KIEV, July 15 (RIA Novosti) - Nineteen servicemen from different foreign armies participating in a Ukrainian-US exercise have been hospitalized with non-life-threatening problems, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said on Monday.
About 1,300 troops from 19 countries, including host nation Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Britain, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Georgia, Germany, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Sweden, Turkey and the US are participating in Exercise Rapid Trident 2013 which started last Monday.
The soldiers' medical problems are related to “adaptation to the local climate, general respiratory disease, and slight foot and ligament injuries,” the ministry said in a statement, denying media reports that the servicemen suffered from food poisoning.
All of them will soon be discharged from hospital, the ministry said.
Rapid Trident is a US Army in Europe-led, US European Command Joint Training and Exercise Program designed to “enhance interoperability between forces and promote regional stability and security,” according to the US Army.
The exercise includes a week-long field-training maneuver in which a multinational force conducts operations against a simulated enemy. This year's exercise is the 11th iteration of Rapid Trident, which was previously conducted under the name Peace Shield from 1998 to 2002.
US units participating in the exercise include an airborne-infantry company from the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, Observer Coach Trainers from the Joint Multinational Readiness Center, 21st Theater Support Command, US Army Europe and the California Army National Guard.
