KIEV, March 13 (RIA Novosti) – The Ukrainian parliament on Thursday voted to create a new military force to supplement the regular army and bolster the country’s defenses.
The 60,000-strong National Guard will be part of the Interior Ministry and perform a wide variety of tasks in the interest of Ukraine’s national security, including “the protection of the country’s borders and the fight against terrorism.”
A source in the country’s government said on Wednesday that the new structure could incorporate “military units that are loyal to the new regime and self-defense units from the Independence Square.”
The vote by the Verkhovna Rada comes amid official reports that the country’s armed forces are “in a bad shape,” unfit for combat and plagued by low morale.
On Tuesday, the country’s acting President Oleksandr Turchinov said that armed forces would have to be rebuilt "effectively from scratch" due to the previous leadership’s mismanagement.
Acting Defense Minister Ihor Tenyukh reported to the acting president earlier this week that only 6,000 people out of 41,000 currently serving in the armed forces “are prepared to perform combat tasks.” Only a small share of Ukrainian tanks, military planes, attack helicopters and navy warships are battle-ready, while their crews lack knowledge and training.
The country’s defense capability came under close scrutiny following the takeover of key sites in Crimea – an autonomous region in Ukraine with a majority ethnic Russian population – by Russian troops and armed pro-Russian militia.
Crimea’s parliament has announced its intention to secede from Ukraine and become part of Russia.
A referendum on the issue has been set for Sunday. Authorities in Kiev and international leaders have condemned the referendum as illegitimate.
