The Ukrainian army is interested in increase of its financing, defense minister Dmytro Salamatin said during the opening ceremony of the renovated dorms of the National Defense University, ForUm correspondent reports.

Responding the ForUm question what GDP percentage will have the defense budget 2013, he said: "We will fight for every thousandth of a percent."

At the same time, the minister stressed that, despite the financial difficulties, "the army began to live a full life".

Salamatin also said that, despite the tradition of criticizing the technical support of the army, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have good equipment. He cited the pilots as an example. "We have very good equipment. The equipment of the Belgian Air Forces is of the same age as our equipment ... and we consider this army modern," the minister said.

In addition, according to Salamatin, the aircraft repair plants are extremely busy today. "Having been renovated and equipped with modern electronics, the Ukrainian planes become competitive," the head of the Defense Ministry said.

Salamatin also reminded that Ukraine has 15 ships and a submarine, the program on corvettes construction is being implemented.

He said that raising the status and welfare of servicemen is controlled by the President. According to him, the reforms carried out today will significantly enhance the prestige of military service. "The army, which we obtain as a result of reforms will be more compact and will be much more highly educated, more mobile. This will be a serious army, it won’t be ignored," Salamatin summed up.

 

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