Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko introduced new Defense Minister Valery Heletei to the agency's staff on Thursday.

"I have proposed this position to you because the Ukrainian Armed Forces need a new commander - a military man, who would not only teach to fight but would fight himself. This applies to you and General [Viktor] Muzhenko [new General Staff head], who has experienced the nature of hybrid war," Poroshenko said.

Poroshenko said that, when appointing on these positions, he followed such criteria as dedication, decisiveness and patriotism.

The Ukrainian president said he gave the new defense minister the task to hold immediately urgent reforms, which "we should have carried out 20 years ago by establishing the army, so that no one had an idea to plan aggression against Ukraine."

Currently all preconditions exist for this - international community supporting Ukraine, readiness to help the Ukrainian army financially, technologically, with advise and training, Poroshenko said.

"Step in into work and study work front. I give you time until evening, so that you are ready in the morning. I am certain that together we will return our Donbas, our country, peace and quiet, as this is expected in Donbas, Ukraine and around the world," the president said.

Heletei told Poroshenko that neither he nor Armed Forces staff would ever "let down."

At the same time, Poroshenko said that he thanked former acting Defense Minister Mykhailo Koval for carrying out his duties faithfully and that Koval was appointed deputy head of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense.