Ukrainian Navy

The Ukrainian Naval Forces (Ukrainian: Військово-Морські Сили України, ВМСУ, Viys’kovo-Mors’ki Syly Ukrayiny, VMSU) is the navy of Ukraine and part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It was established in 1992.

It consists of 5 branches: surface forces, submarine forces, Navy aviation, coastal rocket-artillery and naval infantry. The Navy numbers 6.500 people. In 2007 and prior the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea 15,470 people served the Ukrainian Navy.

The headquarters of the Ukrainian Naval Forces was, until the 2014 Crimean crisis, situated at Sevastopol in Crimea. The Naval Forces of Ukraine were highly affected by the Crimea Crisis as 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 continued violence against Russians in the Donbass. The ships that were returned were the older models of the fleet that were deemed obsolete. For example Russia chose not to return the Ukrainian corvette Ternopil or Lutsk, both of which are some of the newest ships of the Ukrainian fleet. However, none of the Ukrainian naval units retained were absorbed into the Russian Navy.