Ukrainian Joint Forces Command to conclude large-scale military drills

Ukraine’s Joint Forces Command and other military bodies of its armed forces will today conclude large-scale military exercises in the Mykolaiv region.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has observed the drills, which will see up to 2,500 personnel participate at the Shyroky Lan 235th Intertype Unit Training Center. The most recent military exercise in Mykolaiv was a Ukraine-Britain drill, concluding on July 24. The military exercises will potentially instil confidence in the NATO allies regarding Ukraine’s implementation of an anti-corruption action plan.

The military drills in the southern region of Mykolaiv sends a geopolitical message to neighbouring Russia that Ukraine will seek to defend the Black Sea from a potential offensive exercise. Russia claimed the maritime region during its annexation of Crimea in 2014, which sparked anger in Ukraine. The presence of President Zelensky at this week’s drills sends a message to Russia and NATO that the Ukrainian government has a long-term strategy to back its own military capabilities, alongside the support provided by ally states. These capabilities would be further strengthened if Ukraine were to gain NATO membership, which will be discussed at President Zelensky’s upcoming visit to the White House on August 30.