Coalition to test moving troops into Ukraine in Polish drills

The Koalicja exercise at Nowa Dęba starts on 9 November. Le Monde reports almost 3,000 soldiers; RMF24 says nearly 5,000. At its end, the Ukraine force command moves from Paris to London.

The Coalition of the Willing, the group of countries backing Kyiv, will test whether it can move troops into Ukraine once the war ends. The Koalicja exercise runs at Nowa Dęba, Poland, from 9 to 22 November 2026. The troop count is in dispute: RMF24 reported almost 5,000 soldiers, including nearly 2,000 Poles, while Le Monde reported almost 3,000. A defence ministry lieutenant colonel said the lower figure covers only foreign troops.

Poland is the rehearsal ground because it keeps the gear and supply lines for the Multinational Force Ukraine. In August, the defence ministry said Poland was chosen as the exercise site for exactly that reason. The coalition chose Poland for its first exercises in July, a joint decision of the Coalition of the Willing. British and French troops join the Poles in the autumn drills.

According to reporting by Le Monde, no show of force with tanks and rockets should be expected at the drills. The exercises are to test the command system and the logistics procedures for moving troops and equipment across Europe. Counter-drone efforts are an important element of the command and logistics work. The main participants of the exercises are France and the United Kingdom. Estonia, Lithuania, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Belgium send troops alongside them.

The command of the Multinational Force Ukraine changes too. At the end of the exercise, the force's operational headquarters will move from Paris to London, according to l'Opinion. The force counts 24 countries behind Kyiv. The United States is not taking part in the exercise, and its participation in future security guarantees for Ukraine remains largely uncertain.

Russia saw the drills as little more than a gesture. In July, Russian Ambassador Andrey Kelin told Izvestia the first coalition exercises in Poland would be a symbolic show of resolve and unity. He said he did not think the gathering in Poland would turn into anything large-scale.