Former Ukrainian president honors special operations forces with a new batch of supplies

Source: Petro Poroshenko/Facebook

On the Day of Special Operations Forces (SSO), former President Petro Poroshenko, leader of the European Solidarity party, made a heartfelt tribute by donating UAH 18 million worth of equipment and supplies to support the Ukrainian elite troops.

Eight years ago, while serving as the 5th president of Ukraine, Poroshenko signed a decree establishing the Special Operations Forces. Reflecting on that decision, Poroshenko said, “Back then, there were heated debates in headquarters, centers, and training grounds about whether we even needed Special Operations Forces in the Armed Forces. I was confident that we did, and time has proven that I was right.”

These brave soldiers carried out complex missions in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, conducting reconnaissance and sabotage operations behind enemy lines.  The Russian invasion in February 2024 made their sevice is more challenging.

“These are the very soldiers who undertake risky, covert missions in places no one else would dare to go. If you need a challenging task completed, look for the SSO,” Poroshenko emphasized.

On Monday, he delivered the elite unit a new batch of supplies valued 18 million hryvnas. “We have come here on invitation from our old friends from various SSO units and training centers,” Poroshenko said. “We brought several hundred FPV drones, reconnaissance ‘Maviks,’ washing and shower units, PARMs, a command-staff module – everything they requested.”

Since Feb.24, 2022 Poroshenko has been actively involved in equipping the Sniper School, providing the unit snipers with thermal scopes, sniper rifles,  drones and other essential gear.

Amendments to Ukraine’s enforcement proceedings legislation, initiated by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, have entered into force. Among other measures, the reform provides for the automated lifting of attachments on bank accounts immediately after debts in enforcement proceedings have been fully settled. The main practical benefit for citizens is the complete elimination of the need to contact an enforcement officer in person and wait for paper decisions once the debt has been paid.

The 157th Separate Mechanized Brigade has received another batch of supplies as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front military initiative. This time, the military received seven quad bikes and four mobile shower and bath units.

In my previous column, I wrote about social innovations in Ukraine. Those innovations are part of civic resilience and the democratization of security, which Europe is paying close attention to right now. The EU is trying to work out how to spread responsibility for its own security across society as a whole, rather than leaving it to institutions alone. It is looking for concrete ways to bring ordinary people into the work of defense and resistance.

Petro Poroshenko’s lawyers have appealed to the High Anti-Corruption Court demanding that NABU be obligated to register proceedings regarding the fact of exerting influence on the court and to recognize Petro Poroshenko as a victim in the case of the Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Iryna Mudra, due to her pressure on Supreme Court judges who were considering a lawsuit to overturn sanctions.

Internationally recognized brands and financial institutions should direct capital to Ukraine now, not waiting for the hostilities to end. This was emphasized by Rinat Akhmetov, president of FC Shakhtar, during a working visit to UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, where he met with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.