Southern Naval Base (Ukraine)

Southern Naval Base (Ukrainian: Південна військово-морська база) was a naval base of the Armed Forces of Ukraine located in a town of Novoozerne (part of Yevpatoria city) at the Donuzlav Bay, western part of Crimea.

Southern Naval Base
Novoozerne, Yevpatoria city municipality, Ukraine.
Southern Naval Base
Coordinates45°23′51″N 33°7′42″E
TypeNaval base
Site information
Owner Ukraine
Controlled by Russia
Site history
In use1996-2014

The base was reorganized in place of the Crimea Naval Base of the Soviet Union which completely was occupying the southern shores of Donuzlav Bay and included hovercraft berths, Donuzlav Air Station, and submarine base. Most of the former base is disassembled, while the former Donuzlav Air Station is non-operational.

Donuzlav Bay is separated from the Black Sea by two sandspits which serve as a small freight port of the Yevpatoriya Commercial Trade Port located in the city.

Base History

The naval base was established by Ukraine in 1996, and celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2011.[1][2]

Main article: Capture of Southern Naval Base

In connection with the events of social and political instability that led the Ukraine government to resignation on 28 January 2014,[3] Russian parliament authorized the deployment of Russian military troops on Ukrainian soil with the official mandate of protection for Russian native population living in Crimea.[4] These actions violated the treaties of 1997 and are qualified as an act of aggression according to Article 3(e) of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3314 (XXIX) on the Definition of Aggression of 1974:[5]

The use of armed forces of one State which are within the territory of another State with the agreement of the receiving State, in contravention of the conditions provided for in the agreement or any extension of their presence in such territory beyond the termination of the agreement.

During the night between 5 and 6 March 2014 ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, led by the Slava-class cruiser Moskva sank the decommissioned Russian Kara-class cruiser Ochakov and the rescue tugboat Shakhter at the entrance to Donuzlav Bay as blockships to prevent the Ukrainian fleet stationed at the Southern Naval Base from reaching the open sea.[6][7][8] The following day the decommissioned diving support vessel BM-416 was also scuttled in the bay entrance.[9] Trapped in the bay, the Ukrainian squadron surrendered without a shot being fired. The Ochakov was refloated several months later, and returned to Inkerman to await scrapping.[10]

The surrendered Ukrainian ships included the corvette Vinnytsia, minesweepers Chernigov, Cherkasy and Genichesk, medium landing ship Kirovograd, large landing ship Konstantin Olshansky, fire boat Evpatoria, transport Gorlovka, tugboats Kovel and Novoozernoe, patrol boat Feodosia, and torpedo boat Kherson.[11]

References
  1. Members of the Southern Naval Base of Ukrainian Navy celebrated 15th anniversary of establishing of Ukrainian Navy Archived 2013-10-11 at Archive.today
  2. Members of the Southern Naval Base of Ukrainian Navy celebrated 15th anniversary of establishing of Ukrainian Navy
  3. "Ukraine's PM Azarov and government resign". 28 January 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
  4. "Russian parliament approves troop deployment in Ukraine". 1 March 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
  5. http://opiniojuris.org/2014/03/06/ukraine-insta-symposium-breach-status-forces-agreement-amount-act-aggression-case-ukraine-black-sea-fleet-sofa/
  6. "Россияне в Крыму затопили два своих судна, — СМИ" (in Russian). 24 Kanal. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  7. Sergei L. Loiko (March 5, 2014). "Russians sink a boat off Ukraine coast - their own". Los Angeles Times.
  8. "В Крыму затоплен российский большой противолодочный корабль «Очаков»" (in Russian). timer-odessa.net. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  9. "Российские военные затопили еще один корабль на озере Донузлав" (in Russian). zn.ua. 7 March 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  10. Sergei Ishchenko (13 January 2015). "Средиземноморская Цусима: Кризис рвет на части кораблестроительную программу России" (in Russian). Svobodnaya Pressa. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  11. "К миру без принуждения: Состояние украинской армии является одним из главных аргументов против военного решения крымского конфликта". Vzglyad (in Russian). 11 March 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
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