Ukraine relies on boats in the fleet and volunteers in its construction
On the morning of March 25, 2014, the Cherkasy U-311 minesweeper turned out to be the last military unit of the Ukrainian naval forces to fly the national flag. In the evening of the same day, the ship was taken by a bloodless assault by Russian special forces units.
The Ukrainian Navy has essentially ceased to exist as some kind of organized military force. It was a rout like Tsushima. It seemed that after this they did not revive, but the Ukrainian fleet continues to exist.
Conditionally combat-ready hetman
Ukraine began to create its naval forces in 1992 on the foundation of the part of the Black Sea Fleet of the Soviet Union that had withdrawn to it, on the basis of its ships, coastal infrastructure and personnel.
At the beginning of 2014, the Naval Forces of Ukraine numbered 15 thousand people (approximately 12 thousand military personnel and three thousand civilian personnel). The fleet included about 60 warships, boats and auxiliary vessels, in particular the Getman Sagaidachny frigate, the Konstantin Olshansky large landing craft, five corvettes, two sea minesweepers, a landing ship, the Zaporozhye submarine, a missile boat and a number of small combat units. There are also about 30 aircraft and helicopters, about 250 tanks, armored combat vehicles and artillery pieces. All ships, weapons and equipment were of Soviet production.
Up to 80 percent of military units and facilities of the Ukrainian Navy were located on the territory of Crimea. Outside it - the structure of the Western naval base and the division of river boats in Odessa, the 73rd special forces center (combat swimmers) and the arsenal in Ochakov.
The Navy, like other types of the armed forces of Ukraine, were in deep degradation. Four units remained "conditionally combat-ready": the frigate "Getman Sagaidachny", the corvette "Ternopol", the command ship "Slavutich" and the large landing craft "Konstantin Olshansky". The overall level of combat training of the Ukrainian Navy was extremely low, especially in comparison with the Russian Navy. At the same time, individual units of the marines were trained in accordance with NATO standards, and "Hetman Sagaidachny" and "Ternopil" repeatedly made trips to the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean. The number of personnel of the Naval Forces of Ukraine and the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation were comparable with the undoubted superiority of the second in ships. In the Ukrainian fleet, there was a clear surplus of top-level commanders and command structures.
In fact, the Naval Forces of Ukraine were a haphazard remnant of the Soviet Navy. Over the entire post-Soviet period, the authorities have not been able to clearly answer the question: what, why and why does Ukraine need a fleet? The Ukrainian Navy, as well as the country's Armed Forces in general, were dying out.
Most are for Russia
By March 26, 2014, units of the Ukrainian armed forces in Crimea voluntarily, less often - forcibly, were under the control of local authorities and the Russian Armed Forces. Cases of any resistance were rare. All aircraft capable of taking off (three planes and four helicopters) of the 10th Naval Aviation Brigade departed for Nikolaev. On March 24, the barracks of the 501st Naval Infantry Battalion in Feodosia was taken by storm, and even hand-to-hand combat took place. Several ships of the Naval Forces of Ukraine maneuvered, until they were taken, along the waters of Lake Donuzlav, the exit from which was blocked by flooded ships.
Ukraine was lucky that its flagship Hetman Sagaidachny was returning from an anti-piracy mission in the Indian Ocean at that time. The frigate remained under the control of Kiev and was reoriented to Odessa.
According to the situation on March 26, 2014 (the day of the end of the resistance of the Ukrainian forces on the peninsula) there were "Getman Sagaidachny", an artillery boat "Skadovsk", eight support vessels outside Crimea. 51 ships and boats remained in Crimea under the control of the Russian Armed Forces.
The Naval Forces of Ukraine did not fulfill their functions prescribed in the maritime doctrine of Ukraine from 2009, in terms of "ensuring territorial integrity" and "inviolability of the state border at sea." The servicemen who were in Crimea were offered a choice: to return to the "mainland", to retire, or to continue serving in the Russian Armed Forces. According to some estimates, about 3,500 people chose the first option, but some of them later changed their minds. About eight thousand people chose to serve in Russia. Demoralized personnel with personal belongings, without weapons and military equipment left Crimea for Ukraine. Full-fledged coastal units, ship crews disintegrated. For example, out of 80 people from the 801st squadron to combat underwater saboteurs, only seven returned to Ukraine. After the Hetman Sagaidachny arrived in Odessa, 28 people left the crew, and later the commander, 2nd rank captain Roman Pyatnitsky. Of the 900 personnel of the 10th Aviation Brigade, Ukraine was chosen 250. Thus, in March 2014, the Naval Forces of Ukraine lost most of the personnel, 90 percent of the ships, almost all infrastructure and supplies, official and secret documentation, communication codes, etc. etc.
