How Ukraine has become stronger: all about military aid in 2021 – News of Russia and Ukraine
Military training and tension
Military expert Mikhail Zhirokhov says that Ukraine’s training between military exercises was a Western partner – Sea breeze 2021. They took place in the Black Sea, in the Kherson and Mykolayiv oblasts, were of a defense nature and were linked to NATO training throughout Europe.
To the topic All year to decide 2022: whether peace in Ukraine will depend on the West and Putin’s dreams
They involved 32 warships, 40 aircraft and 5,000 personnel from 17 NATO member states, as well as Allied partners. More than 20 ships and boats, 17 planes, dozens of weapons and military equipment from Ukraine took part in the exercises.
Sea Breeze 2021 / Photo – Ministry of Defense of Ukraine
Researcher at the National Institute for Strategic Studies Mykola Beleskov says Russia has conducted three major exercises. The first – maneuvers in the spring with the movement of additional forces and means to the Ukrainian borders, testing of landing operations in the Crimean training grounds.
Practice landing with the help of helicopters of the Russian army / Foreign media
Others large-scale military exercises conducted by Russia and Belarus exercise “West 2021” in the version. Then in the Russian Ministry of Defense declared involved almost 3 exercises of tanks, several hundred units of artillery, one and a half tens ships, eight tens planes and helicopters. The Ministry of Defense of Belarus noted that during the training they worked out a scenario of “aggravation of international differences, which leads to the resolution of aggression against the Union State.”
Third Important exercises conducted by the Russian Federation are assault exercises on the territory of the Southern Military District (Southern Military District) with the participation of armaments, including tanks of the T-62MV troops, which took place in October. The Southern Military District is located near the border with mainland Ukraine and is located in the occupied territory of Ukraine in the Crimea. Beleskov says that both the authorities and the soldiers in the field have acquired the appropriate skills.
Today’s troops, I do not consider concentration, because I’m sure there is a movement of troops, but there is no training as such, they do not work out,
– says Beleskov.
According to the expert, the most serious exercises in Ukraine are strategic command and staff exercises “Joint projects – 2021”, which are traditional and are mentioned in summer. He says that this is an analogue of Russia’s annual strategic command and staff exercises, which work out the actions of creating and using a group of troops, conducting Russian aggression.
Training “Joint Solutions – 2021”. Training of the Armed Forces of Ukraine / Photo – General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
This happened at a number of landfills involving almost 13 thousand people and more than 600 units of armaments and military equipment. Military units from 15 countries, including 11 NATO members and 4 Partner countries, were involved in the Strategic Command and Staff Training to conduct joint combat missions.
Ukrainian military / Photo – Ministry of Defense of Ukraine
Beleskov says that actions were also practiced in steppe Ukraine, separately in Lviv region – instructional and methodical classes. Such serious exercises were held in May this year at the Rivne all-military range and at the Shiroky Lan range, the expert said.
For example, the formation of a battalion of tactical groups, the use of modern weapons such as Javelin and Bayraktar anti-aircraft guns were used in those and quiet exercises.
– notes Beleskov.
What military assistance did Ukraine receive in 2021?
According to Beleskov, the most significant military aid Ukraine has received is a party of unmanned aerial vehicles. Bayraktar TB2. Thanks to the Bayraktar TB2 drones, the Navy will be able to effectively monitor and cover the coast and waters of the Black and Azov Seas, and control the enemy’s surface and ground facilities with high-precision means.
The first strike drone complex Bayraktar TB2 has arrived in Ukraine / Photo – Ukrainian Military Pages
Ukraine also received two class boats this year “Island”. These boats are part of the more than $ 2.5 billion in security assistance the United States has provided to Ukraine since 2014, strengthening Ukraine’s maritime security and enhancing the interoperability of Ukraine’s navy with NATO.
Topical Bayraktar – Russia’s response: what is threatening the Kremlin and what experts say
There was also a relief party on $ 60 million, which was announced when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was in Washington. The United States provided medical equipment, weapons, ammunition, high-precision weapons, and radar surveillance equipment. The United States handed over to Ukraine as part of a military aid package 30 launchers of anti-tank missile systems Javelin and 180 missiles.