Ukraine has taken supply of a second Turkish-built navy corvette, officers stated Friday, though they didn’t specify how the warships is perhaps used within the struggle in opposition to Russia.
The announcement got here as Ankara additionally ratified a free commerce settlement (FTA) with Kyiv.
Ukraine’s first girl, Olena Zelenska, attended the launching ceremony of the Ada-class corvette throughout a go to to Türkiye, the Ukrainian Presidency introduced on its web site.
The corvette Ukraine already had is at the moment present process sea trials.
Turkish Ada-class ships are usually in a position to strike planes, different ships and submarines.
The corvette was launched throughout a ceremony in Istanbul on Thursday, attended by Zelenska and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
“Today in Istanbul, together with Ukraine’s first lady Olena Volodymyrivna Zelenska, I took part in the launching of the Ukrainian corvette Hetman Ivan Vyhovskyi,” Umerov stated on social media platform X.
“Corvettes ‘Hetman Ivan Vyhovskyi’ and ‘Hetman Ivan Mazepa,’ which were built in Türkiye due to Russian aggression, are equipped with cutting-edge weapons and will become a significant addition to our fleet, increasing the defense capability of Ukraine,” Umerov added.
On Friday, Umerov met with National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler for talks within the capital Ankara.
The FTA was signed on Feb. 3, 2022, and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan permitted the deal and its annexes on Thursday.
Türkiye and Ukraine’s bilateral commerce quantity was $7.3 billion in 2023, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat stated on Thursday as he met with Yulia Svyrydenko, first deputy prime minister of Ukraine.
He stated the perimeters reaffirmed dedication to quickly raise their bilaterate commerce to $10 billion.
The foremost commerce fields between the 2 international locations are iron, metal, equipment, vitality, automotive and grain.
Ukraine, which has coastlines on the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov, had a small navy on the time of Russia’s February 2022 full-scale invasion.
But it has developed lethal uncrewed sea drones which have severely restricted Moscow’s Black Sea naval functionality.
The Ukrainian Presidency stated the corvettes would assist defend the nation’s pursuits within the Black and Azov seas “but also, in particular, in the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.”
The presidency assertion didn’t elaborate.
International regulation forbids the passage of warships via Türkiye’s busy Bosporus Strait, which hyperlinks the Mediterranean and Black seas, throughout instances of struggle.
However, the presidency’s assertion did not say the place precisely the Turkish shipyard was positioned, that means it could possibly be on the northern aspect of the strait, with a direct path to Ukraine.
Ukraine ordered the 2 Turkish corvettes beneath an settlement signed in 2020, the presidency stated.
Ukrainian authorities final month adopted a Maritime Security Strategy that goals to rebuild its naval functionality.
It can be getting assist with that from Western companions. The maritime functionality coalition, headed by the United Kingdom and Norway, was established final December.
Source: www.dailysabah.com