British 'Desert Rats' are to rehearse a postwar Ukraine mission in Poland that would let them fire back at Russians
A RAF Voyager tanker and Typhoon jets, which the RAF plans to fly on sorties simulating how they would reassure commercial aviation once Ukrainian airspace reopens.British soldiers wade through a river on the Falkland Islands in October, as Defence Secretary Wes Streeting confirmed British troops would be permitted to fire back if Russia attacks them during the Poland exercise.
Exercise Koalicja, running from November 9 to 22 in Poland, will see 2,800 troops from 11 nations rehearse rapidly deploying to Ukraine under a UK-France led command — with western officials confirming the force would be authorised to fire back against Russian aggression. Around 300 British troops from the Army's 7th Light Mechanised Brigade are deploying for the drills, including RAF Typhoons and a Voyager refuelling tanker simulating the reopening of Ukrainian airspace. The exercise is the first conducted by the Multinational Force Ukraine, the military arm of the Coalition of the Willing. Wes Streeting insisted the mission is 'not a hypothetical plan' but 'a real force, ready to help Ukraine once the fighting stops.'
The postwar force is designed to be almost exclusively European, with officials confirming it will not rely on US systems including Elon Musk's Starlink.
Experts warn the deployment may never happen, with challenges including ongoing fighting, uncertain US support and the outcome of the upcoming French elections.
Russia's Putin previously declared that any foreign troops stationed in Ukraine would be 'legitimate targets'; western officials have declined to spell out rules of engagement if troops are attacked.
