Against the backdrop of the needs of modern wartime, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has made a strategic decision to create a new management body - the Logistics Planning Department. The main function of this department will be to formulate long-term procurement plans for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including food, material resources, fuel and lubricants, and technical equipment for the rear.

The Ministry of Defense press service reports that the Department will plan the volume of required goods and services based on the needs received from the Logistics Forces Command. The department's experts will analyze the market, monitor prices and determine the estimated cost, and actual purchases will be made through the State Logistics Operator.

"In military activities, it is impossible to avoid some emergency situations when it is necessary to urgently supply the Armed Forces. However, we can minimize such cases. The main task of the Department is to carefully plan the annual procurement of goods," emphasized Deputy Defense Minister Vitaliy Polovenko.

The new structure is also aimed at reducing the urgent need for procurement, which in the past often affected both the quality and cost of goods. Thus, the Logistics Planning Department should solve this problem and ensure more efficient use of budget funds.

It is worth reminding that the issue of unfair procurement for the defense sector in Ukraine has long been a topical one. That is why the Ministry of Defense has presented a new procurement agency, the State Logistics Operator, which operates in accordance with international standards and NATO principles.

Starting April 1, 2024, food procurement will be carried out under new rules that take into account average prices, with separate tenders for delivery. "The State Logistics Operator has already implemented a new IT system to efficiently manage food requests for military units, which aims to automate procedures and centralize information.

It is also worth noting that large retail chains did not participate in the first tenders of the State Logistics Operator due to difficulties in understanding the procurement model of the product catalog.