Belgium, Netherlands Transfer First Minehunters to Ukraine

The Belgian minehunter BNS Narcis and the Dutch vessel Zr.Ms. Vlaardingen have been officially transferred to Ukraine.

The handover ceremony was held discreetly at the Belgian naval base in Zeebrugge and made public only now due to operational security concerns.

As part of the transfer, Zr.Ms. Vlaardingen has been renamed Melitopol, after the Ukrainian city currently under Russian occupation. Another Dutch minehunter, Zr.Ms. Makkum, will be delivered by the end of 2025 and will take the name Henichesk, also a Ukrainian city occupied by Russian forces.

The initiative reflects a broader aim of securing the Black Sea region, a critical area for Ukraine’s economy and maritime freedom. "The major ports of Odessa and the shipping lanes in the Black Sea are the lifeblood of the Ukrainian economy," said Dutch Minister of Defence Ruben Brekelmans. "Ukraine may not win the war at sea, but it can certainly lose the war there. We simply cannot let that happen."

The donation is part of a trilateral cooperation involving training, technical support, and maintenance assistance provided by Belgian and Dutch personnel. The Ukrainian crews had completed intensive training prior to the ships' arrival.

Brekelmans added, “This is about a future in which the Black Sea is open and free, and the Ukrainian cities are no longer occupied.”