Ukrainian Navy unit achieves NATO-certified mission-capable status

For the first time, a unit of the Ukrainian Navy has received NATO-certified capability to command multinational maritime mine-clearance forces, following the successful completion of a Level 2 assessment under NATO standards, the Ukrainian Navy said.

The assessment was conducted during the Ukrainian-American Sea Breeze 2026 exercises. Following extensive testing, Ukraine’s Mine Countermeasures Command was rated “Mission Capable," Caliber.Az reports. 

According to the Ukrainian Navy, the NEL-2 assessment evaluates both a unit’s interoperability and its full operational capability under NATO’s Operational Capabilities Concept Assessment and Feedback Programme.

“Successfully passing this level confirms that the unit is capable of carrying out combat missions in accordance with the standards of the NATO Allied Command Operations Forces,” the Ukrainian Navy said.

The navy said the assessment marked the first time a unit in Ukraine’s modern naval history had been officially integrated into NATO’s command-and-control system for maritime mine countermeasures.

The certification gives the unit the capability to command subordinate multinational forces, coordinate with NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasures Group and higher-level structures, and conduct the full range of maritime mine-countermeasure missions, according to the Ukrainian Navy.

By Sabina Mammadli