Britain and France will lead a multinational military exercise in Poland to test how a proposed force could deploy to Ukraine after a peace deal, the UK government announced on 3 November. Exercise Koalicja, running from 9 to 22 November, will involve 2,800 personnel from 11 countries and is the first major exercise conducted by the Multinational Force Ukraine (MNF-U). UK government announcement
The exercise will test command-and-control arrangements, the movement and supply of personnel and equipment, and the integration of land, air and maritime components. The UK says its 300 personnel will include troops from 7 Brigade, while RAF Typhoons and a Voyager aircraft will rehearse air-support arrangements. Turkish forces will establish the maritime element in Istanbul and test mine-clearance arrangements intended to support the eventual return of commercial shipping to Ukrainian ports. UK government announcement
The official participant list names Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye and the UK. The BBC describes the exercise as involving nearly 3,000 personnel from 12 European nations, but its country list repeats France; the government’s named list therefore supports a total of 11 countries. BBC report
The proposed force would operate only after fighting had ceased and at the request of Ukraine’s government, according to the UK announcement. It would not conduct peacekeeping or ceasefire-monitoring missions. The BBC adds that Western officials say the force would not operate under NATO command or on the front line, while reporting that the final composition and rules governing a response if troops were attacked have not been settled. BBC report
That leaves Koalicja as a readiness exercise rather than evidence that a finalized deployment has been authorized. The UK says the MNF-U is jointly led by Britain and France and commanded by Lieutenant General Tom Bateman; the BBC reports that US officials have participated in discussions but that the United States is not contributing to the mission. The exercise tests implementation of the coalition’s concept, while the force’s eventual size and political mandate remain dependent on the circumstances of any cessation of hostilities and individual national decisions. UK government announcement BBC report