Nicosia, Jerusalem Kick off Largest Joint Military Exercise

Cyprus and Israel on Sunday launched a joint military exercise on the island nation and in its airspace and territorial waters, the Cypriot Defense Ministry said in a statement. The exercise, codenamed “Agapinor 2022,”  has been described by Defense Ministry sources as the largest joint military maneuver by the two Eastern Mediterranean countries; it will be concluded on Thursday. “The maneuver is part of the agreed Bilateral Military Cooperation Program between the two countries and depicts the excellent relations of the two countries in the field of defense and security,” the Defense Ministry statement said. Israeli media reported that Israeli special forces and “many military aircraft” would participate and that the Jewish state’s defense minister, Benny Gantz, would be on hand to observe part of the exercise.