Hundreds of British troops are to deploy to Poland to prepare for a mission to rebuild the Ukrainian military.
Some 300 soldiers from the British Army's 7 Brigade are heading to Poland to rehearse how they could one day support Ukraine if and when the war ends.
The drill is the first of its kind for the Multinational Force Ukraine (MNF-U), which is led by the UK and France and is the military arm of the Coalition of the Willing group of nations.
A total of 2,800 personnel, from across 11 countries, will take part in Exercise Koalicja. Running between November 9 and 22. It will test how troops move, protect and supply a force to help rebuild the Ukrainian armed forces once fighting stops.
Defence chiefs have insisted the multinational force is not an 'offensive one'. And with the war still raging, it is unclear when or even if the coalition group would ever deploy.
However, British commanders have said they need to prepare their troops for the potential of going into Ukraine, should hostilities end and politicians call upon them to do so.
Lieutenant General Tom Bateman, the British commander leading the MNF-U, said: 'This exercise will show that the Multinational Force-Ukraine is a real, capable, readily deployable force that represents a serious commitment from Coalition of the Willing nations to Ukraine's long-term stability and security.
'The MNF-U will be more ready every day to support Ukraine when the fighting ends, ensuring the Armed Forces of Ukraine are in the strongest possible position to deter future aggression.'
Some 300 soldiers from the British Army's 7 Brigade are heading to Poland to rehearse how they could one day support Ukraine if and when the war ends (file image)
They are drilling how to help Ukraine rebuild. Pictured: An injured woman in Sloviansk, Ukraine, walks away after a Russian air strike on November 2
The force was set up jointly by France and the UK earlier this year. Its headquartered in Paris but will be coming to the UK before the end of the year.
Troops from 11 nations, including France, Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Turkey, are taking part in the drills.
The exercise will involve testing command-and-control arrangements for the force, rehearsing the movement of personnel, equipment and supplies and assessing how different components can integrate and operate effectively as one multinational force.
Soldiers from the British Army's 7 Brigade – dubbed the 'Desert Rats' – will rehearse logistical movements, while RAF Typhoons and a Voyager refuelling aircraft will fly sorties overhead, simulating how they would secure commercial air travel once Ukraine's skies reopen.
Other troops on the exercise will drill how they would train Ukrainian recruits as well as setting up command centres. While in Turkey, sailors were practising mine clearance for a potential operation to clear the Black Sea.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said: 'This exercise shows the UK is stepping up, alongside France and our allies, to prepare for the day peace comes to Ukraine. This isn't a hypothetical plan, it's a real force, ready to help Ukraine once the fighting stops.
'By leading this work with our allies, we are protecting the UK and Europe for the long term and delivering on our commitment to keep the country safe. Ukraine's security is our security, and we will stand with them for as long as it takes.'
Russia continues to attack Ukraine with missiles and drones. Pictured: a building in Lyman burns after a Kremlin drone strike on October 23
Lt Gen Bateman added the MNF-U was 'not a Nato force… nor is the MNF-U a peacekeeping or ceasefire-monitoring mission'.
'Its purpose is to provide reassurance and support the regeneration of Ukraine's Armed Forces, strengthening their ability to deter and, if necessary, defend against future Russian aggression,' he said.
The test comes amid warnings Russia may seek to 'oppose' the effort, with Western officials insisting the task group was ready to defend itself 'across the full spectrum of threats'.
'Clearly, we will protect our force against any aggression and the principles of defending ourselves and being able to secure the force we have will remain,' one official told journalists.
They added: 'The reality is that Russia may choose to oppose and challenge the MNF-U in a variety of different areas. One may well be in the information domain. However, we will be able to respond as necessary in order to protect our forces and deliver our mandate.'
Russian forces lost ground for a second month in a row, according to analysis by the Institute for the Study of War.
It claims Putin's soldiers lost 167.14 square kilometres of territory in Ukraine in October 2026.
At the same time, the number of Kremlin troops killed or wounded reached its highest monthly figure since the war began, with 54,400 casualties reported.
It's the fourth consecutive month more than 40,000 Russian personnel were lost, showing the growing brutality of the war.
In an update on Monday, Ukraine's military claimed that since the invasion began in February 2022, Russia has suffered 1,592,770 casualties. Over the summer, Western officials said Russia had lost 1.5million soldiers, with 500,000 killed.
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