosocial support system for the employees of the National Police of Ukraine (NPU) through three main components.
The first component involves the training of specialists. Employees of the Human Resources units – police psychologists and social police officers – will be certified under advanced training programs such as EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, a trauma-processing method using eye movement), “7ROSES”, as well as Team Collegial Support (TCS) and Buddy Support (BS). These programs will equip specialists with tools to address stress, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other psychological issues, which are particularly relevant for police officers.
The second component is infrastructure development. Psychosocial support centers will be established in Lviv, Kyiv, Rivne, and Vinnytsia, and 13 mobile offices will be deployed to operate in liberated and adjacent territories. These centers will be equipped with the necessary tools and technology to provide psychological assistance to a larger number of police officers.
The centers and mobile offices will support not only law enforcement officers but also ordinary citizens. Specifically, mobile offices will provide on-the-spot consultations or psychological assistance to those affected by shelling or other consequences of the war.
The third component revolves around the involvement of international experts to boost the integration of best European practices into the mental health support system of the National Police of Ukraine.
“We hope that with the expertise of the National Police of the Netherlands and ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre, the National Police of Ukraine can implement support practices and systems that are tailor-made to the needs of NPU in the context of the ongoing Russian aggression,” said Daro Nakshbande, Second Secretary for Political Affairs at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine, in his welcoming speech at the workshop.
Restoring the psychological well-being of police officers is an investment in the safety of our communities. As said by Desirée van Arkel, project manager for “Blue Haven for Ukraine” and an experienced specialist from the Blue Haven unit of the Dutch National Police Force, recovered officers will be able to provide higher-quality services, be more resilient to stress, and perform their duties more effectively.
Even when Ukraine returns to a peaceful life, the issue of PTSD will remain relevant. As Rolf Holmboe stresses, it is crucial to act now to address these problems at an early stage to avoid that the problems become much bigger and more complicated to resolve further down the line.
Looking Ahead
The “Blue Haven for Ukraine” project is set to be implemented during 2025, but its impact will be felt long after that. This project is not just about supporting law enforcement officers – it is about supporting the entire country.
A community that sees its police officers equipped with resources and support will trust them more. And trust is the foundation of the safety and stability that every Ukrainian needs now.
You can find more about the project in our booklet.
