News item | 26-06-2025 | 17:57
The Belgian mining hunter BNS Narcis and the Dutch Zr.Ms. Vlaardingen have recently been transferred to Ukraine. That happened during a ceremony on the Belgian naval base Zeebrugge. This is only now being communicated for operational safety reasons. “The mine hunters enter another chapter, under a new flag, with a new mission,” said Minister Ruben Brekelmans.
Zr.Ms. From now on Vlaardingen bears the name of the Ukrainian city of Melitopol. At the end of 2025, Zr.Ms. Makkum transferred. That ship is named after the Ukrainian city of Henichesk. Both Ukrainian cities are currently illegally occupied by the Russian aggressor.
Minister Brekelmans spoke during 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.”
Training
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 has already trained hard. The soldiers received support from Belgian and Dutch trainers, technicians and maintenance teams.
“The large ports of Odessa and the shipping routes in the Black Sea form the lifeline of the Ukrainian economy,” said Brekelmans. “And it is constantly threatened. Ukraine may not win the war at sea, but the country can indeed lose the war there. We simply cannot let that happen. That is why it is so important for maritime safety and free passage that Ukraine can use the mine hunters.”