World · 1 d ago
European troops rehearse a future Ukraine deployment in Poland
Nov
9
Monday
Nowa Dęba, Poland
About 2,800 troops take part in the exercise, called Koalicja, from Nov 9 to 22 in Nowa Dęba, a training hub in southeastern Poland about 100 km from the Ukrainian border.
Who sends what
- France: 1,100 troops
- United Kingdom: 300 troops and two Typhoon jets
- Turkey: leads the Black Sea mission
- Also Germany, Poland, Spain, Sweden and others
France and the United Kingdom lead the Multinational Force – Ukraine, meant to deploy once the fighting stops. France sends 1,100 troops and the United Kingdom 300, with two Typhoon fighter jets, while Turkey leads a drill to secure the Black Sea.
"This is not a hypothetical plan, it's a real force, ready to help Ukraine once the fighting stops."
— Wes Streeting, U.K. defence secretary
What we know
- Light equipment only, no armoured vehicles
- Not a Nato force, not a combat mission
Not yet
- The final size of the force
- When the fighting will stop
Officials say the force would not be a Nato mission, would not fight on the front line and would not monitor a ceasefire. Russia opposes foreign troops in Ukraine, and talks to end the war have stalled since February.
