KYIV. Aug 19 (Interfax-AVN) - The Ukrainian peacekeepers arriving at their permanent stationing area in the Iraqi city of El Kut are setting up the base camp and reconnoitering their area of responsibility, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's press service said on Tuesday.
"Today, on August 19, the command of the 5th detached mechanized brigade and 52nd detached mechanized battalion are expected to fly over the northwestern section of the Wasit province on two helicopters of the U.S. Armed Forces in order to specify the missions in the area of responsibility," a press service official told Interfax-Military News Agency.
A total of 1,656 Ukrainian servicemen and 348 pieces of hardware have arrived in Iraq. Among them are 1,614 servicemen of the 5th detached mechanized brigade, 11 officers of the multinational HQ of the coalition forces in Baghdad, 26 officers with the HQ of the South-Center Multinational Division in Babylon (Polish AoR), and five officers of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's operations team.
According to the press service, the security system of the brigade's permanent post consists of two zones: the outer zone includes the airfield and the residential area; it is guarded by 17 stationary posts and car-mounted patrols of the 3rd U.S. Marine Battalion; Ukrainians guard the inner zone by 10 two-man patrols; in addition, four detachments of the day are tailored for contingency missions.