A multinational military force intended for deployment to Ukraine after the fighting ends will undergo extensive training in Poland from November 9 to 22. Troops from 11 countries will take part in the exercises organized under British and French leadership, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.

The drills will involve Multinational Force Ukraine (MNF-U), a military structure established by London and Paris through the so-called coalition of the willing. Alongside Britain and France, the participating countries include Belgium, Germany, Spain, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Turkey, Sweden and Estonia.

Britain will contribute 300 soldiers from the Army’s 7th Brigade, along with Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets and a Voyager aerial refueling aircraft. The aviation element will focus on protecting civilian flights once Ukrainian airspace reopens.

The participating forces will also test how effectively they can operate as a single military formation. Training will cover command arrangements, troop deployments, the movement of military equipment and logistics. Particular attention will be paid to coordination between different national contingents and the various branches of the armed forces.

Turkey will handle a separate naval element based in Istanbul. Its personnel will practice maritime mine clearance operations intended to make Ukrainian waters safe for the eventual restoration of commercial shipping through the country’s ports.

UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the exercises demonstrate that Britain, France and their partners are moving ahead with practical military preparations for the period following the conflict. He stressed that the multinational formation is not merely a theoretical proposal but an actual force intended to support Ukraine once hostilities have stopped.

London has nevertheless outlined specific conditions for sending foreign troops into Ukrainian territory. Any deployment would require both an end to the fighting and a formal request from the Ukrainian government. MNF-U would not be responsible for peacekeeping operations or enforcing a ceasefire.

British Lieutenant General Tom Bateman commands the multinational formation. Its headquarters are scheduled to move from Paris to London during 2026.

Further details of the preparations emerged in a report by The Guardian. According to the newspaper, France will send 1,500 troops to the exercises, making its contingent substantially larger than the British contribution.

Bateman also confirmed that the multinational force would operate outside NATO’s command structure. Washington is expected to have only a minimal role in the mission, with participating countries seeking to avoid dependence on American military capabilities.

Sources cited by The Guardian indicated that MNF-U plans to function without relying on US military technology, including the Starlink satellite communications system.

Beyond the initial deployment, the force would have a broader role in supporting Ukraine’s military. Bateman identified rebuilding and strengthening the Ukrainian Armed Forces after the conflict as one of its central objectives.

Western military personnel would be stationed at a considerable distance from the front line. However, their deployment would not prevent them from engaging Russian forces under certain circumstances.

An unnamed source told The Guardian that the multinational contingent would be authorized to return fire against Russian troops if its personnel came under attack while stationed in Ukraine.