Zaporizhzhia submarine puts to sea

KYIV, April 25 /UKRINFORM/. The Ukrainian Navy Zaporizhzhia submarine has left the Bay of Sevastopol up top for the Black Sea to undergo the first stage of the trials.

Since 1993, this is the first sailing of the submarine with its own power unit, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

"The sailing of the Zaporizhzhia submarine is an important event for the Ukrainian Navy. Successful sea trials will provide the revival of the submarine forces of the domestic fleet. In turn, this will help conduct training of anti-submarine naval forces of Ukraine at high level," Minister of Defense Ukraine Dmytro Salamatin said.

In two days, it is planned to check the work of the power unit running in different modes, the condition of equipment and facilities.

According to the Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Vice-Admiral Ihor Kabanenko, the trials are being held in the regime of strict control over safety, all the necessary safety systems and equipment are deployed. "This gives grounds to assert the maximum protection of life and health of the crew of the submarine," Kabanenko underscored.