The Military Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that on November 8, 2023 the meeting of Commander of the Naval Forces vice admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa with First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff admiral Sir Benjamin Key and Fleet Commander vice admiral Andrew Burns had been held.
Both sides considered the issue of military assistance and personnel training of the Military Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with participation of foreign instructors, reads the report. The participants might have discussed the Westland WS-61 Sea King helicopters supply and training of Ukrainian crews on them. Or they might have discussed 2 Sandown class minehunters supply for the Military Naval Forces, which had been planned for September, 2022.
Read more: Ukraine Get Undersea Minehunter Drones From UK to Clear Coastline
Ukraine really needs minehunters, considering the loss of the Henichensk (U360) minesweeper is officially confirmed. And the thread of drifting contact miles is significant.
In July, 2022 the BBC reported that the Ukrainian Navy were mastering British Sandown class minehunters and at that time the supply of the vessels was announced. September 2022 has passed but there is only information that the minehunters are called “Chernihiv” and “Cherkasy”. Moreover, there is data about their future armament.
A photo appeared showing “Chernihiv” and “Cherkasy” minehunters in the open sea under the flag of Ukraine at the end of January, 2023. It is stated that the vessels has been cruising outside Rosyth (Scotland), where the shipyard is located.
The terms of supply aren’t disclosed. Moreover, it is unknown whether Turkey will let the vessels go through the Bosporus and the Dardanelles straits, relying on the (Montreux) Convention regarding the Regime of the Straits.
Turkey prohibited the passage of the ships of the russian Navy from the Mediterranean Sea, relying on the Montreux Convention on February 27, 2023.
Read more: Fighters Are Not The Priority, UK Focuses on Providing Ukraine with Long-Range Missiles and Drones
