Starting November 16, 2026, specialized patrol cars informally known as "phantoms" will begin operating on the most accident-prone road sections in the Lviv and Odesa oblasts. This was announced by Oleksiy Biloshytsky, Chief of the Patrol Police Department of Ukraine, as reported by RBC-Ukraine. According to him, outwardly these special vehicles are indistinguishable from ordinary passenger cars, making their presence on the road unnoticed by traffic participants.
How the Automatic Recording System Works
The main technological difference of the "phantoms" is their built-in automatic speed recording systems. The equipment is capable of measuring driving speed both while the patrol car is moving and when it is stationary. Speeding is recorded automatically in both directions—both oncoming and passing—without the need to stop the offender. This means that a driver exceeding the limit receives a ticket even if they are driving towards the patrol car.
More Than Just Speed: List of Recorded Violations
In addition to speed control, "phantom" crews respond to a number of other dangerous traffic violations. The list includes running a red traffic light, crossing a double solid lane marking, and driving into oncoming traffic. In such cases, police officers have the right to stop the driver and bring them to administrative responsibility, Biloshytsky emphasized. Thus, the "phantoms" perform a dual function: automatic recording of speeding offenses and prompt suppression of gross violations that pose a direct threat to road users.
From Kyiv to New Regions: Project Chronology
Special patrol vehicles first returned to the roads of Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast in September 2026. During the first six days of operation, the system automatically recorded 7,012 speeding violations—a figure that, according to the patrol police, confirmed the effectiveness of the implementation. Afterwards, the agency announced its intention to expand the project's geography. Initially in September, it was planned to deploy the "phantoms" on the roads of the Lviv and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts, but in the final launch version, the geography was adjusted: alongside the Lviv oblast, the Odesa oblast was included in the pilot group.
What This Means for Drivers
For motorists traveling along hazardous sections of the Lviv and Odesa oblasts, the launch of "phantoms" means that speeding and gross traffic violations will be recorded around the clock and without a visible patrol presence. Since the special vehicles are outwardly indistinguishable from regular cars, the opportunity to "spot" a patrol and slow down in front of it is virtually non-existent. Judging by the project's dynamics, the patrol police intend to further expand coverage zones based on accident statistics of specific road sections.
