The Ukrainian navy has a history of over a thousand years. Historical sources have well established that Kievan princes had carried out successful naval campaigns against Byzantium, Khazaria, Volga Bulgaria. And the ancient name of the Black Sea - Ruthenian - is yet another indicator that the country of the ancient ancestors, Kievan Rus', ruled the waves of that sea. In the centuries during and following the Middle Ages the name of Ukraine had been glorified by the victoriuos naval campaigns of such Cossack Hetmans of the Zaporizhian Sich as Baida Vyshnevetsky, Samiylo Kishka, Petro Konashevych-Sahaidachny, ... During the Crimean War (1853-1856) the squadron under the command of Admiral Nakhimov, himself a descendant of the Cossacks from Zaporizhya, won a brilliant victory at the battle of Sinop. The unfaded honor, valor and glory were earned by such defenders of Sevastopol as, for example, sailor Ihnatiy Shevchenko who used his own body to protect lieutenant Birilev from the enemy's bullet; or the legendary sailor Petro Kishka who received numerous decorations for his courage, gallantry and ingenuity in combat... The names of Ivan Holubets, Ludmyla Pavlychenko, Vasyl Tsybulko, Volodymyr Pylypenko and many hundreds upon hundreds of other World War II heroes were inscribed in gold into the pages of naval history. The Ukrainian Navy has a glorious past and a bright future. To build the national Navy is one of the most important missions of the country.
In September 1991 at Sevastopol the Union of Ukrainian officers was organised with initiative of major V.V. Kholoduk, captain-liatenant I.O. Tenukha, M.P. Guk. This union become the initiator and nucleus of organization group of the Navy of Ukraine. On 05 April 1992 the edikt of the president of Ukraine about the formation of the Naval Forces was published. In Hune the Press Center of the Naval Forces of Ukraine was established. The first edition of the newspaper "The Fleet of Ukrain" was created.
Conditions for the creation of the present-day Ukrainian Navy emerged only in the early 1992. It was then that the nation-conscious part of the Black Sea Fleet personnel had begun to swear allegeance to the people of Ukraine. During the period from January 13 to April 7, 1992, the Ukrainian oath was taken by the personnel of the Training Company at the Naval Diving School, 17th Patrol Ships Brigade of the Naval Station Crimea, the 880th Detached Battalion of the Naval Infantry (Marines) Brigade, crews of cruiser "Kutuzov", minesweeper "Syhnalschyk", submarine B-371, Naval Station Crimea under the command of officers Kluyev, Shalyt, Rozhmanov, Shishov, Salimanov, Lupakov, Petrenko. The dedicated and efficient work for the establishment and further development of the Ukrainian Navy began after Rear-Admiral Borys B. Kozhyn was appointed the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Navy.
On 21 July 1992 the 112th brigade of patrol ship of the Crimea's naval base (the captaine of the ship - S.Nastenko) left the base "Donyslav", and lifted the National Flag of Ukraine and made depth voyage to Odessa. On 28 July the spetial purpose ship "Slavutich" solemnly lifted the National Flag of Ukraine.
In April 1993 the Navy of Ukraine was armed by the ship on the air cushion "Doneck". From May to June 1993 the small antisubmarine ship "Luck" was unchained at the shipbuilding factory. In July the Naval Flag was solemnly lifted on the patrol ship " Getman Sagaidachnyi". The first batallion of naval infantry was formed.
In June 1994 the patrol ship "Getman Sagaidachnyi" visited French port Ruan. In September the trainings of the ships of the Naval Forces of Ukraine, France, Rumania in the frames of program "Partnership for Peace" in the north-western part of the Black Sea. The small anyisubmarine ship "Luck" was recognized the best one. In November 1994 the special purpose ship "Slavutich" took part in joint trainings "Maritime partner - 94".
In April 1995 the patrol ship "Getman Sagaidachnyi" made a long voyage to the shores of UAE. In July 1995 the joint Ukrainian-American peacefull trainings of the naval infantry brigade of Ukraine and the US Expeditional Naval Infantry Corps. In September 1995 the joint trainings of infantrymen and USA "Autumn allies - 95" which were on the base of the US Naval Infantry in Kemp-Lezhun, were finished. The patrol ship "Getman Sagaidachnyi" visited Bolgary. In November 1995 the patrol ship "Getman Sagaidachnyi" took part in the naval multinational trainings of NATO's countries "Classica-95" in the waterways of Italy.
During August and Septmeber 1996, near the seashores of Rumania, Ukraine took part international trainings "Classica-96" with participation of the Naval FOrce of Ukreaine. Ships "Chernigov" and the small antisubmarineship "Vinnica". From 20 August through 18 October 1996 the transatlantic ocean camnpaign of the formations of naval ships in composition with the patrol ship "Getman Sagaidachnyi" and the large decant ship "Konstantin Olshanskiy" with naval infantry company aboard to the US seashores.
In July 1997 the corvette "Luck" took part in the international trainings near the seashores of Bulgaria "Cooperative partner - 96" in the frames of program "Partnership for peace". And in August 1997 the joint Ukrainian-American training "Sea-Breeze-97" in the regions of the lake Donyzlav and the firing ground "Wide field".
In November 2003 Prime Minister Victor Yanukovich approved plans to commission the sub “Zaporozhye” and the warship “Donbass” with the national navy. Ukrainian Defense minister Eugeny Marchuk said the matters of financing the maintenance of both in the future had yet to be resolved. “Zaporozhye” is the only sub of the Ukrainian navy and its prime task will be training. There are no known plans in the Ukraine to develop own submarine fleet. “Donbass” was built in 1970 and is one of the oldest ships of the Ukrainian border guards.
The missile cruiser Ukraine was started by the 61 Communards Shipyard in 1984 at the order of the Soviet MoD. Since 1992 this vessel was under the order of the Ukrainian MoD. According to the administration of the shipyard at least 150 million hryvnas ($1 = about 5 hryvnas) is required for completing the ship. Although the ship is 95% complete there is no final decision about its fate. Russia and Ukraine discussed the possible joint sale to a third country, or obtaining of the ship by Russia under the schemes of writing off Ukrainian debts. However, the Russian navy thinks that it is “not reasonable to obtain a ship of this age of building”. Possibly “Ukraine” will follow the fate of the aircraft carrier Varyag, which was sold unfinished by Ukraine.
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