NEWTOWN, Conn. - Following through with plans announced in July 2010, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense reported on March 2 that the size of the armed forces will be reduced from 200,000 down to 192,000 by the end of 2011.
Plans call for the armed forces to be gradually reduced by 20 percent by 2015. The final goal is for a force of 150,000-160,000. The total personnel count of 200,000 comprises160,000 military personnel and 40,000 civilians. According to Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhaylo Yezhel, of the 192,000 that will remain at the end of 2011, 144,000 will be military personnel.
The cuts are part of the military's reorganization strategy which also calls for defense spending to grow significantly in the coming years. In the short term, the MoD expects spending to increase by 15-20 percent by 2015, while long-term spending will to climb to $4.2 billion by 2023. Currently, the defense budget totals around $1.1 billion, with an additional $584 million available from a special fund.
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