Ukraine's army is one of the five strongest in Europe thanks to the battlefield experience brought on by the start of Russia's war a year ago.
That is the assessment that President Petro Poroshenko shared during a meeting with commanders of Ukrainian military in Kyiv on March 23.
The experience of fighting the Russian regular army and their separatist proxies in Ukraine’s east has raised the morale of Ukrainian army, Poroshenko told the officers.
“We have paid a very high price for it – the lives of our heroes,” he said.
The most recent official figures put the death toll at 1,750 Ukrainian soldiers killed in the war.
A ranking by Global Fire Power puts Ukraine sixth among strongest European armies, with Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Poland coming in ahead of Ukraine. Globally, the United States, Russia, China and India take the top four spots. The ranking can be found here.
Poroshenko said that polls show that Ukrainians trust military more than any other institution.
“They trust the army even more than they trust the church,” Poroshenko said. “I was shocked.”
The poll by Research & Branding Group, released on March 23, showed that the army is trusted by 57 percent Ukrainians, making it the second most trusted institution in Ukraine, with church topping it.
Poroshenko did not cite the poll he was talking about.
But trust in the military is higher. In 2013, only 29 percent Ukrainians said they trusted the military – almost twice less than today.
“As a chief commander I demand that each one of you be worthy of that trust,” Poroshenko said to the officers.
He wants improvements in the way that the army orders supplies. He reported that some of the best army supply volunteers were appointed to positions in the Defense Ministry and are doing well there.
“I saw the plan for reforms offered by volunteers and I was amazed. I was breathless,” said Poroshenko.
The military uniform he was wearing at the meeting was, Poroshenko said, a gift from volunteers and a sample of the new high-quality uniform that the Ukrainian military will have soon.
Lawmaker Pavlo Kyshkar, a former soldier himself, made an address at the meeting with officers, praising the positive changes coming to Ukrainian army.
Kyshkar said that he quit the military because he saw that promotions were not based on skills. He said that crony system is now changing.
“The president is now finally appointing the real commanders: The men who tasted battled and have the balls to protect Ukraine.”
