About 4,800 servicemen are taking part in the “Coalition 26.2” military exercise, which is being held in Poland and tests the readiness of multinational forces for a possible mission in Ukraine. The maneuvers began on November 9 and will continue until November 22.
About 2,800 servicemen from 11 partner countries are participating in the exercise, including France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden and Turkey. Nearly 2,000 Polish troops are also involved in the operation, providing logistical support.
According to UNIAN, citing “Gazeta Wyborcza,” this is the first practical test of the forces being prepared for a possible peacekeeping or stabilization mission in Ukraine. Poland’s Ministry of National Defence describes the exercise as the first test of the readiness of multinational forces to support Ukraine after the end of the war.
Mobility and supply chains put to the test
The military are practicing the reception of allied units, their movement by land, air and sea, cooperation between the various contingents, and the maintenance of equipment. The program also includes force protection, supply operations, field repairs of damaged equipment and military flights.
Planning for maritime mine-clearance operations is also envisaged, as such operations would be necessary to restore shipping and access to Ukrainian ports.
“These exercises are primarily an opportunity to test the logistics and effectiveness of troop movements in practice,” said Brigadier General Artur Demchak of the Armed Forces Support Inspectorate.The Coalition of the Willing was established in 2025 under French-British leadership. According to its stated principles, multinational forces may be deployed to Ukraine only after the cessation of hostilities and at the official request of the government in Kyiv. The initiative is outside NATO structures, meaning that any potential incidents during a future mission would not automatically trigger Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.
Poland does not plan to send its troops
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk says Warsaw will not send its servicemen to Ukraine, as this is not envisaged in any of the scenarios under consideration. Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz also says that Poland has other tasks במסגרת the initiative.
Poland’s role is primarily linked to receiving, supplying and moving the forces through its territory. Official information from Poland’s Ministry of National Defence states that the country is hosting the exercise and is the lead country for logistics, but does not plan to send its troops to Ukrainian territory.
Moscow rejects the idea of Western contingents
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova describes the possible deployment of Western military contingents to Ukraine as unacceptable to Moscow. In her words, such a presence would constitute military intervention and create a threat to Russia’s security.
Zakharova also warns that foreign units in Ukraine would be considered legitimate military targets by the Russian army. The exercise in Poland continues until November 22, while the deployment of multinational forces to Ukraine remains conditional on a future cessation of hostilities and an official request from Kyiv.
Sources: unian.net, wyborcza.pl