Towards New Armed Forces of Ukraine
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Ukrainian Armed Forces Top Story: Anti-corruption switch to new food supply Housing reform efforts in the Ministry standards in Ukrainian Army of Defence p. 5 p. 6 p. 11 TOWARDS NEW ARMED FORCES OF UKRAINE ОГЛЯД РЕФОРМУВАННЯ OVERVIEW OF DEFENCE REFORMS IN UKRAINE JanuaryОБОРОННОГО 2017 СЕКТОРУ УКРАЇНИ Січень 2017 defense-reforms.in.ua reformsmod.ukr reformsmod_ukr НазваMonth рубрикиin Review Under the plan, FOREIGN MILITARY approximately 3,000 personnel from the 7500 PERSONNEL TO PARTICIPATE United States, NATO and IN MULTINATIONAL EXERCISES IN UKRAINE Partnership for Peace member states will come to Ukraine in January-February 2017 and will be allowed to stay in the country through the end of the year. nother 2,500 military personnel Afrom the United States and other countries with armaments and military equipment, including planes, helicopters, ships, and submarines, will arrive in July- August 2017 for the U.S.-Ukraine Sea Breeze exercise in the Black Sea. They will be joined by 1,000 members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces for training ashore and at sea. A large contingent of foreign military personnel will also come to Ukraine in June-November 2017 for the annual Rapid Trident exercise within the framework of the Partnership for Peace Programme. Up to 2,000 NATO troops are expected to take part in drills at the Yavoriv training area. Minister of Defence of UKRAINE AND THE UK SIGN JOINT STATEMENT Ukraine Stepan Poltorak and State Secretary for Defence ON FUTURE DEFENCE COOPERATION of the United Kingdom Sir Michael Fallon have signed the Joint Statement on defence cooperation development following talks in Kyiv on January 20. hrough their Joint Statement, Tministers have shown willingness to further promote cooperation across several areas, including training of the Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel, education, language and professional training, as well as supporting the progress of ongoing defence reform in Ukraine. As was reported earlier, the UK also plans to increase its training and advisory assistance to Ukraine. This year, British instrucors are expected to train up to 5,000 Ukrainian troops to NATO standards. 2 Overview of Defence Reforms in Ukraine / January 2017 Назва рубрики DEFENCE MINISTRIES OF UKRAINE AND IN 2017, UKRAINIAN ARMED FORCES WILL FOCUS PORTUGAL AGREE ON RECRUITING MORE AND BETTER OFFICERS TO DEEPEN MILITARY COOPERATION According to Gen. Victor Muzhenko, Chief of During the official visit to the General Staff and Portugal on January 16, Minister Commander-in-Chief of the of Defence of Ukraine Stepan Ukrainian Armed Forces, Poltorak held a meeting with officer positions will be filled Minister of National Defence both by recruiting reserve of Portugal Mr Jose Alberto officers for a contract service Azeredo Lopes, discussing and through accelerated enhanced cooperation between training courses for sergeants the two countries in the defence with higher education willing sphere. to become junior officers. particular, ministers spoke about he whole officer recruitment effort, signing a Memorandum on Defence In Gen. Muzhenko said, will be primarily and Technical Cooperation between T aimed at staffing combat units. Ukraine and Portugal and expanding joint scientific activities at higher military educational establishments. It is expected that the two countries will improve UKRAINIAN SOLDIERS WILL BE TRAINED experience sharing among military doctors. BY OKLAHOMA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD Minister also agreed that Ukrainian WIA soldiers will undergo treatment and rehabilitation in Portugal. Approximately 250 soldiers he JMTG-U mission, which falls under from the Oklahoma Army T7th Army Training Command and National Guard’s 45th Infantry U.S. Army Europe, will pair Thunderbirds from 1st Battalion, 179th Infantry Brigade Combat Team arrived in HEALTH MINISTRY Regiment with Ukrainian Soldiers from Ukraine in January to begin their UNVEILED THE 1st Battalion, 28th Mechanized Brigade deployment in support of Joint and 1st Battalion, 79th Airborne Brigade. CONTENTS OF THE Multinational Training Group- American soldiers will serve in Ukraine for NEW ARMY FIRST Ukraine. the next six months. AID KITS Updated first aid kits are designed with modern NATO standards in mind and contain basic means for saving soldier’s life after being wounded in action. utdated Esmarch bandages are Ofinally out of the kit, replaced by the more efficient tourniquets. Unlike bandages, the latter are more resilient to physical or temperature stress and can be applied single-handedly. t is expected that the Armed Forces will Ireceive the new first aid kits after the Health Ministry decides on the supplier. Military personnel will undergo additional training before switching to the new kit. Developed by StratComUA 3 Professional army LAW #5337 ADDRESSES PROBLEMS OF TERMLESS CONTRACTS #5337 “On amend- Law ments to several laws of Ukraine on improving the pro- cedure for military service” went into effect on Jan. 7, 2017. The Law allows two categories of ser- vice members to terminate their contacts with the Armed Forces UKRAINIAN MILITARY