The cooperation between the Belgian and Dutch Marine has been a fact for some time, and this collaboration recently gained extra meaning through support for Ukraine in the fight against Russia. A number of mine hunters, who were previously deployed by the Marines of both countries, have since been donated to Ukraine to help in the mining surgery operations.
Although the exact number of Ukrainian soldiers currently following a course in Zeebrugge is not known, the Dutch maritime news site Schuttevaer reports that 35 Ukrainian soldiers have already successfully completed a course last year. These courses are crucial, especially given the role that mine hunters will play in post -war recovery.