The Cabinet of Ministers has adopted a resolution allowing the allocation of funds necessary for the implementation of the project for the supply and maintenance of two mine countermeasure vessels received by Ukraine from the United Kingdom.
This information was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Defense.
"The government has adopted a resolution allowing the allocation of funds necessary for the implementation of the project for the supply and maintenance of two mine countermeasure vessels, as envisaged by the Framework Agreement between the governments of Ukraine and the United Kingdom," the statement said.
As noted, in 2022, two Sandown-class ships were decommissioned from the British fleet, given the names "Cherkasy" and "Chernihiv," and were involved in multinational exercises under the Ukrainian flag. The contract for the supply was concluded between the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom.
In 2023, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine entered into an agreement with a British company that has extensive experience in servicing vessels of the British Royal Navy. Ukraine will pay for the modernization, technical maintenance, equipment provision, and spare parts for the two mine countermeasure vessels according to credit agreements, the terms of which are approved in the resolution.
The press service noted that currently, the ships cannot arrive in Ukrainian waters, as it contradicts the Montreux Convention of 1936, which prohibits the passage of warships through the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits by belligerent countries.
"These ships are critically needed by Ukraine for demining the waters of the Black Sea after the end of full-scale war, as they are modern mine countermeasure vessels of this class. According to assessments by Ukrainian and NATO experts, the operation to remove the mine threat in the Black Sea will take from 3 to 5 years, and the recommended maritime routes and anchorage locations for vessels could take up to 6 months, but without such ships, this could take longer," quoted the press service quoting the Commander of the Ukrainian Navy, Oleksiy Neizhpapa.
The Ministry of Defense also reported that currently, the crews of the "Cherkasy" and "Chernihiv" vessels are undergoing training as part of the mine countermeasure forces. In particular, servicemen are mastering the use of mine countermeasure weapons, tactical techniques, and methods of demining waterways according to NATO standards. The teams have completed the first stage of training for mine countermeasure vessels, and based on the assessments by NATO experts during the Joint Warrior 23-II exercises, they received positive evaluations. Moving forward, the servicemen will undergo intensive training to prepare the vessels for operations under any conditions, both independently and as part of a task force.
This year, the "Cherkasy" and "Chernihiv" will participate in three international exercises. During the final stage, NATO experts will certify the vessels for interoperability to operate as part of NATO naval mine countermeasure groups.
"The conclusion of the relevant contracts is critically important. This will initiate the formation of a maritime mine countermeasure group in the Black Sea and will prevent image losses for Ukraine in the eyes of a strategic partner. After all, it was Great Britain that initiated the creation of the International Coalition of Countries to Restore the Capabilities of our Naval Forces," said Deputy Minister of Defense Yuriy Zhigir
