In 2018, the
9th division of Surface Ships was established for the defense of the
Sea of Azov at
Berdyansk and
Mariupol.
Berdyansk,
Nikopol and
Yana Kapu were originally set to be a part of this division but following the
Kerch Strait incident, the plan wasn't implemented. On September 20, 2018, two new vessels commanded to join the division (
Donbass and
Korets) set off on a trip from the
Western Naval Base to
Berdyansk. Near
Sevastopol a vessel of the
FSB Coast Guard began following them and was later joined by another vessel. Two other vessels of the division (the
Kremenchuk and the
Lubny) departed from
Berdyansk as reinforcement. Soon multiple vessels of the
FSB Coast Guard and
Russian Navy accumulated in the area, but the division's vessels were able to safely reach their destination without combat. During 2019, the vessel
Korets, along with other vessels from the
Ukrainian Navy and
Ukrainian Sea Guard conducted exercises in the
Sea of Azov. In November while conducting exercises with another vessel of the division, the
Kremenchuk, they discovered a Russian vessel forcing them to withdraw. On September 22, 2020, two vessels and a large amount of equipment were transferred to the division via the
Melitopol highway to strengthen the security in the
Sea of Azov. In March 2022, the ship
Korets was captured by Russians during the
Siege of Mariupol and was moved to
Novorossiysk. Also in March 2022, the ship
Kremenchuk was captured by the Russians in
Mariupol, and the
Ackerman and
Vyshhorod were captured in Berdyansk and transferred to
Novorossiysk. Also in March 2022, the vessel
Lubny of the division was sunk during the
Siege of Mariupol. On April 6, 2022, during the
Battle of Mariupol, the brigade's ship
Donbass was partially sunk but raised by Russians who then captured it. On May 16 2022, the vessel
Lubny of the division was raised by Russian forces from the ocean floor. ==Vessels==