Ukraine launches joint military drills with NATO
Ukraine on 3 September launched joint military exercises with the US and a string of other NATO countries as tensions with Russia remain high over the Kremlin-backed insurgency in the country’s east.
The annual Rapid Trident military exercises, taking place in the western Ukrainian village of Starychi until 15 September, involve some 2,200 soldiers from 14 countries.
Marie Yovanovitch, the US Ambassador to Ukraine, said at the opening ceremony: ‘(The participants) stand in solidarity with Ukraine, for Ukrainian security, Ukrainian sovereignty, and Ukrainian territorial integrity.’
The drills start a week before Russia holds its biggest military exercises since the Cold War, in the east of the country and with the participation of China and Mongolia.
A spokesman for the Ukrainian drills Taras Gren told AFP that some 350 pieces of military equipment will be used during the exercises.
The Ukrainian Border Guard Service and the National Guard troops will be involved for the first time, he said.
Hundreds of US soldiers have been training Ukrainian soldiers since 2015 to support them in their fight against Russian-backed rebels in the country’s war-torn east.
On 3 September, the Ukrainian Army reported eight servicemen had been wounded over the past 24 hours in clashes with rebels although a fresh truce took effect in the week of 27 August.
More than 10,000 people have been killed since the rebel insurgency broke out in the eastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions in April 2014 following Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.
Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Russia of funnelling troops and arms across the border.
Moscow has denied the allegations despite evidence it has been involved in the fighting and its open political support for rebels.
You may also like
More from Defence Notes
-
![Intelligence innovation: From data overload to decision advantage (Podcast)]()
Intelligence innovation: From data overload to decision advantage (Podcast)
As militaries face an overwhelming flow of data, the challenge is shifting from collection to delivering fast, actionable insights that drive decision-making. Advances in AI and data integration are helping armed forces move beyond siloed systems to generate real-time intelligence across domains and allies.
-
![Teledyne FLIR adds GPS-denied 3D-mapping capabilities to its CBRN uncrewed platforms]()
Teledyne FLIR adds GPS-denied 3D-mapping capabilities to its CBRN uncrewed platforms
In a partnership with Emesent, Teledyne FLIR will equip its autonomous air, ground and detection systems with the Hovermap LiDAR payload in a move that highlights a broader market shift towards modular architectures, shared payloads and interoperability across platforms.
-
![US seeks 32% boost for missile defence budget with $23 billion earmarked for interceptors]()
US seeks 32% boost for missile defence budget with $23 billion earmarked for interceptors
The Pentagon’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year includes an impressive increase in the procurement of interceptors, with the number of the US Army’s PAC-3 MSE rounds expanding by 683%, the US Navy’s Standard Missile by 365% and the MDA’s SM-3 IIA by more than 1,000%.
-
![US Army partners with Global Military Products to surge munitions production]()
US Army partners with Global Military Products to surge munitions production
Global Military Products was selected by the US Army to operate the Quad Cities Cartridge Case Facility and ramp up the production of various calibre shell cases.
