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MYKOLAIV REGION, Ukraine — A platoon of U.S. Marine reservists with the 2nd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment trained with Ukrainian marines to attack a fictitious foe, roughly 100 miles from the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula. The purpose of Thursday’s exercise was to increase combat effectiveness and demonstrate resolve among the 17 allied and partner nations participating in the training known as Exercise Sea Breeze, now in its 18th iteration. Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the subsequent conflict in eastern Ukraine have led to a sharp increase in tensions throughout the region. Moscow warned on Thursday that the multinational maritime...

Ukrainian Soldiers roll their national flag prior to casing it during an End of Mission ceremony at Camp Echo, Dec. 9, 2008. Photo by Sgt. Rodney Foliente, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs. CAMP ECHO — An End of Mission ceremony was held here for the Ukrainian Army, Dec. 9. More than 5,000 Ukrainian servicemembers served in Iraq during Ukraine’s five years of service in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.“Enduring peace, stability and prosperity are common values to fight for in the modern world. Your mission in Iraq has been successfully completed,” said Viktor Nedopas, Charge d’Affairs of the Ukrainian Embassy...

KUT, Iraq, Dec. 19, 2005 – Multinational Division Central South bid farewell to troops from Ukraine, one of the unit's mainstay nationalities, during a ceremony today at Camp Delta here. Polish Army Maj. Gen. Piotr Czerwinski said the Ukrainian contingent has done excellent work in the area and helped provide stability to the region and training to Iraqi troops, who now pick up the mission. Ukraine will not end its affiliation with the coalition, Multinational Force Iraq officials said, but large troop deployments will end. Ukrainian Maj. Gen. Anatoliy Pushniakov, a staff officer with the division, said more than 5,000...

Ukraine has announced the withdrawal of its troops from Iraq.The decision will see the pull-out of up to 1650 personnel from the country in three instalments. The first has seen 150 troops leave from an area near As Suwayrah on Saturday, according to reports. All troops are expected to be withdrawn by October. The removal of the Ukraine's forces - the sixth largest contingent in the United States' 'coalition of the willing' - was an election promise by the country's new president, Viktor Yushchenko. Ukraine has lost 18 soldiers in Iraq since committing troops in a decision by former president...

Kiev, March 12 (AP): Ukraine withdrew 150 servicemen from Iraq today, starting a phased pullout that officials have said will be completed by October, the Defence Ministry said. A company that was based near As Suwayrah left Iraq and is expected to return to Ukraine by Tuesday, the ministry said. Earlier this month, President Viktor Yushchenko and top defence officials ordered phased withdrawal of Ukraine's 1,650-strong contingent from the US coalition in Iraq. Ukraine strongly opposed the US-led war but later agreed to send a large contingent to serve under Polish command in central and southern Iraq. The move was...

OP-ED: Faced with an ever-increasing terrorist threat in the wake of September 11, the United States and its allies had to go to war with Iraq. Back in 2003, a quick and effective strike was needed to foil Saddam Hussein's assertive plans. It would have taken years, if the US and its allies opted at the time to get a UN blessing for the operation. Needless to say, the varying, and often conflicting, interests of major international payers, France, Germany, Russia, China and many more, would have protracted a UN-supported operation for years. Feelings in Ukraine were mixed when the...

Ukraine to withdraw troops from Iraq KIEV (AFP) - Ukraine plans to pull out all of its 1,650 troops in Iraq, the sixth-largest contingent in the US-led coalition forces, by the end of this year, the country's new defense minister revealed. "I believe that our troops will be withdrawn this year," the Interfax news agency quoted Defense Minister Anatoly Hrytsenko as saying. The defense minister, who took up his post earlier this month, said that no concrete timetable would be announced before a meeting scheduled next week of the national security and defense council. "The president will decide what month...

KIEV, February 24 (Itar-Tass) - Ukraine will publish the schedule of its peacekeeping troops pullout from Iraq after a meeting of the National Security Council due next week, Defence Minister Anatoly Gritsenko said on Thursday, Prime-Tass reported. According to Gritsenko, the National Security Council will consider variants of state-by-stage withdrawal of the Ukrainian contingent from Iraq. The meeting will give special attention to security issues and take into account military planning of the Coalition forces during the withdrawal of the Ukrainian military. “We cannot let the allies in the Coalition down,” Gritsenko stressed. The Ukrainian Defence chief promised that Ukrainian...

As of today pullout of the Ukrainian peacemaking contingent from Iraq is number one task, President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko claimed presenting new Defense Minister Anatoly Hrytsenko today. According to an UNIAN correspondent, the President said that the Ukrainian servicemen fulfilled their tasks in Iraq at a high level, and now the diplomats and other departments will start the work for implementation of the Ukrainian national interests in this question. V.Yushchenko has said that the rules and schedule of pullout of the peacemakers must be the principle questions, which have to be co-ordinated with the partners of Ukraine for the...