Hr 155 billion is to be allocated by 2017 for the implementation of army reforms planned by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, including Hr 40.3 billion in extra funds to be raised, according to a draft strategy for the reform and development of the Ukrainian Armed Forces until 2017.
The Dzerkalo Tyzhnia (Mirror Weekly) newspaper wrote on Saturday, citing a document available to it, that the creators of the strategy refer to European practices and promise to bring the level of military spending to 1.4% of GDP. At the same time, the planned defense budget for 2013 at Hr 17.4 billion is to be increased to Hr 19.7 billion, and in 2014, instead of the planned Hr 21.3 billion, it is to be raised to Hr 25.8 billion.
"As for the future provision of the Ukrainian Armed Forces with weapons and military equipment, a lot of priority areas are envisaged until 2017, for example, the modernization and procurement of combat aircraft, helicopters, ammunition, the modernization of air defense missile systems and missiles for them, as well as the creation of high-precision weapons and an air surveillance radar system, the procurement and joint production of multi-purpose unmanned aerial vehicles. Thorough re-equipment is scheduled from 2014," reads the statement.
