On Monday, Ukrainian and U.S. troops together with soldiers from over a dozen other countries kicked off what is being called the "largest multinational exercise held in Ukraine" in the west of the country.
Far from the conflict zone in the east, the annual Saber Guardian and Rapid Trident exercises will see 1,800 troops from 18 countries partake in military exercises over the next two weeks in the Lviv region of western Ukraine, reported AFP.
Other NATO allied nations participating in the exercises include the U.K., Germany, Spain, Turkey, Canada, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Non-NATO members Serbia, Moldova, Georgia and Azerbaijan are also participating, according to Newsweek.
Don Wrenn, public affairs specialist for U.S. Army Europe, told Newsweek that the exercises, which have been conducted in Ukraine since 1995, have no relation to the ongoing 15-month-long conflict raging in the east of the country between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian government forces, which has claimed 6,500 lives.
"We will be looking at practicing skills such as casualty evacuation and first aid, reacting to being ambushed in both an offensive posture or in defensive mode, we are conducting training in how to identify and react to improvised explosives and devices and there will be some simulated outpost operations," Wrenn said. "These are all skills that are to be used either in combat or peacekeeping. Some Ukrainian armored vehicles will be included but most of the vehicles being used are just U.S. Humvees and wheeled vehicles."
Still, regardless of their stated intentions, the exercises undoubtedly send a clear message to Russia about Washington and its allies' willingness to intervene and deter any potential expansion.
Russia quickly spoke out on Monday, with the foreign ministry calling the war games a "clear demonstration of NATO's provocative policy to unequivocally support the policies of current Kiev authorities in eastern Ukraine," reports AFP.
"Not only is NATO not ready to recognise the wrongness and possible explosive consequences of holding such drills but it is considerably increasing their scope," it said.
A peace deal was struck in Minsk in February, and the situation seemed to improve for a bit shortly thereafter, however in May, clashes increased along the front lines, and in June, rebels launched the largest offensive since the eve of the ceasefire accord.
As HNGN reported, the situation started to look slightly more promising over the weekend when rebel forces in eastern Ukraine announced a unilateral withdrawal of lighter weapons - less than 100mm caliber - from the line of engagement. But with the start of the multinational drills on Monday, things could easily deteriorate.
"These actions... may threaten to disrupt the visible progress in the peace process concerning the deep internal crisis in Ukraine," the Russian foreign ministry said Monday.
