In Odesa, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with graduates and cadets of the Institute of Naval Forces of the Odesa Maritime Academy National University.
The Head of State congratulated everyone ahead of Navy Day and thanked everyone who has chosen a career in the naval service.
“The maritime component is important. The Black Sea is currently secured by our Armed Forces and our Navy, and this is, without a doubt, a vast body of experience that no one else in the world has,” the President said.
According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, we should share this experience with the partners who are helping us and continue developing Ukraine's Navy.
“I believe the most important asset Ukraine has today in the naval domain is experience that is growing every single day. Today, there can be no ship without drones, no navy without maritime drones, and no maritime drones without aviation, without helicopters,” the Head of State added.
During the meeting, participants discussed the need to restore a full-fledged higher military educational institution for the Navy, something Ukraine has lacked since 2014. The President noted that he had signed a decree today establishing the Naval Academy in Odesa. According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the academy must be modern and practice-oriented, and every issue related to its creation should be resolved without delay.
“The Naval Academy will be highly practical. I have seen the Navy leadership's presentation of the academy, and after my decree, we will approve it at the Staff meeting. The local authorities have been tasked with providing the site and the building, and every step needed to develop the academy will be approved,” the President said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that the academy is not meant to provide formal education, but to be built around modern training methods, the experience our military has already gained, and a strong material and military base.
Special attention will be given to the number of corvettes and boats Ukraine plans to bring into service. The Head of State spoke about the construction in Türkiye of the anti-submarine corvettes Hetman Ivan Mazepa and Hetman Ivan Vyhovskyi, plans to build two more corvettes, landing craft for the Marine Corps that we expect to receive from our partners in the near future, the development of a mine countermeasures flotilla, and ongoing efforts to scale up and modernize Sea Baby- and Magura-class maritime drones.
“We need to establish a line of defense at sea. That means modern technologies. We need modern aviation, ships, mine countermeasure brigades to deal with this massive mine contamination, and advanced drones – maritime and other types – that can be deployed from a variety of platforms,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The President also spoke about the creation of the Ukrainian National Pantheon. The Head of State is confident that it will include all key historical figures, including those who played a role in establishing the Ukrainian Navy.
“You can be certain that everyone who contributed to Ukraine's history will be included. The Pantheon of Heroes is a project that will continue for many years. We – and the leaders who come after us – will continue working to restore our history and bring its legacy back to Ukraine. It is one of the important places,” the President said.
