Ukraine, France hold naval exercise in Black Sea

Kiev (Ukraine), December 31: The Ukrainian Navy held a passing exercise (PASSEX) in the Black Sea with the French Navy, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said Thursday in a statement.
The landing ship Yuriy Olefirenko of the Ukrainian Navy, and the Aquitaine-class frigate Auvergne of the French Navy were involved in the exercise.
The exercise, which defined English as a working language, focused on improving the interoperability and coherence of the naval crews. In particular, the maneuvers included training on conducting night signal production.
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry said the exercise was aimed at upholding security in the Black Sea region and improving the interoperability of the two countries' crews under the standards of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
The Auvergne frigate entered the Black Sea on Dec. 13.
Ukraine holds PASSEX naval drills in the Black Sea periodically with NATO members and partner countries to bring the level of its naval forces closer to the alliance's standards. In June 2020, Ukraine was granted the status of a partner in the NATO Enhanced Opportunities Program.
Source: Xinhua