Week-long military exercises to be held in Kyiv Oblast, commander says
Oleksandr Pavliuk, Ukraine's Ground Forces commander, said on June 4 that command and staff exercises involving military personnel and heavy equipment will be held in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast.
Such trainings take place in Ukraine's capital from time to time in order to increase combat readiness for defense operations. The Ukrainian military said that currently there is no threat of a renewed Russian offensive on Kyiv.
The exercises, which will be held from June 5 to 13, will involve a variety of military equipment, including infantry, air defense and anti-sabotage units, Pavliuk said.
They are reportedly aimed at practicing combat and special tasks of a defense operation "in the face of the enemy's active use of the full range of offensive weapons" and its reconnaissance groups.
The commander urged residents to keep calm and not to take photos or videos of the troops' movement.
The Ukrainian military aims to form 10 new brigades to defend against further Russian offensives, which could potentially target Kyiv, Pavliuk said in early May following Moscow's offensive in Kharkiv Oblast.
During the Russian spring offensive of 2022, Kyiv Oblast was partially occupied, but the Ukrainian forces successfully forced the Russian army to withdraw, preventing further advances toward the capital.
Francis Farrell