of Ukraine: those whose contracts were automatically renewed (for 18 PERSONNEL TO BE months) after the start of the ATO, 80% UNDER CONTRACT and those who signed a contract (for 24 months) during the ATO The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is increasing for a period “until the end of the the number of contracted service members. In 2016, on average special period”. This applies to approximately 6,000 Ukrainians every month signed contracts approximately 90,000 military per- to serve in the army, which eliminated the need for another sonnel. Service members will be discharged in stages and it will not wave of mobilization. degrade the combat-readiness of ontracted military service remains one of the most attractive professions units in the ATO zone. Cin Ukraine, given the improved conditions of service and pay increase (it has tripled since 2015). Currently, the minimum monthly wage of a soldier-shooter serving outside the ATO zone is UAH 7,000. When mobilized members sign contracts, soldiers receive an additional one-time payment equivalent to 8 minimum wages, while officers receive ARMY’S EFFICIENCY IS NOT 10 minimum wages. The General Staff is also compiling a list of combat positions DEFINED BY THE HEADCOUNT, subject to bonuses to increase the prestige of military service. BUT RATHER BY UNITS’ ABILITY TO PERFORM SET TASKS. THAT’S WHY THIS YEAR OUR EFFORTS CONTRACT TERMS WOMEN IN THE AFU WILL BE FOCUSED ON HOW PROFESSIONAL AND WELL- The AFU offers several types of In June 2016 the MOD expanded the TRAINED OUR CONTRACT contracts, ranging from 6 months to list of staff posts for which women TROOPS ARE. 5 years, depending on position and serving under contract are eligible. Now, previous military experience. Law nearly all military specializations, from #5337 adopted in January allows shooters to scouts, snipers, and unit contractors to leave service prior to commanders are open to women. full demobilization. proportion of contracted service members is expected to gradually The increase to 80%. During the assignment of contracted soldiers, priority will be given to filling posts for junior commanders, combat positions in crews, and other positions that determine the combat readiness of units. Viktor Muzhenko, Ukrainian Army General, The remaining 20% of the army will be conscripts; this year, approximately 17,000 Chief of the General Staff citizens will be called up for duty in the AFU. Conscripted members will serve in non- of the Armed Forces of Ukraine combat units and will not be deployed to the ATO zone. More than 69,000 people signed contracts with the AFU in 2016, 7,500 of them were officers 4 Overview of Defence Reforms in Ukraine / January 2017 Food reform in the Armed Forces of Ukraine BETTER FOOD FOR THE ARMY: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE APPROVES AFU FOOD SUPPLY REFORM CONCEPT OUR EXPERIMENT MADE IT POSSIBLE TO EXPAND THE ASSORTMENT OF FOOD PRODUCTS USED, MAKE A CATALOGUE, DIVERSIFY THE MILITARY DIET, AND EFFECTIVELY USE PUBLIC FUNDS TO PURCHASE FOOD FOR THE MILITARY. IN 2017, THANKS TO THE CONCEPT, THIS APPROACH WILL BE IMPLEMENTED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE ARMY. Diana Petrenya, Ukrainian soldiers will now be served meals using international head of the AFU Food Reform Project, standards. This is a major achievement for the Reforms Project Reforms Project Office Office of the Ministry of Defence, which has been working on this reform for two years. he new food supply system will be 348 products), make changes to the Ttested in 2017 at military schools, catalogue, and determine whether hospitals, and 25 military units. catering companies or military cooks Ukraine’s military will move to the will be responsible for food at each new food supply system within three military unit. The draft concept and years. The reforms were made possible catalogue were developed by the MOD following the adoption by the Cabinet Reforms Project Office based on testing of Minister on December 28, 2016 of a done in 2015-2016 at the Sahaidachny decree on food procurement rules for Army Academy in Lviv and Western the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Naval Base in Odesa that confirmed the new food supply system was effective. military units, changing how nutritional This gave the MOD the right to purchase needs were calculated, and using food independently based on a ministry- The testing involved introducing an electronic accounting and reporting. approved catalogue (currently includes alternative system of supplying food to Meals were made using ingredients from the catalogue costing a certain amount and with buffet-style elements. PROBLEMS WITH THE CURRENT FOOD SUPPLY SYSTEM At the military unit dining halls service members could choose from two or three first and second courses, a range AFU nutrition norms There is an urgent Military canteens The food supply haven’t changed need for qualified have outdated market is dominated of salads, fruits, cakes, etc. The food since the 1960s and food service equipment that make by four companies, budget was calculated using maximum do not meet the workers, especially it impossible to cook which prevents allowable cost and number of calories needs of a modern managers.