Ukrainian Navy

The Ukrainian Navy (Ukrainian: Військово-морські сили Збройних сил України, ВМС ЗСУ, romanized: Viiskovo–morski syly Zbroinykh syl Ukrainy, VMS ZSU, lit. 'Military Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine') is the maritime force of Ukraine, and one of the eight service 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. In 2022, the Ukrainian Navy had 15,000 personnel, including 6,000 naval infantry. It is headquartered in Odesa; prior to the 2014 annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, it was based in Sevastopol. Ukraine's navy was composed largely of remnants of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet. Ukraine had sought to update and expand its naval forces, including planning a new class of frigates, patrol boats, and gunboats. However, since the ongoing Russian invasion of the country began in February 2022, the Ukrainian Navy has been severely diminished, with all its largest warships being lost, including its flagship, which was scuttled a month into the war to prevent capture. The Ukrainian Navy previously operated in the Black Sea, including the Sea of Azov and Danube Delta; additionally, it took part in multinational efforts such as Operation Active Endeavour and Operation Atalanta in the Mediterranean and Horn of Africa, respectively. However, Russia gained complete control of the Sea of Azov and significant control of the Black Sea during the ongoing conflict. Despite its reduced size and capabilities, Ukrainian Naval Forces remain operationally active via the use of naval asymmetrical warfare and the use of sea drones, allowing the Ukrainian Navy to hamper the operations of its Russian counterpart, limiting their naval control over the Black Sea.