Ukraine's leading English-language newspaper since 1995

Ukraine has fallen behind the international tempos of increasing arms exports. Ukraine has fallen behind the international tempos of increasing arms exports, according to Director of Center for Army Conversion and Disarmament Studies Valentyn Badrak.

According to his estimates, volumes of Ukrainian armament exports have doubled since 2003, while this rate increased by 2.6 times in the rest of the world.

The expert says that volume of arms exports of Ukraine was $1.4 billion in 2009, which is a "record" result over all years of the independence of Ukraine.

In 2009 Ukraine concluded big deals on arms supply, including agreements on the modernization of An-32 planes for India worth over $400 million, on arms supplies to Iraq worth over $500 million and on armored vehicle supplies to Eastern Asia, he said.

Unfortunately, today Ukraine remains among the "outsiders" in financing army rearmament.

"In neighboring countries spending on defense has increased on average by 30%, and in such countries as Georgian and Azerbaijan – by many times. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian budget does not envisage an increase in defense spending for purchase of new equipment," he said.