Turkey is building new warships for Ukraine
The Ukrainian Navy is on the verge of having its own ship again. In Turkey, two corvettes are being built for Kiev's Naval Forces. They aim to strengthen Ukrainian dominance in the Black Sea.
The history of the Ukrainian Navy is quickly told. It effectively no longer exists. The Ukrainians sank their flagship shortly after the Russian large-scale attack in February 2022 to prevent it from falling into Kremlin troops' hands. However, there is hope that the Ukrainian Navy will soon have control over several of its own warships: Turkey is currently building two corvettes that are expected to be handed over to Kiev soon.
First in line is the "Hetman Iwan Masepa," named after the captain of a Ukrainian Cossack community in the 17th and 18th centuries. Ukraine signed the purchase contract with Turkey in 2020, reportedly costing approximately 250 million US dollars.
The "Hetman Iwan Masepa" is currently in the testing phase. This means that test runs are still underway before the corvette can be officially handed over to Ukraine.
Work on the ship began almost three years ago at a Turkish defense conglomerate STM's shipyard near Istanbul. The "Hetman Iwan Masepa" was laid down in September 2021. The keel-laying ceremony was attended by the Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska. In March of this year, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the ship. During this visit, Zelenskyy also announced that the second corvette under construction, "Hetman Iwan Wyhowskyj," would be named after a 17th-century commander.
Rocket launchers, torpedo tubes, machine guns
Both warships belong to the Turkish-designed Ada-class. They are specifically designed for operations in shallow waters and, thanks to stealth technology elements, are difficult to detect. Both corvettes are approximately 100 meters long and 14 meters wide. "They have helicopters, hydroacoustics, and electronic detection systems that can classify underwater noises," says naval expert Volodymyr Zablotskyi to Radio Free Europe. "These are ships that know where a submarine is located and how to attack it."
The corvettes' equipment includes American Harpoon ship-defense missiles, missile defense systems, artillery guns, torpedo tubes, and large-caliber machine guns.
The Ukrainian president assured that the two ships "will strengthen the Ukrainian Naval Forces." Zelenskyy publicly thanked his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the defense industries for their close cooperation.
Will the Turks let the ships through?
However, it is unclear whether the "Hetman Iwan Masepa" and "Hetman Iwan Wyhowskyj" will actually help in the war against Russia. Turkey would have to overlook the Montreux Convention of 1936 in this case. It states that warships of warring parties cannot pass through the straits to the Black Sea, and Turkey has the final say on which ships are allowed to pass and which are not.
When Ukraine signed the purchase contract with Turkey in 2020, the country was not yet at war. Therefore, Ankara did not have to consider this issue at the time.
When the war broke out, Ankara neither allowed Russian nor Ukrainian warships through. At the beginning of the year, Turkey also prevented two British Navy minesweepers from passing through the Bosporus. Britain had gifted the two ships to Ukraine, but the transfer failed. Ankara referred to the Montreux Convention.
There are now speculations that Ukraine could demand the release of the ships with the argument that it was not a transit passage through the Bosporus during their departure from the Istanbul shipyard. It is possible that Turkey might give the green light for the passage under these circumstances.
Ukraine's Dominance in the Black Sea
While Zelenskyy hopes to deploy the corvettes soon, there is also criticism. Radio Free Europe quotes Oleg Chubuk, a former spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy. He hopes, "that the war is over before these corvettes are commissioned." Marine expert Zablotskiy shares the same view. "It's better to keep them in Turkey for now," he believes, as they would immediately become a valuable target in Ukrainian waters upon arrival.
The Ukrainian military leadership and the President, however, argue that Kiev's Navy has been very successful lately. Ukraine is at least winning the naval war against Russia. It dominates the Black Sea, despite having a less functional Navy. The secret of its success are Ukrainian Navy drones. Since Russia's invasion, Ukraine claims to have destroyed or damaged almost a third of the Russian Black Sea Fleet according to their own statements. The attacks led Russia to move a part of its remaining fleet from the Crimean port of Sevastopol to other Black Sea ports.
The new corvettes from Turkey are expected to help Ukraine maintain control at sea. Russia, however, cannot easily reinforce its fleet, as ships from other locations cannot be easily moved to the Black Sea. Turkey would not let them through the Bosporus due to the Montreux Convention.
- Once completed and delivered, the Turkish-built corvettes, specifically the "Hetman Iwan Masepa" and the upcoming "Hetman Iwan Wyhowskyj," will significantly contribute to strengthening Ukraine's dominance in the Black Sea, as stated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
- In contrast to the ally-Turkey's stance during the initial stages of the conflict, the Montreux Convention of 1936 could potentially pose a challenge, as it restricts warships of warring parties from passing through the Bosporus and the Dardanelles, causing uncertainty about the passage of the two corvettes through the straits.
- Turkey, being a key ally to both Russia and Ukraine, has been meticulous in navigating its policies during this delicate situation. Despite preventing Russian and Ukrainian warships from passing through the straits earlier, it remains to be seen whether Ankara would alter its stance for Ukraine's corvettes, considering the potential repercussions and implications for politics in the region.
