"Dnepropetrovsk" sank, "Tbilisi" was bombed by Russian forces: Ukraine recklessly destroys its own navy

Kyiv destroyed Soviet-era combat ships in a short time, and also destroyed the shipbuilding industry

Author: Alexander Khramchikhin

Image: "Red Crimea" class frigate in 1983

On December 11, 1991, Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk declared himself the supreme commander of all armed forces within Ukraine that had been part of the dissolved Soviet Union.

Forces from three military districts (Outer Carpathian Military District, Odessa Military District, Kyiv Military District) as well as sailors from the Balaklava and Odessa border guard brigades swore allegiance to Ukraine.

In contrast, the Novorossiysk border guard brigade sided with Russia. However, the Black Sea Fleet stationed in Sevastopol refused to swear allegiance to Ukraine, despite pressure from Kyiv, with only a few officers and sailors swearing allegiance, who then became outcasts in the fleet.

Moscow decided — if so, it would not hand over the fleet. On August 3, 1992, the presidents of Ukraine and Russia signed an agreement stipulating the joint use of the fleet's base systems and material-technical support facilities until 1995.

The ships were temporarily shared between both sides. On May 28, 1997, both sides signed the final fleet division agreement.

Image: Russian President Boris Yeltsin (left) and Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk after signing the Black Sea Fleet agreement in 1992

Before the division of the Black Sea Fleet, the Ukrainian Navy had acquired several combat ships and fast attack crafts. These vessels were either unfinished ships taken over from shipyards or came from the above-mentioned border guard brigades.

The Ukrainian Navy obtained three former border patrol ships: the 1135П type "Hetman Sagaidachny" (later classified as a frigate), and two 1124П type ships: "Chernivtsi" and "Dnipro" (the latter later renamed "Vinnytsia", both classified as frigates).

Additionally, the shipyards in Kyiv took over two nearly completed 1124М type small anti-submarine ships, named "Lutsk" and "Ternopil"; there was one 12322 type hovercraft landing ship on the slipway in Feodosia, named "Donetsk". Three 1241П type border ships ("Grigory Kuropyatnyk", "Grigory Gnedchenko", and PSKR-813, the latter later renamed "Poltava") and border fast attack crafts were incorporated into the Ukrainian Coast Guard.

There were many such fast attack crafts: four 1204 type armored boats, four 133 type hydrofoil boats, seventeen 205П type boats, and thirty-two 1400 type boats (some were in an unfinished state in Feodosia). One of the 1400 type boats was later transferred to the navy and named "Skadovsk". In the end, the Ukrainian Navy also incorporated a 1176 type landing craft D-305 (renamed "Vol" and later "Svatove").

Image: The first patrol ship of the Ukrainian Navy, "Hetman Peter Sagaidachny", during sea trials in 1993

The 1997 agreement was supposed to stipulate an equal division of the Black Sea Fleet, but this was not the case in reality.

Among the three submarines: the modernized 877 type B-871, the older 641Б type B-380, and the oldest 641 type B-435 — Ukraine only received the last one (renamed "Zaporizhzhya").

Image: Submarines at Sevastopol base in 1983

Among the four large surface ships: the 1164 type missile cruiser "Moscow" and three 1134Б type large anti-submarine ships ("Ochakiv", "Kerch", "Azov") belonged to Russia.

Image: The "Moscow" class missile cruiser in Sevastopol in 1999

Among the five 1135 type and 1135М type frigates, Russia obtained the 1135 type "Agile" built in the 1980s and the 1135М type "Curious". Ukraine obtained the 1135 type "Spotless" (renamed "Nikolaev"), "Selfless" (the "Dnepropetrovsk"), and the 1135М type "Resounding" (the "Sevastopol").

These ships were all built in the 1970s. "Nikolaev" was scrapped in 2001; "Dnepropetrovsk" was sunk after being removed from the register in 2005; "Sevastopol" was sold to Turkey in 2004 for use as a target ship.

Among the two 1145 type small anti-submarine ships, five newer 1124М type small anti-submarine ships, and five older 1124 type small anti-submarine ships, Ukraine only received two 1124 type: the small anti-submarine ship - 43 (renamed "Sumy") and the small anti-submarine ship - 52 ("Kherson"). Both were scrapped in the late 1990s. However, Ukraine also received two 1241П type small anti-submarine ships (same type as the above-mentioned border ships): the small anti-submarine ship - 93 ("Uzhhorod") and the small anti-submarine ship - 116 ("Khmelnytsky").

Four missile boats (modernized 1239 type "Boron", three not new but still combat-capable 1234 type) belonged to Russia.

