Ukraine passes law to boost armed forces by a third

Members of the Ukrainian armed forces ride on an armoured personnel carrier near Artemivsk, eastern Ukraine, March 3, 2015. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine's parliament passed a law on Thursday to increase the size of the armed forces by a third as Kiev fights pro-Russian separatists in the east.

The bill was approved with 270 votes in favour, well above the 226 required, and now goes to President Petro Poroshenko, who proposed the measure, to be signed into law.