BALTIMORE, Maryland — Ukrainian sailors completed training to crew two more vessels the U.S. is giving to the Ukrainian Navy as part of America’s military assistance program. The sailors were praised for their zeal and professionalism by the American seamen who worked with them.
The U.S. Coast Guard is transferring two cutters – compact, swift craft with a powerful punch — that match Ukraine’s requirement for coastal defenses against Russian aggression.
The 32 Ukrainian seamen who trained 12 weeks at the U.S. Coast Guard Yard in the port city of Baltimore in Maryland State took part in a ceremony on March 26 to mark the completion of their course.
The vessels being transferred to Ukraine are Island Class cutters, used by the U.S. Coast Guard to intercept smugglers, conduct defense operations, and for search and rescue operations.
The 34 meter long vessels of between 154-165 tons each have two diesel engines. They can patrol for 14 days without replenishment and sail some 3,380 nautical miles at speeds up to 30 knots.
The engines and ships’ quarters have been refurbished and fitted with updated, advanced computerized systems. The two cutters are about 20 years old and until now have sailed under the names Ocracoke and Washington. They entered service with the Ukrainian Navy this summer as the Sumy and Fastiv.
The U.S. Coast Guard previously handed over two Island Class cutters and trained Ukrainian crews in 2018.
Although they are capable of sailing from Baltimore to Odesa, the long journey would require complicated refueling operations. Therefore, they will be transported on a freighter. Upon arrival, they will be fitted with modern American weapons.
A cake-cutting ceremony took place on March 26, 2021, in Baltimore, Maryland, to mark the completion of a training program for Ukrainian Navy sailors. (Askold Krushelnycky)
The assembled Ukrainian sailors and guests were greeted by James Knight, a U.S. Coast Guard officer with 30 years of experience and now one of the service’s senior leaders.
Speaking on a dockside platform with the two cutters behind him, he had to raise his voice as a stiff wind on a sun-drenched day loudly cracked the colorful signal flags surmounted by blue and yellow Ukrainian banners strung atop the vessels.
Knight said the Ukrainian sailors had proven themselves committed to their tasks. He called the cutters excellent and versatile craft and was certain they would be “an effective addition to the Ukrainian Navy.”
Major General Borys Kremenetskyi, the defense attache at the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington, read out a greeting from Ukraine’s Navy commander, Rear Admiral Oleksiy Neyizhpapa, who could not attend because of coronavirus considerations.
Neyizhpapa called America Ukraine’s “key and strategic partner in ….. countering the threat that faces us all and bolstering Ukraine’s independence and national sovereignty and rebuilding our territorial integrity.”
Ukraine’s ambassador to Washington, Alexander Yelchenko, said that the two vessels were “a clear signal to Russia that Ukraine does not stand alone in our fight against Russian aggression.”
He promised: “The Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian state will never forget America’s help provided at a time of real need.”
All 28 Ukrainian sailors and four officers received certificates from the speakers. The ceremony concluded with a Ukrainian officer and sailor using a sword to cut a cake decked out in Ukrainian colors.
During their training, the Ukrainians were taught how to handle the various navigational, communications, computer, electronic and other aspects of the vessels that they would be responsible for operating once they went into service with the Ukrainian Navy.
With the Ukrainians manning the vessels, the craft, several times, sailed out into the Chesapeake Bay, with the American teachers aboard. They handled the ships in different scenarios such as battle, bad weather, emergencies including fire and practiced evacuation procedures.
Ukrainian and American sailors, along with distinguished guests, pose in front of the Cutter Sumy at a completion ceremony on March 26, 2021, in Baltimore, Maryland. (Askold Krushelnycky)
Sashko Dorozhkin, 26, from Zaporizhya Oblast, whose expertise is in shipboard electrics, was singled out as the trainee who had performed best.
He said that he and his shipmates were not only impressed by the professionalism of the American personnel but were all moved by the warmth and generosity of their U.S. hosts. He said many of the Ukrainians had forged lasting friendships with the Americans.
Lieutenant Oleksii Kundilovskyi (32), who will serve on the Sumy, said: “The training we received was not just academic but gave us great practical experience. We had extremely professional and knowledgeable instructors. We’ve learned valuable lessons about integrating in operations with other countries’ navies and the next steps in more effective collaboration between Ukraine and America.”
Despite the pandemic, Kundilovskyi said that they were taken on some sightseeing trips, including to the capital, Washington. The Ukrainian diaspora community had also welcomed them and many of the sailors had attended Ukrainian Orthodox and Catholic churches in Baltimore.
He said it was morale-boosting “to feel the support of the American people and government for Ukraine.”
Specialist First Class Dmytro Novakovsky, 21, said: “We saw how determined the instructors were to do their best for us and pass on their skills. We felt they understood what was happening in our country and how important their assistance was for Ukraine.”
He also learned that “America is a country where the people respect each other and show respect to others.”
Some of the American hosts told the Kyiv Post there was an additional dimension of satisfaction training Ukrainians whose country was in a conflict with Russia. “They are our friends and allies and helping them establish their defense is of benefit to America.”
Knight of the Coast Guard hoped that despite the pandemic restrictions the Ukrainians had got “a small taste of American life” that would be a foundation for “a relationship between the U.S. and Ukraine that would strengthen over time.”
