Key facts
- Britain and France were to lead Exercise Koalicja, drawing personnel from 12 European nations to Poland.
- The exercise was scheduled for November 9-22 with about 2,800 military personnel taking part, the report said.
- UK Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said the exercise was not a hypothetical plan but a ready force for Ukraine.
- Russia had voiced opposition to foreign troops stationed in Ukraine, with Putin calling them 'legitimate targets' last year.
Britain and France led planning for a military exercise to test a multinational force's ability to deploy to Ukraine if a peace deal was reached, drawing nearly 3,000 military personnel from 12 European nations to neighboring Poland in November. The rehearsal, Exercise Koalicja, was to run from November 9 to 22 and test how to move, protect and supply a force in Ukraine, and ensure troops from different countries could work together.
Some 2,800 personnel were to take part across land, sea and air, with the UK contribution including 300 troops and two RAF Typhoons. The fighter jets were to simulate reassuring commercial aircraft once Ukraine's skies could be reopened. Turkey agreed to lead the maritime mission, with the eventual goal to clear mines and allow the resumption of trade in the Black Sea. Besides the UK, troops were to come from France, Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Turkey.
Plans for a reassurance force for Ukraine were set out last year as one of the long-term security guarantees proposed by European nations. Western officials stressed any force sent to Ukraine would not take part in offensive operations or be involved in peacekeeping or ceasefire monitoring, nor operate under NATO command or on the front line. Officials said its presence was to provide reassurance to Ukraine and help rebuild its armed forces. The US was involved in discussions but not contributing to the mission.
UK Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said the exercise showed Britain, France and allies were stepping up preparation for peace in Ukraine. "This is not a hypothetical plan, it's a real force, ready to help Ukraine once the fighting stops," he said. Lt Gen Tom Bateman, the UK commander of the Multi National Force in Ukraine (MNF-U), said it was a "real, capable, readily deployable force that represented a serious commitment from Coalition of the Willing nations to Ukraine's long-term stability and security."
Russia had voiced opposition to foreign troops stationed in Ukraine, and Putin said last year they would be "legitimate targets." Western officials could not comment on the final make-up of a force that could deploy if fighting stopped, and acknowledged nations' commitments would depend on the circumstances of a ceasefire and individual political decisions. Ukrainian soldiers were already in high demand training NATO forces in drone warfare, the report said.