You're reading: Defense minister: Soldiers’ pay should be doubled

Salaries of Ukrainian servicemen will be doubled starting from December 1 2010, Defense Minister Mykhailo Yezhel has said.

"On December 1, we will increase the salaries of military personnel by around 55%, which will mean bring them to the level of civil servants’ salaries. The funds have been assigned. The government adopted a relevant resolution. So everything will be done," Yezhel said after the 59th meeting of the Council of CIS Defense Ministers in Livadia, Crimea, on Wednesday.

The minister also announced that from December 1 they would provide one-time meals to contract soldiers.

In addition, they plan to allocate funds for purchasing medical equipment to improve the standard of healthcare at medical institutions of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.

The minister also announced that they were planning to allocate UAH 100 million for the construction of housing for servicemen. In particular, 2,000 apartments are to be built by the end of this year.

Yezhel stressed that the Defense Ministry is planning the construction of housing for contract soldiers, and is planning to allocate the necessary funds.