Belgium’s Defence Ministry officially donated the mine hunter ship Narcis to Ukraine on Thursday, as announced in a statement. The ceremony took place in Zeebrugge, attended by Belgium’s Defence Minister Theo Francken and his Dutch counterpart, Ruben Brekelmans.
This donation was made in close collaboration with the Netherlands as part of the Maritime Capability Coalition (MCC). The MCC is an international alliance of 17 countries focused on building a modern Ukrainian naval force that can interoperate with NATO by 2035, according to the Belgian Defence Ministry.
Most of the training for Ukrainian crews occurred in Belgium, under the Belgian-Dutch cooperation for mine countermeasure capabilities.
Minister Francken stated, “By strengthening the Ukrainian navy, we help the country defend itself and contribute to stability in the Black Sea region. This contribution is more than just a material delivery. It is a strong signal: Ukraine is not alone. We support its defensive reconstruction, including at sea.”
