Europe
UK and France to lead Exercise Koalicja in Poland, a 2,800-strong rehearsal for the Multinational Force Ukraine
The UK and France will lead 2,800 troops from 11 countries in Poland from 9 to 22 November, the first major exercise of the Multinational Force Ukraine, the UK government says.
The United Kingdom and France will jointly lead Exercise Koalicja in Poland from 9 to 22 November, the first major exercise run by the Multinational Force Ukraine (MNF-U), the UK government announced on Tuesday. About 2,800 troops from 11 countries will rehearse how to move, protect and supply a force that would help rebuild Ukraine’s armed forces once the fighting ends.
The MNF-U is the military arm of the Coalition of the Willing, the group of countries that have pledged military, economic and diplomatic support to Ukraine. According to the UK Ministry of Defence, the force would enter Ukraine only after hostilities have ceased and at the request of the Ukrainian government, and it would not carry out peacekeeping or ceasefire-monitoring duties.
Who is taking part
The UK says 300 of its personnel will join, including soldiers of the British Army’s 7 Brigade, who will rehearse logistical movements, and RAF Typhoon fighters and a Voyager tanker flying sorties overhead. The jets will simulate how air power could reassure commercial air travel once Ukraine’s skies reopen. The 11 participating countries are Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the UK.
The exercise will test command-and-control arrangements, the movement of personnel, equipment and supplies, and how the different components operate as one multinational force. Turkish forces will also stand up the MNF-U’s maritime element in Istanbul, testing arrangements for mine clearance so that commercial shipping can safely return to Ukraine’s ports.
What officials said
UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the exercise shows the UK “is stepping up, alongside France and our allies, to prepare for the day peace comes to Ukraine”, adding: “This isn’t a hypothetical plan, it’s a real force.” The MNF-U commander, British Lieutenant General Tom Bateman, said the exercise will show the force is “real, capable, readily deployable”.
The MNF-U is led by the UK and France. According to the UK government, its headquarters is set to move from Paris to London this year.
Context
London and Berlin agreed to widen their defence cooperation only a day earlier, as reported in UK and Germany agree to widen defence cooperation at second Defence Ministerial Council. The announcement of Koalicja comes while Russia continues its missile and drone attacks on Ukraine, and no ceasefire is in place. The UK government says it is raising defence spending to 2.7% of GDP from 2027-2028.
Source: UK government.
