United to win: Britain donates two minesweepers to Ukraine
Sea minesweeper "Chernihiv" in the waters of Great Britain, October 23, 2023. Photo: Ukrainian Navy
Great Britain has given Ukraine two minesweepers from the Royal Navy. The minesweepers have already arrived in Portsmouth, where their crews are receiving training to prepare for missions in the Black Sea.
Portsmouth News reports this.
The Royal Navy has recently decommissioned its Sandown-class warships, HMS Grimsby and HMS Shoreham, and transferred them to the Ukrainian military. They will now be known as "Chernihiv" and "Cherkasy," respectively, and will continue to serve in their new role.
The ships, each serving in the Royal Navy for over 20 years, arrived at Portsmouth Naval Base after sailing from Scotland.
They will remain based in Portsmouth while crew members undergo training to prepare them to search for mines in the Black Sea.
"The ships are currently unable to enter the Black Sea due to the terms of the Montreux Convention, which restricts the passage of warships through the Bosporus in time of war. However, they will be a critical asset for Ukraine in its future coastline defense as the UK seeks to support the long-term capabilities of the Ukrainian Navy. In contrast, they seek to protect commercial shipping by detecting and disarming sea mines," a British Ministry of Defense spokesman said.
It should be noted that Rubryka previously reported that Great Britain, within the framework of the new naval coalition, is handing over two Royal Navy ships to Ukraine. These are the ships "Chernihiv" and "Cherkasy," named after the minesweepers of the same name lost during the occupation of Crimea in 2014.
However, Türkiye, in accordance with the Montreux Convention, which dictates that the straits under its control must be closed to the warships of warring nations, will not permit two minesweepers gifted to Ukraine by Great Britain to enter the Black Sea.
For reference:
Britain has been one of Ukraine's main allies since the beginning of the full-scale war. The country was the first to agree to provide the Ukrainian military with modern Challenger 2 tanks.
Britain also provided long-range Storm Shadow missiles with a range of 300 kilometers.
On March 22, the British Ministry of Defense announced a new package of military aid to Ukraine worth 60 million pounds (over 75 million dollars). The aid included drones and air defense.
Also, on April 8, Britain agreed with France to increase the supply of ammunition, drones, and air defense systems to Ukraine.
