The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine has announced a change in the approach to the development of dry rations for military personnel, taking into account their religious, medical and ethical needs.
This is stated in the press service of the defence ministry.
As part of this initiative, they plan to significantly expand the range of dry rations to provide the military with a greater variety of products, including vegetarian, kosher and halal sets.
The new dry rations will be available to servicemen from December 2024, when the process of developing and approving the assortment is completed.
The Ministry of Defence have already held consultations with representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Islamic and Jewish communities, as well as animal rights NGOs Every Animal and UAnimals, and market representatives.
"We strive to create conditions in which every defender of Ukraine will feel comfortable and confident. We know that many of our soldiers follow different religious traditions or have special dietary needs, so we actively cooperate with religious communities and nutrition experts. We also understand the importance of ethical choices, so plant-based rations will be an important part of our new strategy. This is not only a matter of nutrition, but also respect for the beliefs of each soldier," said Deputy Defence Minister Dmytro Klimenkov.
The idea of diversifying the menu arose as the Ukrainian army approaches European standards, where people with different needs from the community are not ignored but provided with the necessary supplies.