"Today, on July 10, the Ukrainian-US military and maritime exercises Sea Breeze-2017 were solemnly opened in Odessa… The drills are involving 31 ships, a boat and a support vessel, 29 aerial vehicles and over 3,000 of personnel," the statement read.
The drills brought representatives of military forces from a total of 16 states to practice a multinational naval security operation in a crisis region, according to the statement.
The press service of the Ukrainian Naval Forces reported that the drills are to be held on July 10-23 locally in the north-western part of the Black Sea in the Odessa and Mykolaiv regions.
The Sea Breeze exercises are annual multinational drills that train maritime, air defense, anti-submarine, and search and rescue operations, with the aim to strengthen cooperation among allies so as to ensure stability in the Black Sea region.
