Draft into Ukrainian army suspended due to flu epidemic

14:30

A draft into the Ukrainian armed forces has been suspended due to the flu epidemic, Defense Ministry spokesman Ihor Khaliavynsky told Interfax-Ukraine on Saturday.

"A draft into the armed forces has been suspended due to the epidemiological situation in Ukraine," he said.

He said that the draft had been preliminarily suspended until the end of quarantine that was imposed in the regions with a high disease rate. Quarantine was imposed in Ukraine's nine regions for three weeks.

The conscription started on October 1 and should have lasted until the end of November.

It was planned to draft 26,450 people to all of the country's military formations, including 19,500 to the armed forces.

Around 45% of conscripts have currently been drafted to the Ukrainian army.

31.10.2009