Ukraine suspends border crossings after customs database failure

The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine has announced a temporary suspension of border crossing operations due to a malfunction in customs databases, according to a statement published on its official Facebook page.

“The reason for stopping the work of checkpoints on the state border was a technical failure with the power supply after a large-scale enemy shelling of energy facilities,” the State Customs Service clarified. Specialists are currently working to restore normal operations, and border checkpoints are expected to resume full functionality in the near future.

The service urged travellers to take this disruption into account, stating: “Registration of citizens and vehicles to enter and exit Ukraine is temporarily not carried out. We ask you to take this information into account when planning your trip.”

In response, Moldovan border authorities also warned of suspended crossings at the Moldovan-Ukrainian border.

This disruption comes amid the rollout of the European Union’s new Entry/Exit System (EES), a biometric control system that replaces traditional passport stamps and automatically records the entry and exit of third-country nationals, including Ukrainians. The system officially began operations on October 12, 2025, at EU external borders, including those with Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania.

During the initial crossing, travellers are registered using photo identification and fingerprinting, after which all subsequent checks are processed automatically.

“We are in dialogue with the relevant institutions of the neighbouring state, which informed us that measures are being taken to correct the situation as soon as possible,” the agency added.

By Tamilla Hasanova