The former British minesweepers ‚Grimsby" arrived in Portsmouth in southern England. and "Shorum" intended for the Ukrainian fleet, where Ukrainian crews will be trained in their operation, the UK Ministry of Defense announced. Before that, they served in the British Navy for more than 20 years, BBC and News.bg reported.
The ministry admitted that until the end of the war, ships would not be able to enter the Black Sea in accordance with the Montreux Convention. This convention, signed in 1936, gave Turkey control over all warships passing through the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits. Article 19 of the convention states that in time of war, if Turkey does not participate in it, the warships of belligerent countries should not pass through the Black Sea straits.
On February 27, 2022, three days after the invasion began, Turkish officials acknowledged that such martial law existed. This explains why Russia, which has already lost a large number of ships during the war, cannot replenish its Black Sea fleet with ships from other regions.
The British Ministry of Defense stated that the minesweepers, which in Ukraine will be called "Chernihov" and "Cherkassy", "will represent a critical capability for Ukraine in its future defense of its coastline.
"The UK is committed to supporting the long-term capabilities of the Ukrainian navy to protect merchant shipping by identifying and disarming sea mines," the British Ministry of Defense said.