The event gathered participants from Moldova, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Ukraine, with additional support from the Romanian Border Police. The exercise was organised under Project 106 - “Table Top Exercises, Simulations and Trainings for CBRN risk mitigation (TEST)” in close cooperation with Moldovan authorities.
Representatives of the Biohazard Prevention Centre at the University of Lodz also took part in this major international event:
- Prof. Michał Bijak, Head of the Biohazard Prevention Centre, served as a member of the Evaluation Team,
- Maksymilian Stela was a member of the Exercise Control Team.
Their participation contributed significantly to the assessment and coordination of multinational CBRN response efforts, as well as to the evaluation of interoperability and cross-border cooperation among participating services.
The exercise consisted of several phases:
- Lead-in Phase – simulated cross-border intelligence sharing on the potential smuggling of hazardous materials via the SIENA X platform,
- Table-top Exercise (TTX) – in-room coordination and decision-making simulation,
- Field Phase – full-scale operational response at the Ungheni Train Station, where responders faced simulated ricin release and sarin discovery scenarios.
The exercise involved first responders (Border Police, Customs), chemical and decontamination units, medical teams and EOD/CSI experts securing and investigating the site under simulated hazardous conditions.
All the stages were streamed online through SIENA X, allowing real-time monitoring and evaluation by European and international partners.
“Border Shield 25” demonstrated the high level of professionalism, readiness and cooperation among European CBRN experts. The participation of the University of Lodz team was an important contribution to strengthening international capabilities in responding to CBRN threats.
Information and photos: Biohazard Prevention Centre, University of Lodz
Edit: Mateusz Kowalski (Promotion Centre, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, Univeristy of Lodz)
