Georgia is participating in the multinational maritime, air and land military exercise Sea Breeze 2021 co-hosted by the U.S. and Ukraine, the Defense Ministry reported today.
The drills kicked off in Odesa on June 28 and will cover several Ukrainian regions throughout June 28 – July 10. The U.S. Sixth Fleet said that this year’s exercise has the largest number of participants since the drills’ inception in 1997.
Alongside Georgia, 31 countries are involved, with overall 5,000 troops, 32 ships, 40 aircraft and 18 special operations and dive teams contributing to the exercises.
A platoon from Georgia’s Western Command’s 3rd Infantry Brigade is taking part in field drills in Ukraine’s Kherson region, adjacent to the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula. The dive team of Georgia’s special forces and two Coast Guard ships are also involved in the two-week-long exercises, while two Defense Forces’ General Staff members are working out of the Sea Breeze 2021 Headquarters.
Georgia has participated in the annual exercise since 2001. The drills are organized to enhance interoperability and capability among NATO Allies and partners in the Black Sea region.
See the full list of participant states here.
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