The Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine included two new boats, which were handed over by Estonia at the end of April this year.
The press service of the Navy confirmed that the Estonians handed over patrol boats EML Roland (P01) and EML Risto (P02). The Estonian Ministry of Defense did not disclose the make of the boats when announcing the transfer.
These boats are almost new. Both were adopted by the Estonian Navy in 2020. They were built by Baltic Workboats (BWB). These boats are designed to work in extreme weather conditions and are quite maneuverable. They are armed with two large-caliber 12.7 mm machine guns and a remote-controlled FN Sea deFNder combat station (12.7 mm).
Now Roland and Risto have received new names — "Irpin" (already the former Risto) and "Reni" (Roland). The command of the Navy of the Ukrainian Armed Forces together with Estonian colleagues held a ceremony of raising naval flags on boats. Now they are officially in service and will perform combat tasks, including the protection of civil shipping.
