Kiev, March 6 (IANS): Ukraine's parliament on Thursday approved a bill to expand the country's army to 250,000, the parliamentary press service said.
A 2012 law had allowed to keep a maximum of 184,000 troops in the armed forces.
The bill, submitted by President Petro Poroshenko and requiring at least 226 votes to get approved, was supported by 270 lawmakers, Xinhua news agency reported.
The bill said the increase in the size of the country's armed forces was due to "threats to the national security of Ukraine in the military sphere".
The new law allows the creation of several new combat formations -- two operational command units, 11 brigades, four regiments, 18 battalions, 16 squadrons and 13 platoon military units.