From the Ukrainian People’s Republic to the present: the Ukrainian fleet is 105 years old

Today, Ukraine is celebrating the 105th anniversary of the foundation of the fleet of the Ukrainian People’s Republic.

Exactly 105 years ago, on April 29, 1918, the Ukrainian flag flew for the first time on the ships of the Black Sea Fleet, the Telegram channel of the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine mentions.

Most of the sailors of the Black Sea Fleet were Ukrainians, so they immediately supported the formation of the Ukrainian Republic. At that time, the Black Sea region had been part of the Russian Empire for a century and a half, and the Black Sea Fleet was based in ports on the territory of Ukraine.

Thus, under the patriotic pressure of the crew, Rear Admiral Mykhailo Sablin officially declared the entire Black Sea Fleet to be the fleet of the Ukrainian People’s Republic and gave the order to solemnly raise the Ukrainian flags on the ships and the Sevastopol fortress.

However, the fate of the first Ukrainian fleet was tragic. On the same day, a coup took place in Kyiv, as a result of which Pavlo Skoropadskyi became hetman. The Bolsheviks took advantage of the split in the Ukrainian People’s Republic: on the night of April 30, 1918, the communists without any problems spontaneously brought 14 destroyers to Novorossiysk.

Due to political uncertainty, Sablin did not want to hinder the Bolsheviks, although he had all the means at his disposal.

Such theft of the fleet was a direct violation of the terms of the Brest Peace Treaty. When the German general Robert Kosh learned about the capture of the fleet, he ordered his troops to capture Sevastopol.

Panic was spreading among the sailors, so Sablin surrendered to the Bolsheviks and ordered the entire fleet to move to Novorossiysk.

Sablin hoped to then take the fleet from the Communists. However, he did not succeed in this – in June, the Bolsheviks sank several ships in Tsemes Bay, and others were taken to Sevastopol, which was occupied by the Germans.

In the end, 7 battleships, 3 cruisers, 12 destroyers, hydrocruisers, auxiliary ships and a submarine division remained under the Ukrainian flag.

Despite this development, it was on April 29 that the independent Ukrainian Black Sea Fleet appeared on the international scene. For many years, this day became a real triumph of the national will and a holiday of the Ukrainian State Navy.

A century later, Ukraine again chooses its independence. We believe that the Ukrainian flag will be raised over the Sevastopol fortress soon.