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Ukraine’s parliament approves involvement of foreign troops in military drills in Ukraine

The law allows to stage Ukrainian-US exercises in Ukraine’s western Lviv region, in the Black Sea and at a number of military facilities in the Nikolayev and Odessa regions

© AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky

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US plans to begin training of Ukraine’s national guardsmen in April

KIEV, March 17. /TASS/. Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada (parliament) on Tuesday approved the president’s decision to involve foreign troops to multi-national military drills in 2015.

The move enrolled support from 305 lawmakers, whereas 226 votes are commonly needed to pass a bill into law.

The law allows to stage Ukrainian-US exercises Fearless Guardian-2015 in Ukraine’s western Lviv region (in March-November 2015), Sea Breeze-2015 drills in the Black Sea and at a number of military facilities in the Nikolayev and Odessa regions (June-October), Saber Guardian/Rapid Trident-2015 drills in the Lviv region (July-October 2015).

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Apart from that, plans for 2015 include Ukrainian-Polish tactical exercises Safe Sky-2015 (July-October) at Ukrainian army’s airdromes, and Law and Order-2015 military police drills in the Lviv region (September-November).

Spokesperson for the Ukrainian defense ministry Victoria Kushnir said earlier that Ukraine’s troops would take part in 11 international exercises in 2015. "In 2015, Ukraine’s armed forces will take part in 11 joint land, sea and air drills," she said, adding that seven such exercises would be held outside Ukraine. "These drills will be a final stage of drills aiming to introduce standards of NATO member countries."

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NATO Black Sea military drills

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Ukraine United States Verkhovna Rada Military drills

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