> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.adriadefense.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Bulgaria Ratifies Deal for Seven Black Sea Minehunters - URL: https://www.adriadefense.com/bulgaria-ratifies-deal-for-seven-black-sea-minehunters/ - Published: 2026-08-28T05:00:09.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-28T05:00:08.000Z - Description: Bulgaria ratified agreements to acquire seven minehunters from Belgium and the Netherlands, expanding its Black Sea mine warfare fleet from three to ten ships. - Author: AdriaDefense Desk - Tags: Bulgaria, CEE, Industry, Black Sea, NATO Bulgaria has ratified agreements to acquire seven minehunters from Belgium and the Netherlands, expanding the Bulgarian Naval Forces mine countermeasure fleet from three vessels to ten. The acquisition comes as Bulgaria, Romania and Türkiye expand joint operations against drifting mines and threats to critical infrastructure in the Black Sea. The Bulgarian National Assembly approved the agreements on August 26, clearing the parliamentary stage for the transfer. Four vessels will come from Belgium and three from the Netherlands, with the package also covering crew training, spare parts and additional equipment. The ships are Tripartite-family minehunters currently operated by the Belgian and Dutch navies. Bulgaria will receive the Dutch vessels HNLMS Zierikzee, HNLMS Willemstad and HNLMS Schiedam, while Belgium will transfer Bellis, Crocus, Lobelia and Primula. ## Bulgaria will expand its minehunter fleet from three to ten ships Bulgaria currently operates three minehunters of the same broader type. Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov told parliament that adding seven vessels would substantially expand the navy's existing mine countermeasure capability. The transfer itself does not mean Bulgaria is purchasing seven newly built warships. Belgium agreed to transfer its four vessels without charge, while Bulgaria will finance work needed to restore them to operational readiness. The Netherlands is transferring another three vessels under a separate sale agreement. Dutch commitments include restoring the technical condition and increasing the operational capacity of the three ships before ownership transfers. Bulgaria will cover repair and restoration work required to bring the overall fleet to NATO operational readiness standards. Earlier parliamentary reporting indicated that restoration work could cost up to €6 million per vessel. The first Belgian minehunter is expected to reach Bulgaria in September or October 2026, while Bulgarian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Kiril Mihaylov previously said the navy expected its first additional ship before the end of the year. ## Seven minehunters strengthen Bulgaria's Black Sea role The acquisition has become more significant as naval mines remain a persistent security problem in the Black Sea following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Bulgaria, Romania and Türkiye established the Mine Countermeasures Black Sea Task Group in 2024 to conduct surveillance and neutralize threats to maritime traffic. The group became operational on July 1, 2024 and had completed ten activations by July 2026. The three NATO members expanded the task group's mission at the NATO summit in Ankara in July 2026\. Its responsibilities now extend beyond drifting mines to the protection of critical underwater infrastructure, adding pipelines, energy facilities and telecommunications infrastructure to the regional maritime security mission. Bulgaria assumed the rotating command of the group on July 9\. The larger minehunter fleet therefore arrives as Sofia takes a more prominent operational role in the trilateral Black Sea security framework. The expansion also comes amid a wider increase in unmanned and explosive hazards reaching NATO waters. Bulgarian military teams responded to multiple drones and drone components along the country's Black Sea coast on August 26, while Romanian forces have separately neutralized explosive unmanned systems at sea. [Bulgaria Finds Multiple Military Drones Along Black Sea Coast](https://www.adriadefense.com/bulgaria-finds-multiple-military-drones-along-black-sea-coast/?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com)\] ## Belgium and the Netherlands are replacing the Tripartite fleet The transfer is also part of a generational change within the Belgian and Dutch navies rather than a standalone Bulgarian procurement. Belgium and the Netherlands are replacing their aging Tripartite-class ships through their joint replacement mine countermeasure program. Each navy is set to receive six new-generation vessels designed around remotely operated mine warfare systems, allowing the older ships to move to other operators. Ukraine has also received former Belgian and Dutch mine countermeasure vessels. Under the Bulgarian arrangement, Sofia committed to supporting training for Ukrainian crews operating this class, while receiving spare parts and a crew-training facility alongside the seven ships. For Bulgaria, the transfer offers a relatively rapid way to increase hull numbers without waiting for construction of a new mine warfare fleet. The key variable will be the pace of refurbishment and how many of the seven ships can reach operational status as the Bulgarian Navy integrates them into national missions and the Mine Countermeasures Black Sea Task Group.