Sofia gets seven minehunters from Belgium and the Netherlands for a sea Russia mined
Parliament signed off on two separate agreements this week, one a purchase and one a transfer, with the Dutch side restoring part of the fleet before it changes hands.
Bulgaria is set to receive seven new minehunter ships from Belgium and the Netherlands, as reported by Reuters. The approval of these vessels by Bulgaria's Parliament occurred on August 26th. The ships are intended for use in the Black Sea, where mines have been present since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. These ships will be part of a task force with three countries, whose mission has since expanded beyond just mine clearance due to the ongoing conflicts.
The Black Sea has become hazardous for civilian shipping as mines drift from the fighting, strikes impact ports, and grain transport relies on whatever routes remain open. Each additional ship in the force widens the area that bordering navies can effectively protect. Three of the ships are purchased from the Netherlands, equipped for mine detection and neutralization.
The remaining four are received through a three-way handover agreement between Belgium, the Netherlands, and Bulgaria. The cost for outfitting all seven ships to meet the alliance's requirements falls on the purchasing country. The deal includes provisions for crew training, spare parts, and additional equipment. The Ukrainian minehunters Mariupol and Melitopol, named after Ukrainian cities now under Russian control, are part of this initiative.
Belgium and the Netherlands previously provided five mine countermeasure vessels to Ukraine in April, forming the core of a larger Black Sea clearance operation. Bulgaria, along with Romania and Türkiye, signed an agreement in January 2024 to establish a joint Mine Countermeasures Task Group, which began operations that summer. Three additional nations border this sea: Georgia, Russia, and Ukraine.
Bulgaria participates in the mine countermeasures group, working closely with Türkiye and Romania. At a NATO summit, the three countries agreed to expand the force to safeguard critical infrastructure. Romania's defense strategy had already highlighted the risks to Black Sea infrastructure.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
