Oleksandr Turchynov: Monetary support for soldiers and officers should be a tuning fork for the entire budget sphere

The issue of monetary support for military servicemen is a matter of national security of our country and one of the top state priorities. This was stated by Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov during the ceremony of handing the certificates for housing and apartment keys to the military servicemen of the National Guard of Ukraine.

Mr. Turchynov highly appreciated heroism and courage of the fighters of the National Guard, who "fulfill their duty to protect the country not only in the lines but also in the rear, defending Ukraine from the external and internal enemy".

At the same time, the Secretary the NSDC of Ukraine underlined that regular officers and soldiers-contractors should have a "reliable rear", which, he said, is impossible without a cozy home and decent monetary support.

In this context, Mr. Turchynov said that the leadership of both the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Guard are making every effort to ensure high-quality housing for military servicemen.

"Today we have a true military fraternity, where generals, officers, and ordinary soldiers feel themselves the members of a team that can defend Ukraine, stop and destroy the enemy. It is impossible to solve all the problems that have accumulated over the years in such a short span of time, but we are working systematically towards that every officer and soldier-contractor has a decent salary and cozy home for his family", - the NSDC Secretary noticed. 

"Certainly, in the next year's budget we will continue to finance the construction of housing for military servicemen", - he said.

Oleksandr Turchynov also stated that the pace of growth of monetary support for soldiers and officers is fundamental, noticing that "in many state institutions, officials do not offend themselves in salaries". "Slowly, they have caught up overtook our Armed Forces, the National Guard, the National Police, but that will not happen further", - he emphasized.

"It is a matter of principle for us that monetary support for a soldier and an officer is a tuning fork for the entire budget sphere. I do not call for the salaries of civil servants to be reduced, but their salaries cannot be more than the salaries of those who give blood and life for their own country, and outstripping growth rates of monetary support for soldiers and officers should be the priority of the budget for the next year", - the Secretary of the NSDC of Ukraine stated.

"I am confident that the issue of support for our military servicemen is a matter of national security of our country and one of the top priorities since the victory at the front and peace in the rear depend on the military", - Mr. Turchynov summarized.

In the military town in the New Petrivtsi village of Vyshgorod district of Kyiv region, the NSDC Secretary together with Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen Avakov and the commander of the National Guard of Ukraine Yuriy Allerov participated in the ceremony of opening apartment buildings for personnel and of the National Guard and visited the new settlers.