The Alkmaar-class vessel, currently being used to train Ukrainian sailors, will be commissioned into the Ukrainian Navy under the name “Henichesk,” in honor of a ship lost in combat in 2022.
The Netherlands will deliver a new Alkmaar-class mine countermeasures vessel to Ukraine in June 2026, strengthening Ukrainian naval capabilities amid efforts to protect maritime routes in the Black Sea. The transferred ship will be the Makkum, which will operate under the name “Henichesk.”
The announcement was made on April 16 by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during an official visit to the Netherlands. During the visit, the Ukrainian leader closely observed the training of the crew that will take over the vessel in the coming weeks.
Ukrainian sailors are already being trained aboard the ship. The training includes the use of underwater drones employed in the search, identification, and neutralization of naval mines, a capability considered strategic for the safety of navigation and Ukraine’s military operations.
According to the information released, the Dutch team is responsible for the entire crew training cycle. A significant portion of the Ukrainian personnel involved in the process already has real combat experience, including in naval operations.
The name “Henichesk” was chosen in honor of the Ukrainian vessel of the same name that was lost in June 2022 during a combat mission near the Kinburn Spit. The choice follows Kyiv’s practice of preserving the historic names of ships lost during the war.
Ukraine had already received two vessels of the same type in June 2025, transferred by Belgium and the Netherlands. Those ships were given the names “Mariupol” and “Melitopol,” continuing the process of rebuilding the Ukrainian Navy’s mine countermeasures capability with European support.
The Alkmaar class, also known as Tripartite, was jointly developed by Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. In total, 35 ships were built between the 1980s and 1990s. In the Dutch case, the vessels were modernized over the years and remain suitable for specialized mine warfare missions.
With the future commissioning of the “Henichesk,” Ukraine is expanding a capability considered crucial both for military operations and for the protection of maritime corridors and port areas threatened by mines.
Source and images: Militarnyi | Office of the President of Ukraine
