16:59 30.07.2016

Ukrainian-U.S. Sea Breeze 2016 exercise end in Odesa

1 min read
Ukrainian-U.S. Sea Breeze 2016 exercise end in Odesa

The closing ceremony for the Sea Breeze 2016, a joint U.S.-Ukrainian exercise, was held aboard USS Whidbey Island landing ship in Odesa on Saturday/

During the closing ceremony, the Ukrainian and American sides noted the efficiency and the scope of the exercise and its usefulness for the interaction between the armed forces of different countries and for ensuring the security in the Black Sea region, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reported.

The Sea Breeze 2016 exercise began on July 18. The exercises involved up to 4,000 personnel from 16 countries: Ukraine, the U.S., Bulgaria, the United Kingdom, Greece, Georgia, Italy, Spain, Lithuania, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Romania, Turkey, Sweden and Finland. Twenty aircraft and helicopters and over 140 automobile and armored vehicles were employed.

The Sea Breeze exercise has been held annually since 1997 under a 1993 memorandum of understanding and cooperation on defense and military relations between the Ukrainian Defense Ministry and the U.S. Department of Defense. The exercise aims to train the Ukrainian naval forces and increase their combat readiness on a bilateral basis while being open to other countries.

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