The Belgian mine countermeasure (MCM) vessel BNS Narcis and the Dutch HNLMS Vlaardingen were recently handed over to Ukraine. This happened during a ceremony at the Belgian naval base Zeebrugge. This is communicated only today due to operational security considerations.
Dutch ministry of defense press release
“The minehunters are entering a next chapter, under a new flag, with a new mission,” Dutch defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said.
From now on, HNLMS Vlaardingen will bear the name of the Ukrainian city of Melitopol. At the end of 2025, HNLMS Makkum will be handed over. That ship will be named after the Ukrainian city of Henichesk. Both Ukrainian cities are currently illegally occupied by the Russian aggressor. Minister Brekelmans spoke at the ceremony about the donation and its ultimate goal: “A future in which the Black Sea is open and free, and the Ukrainian cities are no longer occupied.”
Belgian Navy picture
The donation is the result of intensive cooperation between Ukraine, Belgium and the Netherlands. Before the transfer of the first 2 ships, the new Ukrainian crew already trained hard. The military received support in doing so from Belgian and Dutch trainers, technicians and maintenance teams.
“The major ports of Odessa and the Black Sea shipping lanes are the lifeblood of the Ukrainian economy,” Brekelmans said. “And that is under constant threat. Ukraine may not win the war at sea, but it can certainly lose the war there. We simply cannot let that happen. That is why it is so important for maritime security and free passage that Ukraine can use minehunters.”
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