For first time, Ukrainian Navy has been granted right to command NATO forces
For the first time in history, the Ukrainian Navy has been granted NATO-certified authority to command the Alliance’s multinational forces in the field of mine countermeasures, following a successful assessment against NATO standards.
This was reported by the Navy’s press service, according to Censor.NET.
Details
During the Ukrainian-American "Sea Breeze 2026" exercises, the mine countermeasures headquarters of the 1st Mine Countermeasures Division of the Ukrainian Navy successfully passed a Level 2 evaluation according to NATO standards (NATO Evaluation Level, NEL-2).
The unit received a rating of "Fully Mission Capable."
Successful completion of this level confirms that the unit is capable of carrying out combat missions in accordance with the standards of NATO’s Allied Command Operations Forces.
"For the first time in the history of Ukraine’s modern navy, a unit has been officially integrated into NATO’s command and control system for maritime mine countermeasures. This means that, from now on, Ukraine has an Alliance-certified capability to command and control subordinate multinational forces, interact at levels up to and including the NATO Standing Mine Countermeasures Group, and carry out the full spectrum of maritime mine countermeasures missions," the statement noted.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian naval personnel have spent three years undergoing training, implementing Alliance doctrines, and acquiring the necessary capabilities.
