In 2018, the 8th Security and Support Division was split into two units, one being the
8th Raid Protection Ships Division and the other being the 31st Supply Ships Division. Three vessels of the division ( the
Nova Kakhovka, the
Smila, and the
Chygyrin) became integrated for the training of 2nd and 5th year naval cadets and were scheduled to visit
Turkey,
Romania, and
Bulgaria. The division's tugboat
Yany Kapu attempted to travel from the
Black Sea port of
Odesa in south-western Ukraine to the
Azov Sea port of
Mariupol in
eastern Ukraine but was intercepted by Russian warships and was captured in the ensuing
Kerch Strait incident. The captured vessel was returned to Ukraine on November 18, 2019, near
Cape Tarkhankut and was towed to
Ochakiv on November 20, 2019. In April 2020, the division's vessel
Shostka carried out exercises with the
Ukrainian Marine Corps. ==Vessels==