Royal Navy to send ships to Ukraine to defend itself against Russian threat
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The Royal Navy is to send ships to Ukraine to defend itself against Russia threat in the Black Sea for the first time.
Ben Wallace said that the new Maritime Training Initiative would be led by the UK to assist the Ukrainian Navy as it defends its “territorial integrity from Russian-backed separatists”.
“We have already assisted thousands of Ukrainian personnel in a plethora of skills ranging from basic first aid to operational planning, all of which defends their territorial integrity from Russian-backed separatists,” Mr Wallace said.
“Now, the Maritime Training Initiative will enable even closer collaboration with the NATO Alliance and Armed Forces around the world, and allows us to build on Ukraine’s new NATO Enhanced Opportunities Partner status.”
The Defence Secretary, who visited Ukraine yesterday, confirmed that the Royal Navy ships would be sent to the region in autumn as he discussed issues of regional security and areas of mutual interest and cooperation in meetings with defence minister Andriy Taran and Ukrainian commander-in-chief Colonel General Ruslan Khomchak.
The initiative will include courses delivered by the Royal Navy and naval personnel from Sweden, Canada and Denmark in areas such as navigation, operational planning, military diving, sea surveillance, fire-fighting and damage control.
It comes as an RAF Officer for the first time oversaw Exercise Furious Wolf, a major NATO exercise, in Lithuania. During the exercise the ground based Joint Terminal Attack Controllers worked with RAF Typhoons and Spanish EF-18 Hornets that are currently based in Lithuania to develop Close Air Support skills.
Meanwhile, Reuters reports that Britain’s Royal Navy and NATO allies have escorted nine Russian navy warships during heightened levels of activity in the waters close to the United Kingdom, the navy said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The Royal Navy demonstrated its flexibility in being able to shadow the Russian Navy units,” said Commander Will Paston, Commanding Officer of the frigate HMS Westminster.
“While the Russian Navy operated in a safe and professional manner, HMS Westminster combined with NATO-allied units across the North Sea and Baltic Sea to escort them throughout.”
