UK provides Ukraine with underwater drones to detect Russian mines: training of operators is already underway. PHOTOS
The Department of Defense of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland officially informs that the United Kingdom is transferring underwater unmanned mine hunters to help Ukraine clear its coastline, informed by AFU General Staff reports Censor.NЕТ.
"Over the next few months, the Royal Navy and our American partners will teach dozens of Ukrainian servicemen how to use autonomous mine detection vehicles.
The United Kingdom is providing Ukraine with underwater unmanned drones and training Ukrainian soldiers in Britain to use them to clear mines from the coastline.
Six autonomous minesweepers will be sent to Ukraine to detect Russian mines in the waters off the coast of Ukraine. Three of them will be provided from the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and another three will be purchased from industry.
The lightweight autonomous vehicle is designed for use on shallow coastlines, effectively working at depths of up to 100 meters to detect, locate and identify mines through a set of sensors so that the Ukrainian Navy can destroy them.
In the coming months, dozens of Ukrainian Navy personnel will learn how to use the drones, the first course has already begun," the statement said.
The press service of the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff noted that Russia is using food as a weapon, destroying Ukrainian agriculture and blockading the country's Black Sea ports to prevent exports.
A small number of ships carrying grain left Ukraine after the U.N. concluded an agreement in July to allow food exports.
But attempts to get food out of the country continue to be hampered by sea mines left by Russian troops along Ukraine's coast.
"Russia's cynical attempts to demand a ransom for the world's food supplies should not be allowed.
This vital equipment and training will help Ukraine make its waters safe, helping to establish a path for grain to the rest of the world and supporting Ukraine's armed forces in an effort to protect its coast and ports," said U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace.
According to the General Staff, the three-week training course, along with the U.S. Navy's Sixth Fleet, will be conducted by a Royal Navy team. The training will be conducted at sea to illustrate how to operate the vehicles and interpret the data they send back, as well as identify dummy mines.
Admiral Ben Key, Chief of Staff of the Royal Navy, believes the Ukrainian sailor will soon be able to clear the coastal waters of mines.
"With the professional skills taught here, our Ukrainian allies will be able to clear their own waters of mines. These weapons strike shipping indiscriminately, but especially affect civilian traffic and commerce and have a devastating impact on freedom of navigation in the Black Sea," he said.
The Royal Navy is also training Ukrainian sailors to lead Sendown-class minesweepers.
The press service recalled that UK Minister of the Armed Forces James Guppy and his Ukrainian counterpart, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Volodymyr Gavrilov, visited Ukrainian sailors in July to observe trainees practicing key skills at sea.
