7 May 2019 14:07

Contract service members account for 85% of Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel

KYIV. May 7 (Interfax) - Contract service members account for 85% of the Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel, President Petro Poroshenko said.

"The number of contract service members has reached 85% of the general strength of the Armed Forces. The number of reservists has grown and reached 200,000 now," Poroshenko said while meeting with Combined Force Operation members in the Donetsk region on Monday.

In line with Ukrainian law No. 235-VIII of March 5, 2015, the Ukrainian Armed Forces number 250,000 service members.

At the same time, Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak said when asked about the strength of the Armed Forces in April 2018 that "the Defense Ministry has 255,000 people under its command now."

"This includes 250,000 members of the Armed Forces and 5,000 of the State Transport Service. I signed all acts several days ago, and we have completed the inclusion of this service into the Defense Ministry structure," Poltorak said.