Ukraine's new Defense Minister Andriy Zohorodniuk has said one of his priorities is for government to engage soldiers.

"Our armed forces are as strong as the staff. The number one priority should be the return of state policy to a simple soldier. Today, the issue of staffing, discipline, dismissals, social security issues is very acute. So is the question of how much the military sees their future in armed forces," Zahorodniuk said in parliament on Thursday.

Zahorodniuk believes that it is necessary to invest a lot of money and effort so that "our military personnel are an order of magnitude higher than of our enemy."

"Then we have a very serious chance to achieve the combat missions that we set," he said.

He also emphasized the importance of the issue of integrity.

"Everyone knows that in the army they are stealing, that resources are being allocated inappropriately. People are already tired of these problems, they want absolutely practical and specific solutions," he said.