By Deutsche Welle
Dec 10, 2023, 10:01 PM EST
UK to provide two ships to Ukrainian defense to help detect Russian sea mines in the Black Sea and boost its maritime exports, the British government indicated this Monday.
These ships “will provide Ukraine with vital capabilities that will help save lives at sea and open up crucial export routes,” British Defense Minister Grant Shapps said in a statement.
The Hunt Class ships are part of the Western Allies’ commitment to strengthen kyiv’s operations in the Black Sea.
— Ministry of Defense 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) December 6, 2023
The minesweepers, originally named HMS Grimsby and HMS Shoreham, were renamed Chernihiv and Cherkasy in Glasgow in Juneand will help Ukraine maintain a critical route for merchant shipping traveling through the Black Sea, said the British newspaper The Guardian.
This summer, Ukraine announced the creation of a humanitarian corridor that would allow grain to be exported to African and Asian markets through a route that hugged the western coast of the Black Sea, near Bulgaria, Romania and its own territorial waters.
Exports plummeted since the Russian invasion
Ukrainian exports have dropped sharply since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022, as the Black Sea became a major battleground between Moscow and kyiv.
The making available of these ships by London coincides with the announcement made on Monday by Shapps and his Norwegian counterpart, Bjørn Arild Gram, from a Maritime Capability Coalition.
Ukraine has struck a deal to get two Royal Navy minehunters from Britain, UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps will announce today. https://t.co/wAGCdnpKON
— POLITICOEurope (@POLITICOEurope) December 11, 2023
This is “a new dedicated effort by the United Kingdom, Norway and our allies to strengthen Ukraine’s maritime capabilities for the long term,” said Grant Shapps, quoted in a statement.
The objective is to allow kyiv to “defend its territorial waters and strengthen security in the Black Sea.”he added.
This new coalition was decided at the latest meetings of the Contact Group for the Defense of Ukraine, which brings together about fifty countries.
Since the start of the invasion, the United Kingdom has provided $5.7 billion in military aid to Ukraine.
Grant Shapps will also reveal new elements of London’s military support to kyiv on Monday.
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