The Verkhovna Rada has approved the deployment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to other countries, including Turkey and the United Kingdom, where Ukrainian ships are stationed. The corresponding draft law, No. 14059, was supported as a whole by 282 MPs, with the minimum 226 required, the Ukrainian News agency reports.
With this draft law, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed to the Rada to approve Decree No. 693 of September 19 on sending units of the Armed Forces to other states, which he had already signed.
The decree provides for the deployment for a period until the termination or lifting of martial law in Ukraine:
- to Turkey - corvette "Hetman Ivan Mazepa" (Ada type) with a regular crew of up to 106 servicemen;
- to the UK - 5 mine countermeasures ships - "Cherkasy", "Chernihiv" (Sandown type), "Mariupol", "Melitopol", "Henichesk" (Alkmaar type), each ship with a regular crew of up to 39 servicemen; and the command of the 1st division of mine countermeasures ships of the Ukrainian Navy flotilla as part of the mine countermeasures headquarters with a total number of up to 20 servicemen.
It has been established that these units during their stay in the territory of other states are subordinated to the command of the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The Cabinet of Ministers is instructed to ensure the maintenance of these units during their stay in the territory of other states.
The decree comes into force simultaneously with the entry into force of the law approving the decree.
The explanatory note to the draft law states that such a decision will facilitate the receipt of sophisticated military equipment from partner countries and professional mastery of its use. At the same time, it is noted that Turkey's position on the passage of warships through the Black Sea straits does not allow the Armed Forces units specified in the decree to return to their permanent deployment sites.
Financing of the costs associated with the deployment and stay of the Armed Forces units in Turkey and the UK in the amount of UAH 135 million is planned to be carried out within the allocations of the Ministry of Defense for 2025, in 2026, in case of extension of martial law, - UAH 203 million.
As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, the anti-submarine corvette "Hetman Ivan Mazepa" is currently being built for the Ukrainian Navy in Turkey, it is to become the future flagship of the Ukrainian Navy.
According to the requirements of the Montreux Convention, Turkey has stopped the movement of all ships through the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits to the Black Sea, so warships cannot reach Ukraine for now.
In 2022, two Sandown-class mine countermeasures ships were withdrawn from the British fleet, named Cherkasy and Chernihiv, and were involved in multinational exercises under the Ukrainian flag. The supply agreement was signed by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom.
In June, the flag of the Ukrainian Navy was solemnly raised on two Alkmaar-class mine countermeasures ships handed over to Ukraine by the Netherlands and Belgium; the ships were symbolically named Melitopol and Mariupol. The handover ceremony took place at the naval base in Zeebrugge, Belgium.
The Netherlands is expected to hand over a similar ship to Ukraine at the end of the year, which will be named Henichesk.
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