A European alliance led by the United Kingdom (UK) and France will conduct a 13-day military exercise in Poland to prepare for post-war Ukraine security.
On November 3, 2026, the UK and France along with nine other nations announced plans for a major exercise aimed at securing lasting peace in Ukraine once the conflict is over.
The UK and France will jointly lead Exercise Koalicja 26.2, the first major exercise run by the Multinational Force Ukraine (MNF-U), the military arm of the Coalition of the Willing.
The United States (US) will not take part in the exercise, and the alliance will not be placed under NATO command.
UK, France and Germany contribute air assets
The UK will deploy Royal Air Force (RAF) Eurofighter Typhoons and a Voyager refueling aircraft to fly sorties overhead during the exercise and jets will also simulate how they would reassure commercial air travel once Ukraine’s skies reopen.
France’s contribution will include a French Army drone unit equipped with around 50 short-range unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) capabilities, although the specific equipment has not been identified. France has not confirmed whether Rafale fighters or other French military aircraft will participate.
Germany will contribute two Airbus A400M transport aircraft configured for aerial refueling, operating from bases in Germany.
The European alliance, which starts on November 9, 2026, and concludes on November 22, 2026, will involve 2,800 troops including soldiers from the UK’s ‘Desert Rats’. Operations will be coordinated from the MNF-U headquarters at Fort Mont-Valérien near Paris, led by a British general and his French deputy.
The MNF-U hopes to underpin Ukraine’s future security by ensuring safer Ukrainian skies and seas and regenerating Ukrainian forces.
“[The MNF-U] would only move into Ukraine once fighting has ceased and at the request of Ukraine’s government,” the UK said in a statement. “It would not carry out peacekeeping or ceasefire-monitoring duties.”
France added that the “deployment of the MNF-U would be part of a broader package aimed at providing security guarantees to Ukraine and contributing to a lasting peace on Ukrainian territory”.
Russia states foreign military presence in Ukraine is ‘unacceptable’
Russia has previously said that any foreign military presence in Ukraine following the end of the war would be “unacceptable to our country”.
The 11 nations participating in the exercise includes Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the UK.
“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,” Defense Secretary Wes Streeting MP said. “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.”
What will the military exercise involve?
According to the UK, 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.
As well as the exercise’s land and air components, Turkish forces will stand up the MNF-U’s maritime element in Istanbul, testing arrangements for maritime mine clearance to allow commercial shipping to safely return to Ukraine’s ports.
“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,” Commander of the Multinational Force-Ukraine Lieutenant General Tom Bateman said.