Commander of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Rear Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa gave an interview about the combat activities of the Ukrainian fleet in repelling the russian invaders.
In particular, Neizhpapa said in this interview that as of February 24, 2022, the most powerful weapon of the Ukrainian Navy was sea mines, and these weapons were used to disrupt a possible naval landing of the enemy.
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At the same time, the Navy also deployed its coastal artillery batteries, which could receive targeting from a situational awareness system. The commander of the Navy also pointed out the Bayraktar TB2 unmanned systems, which were at the disposal of Naval Aviation, and these drones were extensively used against russian forces, in particular, in the Kherson region in the first days of the war.
These words of RAdm Neizhpapa can be interpreted also as a hint that as of February 24, 2022, the Ukrainian Navy did not have combat-capable "Neptun" anti-ship missile complexes that could be used to fire at enemy ships.
Accordingly, Defense Express concludes that Ukraine’s fleet received combat-ready Neptun systems in March-April 2022. However, the R-360 missiles to this complex were received in small quantities, so they were kept for the most strategically important purposes, such as the cruiser "Moskva".
Ukrainian Marines compensated for the lack of forces and means to confront the enemy with their own skill and bravery, and examples of these qualities proved in combat deserve special pages in military history.
In particular, Commander of the Navy of Ukraine Neizhpapa told about the episode when the dive boat "Pochaiv" managed to force the newest russian frigate "Admiral Makarov" to retreat in battle. Neizhpapa did not reveal when exactly this episode took place, but spoke about the course of the fight itself.
The russians opened fire on the "Pochaiv" from a 100-mm gun, but never hit the 40-meter boat, which can travel at a maximum speed of 12 knots per hour (over 22 km/h). This is because the "Pochaiv" team so skillfully maneuvered and fought off the enemy.
The potential of both opponents was disproportionate: the "Pochaiv" boat has only two mounts for DShK 12.7mm machine guns. But the crew of the Ukrainian boat acted craftily and lured the russian "Makarov" directly under the coastal artillery of the Navy. The enemy frigate was forced to flee in disgrace to the temporarily occupied Sevastopol in Crimea.
Read more: How many “Neptune” Anti-Ship Missiles Needed to Destroy russian Black Sea Fleet
