New Ukraine ships visit Portsmouth for "phenomenal" Royal Navy training after "tough" period in Russia war
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“World-leading” training regimes will be given to Ukrainian sailors in Portsmouth with two new naval ships visiting the city.
UNS Mariupol and UNS Melitopol sailed into HMMB Portsmouth this morning (July 16). Personnel will undergo intense preparation drills at the base, organised by Royal Navy mine warfare experts. Waters around the city will provide them a safe and secure environment for them to prepare themselves ahead of a return to Eastern Europe.
Lee McLocklan, Captain of HMNB Portsmouth, said although personnel are used to welcoming international guests, this visit was a special one. He told The News: “Some of the personnel haven't spent long in the UK, and have spent a long time at sea in dangerous conditions. Now, they can come safely alongside and start operating alongside us. I think it will make a real difference to them.”
Ukrainian personnel arrived in Portsmouth after participating in Exercise Sea Breeze in Portland, Dorset. They were tasked with completed various operations in a large multinational mine clearance exercise, headed up by American forces. The new Tripartite-class ships, formerly known as BNS Narcis and HNLMS Vlaardingen, will expand Ukraine’s ability to clear explosives threats at the bottom of the ocean. A third will join them later this year. They will eventually join Cherkasy and Chernihiv, formerly HMS Shoreham and Grimsby, as part of a group that will work alongside Nato forces.
While the ships cannot currently access the Black Sea - with the Montreux Convention preventing military vessels from sailing the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits during times of war - they will eventually form an effective mine-hunting force to remove explosive devices and obstructions in the region once the war ends. Development in Portsmouth will help them achieve this.
Capt McLocklan, 52, was pleased the Royal Navy can provide them with state-of-the-art coaching. “We’re here to provide a safe and secure naval base, so when sailors and ships are alongside, we can provide services and support on their behalf,” he added. “Being at sea is inherently dangerous and arduous. When they come to Portsmouth, we can support them. To see the skills and expertise that the Ukrainian Navy has been able to apply is pretty phenomenal. Being able to conduct world-leading training is testament to them.”
The crews stepped ashore once UNS Mariupol and Melitopol were alongside, receiving a warm greeting from British personnel. Captain Oleksii Fedchenko, of the Ukrainian Naval Attaché in the UK, addressed the crews and received a heaty “Urra!” He said the help they’ll receive is unique and has already bore fruit, with Cherkasy and Chernihiv holding the first Nato trained Ukrainian crews.
The Captain hopes the personnel will eventually be ready to carry out their mine clearance duties once the war ends. He added: “We’re absolutely grateful to the UK for this opportunity to train the ships and be fully Mine Counter Measure (MCM) capable. It’s huge for us.
“The crew are used to being in tough conditions, so it’s great to be somewhere safe to live and work. They saw bad things, but now they can concentrate their efforts on their training. This will soon be entrenched. Each unit will have its own role, and this is a really important role for the future. We will provide food security and protect navigation in the Black Sea. This will be important not just for Ukraine, but the whole world.”
The UK has been continually supporting Ukraine as the Eastern European nation continues to defend against Russia’s illegal invasion. It has been over three years since the war began on February 24, 2022. More than 56,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been trained by British personnel and 13 other partner nations under Operation Interflex since June 2022. This included putting trainees through courses at basic infantry, leadership and instructor level. The government has provided over £13bn of military aid to Ukraine since the conflict started, with £4.5bn expected this year. Today marks 1,239 since the start of Russia’s invasion
For Commander Alasdair Magill and his team of roughly 80 colleagues, their job will be to prepare their Ukrainian colleagues for future operations alongside Nato. Various skills will be taught such as firefighting, damage control, internship manoeuvres such as replenishment and towing, and clearing the seabed of mines while protecting their task group. Royal Navy personnel have been supporting them for the past six months. So far, 180 Ukrainian sailors and battle staff have received mine warfare training, making them able to operate Cherkasy and Chernihiv.
Cdr Magill, 41, Commander of UK Mine Warfare Battle Staff, said: “The Ukrainian Navy will be incredibly well placed for its economic recovery and increase of national security post-conflict. Through the task group we’re creating here, and all the other coalition efforts taking place around the world, the Ukrainian Navy is well set for its future all the way out to 2035.
“They’re involved in an active conflict, conducting live operations in incredibly adverse conditions. We’re imparting the skills to use these platforms, and they’re teaching us about modern warfare and they’ll be the leading practitioners moving forward.
Portsmouth is the home of the Royal Navy and I couldn’t think of a better establishment to host our key partner. It’s a strong statement for the UK to support Ukraine and be a partner alongside them.”