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employees at the end of 2018, 71% of them men, according to its annual report. Staff costs amounted to 601bn rubles ($9.4bn) last year, down 12% from a year earlier after it saved on future pension benefits when Russia raised its retirement age.
Director of the Centre of Strategic Development of Areas Andriy Orlov has said Ukraine's accession to NATO is supported by 62% of citizens. "Some 62% of Ukrainians support accession to NATO, while 21% of respondents do not support such a policy," he said at a press conference in Kyiv, presenting the results of a sociological survey, according to an UNIAN correspondent. Read also Poll reveals attitude of Ukrainians toward joining EU, NATO, direct talks with militants, peacekeepers in Donbas According to Orlov, 76% of respondents in the west of Ukraine fully support joining NATO, and only 37% in Donbas back this idea. The share of supporters of joining NATO is 66% in the north and 55% in the south. In general, the number of supporters of Ukraine's accession to NATO has increased by 46% since 2012. "A total of 57% of Ukrainians consider NATO membership to be a major guarantee of Ukraine's national security, i.e. this is a priority for Ukraine, which guarantees security. Another 8% of the population of Ukraine believes a military alliance with the Russian Federation and other members of the Commonwealth of Independent States could be such a security guarantor, and 17% of respondents say a non-aligned status could guarantee national security," Orlov said. He said that 70% of residents in the western regions see NATO as a guarantee of Ukraine's security, while only 40% in Donbas share this idea.
13 UKRAINE Country Report August 2019 www.intellinews.com