Arseniy Yatsenyuk commissions to settle an issue of increasing financial support for border guards

Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk has instructed the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other concerned departments to consider increasing financial support for border guards and other military units that are deployed in the anti-terror operation area, inter alia, military personnel of the State Special Transport Service, the State Security Department, the Security Service of Ukraine.

The Head of the Government said in 10 minutes with the Prime Minister programme on Sunday, January 31, answering a question of the Facebook user.

Arseniy Yatsenyuk reminded that this year funding for the national security and defense sector had been substantially increased – up to UAH 113 bn.

He stressed that a soldier in the Armed Forces of the country had previously got UAH 2,341, now - UAH 7,000 which is by UAH 4,659 more. Earlier, platoon commander received UAH 3,801, now - UAH 9,000. For company commander the payment has upped from UAH 5,096 to 11,000. For battalion commander – from UAH 5,664 to 13,000. For brigade commander – UAH 6,501 to 16,000 UAH.

"A similar scheme and similar volumes of financial support, which is obtained by Ukrainian soldiers, apply to the National Guard of Ukraine", said the Prime Minister.

The main purpose of raising financial support, according to Arseniy Yatseniuk, is the creation of a professional army, the standards of which must align with high NATO standards, "which must be capable to fight and to have a new technique, but the soldier must receive a decent wage".

Due to the pay increase there has substantially grown the number of professional contract soldiers: "On average we have up to 200 contractors enrolled daily to do military service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Presently, the contract professional army in Ukraine enumerates about 140 thousand officers."

A similar approach, he said, exists in the National Guard of Ukraine.