Ukrainian personnel will be taught to use the autonomous minehunting vehicles by the Royal Navy and U.S. Navy over the coming months, say the Ministry of Defence.

The UK is giving six of the underwater drones to Ukraine and training its personnel here in Britain to use them so they can clear their coastline of mines when they return to their homeland. 

The Ministry of Defence said in a news release:

“Six autonomous minehunting vehicles will be sent to the country to help detect Russian mines in the waters off its coast. Three of these will be provided from UK stocks, with a further three to be purchased from industry. The lightweight autonomous vehicle is designed for use in shallow coastal environments, operating effectively at depths of up to 100m to detect, locate and identify mines using an array of sensors so the Ukrainian Navy can destroy them.

Dozens of Ukrainian Navy personnel will be taught to use the drones over the coming months, with the first tranche having already begun their training. Russia has been weaponising food by destroying Ukrainian agriculture and blockading the country’s Black Sea ports to prevent exports, with devastating consequences for the world’s poorest people as food prices rise.”

Working with the U.S. Navy

The Royal Navy say here that, side-by-side with comrades from the US Navy, experts from the Diving & Threat Exploitation Group are teaching Ukrainians how to operate the devices, which search large areas of seabed for mines and unexploded ordnance without putting the operators in harm’s way.

“The Diving & Threat Exploitation Group is delivering three-week training courses, alongside the US Navy Sixth Fleet. The Royal Navy has considerable experience using the small tube-shaped sonar-equipped devices. The training involves launching and recovering the devices at sea, as well as interpretation of the data sent back to identify mock mines.”

Captain Ben Vickery Royal Navy, Captain of Royal Navy Diving and Mine Warfare, was quoted as saying that he was struck by the passion and commitment with which the Ukrainians had thrown themselves into learning.

“The Ukrainian personnel have been fantastic, and it is a pleasure to be working with them and helping them in their struggle to defend their homeland against the aggression they are currently suffering. These incredible, motivated and very professional sailors have thrown themselves into the task and have made incredible progress gaining an excellent level of proficiency. I am hugely proud of them, and the Royal Navy Clearance Divers and Mine Warfare specialists delivering the training, standing shoulder to shoulder – stronger together to achieve this vital training mission driven by our shared values and a common bond.”

The Royal Navy is also training Ukrainian sailors to operate Sandown-class minehunters

Ukrainian sailors are being trained onboard a Royal Navy Sandown Class Minehunter off the coast of Scotland.

Ukraine sailors training on ship in Scottish waters

Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said:

“The intensity with which the Ukrainian soldiers and sailors are training is something to behold. They work with the focus of troops who know they’ll be fighting in a war in just a few short weeks’ time. Delivering training that matches that intensity and focus is not straightforward. The Royal Navy and the British Army are working long hours and drawing on all their operational experience to make sure their new Ukrainian friends are sent into combat with the best chance of victory.”

Deputy Defence Minister Volodymyr Havrylov said:

“I saw the brotherhood of Ukrainian and British soldiers working together to achieve a common goal – strengthening the combat capabilities of the Ukrainian army. We are very grateful to the government and people of the United Kingdom for their invaluable contribution to Ukraine’s success in repelling the Russian aggressors.”