Negotiations are underway, including on attracting NATO ships to ensure the safety of civilian shipping to the ports of Ukraine, but there is no information on when and whether they will be implemented, said Vice Admiral Oleksiy Neyizhpapa, Commander of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“As for the escort, about which the President said, such negotiations are underway, including on attracting NATO ships to ensure the safety of civilian shipping to the ports of Ukraine. And there is no information right now when they will be implemented. I personally asked my partners about this,” Neyizhpapa said in an interview with Ukrayinska Pravda.

The Vice Admiral also pointed out that this is a political issue that is now being raised at the presidential level.

“We will not disclose now the kind of ships, but I have addressed several commanders with requests. This is a political issue. Therefore, all my friends, the fleet commanders, confirmed to me that if there is a political decision of the leadership, they will carry it out. Now this issue is being raised at the level of the President. If he said that, it means that he and the Office are working on it,” Neyizhpapa stressed.

In November 2023, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine would receive sea boats for escorting ships along the grain corridor in the Black Sea.

"I have agreements with several states regarding a powerful escort [of ships] by Ukrainians, but on a different technique, on a convoy. That is, the relevant sea boats will be handed over to us and are already being handed over," he said.