Ukrainian President promises to begin missile program if reelected
During a speech in Kyiv that was broadcast by the TV channel 112 Ukraine, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko promised to start implementing the renewed military missile program if he wins the upcoming presidential elections.
Poroshenko said that at the start of his first term as president he had to “look for not only helmets and bulletproof vests for the army, but even pants, socks and linen”. “Our road to peace is through the further reinforcement of the army,” he observed. He also promised to restore the occupied territories through political and diplomatic means.
“When [Russian President Vladimir] Putin sees that in the elections Ukrainians have voted against capitulation, he will be simply forced to agree both to the UN’s blue hats and to our other proposals,” the Ukrainian president believes.
Last week Poroshenko announced that Ukraine intends to develop new missile weaponry after Russia and the US withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Kyiv is “no longer bound by any missile range limitations,” the president emphasized.
“We need high-precision missile weapons with an increased range in order to destroy targets deep in the enemy’s rear. This will make the aggressor more restrained, and our defense more reliable. For me, the safety of Ukrainians is of utmost importance,” Poroshenko remarked.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak announced in December last year that Ukraine will obtain new precision weaponry “which will allow us to damage the enemy and protect our country”. He said that the Ukrainian army will receive as many as 20 new models of domestically produced weapons. In autumn 2018, the Vilkha (Alder) missile system with adjustable ammunition was adopted into Ukraine’s armament.