The ships have moved
After the return of Crimea to Russia, the question arose about the fate of the military equipment and property of the Naval Forces of Ukraine that remained on the peninsula. Initially, there were plans to include the ship's composition in the Black Sea Fleet. However, after a detailed study of the "legacy", a political decision was made to return the "scrap" to its previous owner. Although a number of ships could be of interest to the Russian Navy. In April - June 2014, three warships and 32 support vessels (about two-thirds of its fleet), about 1400 units of automobile and armored vehicles, 24 aircraft and helicopters were returned to Ukraine. First, auxiliary ships and low-value warships were transferred, and those that were better were left for later. As a result, Ukraine never received them. Interestingly, the warships returned unarmed.
In mid-June 2014, in connection with the "anti-terrorist operation" that began in southeastern Ukraine, the transfer of military property was stopped. As a result, 17 ships and support vessels, among which, in fact, all are combat (submarine "Zaporozhye", command ship "Slavutich", large landing craft "Olshansky", minesweepers "Chernigov" and "Cherkassy", corvettes "Lutsk", "Ternopil", "Khmelnitsky" and "Dnieper"), remained in Sevastopol. Several ships decommissioned from the Navy were disposed of to cover the fleet's debts to Crimean enterprises.
The full-scale civil war in the southeast of Ukraine became the starting point for the restoration of the country's armed forces, and primarily its ground forces, which bear the brunt of the hostilities.
Initially, the ships and vessels of the Naval Forces of Ukraine were withdrawn from the Crimea to Odessa, where in Soviet times the forces of the USSR Navy were based in the Practical Harbor. A little later, Ochakov began to be used in the interests of the Ukrainian Navy. Naval aviation relocated to the Kulbakino airfield near Nikolaev. In the same city, the remnants of the coastal troops and marines were collected.
The command of the Naval Forces of Ukraine, relying on the help of the authorities and volunteers, began to actively settle in the allocated territories, to reorganize and rearm units and subunits. Company groups began to take part in the hostilities in the Donbass. As of July 5, 2015, 15 sailors were killed there, including several special forces from the 73rd center. Subsequently, the units of the marines and coastal artillery of the Naval Forces of Ukraine took an active part in the battles near Mariupol.
The armored vehicles received from the Crimea were restored and repaired. From warehouses and from other units, the artillerymen were armed with 152-mm guns 2A36 "Hyacinth-B" (two divisions) and D-20 (division), MLRS "Grad", 100-mm "Rapiers". The Marine Corps received T-64 and BMP-2 tanks, armored personnel carriers and Humvees from the United States.
Crews for more or less "live" ships were quickly formed. So, the remnants of the crew of the corvette "Ternopil" mastered the ship "Shostka", and the sailors from the minesweeper "Cherkassy" moved to the tugboat "Korets". Management bodies and headquarters were restored.
In the summer and autumn of 2015, the 36th coastal defense brigade was formed as part of the Naval Forces of Ukraine, including four infantry and one tank battalion, as well as self-propelled artillery, anti-aircraft and anti-tank divisions. In November, the 137th Marine battalion was formed in the Odessa region. It is possible that the air defense missile units deployed in the region will be part of the Ukrainian Navy. In December, the deployment of an artillery regiment (two divisions), armed with the Grad and Uragan MLRS, began in Odessa. It is planned to deploy the 406th group into an artillery brigade. In general, the development of the coastal component is one of the priorities of the Ukrainian Navy.
The volunteers bought several radar stations, equipment for the marines and special forces. They also tried to participate in the processes of military development. In particular, a scandal erupted last February when volunteers accused a number of officers of the Naval Forces of Ukraine of sabotage.
In November 2014, information was passed on the existing plans to liquidate the fleet, transform it into a flotilla, on the transfer of forces from Odessa to Nikolaev and subordination to the southern operational command (which was not yet there at the time of this writing). It must be assumed that in the acute conditions of autumn 2014 - winter 2015, when there were heavy battles in the Donbass, the ground generals decided to squeeze the naval competitor from financial resources. This story was later refuted.
Afloat today
After the transfer of the Naval Forces of Ukraine to the territory of the Odessa and Nikolaev regions, the level of combat training increased. Units of coastal troops, in addition to participating in the ATO, constantly conduct exercises and live firing. Antiamphibious actions are being specially worked out. Units of coastal troops regularly make parachute jumps. It is characteristic that the exercises are carrying out a comprehensive development of both coastal, sea and air components.
The ships of the Naval Forces of Ukraine take part in all activities of the NATO forces in the Black Sea. These are, first of all, Sea Breeze-2014 and Sea Breeze-2015, which have become the most ambitious in their entire history. In July 2015, the Naval Forces of Ukraine took part in NATO exercises "Sea Shield". Earlier, in March, "Getman Sagaidachny" and the ship "Balta" held joint maneuvers with the Turkish Navy in the Sea of Marmara.
