Ukraine and the United Kingdom signed a security agreement on Friday, January 12, with one of the points aimed at enhancing Ukraine’s maritime defense capabilities, according to the text of the statement published by the Office of the President.
Britain will lead the Maritime Capability Coalition and make a significant contribution to the development of Ukraine’s naval fleet.
“The Maritime Capability Coalition aims to support Ukraine to become a net contributor to maritime security across the Black Sea and Azov Sea out to 2035 and beyond,” the statement reads.
The coalition’s goal is to help Ukraine in its future capability to restrain and counter threats, restore economic activity, and promote Ukraine’s operational interoperability with NATO in the maritime sphere.
Maritime coalition
On December 11, it became known that Britain and Norway were creating a maritime coalition to assist Ukraine. Britain immediately announced the transfer of two mine countermeasure ships of the Sandown class, 23 fast boats, and 20 amphibious tracked vehicles Bandvagn BvS 10 to our country.
British minehunters for Ukraine
In early December, the Ministry of Defense of Great Britain confirmed the transfer of two Sandown-type minehunters (MCMV) from the Royal Navy to Ukraine.
However, in early January, Türkiye refused to allow the ships through its Bosporus and Dardanelles straits until the end of the war between Ukraine and Russia. Ankara referred to Article 19 of the Montreux Convention, which prohibits the passage of military ships of the parties to the conflict.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine did not see betrayal in Ankara’s decision and noted that they did not apply to Ankara for the passage of British mine countermeasure vessels, considering the norms of the Montreux Convention.
Source: RBC Ukraine
