РНБОУ National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine

Oleksandr Turchynov: The priority task for 2016 will be the restoration of our air defense and Air Forces capacity

National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine determined as the most important task for the next year the restoration of Ukrainian air defense capacity. This was stated by NSDC Secretary Oleksandr Turchynov at a briefing after examination of armament samples, presented at the National Guard proving ground, and verification firing.

According to NSDC Secretary, Ukraine's air defense system has been brought to obliteration for decades. "And exactly the deliberate destruction of the Ukrainian army by Russian proxies led to the fact that Ukraine now has serious problems with providing cover for the entire Ukrainian-Russian border and Ukraine as a whole", - Oleksandr Turchynov said.

At the same time, NSDC Secretary noted that the events in Syria and the potential of Russian Air Forces are being reviewed especially thorough now "in order we could give a robust rebuff in case of using them against Ukraine".

"And therefore, a priority task for 2016 will be the restoration of our air defense and our Air Forces capacity. This applies both to modernization and purchase of new planes as well as to modernization and purchase of new air defense complexes, which will be able to reliably protect our country from the air", - Oleksandr Turchynov said.