Updated

Some 2,200 Romanian, U.S., British and Moldovan troops will take part in military exercises in Romania, close to the Ukrainian border, beginning this week.

"Wind Spring 15" will start Thursday and continue until April 30 at two locations in eastern Romania: the Mihail Kogalniceanu airbase near the Black Sea port of Constanta and the Smardan shooting range

Defense Minister Mircea Dusa said Wednesday that Romania will stage more than 340 exercises this year, many jointly organized with NATO and partners from the European Union.

Dusa said the exercises are part of a plan approved at NATO's 2014 summit to reinforce the eastern flank of NATO and the EU, which border Ukraine "We will permanently rotate troops on this flank," he said.