Ukrainian Navy

The Ukrainian Navy (Військо́во-морські́ си́ли Збро́йних сил Украї́ни, ВМС ЗСУ) is the maritime forces of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The naval forces consist of five components – surface forces, submarine forces, naval aviation, coastal rocket-artillery and naval infantry. As of 2022, the Ukrainian navy had 15,000 personnel, including 6,000 naval infantry. In 2015, the Ukrainian navy had 6,500 personnel. In 2007 and prior to the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea, 15,470 people served in the Ukrainian navy. The headquarters of the Ukrainian Naval Forces was, until the 2014 Crimean crisis, located at Sevastopol in Crimea. The naval forces were highly affected by the Crimean crisis, as the majority of their units were stationed there. Ships that did not escape or were not deployed at the time lowered their flags and were interned. Russia began a process of returning the vessels but stopped, citing the inability of Ukraine to retake possession and alleged violence against Russians in the Donbas. The ships that were returned were the older models of the fleet which were deemed obsolete. For example, Russia chose not to return the corvettes and , both of which were some of the newest ships of the Ukrainian fleet. However, none of the Ukrainian naval units retained were absorbed into the Russian Navy. Ukraine had been scheduling to rebuild its naval forces since 2005 by building the domestic project 58250, the first Ukrainian designed and built corvette, as well as ordering four patrol boats in 2013 from Willard Marine. Ukraine has also restarted the production of its Gryuza River Armed Artillery Boat. The navy operates in the Black Sea basin (including the Sea of Azov and Danube Delta). Distant operations of the Ukrainian Navy are limited to multinational activities, such as Operation Active Endeavour and Operation Atalanta in the Mediterranean and Horn of Africa. The Ukrainian flagship was scuttled in March 2022 during Russia's invasion to prevent its capture and Russia's navy blocked Ukraine's access to the Black Sea from that point onwards.