Oleksiy Danilov: The law on the fundamentals of national resistance is one of the major safeguards in the context of escalating Russian hybrid aggression

Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov held an interagency meeting on implementing the Law of Ukraine “On the Fundamentals of National Resistance”.

Mr. Danilov stressed that the law will come into force on January 1, 2022, and is key to building an integrated system of territorial defense of Ukraine given the current threats. “Given the escalating hybrid aggression of the Russian Federation, aggravation of the situation around our borders, this law is one of the major safeguards, a mechanism for implementing the concept of comprehensive defense of our state”, - he said.

According to him, it is necessary to complete the process of forming the Command of the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, regional military authorities, brigades and battalions of the Territorial Defense Forces as soon as possible, taking into account the level of threats in each region of Ukraine. “All decisions must be made from the standpoint of national interests”, - he said emphasizing the expediency of reviewing the approach to the location and staffing of territorial defense units.

The NSDC Secretary also stressed the importance of intensifying the efforts by heads of local executive bodies and local self-government to implement the provisions of the Law of Ukraine “On the Fundamentals of National Resistance”, in particular the formation of a voluntary component of territorial defense. “The core of territorial defense should be formed in each community, people need to know a clear algorithm of actions to defend their land”, - he underscored.

First Deputy Secretary of the NSDC of Ukraine Ruslan Khomchak, First Deputy Minister of Defense Ivan Rusnak, First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Yevhen Yenin, First Deputy Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine Vasyl Lozynsky, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny, Commander of the National Guard of Ukraine Mykola Balan, Deputy Head of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Serhiy Serdyuk, Acting Head of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine Serhiy Kruk, Head of the National Police of Ukraine Ihor Klymenko, Commander of the Land Forces of the AFU Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander of the Territorial Defense Troops Command of the Land Forces of the AFU Anatoliy Barhylevych, Head of the State Service of Special Communication and Information Protection Yurii Shchyhol, representatives of the Office of the President of Ukraine, the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, experts of the NSDC Staff.