27 june 2010 18:18 Ukrainian army to become fully professional by 2015
"We plan to ensure by 2015 the complete transfer of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the mixed system of manning to the new system on a professional basis," Serhiy Kropyvchenko, the chief of Central Bureau of Personnel of the Armed Forces General Staff, said at a briefing with foreign military diplomats.

According to him, today over 52% of soldier and sergeant posts are manned by the contract-service military personnel. To raise the prestige of the contract service the Armed Forces raised the level of cash security of personnel, provided the opportunity for free higher education in military high schools, the creation of a service housing fund is continued, the feeding of contract-service soldiers at military units' canteens at public expense will be introduced from July 1.

He also added that to attract Ukrainians to contract service the Armed Forces formed 25 territorial centers for recruitment of contract-service personnel in every region of Ukraine.

UKRINFORM