Ukraine receives donated minehunters from Netherlands and Belgium

The Ukrainian Government recently took delivery of two mine countermeasures (MCM) vessels formerly operated by the Belgian and Royal Netherlands Navies.

Ex-Narcis and ex-HNLMS Vlaardingen will be used to form a new MCM fleet alongside other vessels, which will include their sister ship ex-HNLMS Makkum. The fleet will be operated primarily in the Black Sea.

Vlaardingen and Makkum were retired from Dutch service in March and November 2024, respectively. Following her decommissioning, Makkum was used for the training of 35 Ukrainian Navy personnel who were to form the initial crew complement of Vlaardingen in Ukrainian service.

Vlaardingen and Narcis have been renamed Melitopol and Mariupol, respectively, after two cities in Ukraine.

Makkum will be handed over before the end of this year, the Dutch Ministry of Defence confirmed earlier this week.

Vlaardingen, Makkum and Narcis all belong to the Tripartite-class of MCM vessels that first entered service in the 1980s. France was the only other initial operator of the Tripartite-class ships, examples of which were also later handed over to the navies of Bulgaria, Indonesia, Pakistan and Latvia.