The Netherlands will donate two coastal mine countermeasures ships, Zr.Ms. Makkum and Zr.Ms. Vlaardingen, to Ukraine, according to the Dutch Ministry of Defence.
A crew of 35 Ukrainians has undergone two months of intensive training aboard the Makkum mine detector, which was decommissioned on 25 November. The Vlaardingen vessel, decommissioned in March, will also be transferred once the crew completes its training.
The training, conducted with NATO support, included instructors and interpreters, with additional technical personnel trained at the Belgian Naval Academy.
“The training was intensive, as the ship operated with a double crew. Given the varying initial skill levels of the Ukrainian trainees, the programme was frequently adapted,” the ministry noted.
These two vessels will join Belgian and British mine countermeasures ships, forming the foundation of Ukraine’s mine action capabilities. The timeline for the completion of the Ukrainian crew’s training on the Vlaardingen has not been disclosed.
- In July, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced plans to enhance Ukraine’s navy and air defence in collaboration with the UK and the Netherlands.