The Polish Defense Ministry said on Sunday that 18,000 troops will take part in The Defender Europe 2022 (DE22) and Swift Response 2022 (SR22) military exercises that will be held on the lands of nine European countries as of May 1.
 
In a statement, the ministry said, "Between 1 and 27 May the exercises Defender Europe 2022 (DE22) and Swift Response 2022 (SR22) with the participation of Polish soldiers will be conducted on the territory of Poland and 8 other countries. There will be approximately 18 000 participants from over 20 countries training together in both exercises."
 
Not only Polish troops will participate in the drills, but also personnel from France, the United States, Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Denmark, according to the statement. According to reports, the fifth Corps of the US Armed Forces is to be responsible for the command. 
 
About the matter, the ministry explained that DE22 and SR22 are regular defensive exercises that are not related to the current geopolitical situation in the region.
 
The military personnel will train in different combat situations, such as fire training, long-distance marches, and bridging rivers as per the statement.