 NATO troops, based in Slovakia, faced a test of their readiness on March 21 in multinational battlegroup military exercises. Almost 2,000 troops from Poland, Germany, Slovenia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the United States took part in the Slovak Shield drills in the south of the country. Commanders said the exercises aimed to harmonize and synchronize operations between the participating NATO members. Slovia's Defense Minister Yaroslav Nadz said the exercise would help NATO forces coordinate and cooperate in the event of an attack on Slovakia. Slovakia last week became the second of Ukraine's allies to provide MiG-29 fighter jets which Kiev believes are crucial in repelling Russia's year-long invasion.