Five warships from four allied nations arrived in Glasgow this weekend ahead of a
major NATO exercise in Scottish waters.
The vessels and their crews will spend time at Glasgow’s King George V Docks before
sailing to participate in Exercise Sea Breeze.
The exercise, which is jointly led by the United States and Ukraine, will provide
nations with the opportunity to practice working together with their closest allies
and partners.
Over the next two weeks, partner nations will refine tactics, techniques, and procedures,
with the focus being on mine countermeasures operations.
Most of the activity will take place in the Northern Minches and the Firth of Clydeup
to 5 July.
Ships from Ukraine, Estonia, France, Germany will be taking part.
Personnel from Bulgaria, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Japan, Poland,
Romania, Sweden, Ukraine, United States, and the United Kingdom will also participate
in the NATO exercise.
The two Ukrainian mine hunters are former Royal Navy vessels, previously named Shoreham,
and Grimsby, and were transferred to the Ukrainian navy in 2023.
Now named Cherkasy and Chernihiv they are currently stationed at HM Naval Base Portsmouth
while their crews undergo training with Royal Navy instructors.
The ships have previously taken part in Exercise Joint Warrior 23, and Exercise Sea
Breeze will further ensure that the Ukrainian sailors have the skills and knowledge
to safely operate their new mine hunters.
The Ukrainian vessels will eventually operate in the Black Sea, clearing mines from
vital sea lanes and safeguarding the economic and food security of the country.
The ships are currently not able to enter the Black Sea due to the terms of the Montreux
Convention, which restricts passage of military vessels through the Bosporus Strait
at times of war. However, they will form a critical capability for Ukraine in its
future defence of coastlines.
The Ministry of Defence says the UK has been committed to supporting Ukraine since
the illegal invasion in 2022. As one of the largest military donors, the UK has demonstrated
its commitment through substantial military support, so far providing more than £7.6
billion to supporting the armed forces of Ukraine.
Ukraine has sunk or disabled around a third of Russia’s Black Sea fleet since the
start of the conflict through a series of precision-guided missile strikes and drone
attacks helping Ukraine to export more grain through its seaports in recent months
than at any time since the outbreak of the war.
Ukrainian warships participating in Nato exercise off Western Isles
23 June 2024
Cherkasy and Chernihiv minesweepers will be on NATO manoeuvres