Ukrainian minesweepers "Chernihiv" and "Cherkasy" will take part in international exercises in Britain.
This was reported by the Ukrainian Navy's Facebook page.
Two minesweepers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which were transferred to Ukraine by Britain in 2022, have arrived at the Royal Navy base in Portsmouth, England, where joint exercises are planned. The minesweepers "Chernihiv" and "Cherkasy" will participate.
Over the past 18 months, the crews of the ships have undergone a series of training sessions with instructors from the Royal Navy and have participated in multinational exercises such as Joint Warrior 23-II and Sea Breeze 2023.
It is noted that in Portsmouth, the ships will undergo preparation for training in British waters with the Royal Navy and the US Navy. In the future, the acquired experience will be useful for Ukraine in cooperation with partner countries according to NATO standards.
It was previously reported that the military ships of the Sandown class, HMS Grimsby and HMS Shoreham, were decommissioned from the Royal Navy and transferred to the Ukrainian military. In the Ukrainian Navy, they received the names "Chernihiv" and "Cherkasy." The ships, each of which served in the Royal Navy for over 20 years, had previously arrived at the Portsmouth naval base after departing from Scotland.
Currently, the ships cannot enter the Black Sea due to the conditions of the Montreux Convention, which restricts the passage of military vessels through the Bosporus Strait during wartime.
