President Yanukovych wants to reduce armed forces by 8,000

KYIV, August 13, 2011 (UKRINFORM). President Viktor Yanukovych initiates the reduction in 2012 of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by 8,000 people, including - 5,000 of the military, according to the website of the head of state. The president submitted a draft law on the strength of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2012 for immediate consideration by the Verkhovna Rada. By the end of next year, the president proposes to bring the number of Ukrainian army to the amount of 184,000 people, including - 139,000 of military men, stressing that the task is to be fulfilled within the 2012 budget spending. The instrument specifies the principles for reducing the armed forces, in particular, through the optimization of the structure of military control; eliminating duplication and reducing the levels of control; forming standby military units and mobilization reserves; optimizing the structure and number of combat units - especially those equipped with broken weapons and vehicles, whose recovery is economically impractical. The matter also concerns the dissolution of unpromising arsenals, depots and warehouses that store the excess or unfit for further use missiles, ammunition and propellants, arms and military equipment. The draft law provides for the optimization of the number and strength of units responsible for life and logistical support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine - including through the transition to new forms of organization and implementation of such services (outsourcing). The document aims to bring the military education system in line with modern tasks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including the improvement of training centers for training of junior specialists, introduction of a new system of training and retraining of professional non-commissioned officers.