International military exercise "Sea Breeze-2017" was launched in Odessa on Monday, July 10. The exercises will last two weeks.

The opening ceremony was held at the hotel "Bristol". This year, the exercises celebrate two jubilees at once - the 20th anniversary of the first Sea Breeze drills that took place in 1997, and these exercises are the 15th in the account.

Servicemen from 16 countries of the world take part in the exercises, 31 ships, 29 flying vehicles, more than 3 thousand personnel.

"I am sure that the exercises will be effective. For Ukraine, these maneuvers provide substantial assistance on the way to achieving NATO standards, testify to the desire of Ukrainians to live in the family of civilized nations of the world, "said Igor Voronchenko, commander of the Ukrainian Navy,.

The exercises will be held on the territory of the Odessa and Mykolayiv regions, in certain sea ranges of the north-western part of the Black Sea.

The main training and fighting elements and tasks of training will be the practical planning and carrying out of the operation according to NATO standards, the actions of forceful release of the vessel seized by terrorists. In addition, it is planned to conduct amphibious operations.

The leader of the exercises from the American side, Captain 1st Rank Tate Westbrook added that part of the exercises will be held in the "free game" mode, and one of the elements will be "development of anti-submarine operations in the Black Sea".

"Sea Breeze - 2017" will end on July 23.