Ukraine to receive new warship from Netherlands - Zelenskyy reveals timeline
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (Getty Images)
Preparations are underway for a crew and the transfer of a mine countermeasure vessel from the Netherlands to Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Meeting with military personnel in the Netherlands
The President spoke about a meeting with Ukrainian servicemembers training on an Alkmaar-class minehunter in the Netherlands.
Zelenskyy said that together with Prime Minister Rob Jetten, he discussed the progress of training and plans with the servicemembers.
Transfer of the vessel to Ukraine
Zelenskyy noted that the Netherlands will fully train the crew and transfer the vessel to Ukraine in June.
The ship will be named Henichesk in honor of a Ukrainian vessel lost during a combat mission in June 2022 near the Kinburn Spit.
Strengthening the mine countermeasure fleet
According to the President, this will be the fifth vessel to join Ukraine’s future mine countermeasure fleet and the second provided by the Netherlands.
He stressed the importance of such support for strengthening the country’s maritime capabilities.
Gratitude to partners
The head of state thanked the Netherlands for its assistance and said Ukraine highly values the support of its people.
Zelenskyy also said he awarded decorations to the Netherlands Chief of Defence, Onno Eichelsheim, and Ukrainian servicemembers, thanking them for the meeting and cooperation.
As a reminder, Zelenskyy recently said Ukraine is facing a critical shortage of Patriot air defense systems, and if the war drags on, available supplies could shrink further.
He also noted that Kyiv is preparing for talks with European partners on creating a joint air defense system.
