Mobile automated traffic violation detection units, known as "phantom patrols," have resumed operations in Kyiv and the Kyiv region. According to the Patrol Police Department, on the very first day of operation — August 31 — the specialized vehicles recorded 810 instances of speeding. This was announced in a statement by the head of the Patrol Police Department, Oleksiy Beloshitsky, who emphasized that each automatically issued fine corresponds to a real case of disregarding the established speed limits.
How the "phantoms" work and why drivers are not stopped
The specialized vehicles are capable of measuring the speed of other vehicles both while in motion and while stationary on a given stretch of road. Detection is carried out in both directions — both in the same direction of travel and in the oncoming direction. After a violation is recorded, the system automatically recognizes the license plate, cross-checks the data against the database, and generates a decision without any operator involvement. In most cases, the violator does not even notice that they have been "caught": they are not stopped, and the fine arrives by mail. The vehicles are equipped with two video cameras — front and rear — which allows the violation to be captured from different angles.
Three vehicles — just the beginning of scaling up
At present, three "phantom patrols" are on duty in the capital and the region, operating directly within the traffic flow. The patrol police stress that this is only the first stage of rolling out the system. In the future, similar units are planned for the roads of other regions of Ukraine, and their total number will increase. As a result, the likelihood of automated speed violation detection is rising for drivers across the country, regardless of the presence of fixed cameras.
Context: 50 new automated detection cameras since August 20
The return of the "phantoms" comes against the backdrop of an expansion of the fixed control infrastructure. Since August 20, 2026, 50 new automated detection cameras have been put into operation in Ukraine. Six of them are installed in the Kyiv region on the N-01, R-69, N-07, M-01-01, and M-07 routes. The cameras monitor traffic in the direction of Kyiv, Leonivka, the Kyiv Hydroelectric Power Station, Hoholeve, and Boryspil. The combined action of fixed cameras and mobile "phantom patrols" forms a multi-level speed control system that, by design, is intended to reduce the number of traffic accidents related to speeding.
When the "phantom" does stop you
Despite the predominantly automated nature of their work, the "phantom patrols" are not devoid of an operational component. If a driver creates a hazardous situation or commits other serious traffic violations, the patrol officers have the right to stop the vehicle and process the case in accordance with the current legislation. The two video cameras record what is happening in front of and behind the service vehicle, providing an evidentiary basis for any subsequent proceedings.
