Azov naval base (Ukraine)

Azov Naval Base
Berdiansk, Ukraine.
Kremenchuk off Azov naval base, 2018
Coordinates46°45′10″N 36°46′39″E / 46.7527°N 36.7775°E / 46.7527; 36.7775
TypeNaval base
Site information
Owner Ukraine
Controlled by Russia
Site history
Built2018

Azov Naval Base was the new naval base of the Armed Forces of Ukraine located in Berdiansk along the northern coast of the Azov Sea. The city and the base were captured by Russian forces on 27 February 2022 during the Southern Ukraine campaign, part of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Base History

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On September 11, 2018, Ukraine's Deputy Infrastructure Minister Yuri Lavrenyuk said that the first Gurza-M small armored artillery boat was deployed in the Sea of Azov.[1]

On September 20, 2018, the Ukrainian military portal informed that A500 Donbas search and rescue vessel and A830 Korets seagoing tug left the western naval base of the Ukrainian Navy in Odesa in the direction of Berdiansk, where they would form the basis of the newly created naval base of the Ukrainian fleet on the Sea of Azov.[2]

Following the 2018 Kerch Strait incident one tug and two artillery patrol boats were grabbed by the Russian Armed Forces, which also detained Ukrainian service members. In the summer of 2019, Russia exchanged Ukrainian sailors for a suspect connected with downing of the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17) and in the fall of same year Russia returned Ukrainian boats before revival of international negotiations in the Normandie format framework.

List of assigned vessels

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Photo Name Project Launch date Commission date Type Displacement Status
P186 (formerly A830)
(formerly U830)
Korets 745 Sorum-type patrol vessel (formerly seagoing tug) Built in 1973 (launch date unknown) 1973 Patrol vessel (formerly seagoing tug) 1452 ton Captured by Russia
P174
(U174)
«Akkerman» 58155 «Gurza-M» 2015 2016 Armored artillery boat 54 ton Captured by Russia
P175
(U175)
Berdyansk 58155 «Gurza-M» 2017 2018 Armored artillery boat 54 ton Returned by Russia; redeployed west of the Kerch strait
P176
(U176)
Nikopol 58155 «Gurza-M» 2017 2018 Armored artillery boat 54 ton Returned by Russia; redeployed west of the Kerch strait
P177
(U177)
«Kremenchuk» 58155 «Gurza-M» 2017 2018 Armored artillery boat 54 ton Captured by Russia
P178
(U178)
«Lubny (ship) [uk]» 58155 «Gurza-M» 2017 2018 Armored artillery boat 54 ton Sunk, and then raised, by Russia
P179
(U179)
«Vysshorod» 58155 «Gurza-M» 2017 2018 Armored artillery boat 54 ton Captured by Russia
А500
(U500)
Donbas 304 Amur 1969 1997 Command/search and rescue ship 5520 ton Sunk by Russia
A947
(U947)
Yañı Qapı 498 Prometey-type seagoing tug 1974 1974 Seagoing tug 303 ton Returned by Russia; redeployed west of the Kerch strait
Dmitry Chubar 1462 Ruben-type hydrographic boat Built in 1985 (launch date unknown) 1985 Hydrographic boat 148 ton Most likely captured or destroyed by Russia

References

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  1. ^ "TASS: World - Ukraine to deploy more border guards, rescuers in Azov Sea — minister". tass.com. Retrieved 2018-10-04.
  2. ^ "Two Ukrainian warships enter Sea of Azov to become part of newly created naval base - 24.09.2018 10:20 — Ukrinform News". ukrinform.net. 24 September 2018. Retrieved 2018-10-04.
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