Defense of southern regions and production of maritime drones: Syrskyi meets with Navy command

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, met with the leadership and officers of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during a working trip to Odesa.

According to Ukrinform, Syrskyi wrote about this on Facebook.

"The Black Sea operational zone is one of the components of the theater of operations where the Defense Forces of Ukraine dictate their terms to the Russian invaders, thwart the aggressor's plans, and carry out their own active operations. The presence of the Russian fleet in the Black and Azov Seas has been practically neutralized," Syrskyi noted.

According to him, the Ukrainian Navy is now a key element in ensuring defense capability and security in the Black Sea region.

The Commander-in-Chief heard reports from the Commander of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Vice Admiral Oleksii Neizhpapa, and other officials on the situation in the Black Sea operational zone, as well as on strengthening the security of sea routes and ports. The focus was on protecting the southern borders and increasing the ability to operate effectively at sea.

Together with the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Andrii Hnatov, Syrskyi visited units of the Navy's strike forces - the Neptun coastal anti-ship missile systems, as well as units responsible for the defense of ports and maritime communications - the ship and boat fleet, and air defense and anti-boat defense units.

On site, Syrskyi held a meeting on Ukraine's maritime defense. He reviewed the results and further steps in developing surface forces, maritime uncrewed systems, and unmanned aerial systems.

"The role of unmanned and crewless systems is becoming decisive in all domains, including at sea. Therefore, our task is to scale up production, quickly implement new solutions, and act ahead of the enemy. We will strengthen the combat capabilities of the ship and boat fleet to counter the enemy's maritime and air drones," Syrskyi stressed.

According to him, another important direction is the creation of an Integrated Maritime Awareness System by combining all sensors of Ukraine's ministries and agencies operating at sea. Some solutions are already being implemented at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels.

"Based on the results of the joint activities, I issued the necessary orders for further action. I thank every naval service member who is bringing our victory closer and holding the sea under the Ukrainian flag," Syrskyi emphasized.

As Ukrinform reported, according to Syrskyi, the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration remains one of the hottest sections of the front, and the Russian army's main efforts are concentrated in that direction.