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The priority areas of financing for the next year are the development and procurement of modern high-precision missile weapons, artillery armaments, armored vehicles, precision munitions, ammunition, and special chemistry.
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Oleksandr Turchynov says about UAH 200 billion (US$7.2 billion) will be allocated in 2019 for Ukraine's defense and security.
The official says that according to the forecast of Ukraine's Cabinet, the country's GDP in 2019 may be UAH 3.946 billion ($141.5 million). "Therefore, the financing of Ukraine's security and defense sector, which shall not be less than 5% of GDP, will amount to about UAH 200 billion," he said at a meeting on the 2019 budget planning, as reported by the NSDC press service on August 27.
According to Turchynov, the priority areas of financing for the next year are 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. Among key priorities are also the implementation of state policy in cybersecurity, measures for the development and modernization of special communications and information security, as well as providing modern equipment for shooting grounds to test rockets, ammunition, etc.
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"Among the key priorities of the defense budget is ensuring social guarantees for servicemen, first of all, increase in their monetary support, which is necessary to preserve the professional core of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, and other security structures," Turchynov said.
The official added that after the formation of the defense budget, it should be approved by the NSDC and transferred to the Cabinet of Ministers.