Rada amends bill on special forces' legal status in line with NATO standards

Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada has amended legislation determining status and procedure of engagement of the special operations forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, streamlining it in keeping with NATO standards.

Respective bill No. 4795 on amendments to some laws in relation to the special operations forces scored 249 votes from the MPs registered in the session hall on Thursday, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reported.

An explanatory note to the draft law says that the existing regulatory framework does not allow the full-scale use of the special operations forces to perform certain tasks.

The purpose of the law is to determine the legal status and the use of special operations forces independently or in combination with other types of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to conduct special operations to create favorable conditions for successful military, political, economic and other activity carried out by the country's leaders to prevent and curb a military conflict. The forces may also be engaged in other special tasks in the interests of national security and defense of the state.

MP from the Petro Poroshenko Bloc parliamentary faction Iryna Friz, who is one of the authors of the law, says the document introduces amendments to eight existing laws. She also stressed that the amendments passed by lawmakers are in line with NATO standards.

In particular, according to the amendments, the special operations forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine may be involved in operations to obtain intelligence information. "The Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine shall conduct special reconnaissance," the passed bill said.

In addition, the law introduces the notion of a "special operation."