The UK has dealt a major blow to Putin‘s war efforts by handing Ukraine six underwater drones and training Ukrainian soldiers on using them to clear their coastline of Russian mines. After training Ukrainian personnel in the UK, these mine-clearing vehicles will be sent to Ukraine to destroy Russian mines that have threatened Kyiv’s food exports. Three of these drones will be provided from the Navy’s own supplies, while a further three will be purchased from industry, according to the Ministry of Defence.
These lightweight autonomous vehicles are designed for use in shallow coastal environments, which means they operate effectively at depths of up to 100m.
These drones can detect, locate and identify mines using an array of sensors, including sonar, allowing the Ukrainian Navy can destroy them for safe passage.
This is a critical breakthrough in tackling the global food crisis as these drones could ensure safe passage for Ukrainian ships looking to export grains around the world.
Over the past six months, Putin’s forces have wreaked havoc on the global food supplies, by destroying Ukrainian agriculture and blockading the country’s Black Sea ports from exporting goods.
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Speaking to Sky News, a Ukrainian soldier training in the UK said: “This underwater drone will be very useful for us to clear the sea areas, especially the very critical region in Odesa to find the mines.”
Former First Sea Lord, Alan West added: “They should be able to clear the main route out of their ports very quickly. That is very important because there is immense global pressure to actually start shifting what one could call a grain mountain that’s backing up in Ukraine.
“It’s not just grain, it’s also vegetable oil and maize, and this needs to start moving.”
The Royal Navy’s Diving & Threat Exploitation Group will conduct the three-week training courses for the Ukrainian personnel, alongside the US Navy 6th Fleet.
Admiral Sir Ben Key, First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, said: “Through the expert skills being taught here, our Ukrainian allies will be able to clear their own waters of mines.
“These weapons target shipping indiscriminately, but particularly affect civilian traffic and trade and have had a devastating impact on freedom of navigation in the Black Sea.
“This training is another powerful demonstration of the UK’s ongoing commitment to Ukraine in their fight to defend their country and repel Russian aggression.”
The UK is also leading a major international programme to train up to 10,000 Ukrainian volunteer recruits in basic military skills, which Canada, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, New Zealand, Lithuania and the Netherlands have all announced they will support.
