Ukraine’s Minehunter Fleet Grows to Five With New Dutch Transfer

Ukraine’s Navy has received another mine countermeasure vessel from the Netherlands as part of the international Maritime Capability Coalition, further expanding Kyiv’s fleet of Western-supplied minehunters.

According to statements published by Ukrainian Navy Commander Vice Admiral Oleksii Neizhpapa on June 15, the Dutch Navy formally transferred the Alkmaar-class mine countermeasure vessel HNLMS Makkum, which has been renamed Henichesk after entering Ukrainian service.

During a ceremony attended by senior naval officials from the Netherlands, Belgium, Romania, Lithuania, and Latvia, the Ukrainian naval flag was raised aboard the vessel. Neizhpapa said the ship would strengthen Ukraine’s ability to search for, detect, and neutralize naval mines.

“In the framework of the Maritime Capability Coalition, our Dutch partners transferred an Alkmaar-class minehunter to the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” Neizhpapa said.

The vessel was named after the Ukrainian raid minesweeper Henichesk, which was lost while carrying out a combat mission during Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The transfer increases the number of mine countermeasure vessels in Ukrainian service to five. Ukraine previously received the Sandown-class vessels Chernihiv and Cherkasy from the United Kingdom, as well as the Alkmaar-class vessels Mariupol and Melitopol from Belgium and the Netherlands.

The Alkmaar class, developed jointly by Belgium, France, and the Netherlands during the Cold War, is designed for minehunting operations and uses specialized sonar and remotely operated systems to identify and dispose of naval mines.

Despite joining the Ukrainian Navy, the vessels remain based outside the Black Sea. Turkey activated provisions of the 1936 Montreux Convention after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, restricting the passage of warships belonging to countries involved in the conflict through the Bosporus and Dardanelles.

As a result, the transferred minehunters cannot currently enter the Black Sea because they were not previously assigned to Ukrainian ports before the war. They continue to operate and train from bases in Western Europe while Ukrainian crews undergo training and integration with NATO-standard naval systems.

The Netherlands and Belgium announced plans in 2023 to transfer several retired Alkmaar-class minehunters to Ukraine as part of broader efforts to support maritime security and future demining operations in the Black Sea region.

Earlier, reports emerged that a retired German Navy Sea King Mk41 helicopter had been prepared in the United Kingdom for transfer to Ukraine. The aircraft is part of Germany’s pledge to supply six Sea King helicopters, along with spare parts and training, to support Ukraine’s military capabilities.

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