A joint military exercise of five NATO countries including Hungary started in Slovakia on Monday, the Slovak defence ministry announced.
The ten-day exercise codenamed Ground Pepper is to test preparedness for collective defence, the ministry said.
It is taking place in Kamenica nad Cirochou (Nagykemence) in eastern Slovakia and the training base at Lest in central Slovakia. The exercise involves 1,300 soldiers including 900 from Slovakia, 300 from the Czech Republic, 42 from Poland, 38 from the United States and 11 from Hungary, the ministry said.