The Ukrainian State Border Guard Service has optimized the 'European Wall' project, whose cost has been reduced by at least one half, Ukrainian State Border Guard Service Chief Viktor Nazarenko said.

"The tentative cost of the work may be reduced by at least one half, and maybe more," Nazarenko said while presenting the updated 'European Wall' project to the government on Wednesday.

Nazarenko recalled that the first version of the project was too costly (the total cost was estimated at UAH 8.4 billion and the cost of the work done on one kilometer of the border was estimated at UAH 4 million).

"The tentative cost of the work done on one kilometer of the border at the first stage, that is, this year, may come in at [according to the updated project] under UAH 1 million depending on the area and border infrastructure against the UAH 3.7 million projected before. The cost of the work done on other stages needs further estimation," he said.

Nazarenko said the project includes a set of defense elements of state border protection and therefore objectively constitutes a state secret.

Nazarenko said the State Border Guard Service needs time until March 2015 to complete the work on the plan and make detailed estimations.