During a meeting with cadets and graduates of the Naval Institute of the Naval Forces in Odessa, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he had signed a decree establishing a Naval Academy. According to him, the new institution will train officers to modern standards, taking into account the combat experience gained during the war. This was reported by the President of Ukraine.
During his visit to Odessa, President Volodymyr Zelensky met with graduates and cadets of the Naval Institute of the Odesa Maritime Academy. During the meeting, he said that he had signed a decree to create a Naval Academy in Odessa.
The President congratulated future officers on the upcoming Day of the Naval Forces of Ukraine and stressed that the Ukrainian fleet already has unique combat experience unmatched in the world today.
According to Zelensky, modern naval forces can no longer be imagined without unmanned technologies. He noted that ships must operate in coordination with maritime drones, aviation, and helicopters, and that Ukraine must not only preserve this experience but also share it with international partners.
He stated that the full system of officer training for the Navy, which was lost after the occupation of Crimea in 2014, is being restored. The President said the new Naval Academy will be a modern educational institution with a practical approach to training. According to him, the concept for the academy has already been prepared by the Naval Command. Following his decree, all necessary decisions regarding the development of the institution are expected to be approved at a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s Staff. Local authorities have already been instructed to provide premises and build the necessary infrastructure.
Zelensky also said that construction of anti-submarine corvettes Hetman Ivan Mazepa and Hetman Ivan Vyhovsky is ongoing in Turkey, and work is underway on two additional corvettes. In addition, Ukraine is expecting landing craft from partners, is forming a flotilla of mine countermeasure vessels, and is continuing to expand and modernize multipurpose naval drones Sea Baby and Magura.
The President emphasized that Ukraine needs to build a modern maritime defense system combining ships, aviation, unmanned technologies, and mine countermeasure units. The meeting also touched on the creation of the Ukrainian National Pantheon. According to Zelensky, it will include prominent figures from Ukrainian history, including those who contributed to the formation and development of Ukraine’s Naval Forces.
