KIEV, November 28 (RIA Novosti) - The Ukrainian army will move to become a fully-professional service in 2009, President Viktor Yushchenko told a defense ministry meeting on Wednesday.
"The last conscription is in the fall of 2009. Then a professional army will start," he said, adding, "We must have a modern professional European army."
The president also said military housing was still a topical issue and added: "I am authorizing the Cabinet to increase allocations for military accommodation."
The Ukrainian defense ministry said the number of military personnel serving under professional contracts had risen by around 2,000 since 2007 to about 51,000.
