A mine countermeasures (MCM) vessel formerly operated by the Royal Netherlands Navy was officially handed over to Ukraine during a ceremony on Monday, June 15.
Ex-HNLMS Makkum belongs to the Tripartite-class of MCM vessels that were originally built for the Dutch, Belgian, and French navies in the 1980s. She followed sister ships ex-Narcis and ex-HNLMS Vlaardingen, which were turned over to the Ukrainian Navy in early 2025.
Ex-Makkum has now entered operational service with the Ukrainian Navy and has been renamed Henichesk after a city on Ukraine's Azov coast.
The Tripartite-class ships are being used to form a new MCM fleet.
Following her retirement from Dutch service in November 2024, ex-Makkum was used for the training of 35 Ukrainian Navy personnel who would later form the initial crew complement of ex-Vlaardingen.
The Alkmaar-class vessels, as the Tripartite-class ships are known in Dutch service, are being replaced by a new class of vessels that can also carry unmanned minehunting vehicles. The first of these new MCM motherships was delivered earlier this year.
