U.S. paratroopers arrive in Ukraine to train National Guard

United States Armed Forces servicemen have arrived in Ukraine, U.S. Ambassador in Kiev Geoffrey Pyatt reported on Friday morning.

"MT @USAGBavaria 173rd Airborne troops arrive in Ukraine for Fearless Guardian," he tweeted.

MT @USAGBavaria 173rd Airborne troops arrive in Ukraine for Fearless Guardian http://t.co/mBVwQFRCob pic.twitter.com/GxufdbiB1m

— Geoffrey Pyatt (@GeoffPyatt) April 17, 2015

MT @USAGBavaria Десантники 173 бригади США прибули до України для навч укр військових http://t.co/mBVwQFRCob pic.twitter.com/0dsAkIjfPJ

— Geoffrey Pyatt (@GeoffPyatt) April 17, 2015

MT @USAGBavaria Десантники 173 бригады США прибыли в Украину для обучения украинских военных http://t.co/mBVwQFRCob pic.twitter.com/ay78SsTmts

— Geoffrey Pyatt (@GeoffPyatt) April 17, 2015

Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said on March 29 that U.S. servicemen would come to the Yavoriv range in the Lvov region on April 20 for joint drills and coaching of Ukrainian National Guard units.

"Two hundred and ninety U.S. paratroopers will land on the Yavoriv range in the Lvov region on April 20 to begin long-term coaching and exercises between the 173rd U.S. airborne brigade and National Guard units under an agreement with the U.S. Department of State," Avakov wrote on Facebook.

The coaching program will involve 900 National Guard servicemen, the minister said. "There will be three groups, 300 National Guard servicemen in each. The three training courses will last for eight weeks each. Then joint exercises will be held," Avakov wrote.

According to the Ukrainian interior minister, the exercises will be joined by the Azov, Kulchytsky, Yaguar, Omega and other National Guard units stationed in Kiev, Kharkov, Zaporozhye, Odessa, Lvov, Ivano-Frankovsk and Vynnytsa.

"When the exercises are over, U.S. partners will supply the trained National Guard units with special hardware and communication systems," he said.