The first Ada-class corvette on order for Ukraine,
Hetman Ivan Mazepa,
during its launch in Istanbul, Turkey, on 2 October.
(Olena Zelenska/President’s Office)

Turkish shipbuilder RMK Marine launched the first MilGem (Ada)-class corvette on order for Ukraine,
Hetman Ivan Mazepa
(F 211), at its shipyard in Tuzla, Istanbul, on 2 October.

The launch ceremony – attended by the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, and Commander of the Ukrainian Navy, Oleksiy Neyizhpapa – was announced on their respective twitter accounts the same day.

According to Neyizhpapa, the ship will be home ported in Sevastopol, Crimea.

Hetman Ivan Mazepa
is being built by RMK Marine under an agreement, which was signed by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Turkish Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB) for an initial batch of two corvettes in December 2020. Turkish engineering company STM has overall responsibility for the programme.

Construction on
Hetman Ivan Mazepa
started in July 2021, and the keel was laid on 7 September the same year