Russia-Ukraine war: Britain ramps up naval support for Ukraine to ‘keep Kyiv in the fight’

Ukrainian soldiers practice on a tank during military training in Ukraine. Photo / AP

Britain will use its naval expertise to help Ukraine control the Black Sea as part of a 10-year security pact to be signed in the coming weeks.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will pledge to “keep Kyiv in the fight” against Russia by providing military support focused on naval assets, as well as financial aid and intelligence sharing.

It will also contain promises of a post-war security guarantee to ward off Moscow should it consider attacking again, including stepping up weapons deliveries and reimposing sanctions.

British officials have told their Ukrainian counterparts the country will focus on bolstering Kyiv’s maritime capabilities as part of the planned MoU, the Telegraph can disclose.

Military leaders have been impressed with Ukraine’s performance in the Black Sea, where it has forced Russia’s navy to retreat from its traditional stronghold in occupied Crimea.

Some of its weaponry – including Brimstone missiles – has come from Britain, which still has one of the world’s most powerful navies.

Shipping to and from Ukrainian Black Sea ports along the temporary corridor continues despite the attacks of Russian troops on port infrastructure in the Odesa region in southern Ukraine. Photo / Getty

The new deal will build on a recent announcement that the UK will lead a “Maritime Capability Coalition” alongside Norway to deliver two Royal Navy mine-hunting ships to Ukraine.

“[The deal] demonstrates our commitment to keep Ukraine in the fight,” a source close to the talks said.

“They are also about providing assurances in a post-hostilities world to [assist] should Russia then attack again.”

The anticipated deal comes after G7 countries signed a declaration on long-term protections for Ukraine in lieu of Nato membership on the sidelines of a summit of the military alliance’s leaders in Vilnius, Lithuania earlier this year.

Some 30 countries, as well as the European Union, are now negotiating individual, long-term security pledges for Ukraine using the framework agreed upon in July.

Britain is hoping to use its maritime strength and knowledge to help further build up Ukrainian naval power.

The Royal Navy has already been training Ukrainian de-mining specialists on crew-less submarines to disarm, defuse Russian bombs, booby traps and mines in its deep-water shipping lanes and prepare for amphibious raids.

Last year, Britain started providing ship-based versions of the Brimstone missile to Ukrainian forces, which Russian war bloggers have credited for attacks on air defence systems in occupied Crimea.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrsky (right), the commander of Ukraine's ground forces, and Roman Mashovets, deputy head of the Presidential Office, look at a map during their visit to the front-line city of Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine. Photo / AP

Land and air assets

Defence sources declined to share any further details at this stage of the weapons that could be sent to Kyiv, other than confirming they would also include land and air assets.

Sir Tim Barrow, the national security adviser, recently held secretive talks with Andriy Yermak, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s top aide, in Brussels on the British pact.

Last week, the Telegraph revealed European leaders had privately urged UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to channel Winston Churchill and reclaim Britain’s role in leading Western support for Ukraine as Germany, France and the US struggle to maintain their backing for Kyiv.

The focus of arms deliveries will be on ensuring Ukraine’s forces become more “inter-operable” with Nato to act as a long-term deterrent against future attacks.

Britain has donated £2.3 billion in military aid annually to Kyiv since Russia launched its full-scale invasion and is expected to match that again in 2024.

A key pillar of the 10-year pact is aimed at further formalising intelligence sharing between London and Kyiv.

Britain was one of the few nations to predict Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion in February last year, while European intelligence agencies conceded they failed to accurately assess the situation.

The country’s armed forces will also promise to maintain its Operation Interflex training programme, which has drilled more than 30,000 Ukrainian recruits, the largest military scheme on British soil since World War II, as part of the deal.

Ukrainian servicemen walk on the banks of Dnipro River after exiting a boat at the front line near Kherson, Ukraine. Photo / AP

Post-war Ukraine

The dossier also sets out plans for protecting post-war Ukraine, including a promise to step up weapons deliveries and financial support in case of another Russian attack.

Any sanctions, which Western officials say have dealt a £350b blow to Moscow’s economy, dropped after the current conflict will be re-introduced.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “At Vilnius in July 2023, the UK, Ukraine and other members of the G7 issued a joint declaration stating our aim to formalise our enduring support to Ukraine as it defends its sovereignty and territorial integrity, rebuilds its economy, protects its citizens and pursues integration into the Euro-Atlantic community.

“We continue to work closely with Ukraine to provide it with the military, diplomatic and economic support it needs until the end of this war and beyond,” the spokesperson added.

The Telegraph can also reveal details of the EU’s offer to Ukraine for a long-term security package, which was discussed by the bloc’s leaders at a Brussels summit last week.

A source close to the negotiations over the nine-point plan said Kyiv had been promised further weapons deliveries as part of a €20b deal over the next four years.

The bloc will aim to “enhance co-operation between the European and Ukrainian defence industries”, with the aim of helping Kyiv produce more Nato-standard weapons domestically.

It will also prolong its training programme for Ukrainian troops and commit to “continuous sharing of intelligence from member states and satellite imagery”, as well as dispatch an “advisory mission” to the country to prevent small arms illegally seeping out.

Brussels will also commit to funding de-mining efforts once the war draws to an end.

In return, Ukraine has promised its international partners it will reform military transparency, modernise its military and implement law enforcement, judicial and anti-corruption measures.