The Ukrainian army made a significant progress in the past year, Deputy Director of the NATO Liaison Office in Ukraine Mark Opgenorth has said.

All the necessary conditions for the defense reform were created in 2016, much was done to strengthen the Armed Forces, the efforts were focused on the formation of new brigades, battalions, improving tactical interaction with other formations, improving the architecture of the command, he said during the conference on the current issues of Ukraine's defense reform in Kyiv on Friday.

Opgenorth recalled that thanks to the increase in salaries, about 70,000 Ukrainians signed a contract for military service thus increasing the numbers of professional military personnel.

Despite the continuing Anti-Terrorist Operation, participation in the exercises with Allied forces was stepped up both on the national territory and abroad, Ukraine took part in ten large-scale multinational and 28 command-and-staff exercise, he said.

The Alliance representative also noted the progress in cooperation in strategic communications and within the special operation forces.