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Ukrainian minehunters begin vital training with Royal Navy in Portsmouth
18 July 2025
Two Ukrainian warships have arrived in Portsmouth to complete training with the Royal Navy so they can make the Black Sea safe.
Minehunters UNS Mariupol and Melitopol sailed into Portsmouth Naval Base yesterday – and will call the base their home while they undergo extensive training in and around the UK in the coming months.
A specialist Royal Navy team will ensure the 80 or so sailors in the two vessels – which previously served in the Belgian and Dutch Navies – are able to operate seamlessly alongside NATO allies and, above all, can clear the Black Sea of any mines and other underwater explosive devices and obstructions when the war with Russia ends.
The Royal Navy has already trained around 180 Ukrainian sailors to operate two ex-British minehunters, HMS Shoreham and Grimsby.
The crews of those vessels – UNS Chernihiv and Cherkasy – have been brought up to NATO standard by Royal Navy personnel over the past two years, part of wider UK Armed Forces support for the country, Operation Interflex.
Chernihiv and Cherkasy will help the Ukrainian Navy deal with mines in deep waters while the new additions to their Fleet focus on clearing devices laid in shallower water.
The crews of Mariupol and Melitopol, who were welcomed to Portsmouth by senior Ukrainian and Royal Navy officers, have had around six months to grow used to the vessels and learn the basics of operating them.
These crews will have a very important role to play in the future of Ukraine and the Black Sea, joining our first two ships which are already up to NATO standard.
Commander Al Magill from the UK Mine Warfare Battle Staff said the duo had impressed in the recent Sea Breeze exercise held off Portland which focused on dealing with the latest mine/underwater threats
“The crews are a great bunch, very enthusiastic and laser-focused on what they need to do because they want to be back home, fighting for their country. It is a long-term goal – and a vital one for their economy and future security,” he said.
“And while the training we deliver is about teaching NATO minehunting doctrine to make the Ukrainian ships and crews interoperable, the Ukrainians are teaching us in modern warfare of which they are the leading practitioners.”
Captain Oleksii Fedchenko, Ukrainian Naval Attaché in the UK, addressed the crews and received a hearty “Urra!” (Hooray).
“We are very grateful to the United Kingdom for the unique training they are providing – there is the feeling of a small family here.
A third Tripartite-class (or Alkmaar class as they are known in the Netherlands) minehunter will join the two new arrivals (formerly BNS Narcis and HNLMS Vlaardingen) in Portsmouth later this year.
Captain Lee McLocklan, Captain of Portsmouth Naval Base, said every effort had been made to create a ‘home from home’ for the Ukrainian sailors.
“Our focus is on the two ships’ crews, to support them in their mission, to ensure they have everything they need,” he added.
“But we also have a duty to check in on them, see how they are settling in, make them feel at home, help them get to know Portsmouth and the local area because they’ve been away from their homeland for a long time. Having a supportive home base will make a real difference to them.”