Armenia, US to hold joint military drills July 15-24

PHOTO CAPTION: Armenian soldiers watch a simulated riot grow during crowd riot control training during crowd riot control training during Kosovo Forces 33 (KFOR 33) Mission Rehearsal Exercise (MRE) in the Hohenfels Training Area, Germany, Feb. 10, 2024. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Donovon Lynch via U.S. Defense Visual Information Distribution Service)

(Reuters) - Armenia and the United States will hold joint military exercises in Armenia on July 15-24, the Armenian Defence Ministry said on Saturday.

The Eagle Partner 2024 exercise will focus on tasks related to peacekeeping missions and such drills with "partner countries" are regular, the ministry said.

Armenia, until recently Russia's closest South Caucasus ally, has seen its ties with Moscow sour in recent years over what Yerevan sees as Russia's failure to defend it from neighbouring Azerbaijan.

Though Armenia remains a treaty ally of Russia, it has said repeatedly that it does not support Moscow's war in Ukraine and has sent humanitarian aid to Kyiv, drawing Russia's ire.

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(Reporting by Maxim Rodionov; editing by Jason Neely)