US to send 3 island-class patrol boats to Ukraine in November: Amb Oksana Markarova

The United States will be deploying three Island-class patrol boats to Ukraine in November, Oksana Markarova, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Washington informed on Friday. Ukraine's Ministry of Defense had announced earlier this month that two Island-class patrol boats would be delivered from the United States to Ukraine during the third quarter of 2021, with a third arriving by the end of the year. 

Citing the Facebook post of Oksana Markarova, ANI reported, “Today in Baltimore, at the US Coast Guard base, the fifth crew of Ukrainian sailors was declared ready to serve on the Island-class patrol boat called Kubrak.” Through the post, she went on to describe that six weeks of training and preparation with the finest US trainers will be followed by the shipment of three boats from Baltimore to Ukraine in November. She added that the two boats are currently serving the Ukrainian military. 

The ambassador also stated that this engagement demonstrates Ukraine and the United States' strategic defence collaboration, with a specific focus on the navy and the strengthening of Ukraine's abilities in the Black and Azov Seas. 

"At sea, on land and in the air, we are building up our defence capabilities and moving towards NATO standards," Markarova said. 

US-Ukraine ties

The United States Coast Guard's Island-class boats are rapid patrol boats built for monitoring, patrolling, search and rescue activities in coastal waterways. Two of these boats were given to the Ukrainian Navy in September 2018. Following Ukraine's independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the US established diplomatic ties with the country.

The Strategic Partnership Charter between the United States and Ukraine emphasises the significance of bilateral cooperation and calls for further collaboration in military, security, economy and commerce, democracy, as well as cultural exchanges. It also stresses the United States' sustained commitment to supporting further cooperation between NATO and Ukraine. 

'Ukraine's accession to NATO would be extremely dangerous': Russian Minister

Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko stated that Moscow has cautioned NATO by saying, any step closer to the joining of Ukraine in the club will have repercussions from the nation. According to the RIA news agency, minister Rudenko was questioned about the remarks made by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a trip to Ukraine earlier this week, in which he stated that Washington has backed Ukraine's desire to join NATO and that no nation could prevent such a step. Daily Sabah quoted the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister as saying, "Ukraine's accession to NATO would be an extremely dangerous step".  

(Image: @CENTCOM/@OMarkarova/Twitter)