9th Naval Surface Ships Division (Ukraine)

9th Surface Ships Division

9-й дивізіон надводних кораблів

Division Insignia

Active| 2018 - present
Country|  Ukraine
Branch|  Ukrainian Navy
Type| Division
Role| Naval patrols, Coastal reconnaissance, anti sabotage operations, naval engagements
Part of|  Armed Forces of Ukraine
Garrison/HQ| Berdyansk and Mariupol
Engagements| Russo-Ukrainian War

* War in Donbas
* Kerch Strait incident
* Russian invasion of Ukraine

Commanders
Current
commander| Maksym Vasyliovych

Military unit

The 9th Surface Ships Division is a division of the Ukrainian Navy tasked with protecting and guarding the Ukrainian coast along the Sea of Azov. It was established in 2018 and has participated in multiple engagements during the Russo-Ukrainian War. Although officially active, all the ships of this unit have been either captured or sunk and the fact that entirety of Ukrainian coast along the Sea of Azov has been captured by Russia has rendered it out of operation.

## History

[edit]

In 2018, the 9th division of Surface Ships was established for the defense of the Sea of Azov at Berdyansk and Mariupol.[1] Berdyansk, Nikopol and Yana Kapu were originally set to be a part of this division but following the Kerch Strait incident, the plan wasn't implemented.[2]

On September 20, 2018, two new vessels commanded to join the division (Donbass and Korets) set off on a trip from the Western Naval Base to Berdyansk. Near Sevastopol a vessel of the FSB Coast Guard began following them and was later joined by another vessel. Two other vessels of the division (the Kremenchuk and the Lubny) departed from Berdyansk as reinforcement. Soon multiple vessels of the FSB Coast Guard and Russian Navy accumulated in the area, but the division's vessels were able to safely reach their destination without combat.[3][4][5]

During 2019, the vessel Korets, along with other vessels from the Ukrainian Navy and Ukrainian Sea Guard conducted exercises in the Sea of Azov.[6] In November while conducting exercises with another vessel of the division, the Kremenchuk, they discovered a Russian vessel forcing them to withdraw.[7]

On September 22, 2020, two vessels and a large amount of equipment were transferred to the division via the Melitopol highway to strengthen the security in the Sea of Azov.[8]

In March 2022, the ship Korets was captured by Russians during the Siege of Mariupol and was moved to Novorossiysk.[9] Also in March 2022, the ship Kremenchuk was captured by the Russians in Mariupol, and the Ackerman and Vyshhorod were captured in Berdyansk and transferred to Novorossiysk.[9][10] Also in March 2022, the vessel Lubny of the division was sunk during the Siege of Mariupol.[11]

On April 6, 2022, during the Battle of Mariupol, the brigade's ship Donbass was partially sunk but raised by Russians who then captured it.[12]

On May 16 2022, the vessel Lubny of the division was raised by Russian forces from the ocean floor.[11]

On February 23, 2023, brigade's former ship Donbass captured by the Russians was sunk in a Ukrainian Airstrike on Mariupol.[13]

## Vessels

[edit]

* Donbass (Command Ship) [a]
* Korets (Tugboat) [b]
* Ackerman (Gunboat) [c]
* Kremenchuk (Gunboat) [d]
* Lubny (Gunboat) [e]
* Vyshhorod (Gunboat) [f]

## Commanders

[edit]

* Nosenko Maksym Vasyliovych (2019-) [14]

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Captured and later sunk by Ukrainian Airstrike
2. ^ Captured
3. ^ Captured
4. ^ Captured
5. ^ Sunk
6. ^ Sunk

## Sources

[edit]

* Військово-Морські Сили України (структура) Archived 24 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine
* Бердянск превращают в военно-морскую базу Украины на Азове

## References

[edit]

1. ^ ЗСУ сформували дивізіон надводних сил в Азовському морі Archived 1 January 2020 at the Wayback Machine Archived 22 March 2022 at the Wayback Machine
2. ^ ЗСУ сформували дивізіон кораблів на Азові Archived 5 January 2020 at the Wayback Machine Archived 1 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine
3. ^ "Українські військові кораблі йдуть на Азов через Керченську протоку". mil.in.ua. 2018-09-23. Archived from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
4. ^ "Ukraine establishing Sea of Azov base as first navy ships enter through Kerch Strait". NavalToday.com. 24 September 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
5. ^ "Two Ukrainian ships that entered Azov Sea arrive in Mariupol". Interfax-Ukraine. 25 September 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2019 - via Kyiv Post.
6. ^ "Що відомо про найбільший корабель ВМС на Азові – морський буксир "Корець"". Archived from the original on 30 April 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
7. ^ "МБАК «Кременчук» випробував адаптований до морських умов ПТРК «Бар'єр»". milnavigator.com.ua. Військовий навігатор України. 2018-11-20. Archived from the original on 2018-11-21. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
8. ^ "До Бердянську перекинуто ще два МБАКи". Archived from the original on 15 October 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
9. ^ a b "Рашисти вивели захоплені українські катери в Новоросійськ - Мілітарний". mil.in.ua. Retrieved 2023-07-04.
10. ^ "Український МБАК рашисти перекинули до Севастополя - Мілітарний". mil.in.ua. Retrieved 2023-07-04.
11. ^ a b "У Маріуполі показали пошкоджений МБАК "Лубни" - Мілітарний". mil.in.ua. Retrieved 2023-07-04.
12. ^ "ВМС України втратили у Маріуполі корабель управління "Донбас" та МБАК "Кременчук"". Мілітарний. 16 April 2022.
13. ^ Українські Сили оборони вдарили по судну «Донбас» в тимчасово окупованому Маріуполі: росіяни використовували його як склад. 23.02.2023, 13:47
14. ^ В Бердянске отпраздновали день рождения морского буксира «Корец» Archived 20 February 2022 at the Wayback Machine Archived 1 May 2020 at the Wayback Machine