Oleksandr Turchynov: Increased monetary support of the military is the key priority of the defense budget for 2019

Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov held a meeting on budget planning for 2019. Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine Stepan Kubiv, acting Minister of Finance of Ukraine Oksana Markarova, Minister of Defense of Ukraine Stepan Poltorak, Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen Avakov, heads of other law enforcement agencies and departments attended the meeting.

Secretary of the NSDC of Ukraine informed that according to the forecast of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, GDP for 2019 would amount to UAH 3 946 billion hryvnias, "therefore the financing of the security and defense sector of Ukraine, which should be not less than 5% of GDP, will amount to about 200 billion hryvnias.

"Defense budget revenues should be formed solely from real substantiated incomes", - he emphasized.

According to Mr. Turchynov, the priority areas of financing for the next year, in particular, include the development and procurement of modern high-precision missile weapons (missile systems and complexes, in particular cruise missiles), artillery armaments, armored vehicles, precision munitions, ammunition and special chemistry, strengthening of the state's air defense system and capabilities of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine; implementation of state policy in the cybersecurity sphere, implementation of measures for the development and modernization of special communication and information security; modern equipment for proving grounds for testing rockets, ammunition. etc."

"Among the key priorities of the defense budget ensuring social guarantees for servicemen, first of all, increase of their monetary support, which is necessary to preserve the professional core of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, and other security structures", - the NSDC Secretary stressed adding that when drafted the defense budget will be approved at the NSDC meeting and submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.