Air defense is one of the top priorities for our state, - Oleksandr Turchynov from the military exercises
The restoration of the air defense system is one of the top priorities for our state set out by the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine. This was stated by Secretary of the NSDC of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov during live-firing exercises at the proving ground of the Armed Forces of Ukraine "Yagorlik".
The units of the Air Defense Forces of the Ground Forces and the Anti-aircraft missile troops of the Ukrainian Air Force participated in the special combat firing exercises of different anti-aircraft missile systems (C-300 of various modifications, "Buk", "Kub", "Tor" and other systems). The control tests of anti-aircraft missile complexes, which had undergone in-depth modernization at the domestic enterprises of the defense-industrial complex, were also conducted.
According to the NSDC Secretary, the aim of these comprehensive measures was to work out a system of multi-leveled air defense of the country and "to identify ways of modernizing the anti-aircraft missile systems on armament of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and to develop new air defense capabilities".
"The restoration of the air defense system is one of the most urgent problems of the security and defense sector of our state and one of the top priorities set out by the NSDC of Ukraine", - he said adding that the Ukrainian air defense system had suffered the greatest losses and deliberate continuous destruction till 2014.
Mr. Turchynov noted that Ukrainian military servicemen demonstrated high professionalism and skill at the exercises effectively destroying air targets at different distances, "the modernized anti-aircraft missile systems confirmed the declared tactical and technical characteristics".