The Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are creating a flotilla of several divisions of river combat boats on the Dnipro River. The First Division has already entered service in the north of our country.
This was reported to ArmyInform by Navy Commander Vice Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa.
The first division of river boats was created in March at the initiative and with the support of the Land Forces Command. To do this, they equipped the boat and trained people with the help of foreign partners.
Neizhpapa said that the formed division is subordinated to the Kyiv Defense Forces and performs tasks in the riverside operational areas.
According to Neizhpapa, the importance of such a division is difficult to overestimate given its proximity to Belarus, which is helping Russia in the war against Ukraine. In addition, Belarus has a similar river division in Pinsk and a base in Loyev, on the border. These are 19 ships of the Navy. Therefore, strengthening the north of Ukraine on rivers is an important step.
“Training and acquiring the capabilities of these divisions in the shortest possible time is one of our top priorities on the rivers. The enemy is now in the south of the Dnipro, and we must have the appropriate forces and means to withstand the enemy on our main waterway. We will continue to increase our efforts not only in this direction but along the entire Dnipro River through the construction of new boats and the receipt of boats from our foreign partners. I hope that in the future a flotilla of river boats will appear on the Dnipro, which will include several divisions located in different cities," Neizhpapa said.
He added that the Navy does not forget about the Danube and the Buh-Dnipro-Estuary Canal, where fierce fighting continues on the water.