Among the seven relatively advanced 1241 type missile boats, Russia took all four 12411 type boats equipped with powerful supersonic "Yakhont" anti-ship missiles (same as the 1239 type missile boat), and one 12417 type boat equipped with old subsonic "Sting" anti-ship missiles but with a new "Kortik" air defense system. Ukraine was left with two 1241Т type boats equipped with "Sting" missiles: R-54 (renamed "Nikopol", later "Dnipro River") and R-63 ("Kremenchuk").

Among the six old 206MR type hydrofoil missile boats, Russia took only one modified with modern "Uran" anti-ship missiles, while the remaining five equipped with old "Sting" missiles were left to Ukraine.

Only R-262 (renamed "Priluky") and R-265 ("Kakhovka") were incorporated into the Ukrainian fleet. R-251 ("Chernopil") and R-260 ("Uman") were scrapped; R-15 ("Konoctop") was transferred to Georgia, renamed "Tbilisi", and was bombed by Russian landing forces in Poti in August 2008.

Ukraine received three old 376У type patrol boats, which were auxiliary ships in the Black Sea Fleet. In the Ukrainian Navy, they were equipped with machine guns and called "artillery boats".

Russia took the most modern 12660 type minesweepers, as well as four 266М type minesweepers, two 1265 type base minesweepers, and two patrol minesweepers (one 1258 type, one 12592 type).

Ukraine received two 266М type minesweepers ("Zenitchik", renamed "Huangshuihe", later "Chernihiv"; "Razvedchik", becoming "Cherkasy"), two 1265 type (BT-79 "Melitopol" and BT-126 "Mariupol"), and one 1258 type (RT-214, renamed "Gnizhynsk").

Among the nine large landing ships (four old 1171 type, five modern 775 type), Ukraine received the 1171 type "Ilya Azarov" and the 775 type "Konstantin Orshansky". The old 773 type medium landing ships and the 12322 type hovercraft landing ships were each divided equally (one and three respectively).

Ukraine received the medium landing ship - 137 (renamed "Kirovohrad"), the hovercraft landing ship - 57 (became "Kramatorsk"), the hovercraft landing ship - 93 ("Gorlovka"), and the hovercraft landing ship - 123 ("Artemivsk"). "Kramatorsk" and "Artemivsk" were scrapped in 1998–2000.

In summary, Russia obtained almost all the combat-worthy ships of the Black Sea Fleet, leaving Ukraine with only scrap (except for the "Orshansky").

In 2004, the large landing ship "Rovno" was converted into a civilian cargo ship. In 2001, the unfinished 12322 type hovercraft landing ship "Ivan Bogun" built in Feodosia was completed and immediately sold to Greece along with the "Gorlovka". The "Donetsk" was scrapped in 2008. In 2005, the 1124П type small anti-submarine ship "Chernivtsi" sank during scrapping.

In 2012, the 1241П type small anti-submarine ship "Uzhhorod", the 1241 type missile boat "Kremenchuk", and the 206MR type "Kakhovka" were deregistered and abandoned in Sevastopol; the two 1265 type minesweepers ("Melitopol" and "Mariupol") met the same fate. The coast guard's four 133 type boats, twelve 205П type boats, and eight 1400 type boats were all scrapped or sold.

Certainly, Ukraine has begun building new border boats: one "Katran" type, one "Orlan" type, twenty-one "Kalkan" types, and twelve UMS1000 type (American project). But these boats are either equipped only with machine guns, or have no ship-mounted weapons at all.

Evidently, the Ukrainian Navy urgently needs to build "proper" ships, especially since Ukraine inherited a vast shipbuilding capability from the Soviet Union. The first plan was to build the 58250 type frigates. It was planned to build 10–12 ships in the mid-2010s, with the first ship delivered in 2012.

These frigates were supposed to be equipped with foreign weapons, including French "Exocet" anti-ship missiles and "Aster" air defense missiles. The first ship "Vladimir the Great" started construction in May 2011, but was suspended due to the bankruptcy of the shipyard before it could be launched, and subsequent similar ships were never built again.

Since 2012, Ukraine has started building the 58155 type "Gyurza-M" small armored boats, equipped with 30 mm cannons, theoretically capable of carrying "Barrier" anti-tank missiles (but actually not installed). Seven 58155 type boats have been commissioned: "Akmechevet", "Berdiansk", "Nikopol", "Kremenchuk", "Lubny", "Vishnevye Gory", "Kostopil".

Starting in 2016, three 58503 type "Kentavr-LK" assault boats were built based on these boats, equipped with machine gun weapons, capable of transporting a marine infantry platoon for landing.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7532794969233293843/

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