Kyiv, January 18, 2016. Ukraine’s National Guard is currently supplied with vehicles by 85% and with armored vehicles by 50%. Supplying the units deployed to the contact line is a priority: they are equipped almost by 100%. Two billion UAH was spent in 2015to achieve this, said Lt. Roman Topchiy, Head of road safety office at the National Guard of Ukraine at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. He added that the National Guard counts on same amount of funding this year as well.
Lt. Topchiy said 270 pieces of equipment were procured in 2015. Almost UAH 700 million was spent on automotive assets. “In 2016 we plan to maintain what we got as well as to develop the system of equipment evacuation from the battlefield and its further repair,” he explains. National Guard plans to purchase 150 more pieces of equipment. They include special evacuation equipment as well as multilift systems that allow transporting and equipping mobile points for refueling and warming. Lt. Topchiy emphasized that only the National Guard is working in this direction in Ukraine at the moment.
Lt. Topchiy noted that 80 armored vehicles were purchased in 2015 including “Kozak” armored vehicles. Twenty more vehicles are planned to be purchased this year. “One of the areas of current work is modernization and improvement of armored vehicles by installing more powerful engines, weapons and communication systems. We plan to modernize 40 pieces in 2016,” added Lt. Topchiy.
Moreover National Guard units have received five mobile repair shops for repairing of damaged equipment. Equipment for evacuation of armored vehicles and tanks is currently being developed. It is planned to be put in service with the military units before summer.
