{"id":41339,"date":"2021-05-20T20:57:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-20T20:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/05\/20\/us-russia-hold-parallel-military-drills-in-the-balkans\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T06:55:26","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T06:55:26","slug":"us-russia-hold-parallel-military-drills-in-the-balkans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2021\/05\/20\/us-russia-hold-parallel-military-drills-in-the-balkans\/","title":{"rendered":"US, Russia hold parallel military drills in the Balkans"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BELGRADE, Serbia \u2014 Serbia and Russia launched joint military exercises near Serbia\u2019s capital Thursday as U.S.-led forces held massive drills in neighboring Balkan states in what appeared to be Moscow\u2019s resolve to maintain influence in the European region torn by wars during the 1990s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Serbian and Russian defense ministries said the joint training of some 200 special troops will include \u201cthe destruction of an illegal military formation,\u201d live ammunition shooting and \u201canti-terrorist\u201d action. The drills will last through May 25, the ministries said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exercises at a training ground near Belgrade comes as large-scale U.S. Army-led drills<\/a> dubbed Defender Europe 2021<\/a> are held across Europe, including in most of the nations that neighbor Serbia.<\/p>\n\n\n\t