Politis

Coast Guard and Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit Announced by Fytiris

Published February 9, 2026, 14:24
Coast Guard and Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit Announced by Fytiris

The Minister of Justice and Public Order, Kostas Fytiris, announced the creation of a Coast Guard, independent from the Police, with the aim of protecting the sea area from the coastline to the Cypriot EEZ. The Coast Guard will consist of the Port and a helicopter squadron, and will cooperate with the Port Authority and the Fisheries Department. The goal is to concentrate forces, reduce costs and respond quickly to incidents. At the same time, a Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit will be created, such as airports, fiber optic sites, and the energy center. The Minister also presented a plan to modernize the Fire Service, which includes the acquisition of new vehicles (vans, 6x6, fire engines), electro-optical fire detection systems, drones, and the installation of a MANET wireless network. In addition, the ARGOS crisis management system will be implemented and the Fire Brigade will procure two mobile tactical level centers. According to the statistics presented, in 2025 the Fire Brigade rescued 2,351 people and recorded 7,154 fires, of which 3,585 in urban areas and 3,569 in the countryside.