Eastern Naval Base

Because of many incidents of piracy in the Azov Sea and the Russian control of the Kerch Strait it was decided in 2016 to begin to build a naval base in Berdyansk. 2018 the ships were transferred to the ports of the base in Berdyansk and Mariupol in order to form the 9th Surface Ships Division. On November 25th 2018 Ukraine tried to transit two small artillery and one tug boat from Odesa to the Eastern Naval Base. The ships were however fired upon and captured by Russia. 2019 after an international trial Russia returned the captured boats, but without any ammunition. These boats however didn’t become pat of the Eastern Naval Base. From February until April 2022 during the occupation of Berdyansk and the battle for Mariupol all the ships of the base were either destroyed or captured by Russia and the base ceased to exist.