Britain and France to lead rehearsal for possible Ukraine deployment

Britain and France will lead a military exercise in Poland this month to test preparations for sending a multinational force to Ukraine if a peace deal is reached. Around 2,800 personnel will participate in Exercise Koalicja, scheduled for 9 to 22 November, with activities involving land, sea and air forces.

The rehearsal follows proposals announced last year for a reassurance force as part of European efforts to offer Ukraine lasting security guarantees. Western officials say its purpose would be to reassure Ukraine and support the rebuilding of its armed forces. It would operate away from the front line, outside Nato command, and would not conduct offensive operations, peacekeeping or ceasefire monitoring.

Participating forces will practise moving, protecting and supplying a potential deployment, while testing whether troops from different countries can operate effectively through shared command and control arrangements. Britain will contribute 300 troops and two RAF Typhoon aircraft. Fighter jets will rehearse providing reassurance to commercial aviation when Ukrainian airspace can reopen.

Turkey has agreed to head the maritime component, whose eventual aims include removing mines and enabling trade to resume in the Black Sea. The United States has taken part in discussions about the proposed mission but is not contributing to it. Officials have yet to specify the eventual composition or structure of any force sent into Ukraine.

UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the exercise demonstrated that Britain, France and their allies were advancing preparations to assist Ukraine once the fighting ended. Lt Gen Tom Bateman, the British commander of the Multi National Force Ukraine, described the rehearsal as a significant step towards turning political pledges into credible military preparedness and a demonstration of participating nations' commitment to Ukraine's long-term security.

Russia has opposed the stationing of foreign troops in Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin said last year that such troops would be legitimate targets. Western officials say the proposed force would have the capacity to defend itself, but have declined to explain the rules governing its response to an attack.

Major questions remain about the mission's scale and practical role. Military experts have previously suggested that guaranteeing Ukraine's security could require tens of thousands of Western troops. Officials acknowledge that national contributions would depend on the terms of any halt to hostilities and political decisions in each country.

The training assistance the force could offer is also uncertain. Ukrainian soldiers already face strong demand to teach Nato personnel, drawing on their experience of drone warfare. Preparations for a possible deployment are continuing despite Russia showing no indication that it wants to end the war.