Ukraine must actively strengthen its Armed Forces, especially the Special Operation Forces.
According to an UNIAN correspondent, Anatoliy Hrytsenko, chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee for National Security and Defense and ex-Defense Minister of Ukraine, claimed this to a news conference in Kyiv on Tuesday.
“We must strengthen the Armed Forces, we must fulfill the State Program of the Armed Forces Development for the period till the year 2012, which is hushed up at present”, A.Hrytsenko stressed.
In particular, he turned attention to the necessity of developing the Special Operation Forces. According to him, his last decision on the post of the Defense Minister was to sign the Program of Special Operation Forces Development. However, the incumbent leadership of the Ministry does not fulfill it.
“This component of our army has the biggest fighting capacity, and is able to fulfill very responsible tasks, from blocking entrance to ports and up to attacks from the land, air, or under water. Four-five specialists are able to seize an airdrome and block military objects”, A.Hrytsenko said.
He noted that when he was the Defense Minister of Ukraine he ordered to allocate at least 300 million hryvnias annually to develop the special forces. “However, Yekhanurov disrupted this program”, A.Hrytsenko said.
According to his information, the incumbent Ministry leadership stipulated just 150 million hryvnias for development of the Special Operation Forces, and allocated even less.
At the same time, according to A.Hrytsenko, 80 million hryvnias are allocated to celebrate the military parade on occasion of the Independence Day, and 50 million are channeled for building a regular military lyceum.
“We must develop forces that may really guarantee security of our state”, A.Hrytsenko stressed.
