Fully Professional Army Deemed Too Expensive, Says Defense Ministry

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry estimates that it would cost at least US$4.6 billion a year to maintain a professional army, reports Russia's Sputnik news agency.

Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk ordered Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak to assess the cost of moving to a volunteer force and creating a new training and recruiting systems.

The assessment determined it would take more than US$4.6 billion annually for a force with 60 percent professional soldiers, said a Defense...