The Pentagon announced Wednesday the U.S. Army will be sending 200 paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team to Ukraine. The paratroopers from the 173rd, known as "Sky Soldiers," will participate in a joint military exercise, Rapid Trident, against Russia's objections.
Russia had warned against any NATO exercises in Ukraine, which is facing a Russian invasion of its eastern borders in support of pro-Moscow separatists. Although Putin's overall goal isn't clear, it appears Russian and separatist forces are marching on the Ukrainian city of Mariupol to create an overland route to Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that Russia annexed in March.
The Sky Soldiers will participate in the Exercise Rapid Trident alongside 1,300 other soldiers from a wide swath of countries, including Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Ukraine, and a host of NATO states.
Exercise Rapid Trident will take place from Sept. 15-26 at a training center near Yavoriv, Ukraine.
During Exercise Rapid Trident, the 173rd will help focus on mine clearing, patrolling, and convoy defense training alongside soldiers from 14 other countries and NATO representatives.
The 173rd Airborne are based out of Vicenza, Italy, and have taken part in a number of military exercises recently.
In May, the 173rd participated in a training exercise in Rukla, Lithuania.
In April, the 173rd Sky Soldiers also took part in an unscheduled training exercise in Poland.
Four paratrooper companies of the 173rd have been deployed to Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in a move to reassure NATO allies against possible Russian aggression.
