Germany to send staff officers and tanker planes to Ukraine coalition exercise

Germany will contribute about ten staff officers, aerial refuelling aircraft and logistical support to the first military exercise of the so-called Coalition of the Willing, the group of nations backing Ukraine, the German defence ministry said. The drill, named "Koalicja 2026" by Polish organisers, is planned for November in Poland, in the airspace over Romania and in the western Black Sea.

A ministry spokesman told the German Press Agency that Berlin's participation was a "sign of unity with our partners." He said the German armed forces, the Bundeswehr, would provide up to two A400M transport aircraft configured for aerial refuelling, operating from German territory. Germany would also support the movement of allied troops through its territory into the exercise area with logistical assistance, the spokesman said, noting that the country functions as a transit hub for forces moving eastward.

The exercise marks the first test of the operational readiness of a multinational force being assembled under French and British leadership to help secure any future ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Roughly 35 countries belong to the wider Coalition of the Willing, which was formed in early 2025 to support Kyiv.

Plans for the multinational force itself were agreed in December at a Ukraine summit in Berlin. French President Emmanuel Macron declared the force operational in mid-July and, at the same time, unexpectedly announced that initial exercises would take place in countries neighbouring Ukraine as early as autumn. Macron said at the time that the drills were meant to demonstrate that the coalition was "ready, determined and credible, on land, in the air and at sea."

Germany agreed to take part after initial hesitation, though officials have cautioned that joining the exercise does not determine the scope of any future German role in the multinational force itself. Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in July that the nature and extent of Germany's contribution would still need to be decided by the federal government and the Bundestag.

The total number of troops expected to take part in the November exercise remains unclear. British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting, during a visit to Washington in mid-October, referred to "thousands of soldiers" being involved. A British newspaper reported in recent days that around 1,500 French, British and German troops would take part alongside Polish forces, though that figure has not been officially confirmed by any of the governments involved.

Poland's defence ministry said the exact start date for the exercise has not yet been set. A ministry statement said the date would be announced once it had been "finally agreed by all participating states." The exercise in Poland is expected to take place at military training grounds in the southeast of the country, with further details to be released in early November.

The timing of the exercise, which is likely to be viewed by Moscow as a show of force, coincides with separate diplomatic efforts. The United States is seeking to bring Russia and Ukraine back to the negotiating table in Abu Dhabi in November to discuss a possible end to the war. Prospects for that three-way meeting emerged last Tuesday following a visit by US envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow, where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Coalition of the Willing has positioned the multinational force as a potential guarantee mechanism should a ceasefire be reached, though no agreement between Moscow and Kyiv has yet been finalised. Officials from the participating states have not specified how long the November exercise is expected to last or what capabilities beyond refuelling and logistics will be tested.