Ukraine’s naval capabilities have received a major boost following the donation of two minehunter vessels from the Netherlands and Belgium. The transfer—announced shortly after the NATO 2025 Summit—aims to enhance Ukraine’s capacity to clear naval mines, protect trade routes, and safeguard critical infrastructure in the Black Sea.
The Netherlands has gifted the decommissioned Zr.Ms. Vlaardingen, now renamed Melitopol, while Belgium has contributed BNS Narcis, now named Mariupol. Both vessels were handed over following maintenance and crew training. A third ship from the Netherlands, Zr.Ms. Makkum, will be transferred later this year and renamed Henichesk. All three namesakes are Ukrainian cities currently under Russian occupation.
The Alkmaar-class minehunters (Vlaardingen and Makkum) and the Tripartite-class Narcis are designed with low magnetic signatures to reduce the risk of detonating underwater mines. Their addition is expected to help Ukraine secure its major Black Sea ports, particularly Odessa, and ensure the safe movement of commercial vessels, including those vital for the global grain trade.
“This support is essential,” said Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans. “Ukraine may not win the war at sea, but it could lose the war there without maritime security.”
Though Turkey continues to block the passage of foreign warships through the Bosporus under the Montreux Convention, the donated vessels represent a symbolic and practical commitment to Ukraine’s defense. Belgium plans to donate two additional Tripartite-class minehunters, while the UK had previously transferred two minehunters, though they remain blocked from entering the Black Sea.
The vessel donation follows renewed NATO pledges to Ukraine, including long-term defense funding and increased investment across the alliance, targeting five percent of GDP in defense-related spending by 2035.
