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Ukraine expands army over security threats

Xinhua, March 5, 2015 Adjust font size:

Ukraine's parliament on Thursday approved a bill to expand the country's army to 250,000 troops, the parliamentary press service said.

The bill, submitted by President Petro Poroshenko and requiring at least 226 votes to get approved, was supported by 270 lawmakers.

The bill said the increase in the size of the country's armed forces was due to "threats to the national security of Ukraine in the military sphere."

The new law allows the creation of several new combat formations: two operational command units, 11 brigades, four regiments, 18 battalions, 16 squadrons and 13 platoon military units.

The new personnel would be called up for military service at mobilization, the bill said.

In January, Poroshenko ordered to call up at least 50,000 troops this year to take part in military operations against pro-independence insurgents in eastern regions.

A 2012 law pegs the maximum number of troops in the Ukrainian armed forces at 184,000. Endi