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Twelve countries, including Ukraine, to participate in Sweden's largest military drills

The drills will practice ensuring the flow of important military resources into and out of Sweden, while simultaneously practicing countering the growing threat to NATO and Europe

STOCKHOLM, April 14. /TASS/. From April 27 to May 13, the Swedish Armed Forces will conduct Aurora 26, the largest national exercise of the year, together with allies and Ukraine, the Swedish military said in a news release.

More than 16,000 soldiers, sailors and officers from the Swedish Armed Forces will participate alongside 1,500 personnel from allied countries. "Sweden's new operational plans as a NATO ally will be put to the test when the army, navy, air force, and home guard conduct a combat-ready show of force exercise with allies and foreign forces from 12 countries," the news release reads.

The drills will practice ensuring the flow of important military resources into and out of Sweden, while simultaneously practicing countering the growing threat to NATO and Europe. The exercise will test Sweden's operational plans as an ally, with a focus on host nation support, joint exercises, and reinforcement operations.

The exercise will primarily take place in southern and central Sweden, on Gotland, and in the Baltic Sea region.

Sweden officially joined NATO in March 2024.

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