Ukraine wants to double its defense budget.

• December 12, 2014 20:21

Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak on December 12 called for doubling the defense budget in 2015 to allow the military to purchase foreign equipment and better equip itself to fight separatists in the east. He also announced plans to enlist 40,000 soldiers in 2015.

Binh sĩ Ukraine đóng gần Mariupol, thành phố cảng miền đông Ukraine. Ảnh: AFP

Ukrainian soldiers are stationed near Mariupol, a port city in eastern Ukraine. Photo: AFP

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Speaking before parliament, Poltorak said the Ukrainian armed forces plan to spend approximately $110 million on foreign weapons in 2015, along with $365 million on domestic weapons production. He stated, "We plan to conscript 40,000 people in 2015 and train 10,500 professional soldiers." Some will replace those who have completed their military service, thus increasing the total number of servicemen in the Ukrainian armed forces from 232,000 to 250,000.

In 2013, Ukraine had only 130,000 servicemen in its armed forces and called up fewer than 25,000 for military service.

Ukraine lifted compulsory military service in October 2013 and only reinstated it in May 2014, following Russia's annexation of Crimea and the uprising in the east.

According to the News