Ukrainian soldiers to be provided with halal and kosher food

The State Logistics Operator will work to provide halal and kosher food to military personnel who have special dietary requirements due to their religious beliefs.

Source: Arsen Zhumadilov, Head of the State Logistics Operator, in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda

Quote: "When I served, I wasn’t asked whether I had any special [dietary] requirements. So there is probably no data on how much halal, kosher and vegetarian food is needed.

But we shouldn’t be talking about the number, but about the approach, about respecting all military personnel: if a person has been conscripted, we as a state should do everything in our power to provide for his needs.

Even if it’s a few hundred or a few thousand [military personnel who need specific food – UP], it’s still worth doing. I don't see any significant rise in costs for this commercially."

Details: Zhumadilov says the State Logistics Operator would like to see the menus for military personnel being developed not only by the food supply officers, but also by dietitians and nutritionists because, he believes, this is a "more effective practice".

Background: 

• Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence has created a "new tool" for food procurement for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, an agency known as the State Logistics Operator, which will become fully operational on 1 December.
• The Ministry of Defence has announced that Arsen Zhumadilov has been appointed general director of the State Logistics Operator. He hopes to make the agency the key logistics operator for the Armed Forces of Ukraine with transparent tenders, planning and quality control.

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