The Verkhovna Rada approved the sending of Navy ships to other countries

Ukrainian ships may soon go to Turkey and Great Britain.

On October 9, the Verkhovna Rada supported in the first and second readings bill No. 14059, which approves the Presidential Decree on sending units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to other states. This was reported on the website of the Verkhovna Rada.

282 people’s deputies voted for the document.

The law provides for the sending to the Republic of Turkey of a new Ukrainian corvette “Hetman Ivan Mazepa” (Ada type), built at Turkish shipyards within the framework of bilateral military-technical cooperation. The team will include 106 servicemen of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In Turkey, the corvette will undergo final tests, crew training and integration of weapons systems, after which it will become part of the combat force of the Ukrainian fleet. This step is considered an important stage in the restoration and modernization of the Ukrainian Navy, which suffered significant losses after the start of a full-scale war.

In addition, the adopted document allows for the dispatch of five Ukrainian mine countermeasure ships to Great Britain and Northern Ireland – Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Mariupol, Melitopol and Genichesk.

The regular crew of each ship will be up to 39 servicemen, and the management of the 1st Division of Mine Countermeasure Ships of the Ukrainian Navy Flotilla – a mine countermeasure headquarters with a staff of up to 20 people will also be sent.

Ukrainian sailors will participate in training programs and exercises with the British Navy aimed at improving mine countermeasure training, increasing interoperability with partner fleets and preparing for the future operation of ships transferred to Ukraine within the framework of defense support.

The explanatory note notes that the deployment of Ukrainian units abroad will ensure:

• increasing the level of combat readiness of the Ukrainian Navy,

• strengthening cooperation with NATO partners,

• obtaining and mastering new equipment,

• improving Ukraine’s maritime security.

In addition, this decision will contribute to strengthening defense capabilities and implementing the fleet renewal strategy, which is a key component in ensuring freedom of navigation and deterring Russian aggression in the Black Sea.

USM also recently wrote that the Ukrainian Navy, for the first time in NATO history, led international naval exercises.