The ships of the Naval Forces of Ukraine regularly conduct artillery fire (however, there are practically no other weapons). So, in 2014, according to the White Book of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, there were about 200 of them. They fired at sea and air targets. In the same year, the average flotation of the ships and boats of the Ukrainian Navy was 34 days, which is significantly more than before. Naval aviation flew 60 hours on the crew, performing bombing and landing.
Currently, the number of personnel of the Naval Forces of Ukraine can be estimated at nine thousand people, of which three to four thousand are coastal troops.
The headquarters of the Ukrainian Navy is located in Odessa. The fleet is commanded by Vice Admiral Sergei Gaiduk. His first deputy is Rear Admiral Igor Tymchuk, Chief of Staff is Rear Admiral Andrey Tarasov.
The fleet includes the Western (Odessa) and Yuzhnaya (Ochakov) naval bases. The 1st brigade of surface ships (Odessa) includes the frigate "Getman Sagaidachny" (1993), training corvette "Vinnitsa" (1976, in reserve), missile boat "Priluki" (1980), demagnetization vessel "Balta" (1987), diving the Pochaev ship (1975), the Kovel tug (1965), the Skadovsk AK-01 and Rovno AK-02 boats (1975 and 1973). The 5th brigade (Ochakov) includes the KIROVOGRAD KFOR (1971), the Svatovo landing boat (1979), the Pereyaslav reconnaissance ship (1987), the Genichesk raid minesweeper (1985), the AK-03 artillery boat, tugboat "Korets" (1973), ship of physical fields "Severodonetsk".
The auxiliary fleet of the Naval Forces of Ukraine consists of four divisions. The 1st division of security and support ships is based in Odessa and includes boats: anti-sabotage "Golaya Pristan" (1986), communications "Pivdenny" and "Korosten" (1963 and 1965), diving "Vladimir Volynsky" (1983) and RVK-258 (1977), towing BUK-239, U941 and Krasnoperekopsk (1974); raid RK-1942 (1984) and U-001 (boat of the commander of the Naval Forces of Ukraine); educational "Smila" (1985), "New Kakhovka" (1986) and "Chigirin" (1984); passenger "Ilyichevsk" (1976), as well as tankers "Fastov" (1981) and "Sudak" (1957). 8th division of support vessels in Ochakov: transport "Gorlovka" (1965); sea diving vessels "Netishin" (1973) and "Kamenka" (1957); communication boat "Dobropolye" and fire-fighting boat "Evpatoria" (1953); floating warehouse "Zolotonosha" (1986); tugboat "Novoozernoe" (1955). 28th division of search and rescue vessels in Odessa: search and rescue vessel "Donbass" (1970), killer "Shostka" (1976); sanitary "Sokal" (1983), fire-fighting "Borshchev" (1954) and diving boats "Romny" (1983), "Tokmak" (1984); search and rescue vessel "Izyaslav" (1962). The Center for Navigation, Hydrography and Hydrometeorology includes a small hydrographic boat MGK-1877 (1989).
Naval aviation of the Naval Forces of Ukraine is represented by the 10th Aviation Brigade (Kulbakino), which includes six Be-12s (of which only two are flying), two An-26 and one An-2. Helicopters: ten Ka-27 (three in flight), four Mi-14 (three). There are four Ka-29s and three Mi-8s in storage. In the future, it is planned to create a detachment of unmanned aerial vehicles in the brigade, and replace the aviation fleet with patrol aircraft developed on the basis of the An-148. It is also planned to get into service with attack helicopters.
Spetsnaz units are represented by the 801st anti-saboteur detachment in Odessa and the 73rd special operations center (sea swimmers) in Ochakov.
The coastal and territorial defense forces of the Naval Forces of Ukraine include: the 36th brigade (three battalions of the marines, a tank battalion, an airborne assault battalion, self-propelled artillery, anti-tank and anti-aircraft divisions) in Nikolaev; The 137th Marine battalion in Odessa and the 406th artillery group, which is deployed in divisions (two in the Odessa region, one in Ochakov and one with the group's control in Nikolaev). A rocket artillery regiment is being formed. The coastal missile division is preserved, albeit without the material part, in the hope of the emergence of a coastal missile system with the Neptune anti-ship missile system in service.
As part of the rear of the Naval Forces of Ukraine, there is a Support Center in the Odessa region, the 18th in Odessa and the 22nd in Ochakov, ship repair shops, and other parts.
There is an electronic intelligence center. The 37th regiment in the Odessa region provides communications for the Navy.
There is the 198th Naval Training Center in Nikolaev to train rank and file personnel. The officers are issued by the Academy of the Naval Forces of Ukraine. Now it, in the status of an institute, is a structural subdivision of the Odessa National Maritime Academy. But in 2018 it will become an independent educational institution. There is a naval lyceum in Odessa.
