Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko reiterated on Thursday that his country will pull out its remaining troops from Iraq in October.

The exact date for the pullout may fluctuate but the troops "must leave Iraq this year," Yushchenko told a press conference here.

Last Tuesday, Ukraine's security council said the president had formally signed an order for "a staged withdrawal" of its peacekeeping troops from Iraq.

Ukraine has a 1,650-strong contingent in Iraq, the sixth-largest in the US-led coalition forces. So far, 18 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in the country and more than two dozen were wounded.

On March 15, about 137 Ukrainian soldiers returned home from Iraq. Under Ukraine's plan, a further 550 troops are to be pulled out in May and the rest of the original contingent will be withdrawn by the end of the year.

Source: Xinhua