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Ukraine holds joint war games with US, NATO amid tensions with Russia

Monday, 20 September 2021 3:30 PM [ Last Update: Monday, 20 September 2021 3:46 PM ]

Servicemen of the US and Ukrainian armies attend the opening ceremony of the RAPID TRIDENT-2021 military exercise at Ukraine's International Peacekeeping Security Centre near Yavoriv in the Lviv region, Ukraine, September 20, 2021. (Photo by Reuters)

Ukraine has begun joint military exercises with the United States and other NATO countries amid increased activity of the Western military alliance near Russia’s borders.

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said in a statement on Monday that the annual Rapid Trident exercises involve some 6,000 soldiers from 15 countries.

“The main goal is to prepare for joint actions as part of a multinational force during coalition operations,” the statement read.

A ministry spokesman confirmed that 4,000 Ukrainian troops and 2,000 foreigners would participate in the drills, due to run until October.

Brigadier General Vladyslav Klochkov said the drills were “an important step towards Ukraine's European integration.”

“The Ukrainian military, which has been holding back Russian aggression for eight years, will share its unique combat experience with its international colleagues.”

Ukraine asks for US missile systems, troops; Russia warns of retaliation

Ukraine calls on the United States to send troops and anti-missile systems to the country, in a controversial move that prompts Russia to warn of retaliation.

Russia and Belarus recently held military exercises mainly focused on launching a counteroffensive against enemy forces, with Russia’s Northern Fleet and Air Force practicing repelling an attack near its border with Norway.

The foreign ministers of Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia accused Russia of not being transparent about the drills that came amid heightened tensions between the West and Belarus.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy raised concerns about such large-scale military drills last week, saying an all-out war with Russia was a possibility.

Russia vows appropriate action to confront intrusions in Black Sea

On June 23, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported an intrusion by the UK HMS Defender in the Russian territorial waters in Crimea.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, however, brushed off their concerns, saying that “joint military exercises are a regular process.”

Relations between Moscow and Kiev have been strained since conflict erupted in Ukraine’s eastern Donbass region between Ukrainian government forces and ethnic Russians in 2014. The US, the European Union, and Ukraine claim that Russia has a hand in the conflict. Moscow strongly rejects the allegation.