Minesweepers, boats, and drones – how the Maritime Capability Coalition is assisting Ukraine

The Maritime Capability Coalition was established in December 2023 as part of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group to support our country at sea and on rivers.

The issue of control over the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov is strategically important to Ukraine's security and economy, as the significance of maritime trade routes for a country that exports raw materials cannot be overstated. 

Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians are employed in metallurgy, agriculture, and other sectors reliant on these routes. Ukrainian grain and food products feed millions of people across the globe. 

Maintaining control over rivers is essential, as they function both as strategic transport routes and natural state borders.

That is why, in December 2023, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Ukraine took the initiative to establish the Maritime Capability Coalition. Its main objectives are to meet Ukraine’s urgent needs and support the long-term development of its relevant capabilities, ensure the freedom and security of civilian navigation, and deter and repel any aggression from the sea.

The Maritime Capability Coalition, in addition to Ukraine, includes 18 other countries—besides the leading nations, these are Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, the United States, France, Sweden, Portugal, Poland, Romania, and Turkey.

Finland, Iceland, and Canada contribute to developing Ukraine's maritime capabilities but are not yet members of the Coalition. Australia and Japan are considering joining the Maritime Capability Coalition. 

The activities of the Maritime Capability Coalition are among the least publicly disclosed. At the same time, it is known that the member states of the Coalition provide Ukraine, among other things, with:

• ships and boats;
• naval strike armaments;
• surveillance and reconnaissance equipment;
• mine action systems;
• strengthen the amphibious capabilities of the marine forces;
• train the personnel of flotillas and marines.

The Coalition is taking a comprehensive approach to developing capabilities – not only supplying ships, helicopters, and other systems but also training their crews and operators, educating technical staff, and offering technical support for their operation and deployment.  

Among the publicly confirmed details is that the Netherlands and Belgium are transferring three Alkmaar-class mine countermeasure ships to Ukraine this year. In addition to other capabilities, the United Kingdom already transferred two mine countermeasure ships, Chernihiv and Cherkasy, in early 2023, which are currently stationed at British ports.

The crews of these ships are currently undergoing rigorous training to carry out their missions according to NATO standards. This set of mine action forces forms the core of the mine action tactical group, which will directly neutralize the mine threat in Ukrainian waters.

The United States, the Netherlands, Canada, Sweden, and Finland have provided a number of boats of different classes and purposes, including those for search and rescue operations, transportation, reconnaissance, and special operations.

In Romania, the Coalition has established a maritime training center to train the marines of the Ukrainian Navy.

In total, eight Capability Coalitions have been established within the framework of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group: The Air Force Coalition, the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Coalition, the Maritime Capability Coalition, the Drone Coalition, the IT Coalition, the Artillery Coalition, the Armored Vehicles and Maneuverability Coalition, and the Demining Capability Coalition.

On January 9, 2025, the defense ministers of 14 leading nations, along with Ukraine, coordinated roadmaps for all the Coalitions. This occurred during a meeting of the Capability Coalition Leaders Group within the framework of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (Ramstein format).