Georgian troops, sailors in Black Sea multinational Sea Breeze 2021 drills

The two Georgian vessels of the country's coast guard involved in the manoeuvres. Photo via Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia.

Agenda.ge, 02 Jul 2021 - 16:34, Tbilisi,Georgia

Land and seaborne units of the Georgian Defence Forces and the coast guard of the country are joining their counterparts from no less than 31 countries in a large-scale Sea Breeze 2021 drills centred around the Black Sea region.

Launched this week and involving forces NATO member and partner nations, the manoeuvres are designed to "[strengthen] deterrence and defence with joint exercises and maritime patrols", the alliance said. It is co-hosted by the United States 6th Fleet along with the Ukrainian Navy.

Georgia has a platoon-sized unit of the 31st Battalion of the GDF involved in field exercises in the Kherson region in Ukraine's south, with a separate special forces unit of divers honing their skills in the country's Black Sea port of Odesa.