Telegraph: UK to sign 10-year pact on naval security commitments for Ukraine

The U.K. plans to sign a 10-year Memorandum of Understanding to "keep Kyiv in the fight" against Russia in the Black Sea, the Telegraph reported on Dec. 18, citing unnamed British military sources.

Ukraine notched a remarkable success in its battle against Russia's much larger Black Sea Fleet since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, sinking the flagship vessel the Moskva and striking command posts deep into Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine.

U.K. Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said in October that Ukraine's attacks against the Black Sea Fleet had led to the "functional defeat" of the Russian Navy in the Black Sea.

The Memorandum of Understanding will contain provisions for improving naval capabilities by providing ships, equipment, naval-based missiles like the brimstone, and training of Ukrainian naval forces. Due to security reasons, the specifics of the weapons provisions could not be clarified.

Intelligence sharing is one of the key elements of the MoU, officials said.

It also has plans for protecting post-war Ukraine, including preventative measures and pledges to reintroduce sanctions and increase weapons deliveries if Russia should decide to attack again.

“We continue to work closely with Ukraine to provide it with the military, diplomatic and economic support it needs until the end of this war and beyond,” a Defense Ministry spokesperson said.

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The Kyiv IndependentAsami Terajima