Military to be increased to 250,000

KYIV – The Ukrainian parliament has voted in favor of a bill to boost the size of the military by one-third, to 250,000 soldiers. The bill, which was submitted to the Verkhovna Rada by President Petro Poroshenko on March 2, was supported by 270 lawmakers in the 423-member chamber. Radical Party leader Oleh Lyashko, speaking before the vote, said, “Whoever votes against this law or doesn’t support this law is working for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, for Russian aggression, so that the foot of the Russian occupier steps on our land in Donbas and our Crimean soil.” An explanatory note to the bill said that the extra troops will form two operations command centers, 11 brigades, four regiments, 18 battalions,16 squadrons and 13 platoons, each charged with different tasks.” The bill only needs President Poroshenko’s signature to become law. (RFE/RL, based on reporting by Reuters and Interfax)