"Vladimir the Great", modest budget
Ukraine did not build a single ship from scratch, but only took advantage of the Soviet reserve, launching the corvettes Lutsk and Ternopil, Hetman Sagaidachny and Slavutich. As shown above, the average age of the marine component of the Naval Forces of Ukraine is 38 years.
In 2010, the Ukrainian authorities decided to improve the ship composition of the fleet. It was planned to build 10-12 corvettes of Project 58250 by 2026, but later their number was reduced to four. In May 2011, the lead ship Vladimir the Great was laid down in Nikolaev. However, in 2014, its construction was stopped. The corvette itself is an international project in which weapons systems were to be purchased from NATO countries, and the body, engines and electronics would be made in Ukraine.
Another program was the creation of project 58155 Gyurza-M artillery boats. In October 2012, two boats were laid down in Kiev. However, already in December 2013, the Naval Forces of Ukraine abandoned them. The next summer, the command was faced with the problem of a lack of suitable ship personnel. The conditions did not allow allocating sufficient funds for the repair of existing ships or for the purchase of new ones. But after the end of the active phase of the anti-terrorist operation, the search and rescue vessel Donbass, the tanker Fastov, the killer Shostka and a number of others were restored. Repaired "Balta", boats "Svatovo" and "Sokal". The Pochaev diving ship was restored by the crew and volunteers. It is not excluded that it will be possible to return to service the training corvette "Vinnitsa", which is in extremely poor technical condition. At the same time, a number of ships should be written off in the near future. The restoration of the Priluki boat was completed this spring. It is not excluded that in the future a new missile system "Neptune" will be tested on it.
To increase the combat capabilities of their ships, the command of the Naval Forces of Ukraine armed with machine guns DShK and "Utes" "Balta", "Korets", "Pochaev". Two boats were transferred to the category of artillery boats. The Svatovo barge became a landing craft.
In the spring of 2015, the command of the Naval Forces of Ukraine expected to receive used ships from the NATO fleets, albeit Soviet-built, and due to this somehow strengthen. But now these ideas have been abandoned. The point is not only the high cost of operating outdated samples, but also NATO's unwillingness to transfer them to Ukraine. Nevertheless, the countries of the alliance supply Kiev with all kinds of non-lethal equipment. So, on January 30, 2015, the United States transferred five high-speed inflatable motor boats of the Willard Sea Force 730 and Sea Force 11M type to the Naval Forces under the program of material and technical assistance.
In 2014-2015, the command of the Naval Forces of Ukraine was counting on the return of ships from the Crimea. In 2016, it became clear that it would be better not to receive them: they are outdated, and it would be necessary to spend a lot of money on restoring technical readiness, forming crews and training.
The stake is made on the preservation of the core of the existing forces and the construction of new ships and boats. The basis of the fleet is supposed to be several corvettes of the "Vladimir the Great" type (at the moment the technical readiness of the lead ship is 32 percent), but the prospect of their construction seems unrealistic. A decision was made to resume the completion of two Gyurza-M artillery boats. In January 2016, they (presumably named BK-01 "Belgorod-Dnestrovsky" and BK-02 "Ackerman") arrived in Odessa for testing. It is planned by 2020 to build more than 20 boats, such as artillery "Gyurza-M" (18 units), missile "Lan" (three pieces) and assault assault "Centaur" (about eight). In general, these ideas can be considered rational. The desires, regularly voiced by the leadership of the Naval Forces of Ukraine, to have submarines in the fleet seem less reasonable.
Ukraine inherited a powerful shipbuilding industry from the USSR, but the main difficulty in the independent development of the industry is the lack of production of naval weapons. In addition, in the difficult economic conditions of the present time, the authorities cannot allocate enough funds for the implementation of such complex systems as a corvette. So we should expect the development of the boat component of the Ukrainian Navy.
The naval command adequately understands the country's capabilities and the tasks facing the naval forces. The main direction of the development of the Naval Forces of Ukraine is the creation of a combat-ready component of troops to protect the coast in the event of a possible amphibious landing operation. Another task is to preserve the core of personnel and train personnel for future Naval Forces.
In 2016, the existing naval bases may be disbanded and naval areas created instead, one in the northwest of the Black Sea and the other in the Azov Sea. There are plans to deploy a number of units, primarily coastal defense, in the Sea of Azov, where previously neither Russia, nor Ukraine, nor the USSR had any naval forces.
At present, a real chance has opened up to create the fleet that the country needs without relying on the Soviet legacy, which, frankly, all the years of independence hindered its development. The directions chosen by the command of the Naval Forces should be recognized as completely correct: the rearrangement of forces, the creation of full-fledged units, the formation of coastal troops, as well as the transition to NATO standards in various areas. At the same time, at present, the number of units of the Ukrainian Navy is too large, and the governing structures are extremely inflated.
