1st Naval Guard and Patrol Division (Ukraine)
1st Naval Guard and Patrol Division formerly known as 1st Security and Support Division is a division of the Ukrainian Navy, established in 1997 it is concerned with the defense of Ukrainian coast and guarding of the installations of the Ukrainian Navy. It is garrisoned at the Western Naval Base and currently comprises several gunboats, a control ship and an anti-sabotage ship. uk:1-й дивізіон кораблів охорони рейду (Україна) HistoryThe 1st Division was established in 1997 as the 1st Security and Support Division of the Ukrainian Navy. In 2011, the vessel Skadovsk was transferred from the 73rd Naval Special Operations Center to the 1st Division and was recognized as the best vessel of the 1st Division.[1][2][3] In January 2013, the 24th Separate River Boats Division was established and was to be equipped with Gyurza-M-class gunboats. Similar vessels from the 1st Division were transferred to the 24th division from Western Naval Base for the training and operations till the new vessels were delivered to the division.[4] On February 7, 2013, during a combat training exercise, the ship Hola Prystan of the division rescued a ship destroyed by an emergency response team.[5] In 2014, the 24th Separate River Boats Division was disbanded and all its vessels and personnel were transferred to the 1st Division.[6] On September 9, 2016, the gunboat Berdyansk of the division along with another gunboat Akkerman accompanied by Hetman Sahaidachnyi discovered a Russian anti-submarine ship Smetlyvy. So Hetman Sahaidachny set up a smoke screen and the gunboats encircled the Russian ship and it was forced to retreat.[7][8][9] On 1 July 2018, four newly built gunboats were incorporated into the division after a ceremony and training exercises were carried out.[10] On 25 November 2018, two vessels of the first division Berdyansk Nikopol and a tugboat Yany Kapu attempted to travel from the Black Sea port of Odesa in south-western Ukraine to the Azov Sea port of Mariupol in eastern Ukraine but were intercepted by Russian warships and were all captured in the ensuing Kerch Strait incident.[11] The captured vessels were returned to Ukraine on November 18, 2019, near Cape Tarkhankut and were towed to Ochakiv on November 20, 2019.[12] In November 2022, during the Russo-Ukrainian War, the vessel Nikopol of the division was damaged by a Russian ZALA Lancet attack.[13] Vessels
Commanders
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