Ukraine is reportedly prepared to send four minehunters currently docked in the United Kingdom to support a British- and French-led mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz once hostilities in the Middle East subside.
According to a report by The Times, Ukrainian naval officers will attend a multinational military planning summit on Wednesday, April 22, at the Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) in Northwood, northwest London.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
More than 30 nations are expected to participate in the two-day meeting to discuss what military assets could be deployed to protect commercial shipping transiting the strategic waterway.
A Ukrainian military source told The Times that Kyiv is “ready” to offer any of the four minehunters currently based in Portsmouth. Two of the vessels were previously purchased from the UK to help de-mine the Black Sea once the war with Russia ends.
“We are ready to offer everything. There are four minehunters, all in Portsmouth. They can’t go to Ukraine because first of all they would be target number one, and secondly because of the Montreux Convention,” the source said, referring to the 1936 treaty restricting the transit of military vessels through the Bosporus Strait during wartime.
Under the convention, the former HMS Shoreham and HMS Grimsby – two Sandown-class vessels transferred to Ukraine in 2023 – have remained in British waters and have not been able to enter the Black Sea.
US Forces Intercept Iranian Ballistic Missiles and Strikes Radar Sites
The other two ships, UNS Mariupol and UNS Melitopol, are also stationed at Portsmouth naval base. Previously serving in the Belgian and Dutch navies as BNS Narcis and HNLMS Vlaardingen, they are currently training with the Royal Navy while Ukrainian crews await an end to the war.
Another Alkmaar-class mine countermeasures vessel will be transferred to Ukraine by the Netherlands in June 2026 and will be named Henichesk.
Kyiv is reportedly seeking to demonstrate support for its Western allies in the Middle East amid concerns that US President Donald Trump could shift his stance on Ukraine and pursue a deal with Russia.
In addition to minehunters, Ukraine could offer maritime drones or counter-drone equipment to help allied nations defend shipping from Iranian drone and missile threats.
Britain and France are reportedly unwilling to deploy ships while there remains a strong possibility of continued fighting between the United States and Iran.
The shape of any multinational naval force – and how it would coordinate with Washington – remains unclear.
It could take weeks for vessels to reach the region if a deployment is approved, the Times report notes, and the timeline for any operation remains uncertain.
Iran began blocking the Strait of Hormuz following the outbreak of war with the United States and Israel. It is one of the world’s most important maritime transport arteries, connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
The route is used for oil exports by countries including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
The current two-week truce in the conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran is set to expire soon, though officials have given mixed signals on timing.
A first round of talks produced no agreement, and Tehran has reportedly ruled out another round this week after Washington refused to lift its blockade of Iranian ports and seized an Iranian cargo ship.
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday hinted that Ukraine could deploy its naval drones to the Middle East as part of efforts to secure shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking on television, Zelensky said he had taken part in an online security summit with international partners focused on the strait and had been invited to a follow-up meeting in London involving military representatives from multiple countries.
He pointed to recently signed 10-year defense agreements with three Gulf states, noting that Ukraine’s naval drones are included in those deals.
“Also, if we have our ‘drone deal’ with Middle Eastern countries, our sea drones are included in it. Therefore, anything can appear: we can join in on defense, we can help with convoys,” Zelensky said.
He previously reported that more than 200 Ukrainian drone specialists have already been deployed to the Gulf to help counter Iranian drone threats, drawing on Ukraine’s battlefield experience.
On Sunday Ukraine said that for the first time it had successfully shot down a Shahed-type drone using a naval drone.
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
