KIEV, October 4 (AVN) - The Ukrainian Security and Defence Council decided to point financing of the programme on serial production of the AN-70 new Russian-Ukrainian medium transport as a separate line in the draft budget 2001, the Military News Agency learned.
The decision was initiated by Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma.
The Ukrainian military establishment is planning to order the total of 65 such planes and 30 of them in the nearest future, Defence Minister Alexander Kuzmuk said commenting on the decision. The planes will complement the only country's division of the military transport aviation, which is to be reduced down to a regiment within the Air Force reform, he added. Currently the division is equipped with IL-76 Candid transports.