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 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.
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.
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 № Photo Name Project Launch date Commission date Type Displacement StatusP186 (formerly A830)(formerly U830)Korets745 Sorum-type patrol vessel (formerly seagoing tug)Built in 1973 (launch date unknown)1973Patrol vessel (formerly seagoing tug)1452 tonCaptured by RussiaP174(U174)«Akkerman»58155 «Gurza-M»20152016Armored artillery boat54 tonCaptured by RussiaP175(U175)Berdyansk58155 «Gurza-M»20172018Armored artillery boat54 tonReturned by Russia; redeployed west of the Kerch StraitP176(U176)Nikopol58155 «Gurza-M»20172018Armored artillery boat54 tonReturned by Russia; redeployed west of the Kerch StraitP177(U177)«Kremenchuk»58155 «Gurza-M»20172018Armored artillery boat54 tonCaptured by RussiaP178(U178)«»58155 «Gurza-M»20172018Armored artillery boat54 tonSunk, and then raised, by RussiaP179(U179)«Vysshorod»58155 «Gurza-M»20172018Armored artillery boat54 tonCaptured by RussiaА500(U500)Donbas304 Amur19691997Command/search and rescue ship5520 tonSunk by RussiaA947(U947)Yañı Qapı498 Prometey-type seagoing tug19741974Seagoing tug303 tonReturned by Russia; redeployed west of the Kerch StraitDmitry Chubar1462 Ruben-type hydrographic boatBuilt in 1985 (launch date unknown)1985Hydrographic boat148 tonMost likely captured or destroyed by Russia
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