Road to the South: the Mission’s Head of Operations Visits Mykolaiv and Odesa

June 07, 2024

This week, EUAM Ukraine’s Head of Operations Lynn Sheehan visited Odesa and Mykolaiv regions to meet with regional counterparts. The visit focused on assessing how the Mission can best support its partners under the new mission mandate (June 2024-May 2027) amidst the intense wartime challenges.

In Mykolaiv, the EUAM delegation, led by Lynn Sheehan, EUAM Head of Operations, held a joint meeting with Serhii Makhno, Head of the National Police in the Mykolaiv region, and Denys Falchenko, Acting Head of the Mykolaiv Region Prosecutor’s Office. Serhii Makhno updated on the current challenges faced by the police during wartime, priorities of documenting and investigating war crimes, supporting demining efforts, SALW and work with communities. He also thanked EUAM for their support and commitment in terms of supporting the restoration of the rule of law. “We are grateful for the support of our European partners and the assistance you have already provided to us, and thank you for your commitment to continue cooperation in joint projects and civilian security reform,” he said.

Denys Falchenko provided an overview of recent activities, focusing on war crimes prosecution. He described cooperation among law enforcement agencies and with international partners, expressing gratitude to EUAM for organising various trainings and workshops.

Lynn Sheehan praised the resilience and remarkable efforts of the police and the prosecution during these challenging times. She also outlined the main directions of the Mission’s work under the new mandate. “In the new mandate, the EUAM will strengthen its support for Ukrainian counterparts in the investigation and prosecution of international crimes committed as a result of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and will strengthen the support for the Ukrainian authorities in restoring the rule of law and stabilising the situation in the liberated and adjacent territories by increasing the capabilities of law enforcement agencies,” she stressed.

In Odesa, the EUAM delegation met with Ihor Domushchei, the Head of the Odesa Region Prosecutor’s Office. The conversation focused on the challenges of investigating and prosecuting international crimes committed since the full-scale invasion. During the meeting, the parties also discussed the need for equipment and training for Odesa regional prosecutors and how the Mission could support its counterparts in this regard under its new mandate.