Ukraine now has a new concept of security and defense sector development / Photo from UNIAN

The main purpose of the reform of security and defense sector development is to build up and further maintain capabilities ensuring adequate and flexible response to the whole range of threats to national security of Ukraine and the rational use of state resources.

According to the document, the most relevant threat in the medium term will be Russia’s aggressive actions aimed at the depletion of the Ukrainian economy by undermining social and political stability in order to destroy Ukraine and seize its territory, the use of military force, as well as a hybrid war technology; temporary occupation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, and further actions on destabilization in the Baltic-Black Sea-Caspian region.

Read alsoMuzhenko: NATO experts involved in developing army concept until 2020Among other threats to Ukraine there are the intelligence-subversive and sabotage activities of Russia and other states, as well as the actions aimed at inciting inter-ethnic, inter-confessional, social discord and hatred, separatism and terrorism; setting up and comprehensive support of puppet quasi-state formations in the temporarily occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions; Russian military build-up near the state border of Ukraine and in Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territory, including deployment in Crimea of tactical nuclear weapons; activities on the territory of Ukraine of criminal extremist armed groups aimed at destabilizing the internal socio-political situation in Ukraine, disruption of normal functioning of state authorities, local authorities, and blocking of important industrial and infrastructure sites. Another security challenge is the possible use of the Ukrainian territory for combat operations in the event of a military conflict between NATO Member States and Russia.

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Reform of the security and defense sector requires fulfillment of a range of tasks, including implementation of the principles and standards adopted by the EU Member States and NATO; respecting the principles of the rule of law, patriotism, competence and de-partisation; raising the level of coordination and cooperation; effective implementation of a unified resource planning and management system with modern European and Euro-Atlantic approaches; creation of a national cyber security system; professionalization of the defense forces and the creation of the necessary military reserve; strengthening cooperation with partner intelligence agencies of NATO member states, in particular, the adoption of specific measures of mutual trust.

Read alsoUkraine NSDC adopts Cyber Security StrategyNational Security Council instructed the Cabinet of Ministers to ensure the development and introduction of bills aimed at implementing the provisions of the Concept.

Within three months, the Government, the Security Service of Ukraine, the Foreign Intelligence Service, and the State Guard Office shall develop with regard to the provisions of the Concept conceptual and program documents for the development of components of the security and defense sector; and within two months, the Ministry of Defense shall review the Strategic Defense Bulletin of Ukraine and submit it to the NSDC.