BRUSSELS, November 17. /TASS/. The European Union and Kiev signed on Monday an agreement on launching an EU advisory mission in Ukraine that is due to carry out reforms of the country’s security sector, the European External Action Service said on Monday.

The document on the mission for Civilian Security Sector Reform in Ukraine (EUAM), which is due to start operations on December 1, was signed by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.

Kalman Mizsei, who heads the mission, said a serious effort needs to be made to “rebuild from scratch” the system of civil defense in Ukraine which has shown a dramatic failure during the events on Maidan (Independence Square) last year.

The EU mission will originally consist of over 50 international advisors, and their number is expected to reach 100 later. More than 70 Ukrainian citizens will assist the effort.

An adviser to the Ukrainian interior minister, Zoryan Shkiryak, said more than 20,000 policemen have been fired from Ukraine’s Interior Ministry since this April. He announced plans to significantly change the work of the ministry by 2017.

Ukraine’s Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said earlier up to 40% of personnel could be sacked as a result of the upcoming reform of the Interior Ministry.

Maidan is the name for downtown Kiev's Independence Square, which is the symbol of Ukrainian protests. The unrest was sparked by a move by former leader Viktor Yanukovych to refuse to sign an Association Agreement with the European Union in late November last year.