Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak has approved a concept for the creation and development of the Special Operations Forces (SOF) with two stages in 2016 and 2017, SOF Commander, Major General Ihor Lunev has said.

"Now the concept has passed all the procedures and has been approved by the order of the defense minister of Ukraine. SOF are separate military units. The work on the law on SOF is underway. The SOF command has been formed to control military unites that will be transferred to the SOF. First, these are combat units and information and psychological operations units," Lunev said in an interview with Radio Liberty published on Wednesday.

He said that the concept has been discussed with the experts in the SOF department of General Staff of Ukrainian Armed Forces and with representatives of the NATO office, in particular, Lithuania.

"The concept includes the gradual training of operational and combat skills. At the first stage, in 2016, military special task units will be subordinated to SOF command. Control, servicing and guard units will be created in 2016. One of the key issues is the creation of the SOF center. The decision to create it has been made, the place of location has been selected and the table of authorized personnel has been approved," Lunev said.

He said that now future training staff is being trained on the base of the special operations unit in Khmelnytsky. Separate small units are trained with the involvement of training staff from NATO ally countries. Military servicemen who have combat experience in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) zone were selected as training staff.

"At the second stage, by the end of 2017, it is planned to improve training of all units under NATO standards. Ukrainian units will be harmonized with NATO special operation forces. Joint drills with western colleagues are planned," he said.

Lunev said that it is planned to pay attention to technical equipment of units, and western partners of Ukraine are ready to help with the issue.

"This concerns communications, navigation, delivery and evacuation means," he said.