Oleksiy Danilov: The NSDC considered the issue of development of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and missile armament by 2031

At its meeting on August 20, this year, the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, chaired by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, approved the draft Strategic Defense Bulletin of Ukraine, as well as adopted a number of other important decisions in the defense sphere.

Secretary of the NSDC of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov announced this at a briefing following the meeting.

In particular, in pursuance of the NSDC decision of September 14, 2020, “On the National Security Strategy of Ukraine”, enacted by the Decree of the President of Ukraine of September 14, 2020, № 392, the Concept of the National Resilience System. This fundamental document was developed for over a year, Mr. Danilov said.

Establishing the national resilience system is aimed at ensuring the ability of the state and society to identify threats, vulnerabilities and assess risks to Ukraine’s national security in a timely manner.

Minister of Defense of Ukraine Andriy Taran reported on the second issue regarding the Strategic Defense Bulletin of Ukraine, the NSDC Secretary said.

The purpose of developing the Strategic Defense Bulletin is to set out the main directions of implementation of Ukraine’s military policy, strategic goals for the development of defense forces, and the expected results of their achievement, taking into account current military-political threats and challenges.

The third issue, Mr. Danilov said, was considered secretly and covered the development of missile weapons until 2031.

“The costs of this program by 2031 will amount to more than 200 billion hryvnias, - the NSDC Secretary noticed. – Our task is to provide the army with weapons of our own production, and we have all the capabilities and specialists for this”.

Moreover, according to Oleksiy Danilov, the government and parliament will be suggested to consider amendments to the State Budget in terms of additional funding for the missile program in the amount of 3,3 billion hryvnias already this year.

“The fourth issue was also considered in secret and concerned the development of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,- he said. - We have a clear understanding of how our fleet will develop by 2031”. “We are asking the Verkhovna Rada and the Cabinet of Ministers for an additional 960 million hryvnias already this year to purchase the much-needed technical means for the Navy today”, - the NSDC Secretary added.

Mr. Danilov also reported that the NSDC of Ukraine had imposed sanctions on a number of legal entities and individuals.

Among them, according to the NSDC Secretary, are judges who illegally judge Ukrainian citizens in the temporarily occupied Crimea, representatives of intelligence and special services of the Russian Federation, media, which are registered in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories.

He also said that sanctions had been imposed on People’s Deputy of Ukraine Andriy Derkach and a number of other persons subject to U.S. sanctions; on Ihor Huzhva and the individuals and legal entities affiliated with him who carry out illegal activities on the territory of Ukraine, as well as on Anatoliy Shariy and his media group.

“In addition, sanctions have been imposed on Pushylin, who today registers media resources in the occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions”, - the NSDC Secretary said adding that sanctions had also been imposed on resources created on the basis of Russian sites against which sanctions had been imposed previously.

At the meeting, protocol decisions were made on the need to restore the state’s controlling stake in the charter capital of JSC “Cherkasygaz”, which was illegally expropriated from state ownership.

“Cherkasygaz” will be returned to state ownership”, - the NSDC Secretary emphasized.

The issue of taking measures to ensure the safe and uninterrupted operation of the domestic aviation industry was also considered. The need to consider this issue arose due to the multimillion-dollar debt of Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) to state-owned enterprises that ensure the operation of air travel.

Following the consideration of the blatant situation that has developed around the architectural monuments of Kyiv and housing development in the capital, the NSDC of Ukraine also adopted a number of protocol instructions.

“Recently, our capital is being transformed from a historic respectable city, which has a UNESCO heritage, into a completely uncontrolled housing development”, - Mr. Danilov said adding that following the discussion of this issue, the NSDC of Ukraine instructed the city authorities and local administrations to conduct an audit of the objects which fall under the law on the protection of cultural heritage.

The documents prepared as a result of the audit will be considered at the next meeting of the NSDC of Ukraine, he said.