Ukraine and Russia will resume joint military exercises, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Yezhel said Tuesday.

"Military cooperation with the Russian Federation has been improved and expanded afterwards. We had resumed carrying out some joint drills and programs that were temporarily suspended," the minister said in interview to Interfax News Agency.

The minister noted the sides agreed to resume Ukrainian-Russian drills named "Fairway of the world," which had been suspended in 2005.

Yezhel added the parties also plan to change the scale of the exercise and make it more saturated.

"Ukraine and Russia plan to conduct three joint exercises in 2011," the minister said, adding Ukraine has received an invitation from the Russian side to take part in air defense exercises on the Russian firing range "Ashuluk in Astrakhan region, southwest Russia.

According to the ministry's schedule, Ukraine's armed forces would take part in 21 drills in 2011.