Quarantine measures in Ukraine caused by COVID-19 outbreak are getting stricter.

The emergency regime is currently in effect in all regions of Ukraine and the Government has been debating the implementation a state of emergency throughout Ukraine.

Times of hardship require difficult decisions. Under current circumstances it is no wonder the Armed Forces of Ukraine is one of the leading state institutions fighting the coronavirus.

Responding to that, on March 17, the Minister of Defence of Ukraine Andrii Taran took a decision to establish under the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine the Center for coordination and cooperation of state authorities with the Military Command to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The main task of the Center is to ensure interaction and exchange of information of the Ministry of Defence with the state agencies on the epidemiological situation in the country and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In addition, the Center compiles and promptly informs the MOD leadership about the epidemiological situation within the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Its subcenters have been deployed in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In order to carry out restrictive quarantine measures taken to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection in Ukraine, to maintain public safety and order, commensing March 22, joint enhanced detachments of the Military Police, the National Police and the National Guard of Ukraine have been patrolling in the residential areas and military garrisons.

On March 23, the Ukrainian Air Force transport aircraft IL-76MD delivered from the People’s Republic of China a consignment of coronavirus infection tests and kits needed for combating the spread of COVID-19. This is the first medical cargo from China and several more flights are to come.

Moreover, International defence cooperation was focused to direct its efforts to review current priorities and to place health and lives of the personnel on the top. The Minister of Defence and his Deputies personally contact their vis-a-vis in partner countries and international organisations in order to swiftly align multinational plans in response to the rapidly emerging new threat.

During the pandemic, Healthcare institutions in Ukraine as well as Military Medical Services are in need of any possible aid by junior medical personnel and doctors.

It will be a help to the Military Medical Service to mobilize not only material, but above all human resources – all those who have expertise in epidemiology, infectious diseases, anesthesiology, pharmacy, therapy, representatives of other scarce and niche medical specialties – to ensure national security and to prevent the deterioration of sanitary and epidemiological situation under the outbreak of COVID-19 respiratory infection caused by the coronavirus SARS-Co V-2.

Meanwhile, military medical installations at all levels are being prepared to receive up to 1000 potentially infected servicemen. Medical personnel is getting additional specialized training. The command staff of the Military Medical Service organizes and conducts extensive exercises to get ready to act under conditions of strict anti-epidemiological regime.

Since the beginning of the Russian aggression in the East of our country, the Ukrainian Army has the largest and the most effective experience of cooperation with civil society, gained when such cooperation was and still is badly needed. And in the area of the Joint Forces Operation, especially at the contact line only the Armed Forces can help civilian population.

Thus, encountering the large-scale challenges emerged from the global pandemic of the coronavirus and in order to prevent the spread of this terrible disease in the World and in Ukraine in particular, the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine addressed the retired military personnel, volunteers, concerned citizens who have relevant experience in the medical field as well as medical students and interns with a call for joint activities to tackle cases of coronavirus infection.

All these extensive efforts are being undertaken under conditions that the Armed Forces of Ukraine remain the key element to deter the ongoing Russian aggression and to ensure security in the Black Sea and the Azov area.