Britain and France will jointly lead a multinational exercise in Poland from 9 to 22 November to rehearse support for Ukraine after the fighting ends, the UK Ministry of Defence said in a release dated 3 November. The planned exercise, named Koalicja, will involve 2,800 personnel from 11 countries, including 300 from the UK. Ministry of Defence release
The announcement concerns preparations for a possible future mission. The ministry says the Multinational Force Ukraine would enter Ukraine only once fighting has ceased and at the Ukrainian government's request. Its stated tasks would include supporting safer skies and seas and rebuilding Ukrainian forces; it would not conduct peacekeeping or ceasefire monitoring. Ministry of Defence release
Koalicja is described as the force's first major exercise. It will test command arrangements, the movement of personnel and equipment, and the supply and protection of a multinational deployment. British troops from 7 Brigade will rehearse logistical movements, while RAF Typhoons and a Voyager refuelling aircraft will take part in air operations. Ministry of Defence release
The air component will simulate reassurance for commercial aviation if Ukraine's skies reopen, according to the ministry. Turkish forces will separately establish the exercise's maritime component in Istanbul to test arrangements for clearing mines and enabling commercial shipping to return to Ukrainian ports. Those are rehearsal objectives, rather than an announcement that civilian routes have reopened. Ministry of Defence release
The participating countries are Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye and the UK. Britain and France jointly lead the force, which the ministry identifies as the military arm of the Coalition of the Willing. Ministry of Defence release
The next scheduled step is the start of the exercise on 9 November. The release provides no date for a deployment into Ukraine: that remains conditional on the end of fighting and an invitation from Kyiv. Ministry of Defence release
