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Two former Royal Navy minehunters have recently arrived in Portsmouth for their first operational exercise since transferring to the Ukrainian Navy and will now be rebased in the city.
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The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence confirmed that the two ships, Cherkasy and Chernihiv, were previously based in Scotland and will now start preparing for their first operational exercises.
They are currently based in the United Kingdom due to the Montreux Convention restricting the movement of military ships through the Bosphorous in times of war.
Cherkasy and Chernihiv will take part in Exercise Sea Breeze 24, a joint countermeasure exercise between the Royal Navy, US Navy, and Ukrainian Navy to improve interoperability between Ukraine and NATO partners.
The transfer of the ships from the United Kingdom commenced in 2023.
“The UK is leading the way in helping Ukraine to modernise its navy. The transfer of these ships and the excellent training provided by the Royal Navy will have a real long-term impact on Ukraine’s ability to defend its waters,” the UK’s Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said.
“We continue to support Ukraine as they deliver major blows to Putin’s Black Sea Fleet. In doing so, they are securing vital corridors to export grain and other materials, supporting their economy in the face of Russia’s barbaric bombardment.”
