Ukraine is ready to send several minehunter vessels currently docked in Portsmouth, United Kingdom, to assist the multinational mission led by the British and French to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The information was shared by The Times, which added that Ukrainian Navy officers are already participating in planning meetings currently underway at the United Kingdom’s Permanent Joint Headquarters in Northwood.
The news comes in the context of a two-day conference bringing together military planners from more than 30 countries to translate the diplomatic consensus reached at the summit of 51 nations held in Paris last week into a detailed military plan to reopen the strait, including the protection of merchant vessels and mine-clearing operations.
“The task, today and tomorrow, is to translate diplomatic consensus into a joint plan to safeguard freedom of navigation in the Strait and support a lasting ceasefire,” said John Healey, the United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for Defence, according to the UK Defence Journal.
The vessels in question are Sandown-class minehunters that were transferred to Ukraine in 2023 and have been stationed in Portsmouth since then, as they cannot return to the Black Sea. Their crews are currently training alongside the Royal Navy and receiving NATO certification to participate in naval task groups.
Ukraine’s extensive experience in mine countermeasures in the Black Sea, where both Russia and Ukraine laid hundreds of mines after the 2022 invasion, makes its potential contribution to a Hormuz clearance operation particularly significant.
In the process of reopening the Strait, mine clearance is expected to be the most labor-intensive part for the forces involved. Iran has deployed numerous mines throughout the Strait, while the U.S. Navy is already deploying autonomous systems, including unmanned surface vessels and underwater vehicles, to assess and begin clearing the threat.
Photo: Royal Navy. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
