Britain and France will jointly lead the multinational “Coalition” exercise, which will take place in Poland from November 9 to 22. Around 2,800 military personnel from 11 countries will participate, including 300 Britons. The maneuvers are aimed at preparing forces that could support Ukraine’s security and reconstruction after the end of hostilities.
Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the United Kingdom have confirmed their participation. The “Coalition” exercise is the first major exercise organized within the Multinational Forces for Ukraine (MNF-U) – the military component of the “Coalition of the Willing”, whose members have pledged to provide increased military, economic and diplomatic support for Kyiv.
Logistics, air security and maritime mine clearance
The exercise in Poland will rehearse the command and control of the forces, the movement of personnel, equipment and materials, as well as cooperation between the different national components. It will cover operations on land, in the air and at sea.
Personnel from the British Army’s 7th Brigade, known as the “Desert Rats”, will train in logistical operations. Typhoon fighter jets and the Royal Air Force’s Voyager tanker aircraft will carry out flights involving the simulation of security measures for civilian air transport after the reopening of Ukrainian airspace.
Turkish forces will establish the maritime component of the MNF-U in Istanbul. There, they will rehearse maritime mine-clearance operations intended to create conditions for the safe restoration of commercial shipping to Ukrainian ports.
The forces will operate only at Kyiv’s invitation
According to the British Ministry of Defence, the MNF-U will support the security of Ukrainian airspace and maritime space and the rebuilding of Ukraine’s armed forces. The forces will enter Ukraine only after the end of hostilities and at the request of the Ukrainian government. They will not perform peacekeeping functions and will not monitor compliance with a ceasefire regime.
The commander of the multinational force is British Lieutenant General Tom Bateman. Britain and France jointly lead the MNF-U, while the force’s headquarters is due to be moved from Paris to London in 2026.
“This is not a hypothetical plan, but a real force ready to help Ukraine as soon as the fighting stops,” British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said.He said the exercise showed that Britain, France and their allies were stepping up preparations for a future peace in Ukraine. The British government also said it plans to increase defence spending to 2.7% of gross domestic product in 2027–2028, with funding expected to reach nearly £300 billion over four years.
Sources: ukrinform.ua