- August 28, 2024
- 6:43 pm
- Ukraine
Ministry of Defense of Ukraine August 28, 2024 announces a change approach to the formation of dry rations for military personnel, taking into account their religious, medical and ethical needs.
The initiative will see a significant expansion of the range of rations, providing service members with a more diverse range of food, including plant-based, kosher and halal options.
The addition of kosher rations is especially significant in the context of historical and cultural ties between Ukrainians and Jews. The Jewish community has played a significant role in the life of the country, past and present, and the long history of coexistence continues to influence modern relations between the two peoples. Respect for the religious and cultural traditions of the Jewish community through the inclusion of kosher rations in the army demonstrates the state’s willingness to consider the needs of all its citizens and to support intercultural understanding and respect.
This is even more relevant today, given the close cooperation on the international stage and the support provided to the country in the face of current challenges. The inclusion of kosher rations can also be seen as a step towards strengthening mutual trust and solidarity, especially among Jewish servicemen, who see it as a recognition of their religious beliefs. It underlines the desire to create an inclusive society where the traditions and beliefs of all ethnic and religious groups are respected and valued.
The new rations will become available to military personnel from December 2024, when the process of developing and approving the range is completed.
The Ministry of Defense, together with the Department of Defense Technologies, have already held consultations with representatives of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Islamic and Jewish communities, as well as public organizations “Kozhna Tvarina” and UAnimals, which work in the field of animal rights protection, and with market representatives.
“Our goal is to provide for all the needs of our servicemen, taking into account their beliefs, health and ethical principles. We strive to create conditions in which every defender of Ukraine will feel comfortable and confident. We know that many of our servicemen adhere to 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 choice, so plant-based rations will be an important part of our new strategy. This is not only a question of nutrition, but also respect for the beliefs of each fighter,” emphasized Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Dmytro Klymenkov.
“As part of the Euro-Atlantic family, we must adopt an inclusive culture and strive to meet the needs of the military as fully as possible. The idea of menu diversity arose, in particular, because we are approaching European standards, where a person with special needs is not ignored, but receives what they need. We must approach the EU and NATO not only in standards, but also in the issue of respect for a person's choice in their preferences. Inclusive nutrition is not only about changes in dry rations, it is about changing the worldview and our synchronization with the Euro-Atlantic vector,” said Galina Litosh, Director of Portfolio Management at DOT.
Following the meeting, they agreed on further cooperation to develop updated dry rations. The meeting participants will provide their developments, comments, recommendations and developed versions of rations to the relevant department of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
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