Netherlands and Belgium hand over two minehunters to Ukraine
The Belgian minehunter BNS Narcis and the Dutch minehunter Zr.Ms. Vlaardingen have been recently handed over to Ukraine.
As reported by the press service for the Dutch Ministry of Defence, the transfer took place earlier during a ceremony at the Belgian naval base in Zeebrugge. This event was only reported now for operational security reasons.
Nederland en België dragen 2 mijnenjagers over aan Oekraïne.
– Ruben Brekelmans (@DefensieMin) June 26, 2025
Zeer belangrijk voor Oekraïne vanwege veiligheid op de Zwarte Zee, en ook breder voor handelsroutes en voedselzekerheid.
In korte tijd zijn de Oekraïne bemanning en technici opgeleid. Trots op deze prestatie! 🇳🇱🇧🇪🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/MaM7lCsywW
The ship Zr. Ms. Vlaardingen will now bear the name of the Ukrainian city of Melitopol. At the end of 2025, the ship Zr. Ms. Makkum will also be transferred and named after the Ukrainian city of Henichesk. Both of these cities are currently illegally occupied by Russia.
This transfer is the result of close cooperation between Ukraine, Belgium and the Netherlands. Even before the official transfer of the first two ships, the new Ukrainian crews underwent intensive training, assisted by Belgian and Dutch instructors, technicians and maintenance teams.
"The large ports of Odesa and the sea routes in the Black Sea are the lifeline of the Ukrainian economy. And this lifeline is constantly under threat. Ukraine may not win the war at sea, but it could well lose it there. And we simply cannot allow that to happen. That is why it is so important for maritime security and freedom of navigation that Ukraine be able to use these minehunters," commented Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans.
The Netherlands recently announced a new package of military aid to Ukraine totalling approximately €175 million.
The new aid package complements the previously announced €400 million in support for maritime security.