The Cabinet of Ministers approved the submission for ratification of the agreement with the United Kingdom on lending to Ukrainian Navy.

The relevant order published on the Government portal.

The next stage of approval of the agreement should be ratification by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

At the end of October 2021, the Government approved the draft Frame Agreement between Ukraine and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on credit support for the development of Ukrainian Navy.

The loan agreement envisages the implementation of a memorandum signed in October 2020 between Ukraine and the United Kingdom on strengthening cooperation in military and military-technical spheres.

The document provides for cooperation in the defense industry. It is important to attract funding from the UK Export Finance of £1.25 billion.

For the loan money, it is planned to build 8 missile boats for the Ukrainian fleet. Two at the enterprises of the United Kingdom, the rest – in Ukraine.

In addition, Ukraine, with the help of British specialists, will build new modern bases for the needs of the Naval Forces on the Black and Azov Seas.

In August 2021, the UK officially announced that it would transfer two decommissioned Royal Navy minehunters Ramsey and Blyth to Ukraine.

Ukrainian Navy are awaiting the arrival of the first Sandown-class minehunter under an agreement with the United Kingdom by the end of this year.

The Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine plan to begin the purchase of mine countermeasures unmanned surface vehicles (USV) for the acquisition of mine countermeasure capabilities.

We are talking about mine countermeasures surface unmanned surface vehicle, which designed to scan the water area and the bottom of the sea, and the detection of sea mines.