Mine Clearance of the Black Sea — Ukrainians at the Sea Breeze Exercises.

Ukrainian military personnel are training today to clear the waters of the sea together with NATO countries' units as part of the Sea Breeze exercises. Participants include servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) who have recently returned from combat zones.

Experience in Mine Clearance

AFU participated in exercises with NATO forces in mine clearance in the English Channel. The Ukrainian ship 'Mariupol' is also involved in these exercises. According to the spokesperson of the Ukrainian Navy, Dmytro Pletenchuk, Ukrainian specialists have unique experience in mine clearance that no one else currently possesses.

'There are specialists here who have arrived directly from the theater of operations; these are our mine clearance experts. No one has the experience they possess — everyone understands this perfectly, and everyone is interested. Therefore, we share this experience with our partners.'

He also noted that Ukrainian military personnel have a lot to be proud of during the joint training with foreign colleagues.

Sea Breeze Training

Sea Breeze is a multinational military exercise that has been taking place since 1997. This year 22 countries are participating, including Ukraine and the United States.

These exercises are an important element of cooperation between Ukraine and the U.S. in the field of security and defense. They contribute to strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities and integrating its armed forces into Western structures.

The main objectives of the 'Sea Breeze' exercises include increasing operational interoperability among the armed forces of different countries, practicing joint operations in various conditions, strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities and its integration into Western structures, as well as demonstrating support for Ukraine from allies and partners.

Sea Breeze exercises also create opportunities for the exchange of experiences and best practices among militaries from different countries, helping to enhance the professionalism of the military.

Ukrainian military personnel actively participate in international exercises and cooperation with partners, which contributes to improving their training and exchanging the necessary experience to enhance the effectiveness and defense capabilities of the country. Participation in such exercises is an important step in the development and enhancement of our military's professionalism.