Large-scale military exercises Saber Guardian/Rapid Trident-2015 will begin in the Yavoriv district of the Lviv region on Monday.

About 2,000 servicemen from 18 countries will be staying in the Lviv region over the period July 20 till 31. Armored vehicles will be engaged in the exercises, there will be small arms fire practice, and army aviation helicopters will perform flights.

Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister for European Integration Ihor Dolhov said earlier that in addition to U.S. servicemen the drills will involve troops from the UK, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia and Lithuania.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko submitted to the Verkhovna Rada on March 13 a draft law on the admission of armed units from foreign states into Ukrainian territory in 2015 for participation in multilateral exercises.

In 2014 Rapid Trident-2014 drills were held over the period September 15 till 26. More than 1,200 servicemen from 15 countries - Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Canada, Georgia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain and the United States - took part in the exercises. The United States assigned 200 servicemen of the 173rd infantry division based in Italy to the 2014 drills.