Ukraine has begun repair work on the largest vessel in service with its Navy.
The vessel, a frigate named Hetman Sahaidachny, is currently undergoing the repair work at Ilyichevsk Shipyard in Odessa, Ukraine. The frigate was seen in the waters by the shipyard in recent video.
Repair work will seek to improve the ship’s combat effectiveness, as well as increase its operational lifespan and better the conditions for personnel onboard. The repairs were supposed to begin sooner, but apparent misappropriation of funds by the first firm to be contracted forced Kiev to issue a new tender for the ship’s repair.
Leninska Kuznya won the new tender in early 2017. Since Hetman Sahaidachny would have difficulty navigating the Dneiper River to the firm’s own facilities, Leninska Kuznya will conduct the repairs at Ilyichevsk Shipyard.
Hetman Sahaidachny, the flagship of the Ukrainian Navy, weighs nearly 3,600 tons at full load. The vessel is 123 meters long and can travel at speeds up to 32 knots. Onboard the ship is a range of armaments: a 9K33 Osa surface-to-air missile station, several AK-630 close-in weapons systems, torpedo tubes, and an RBU-6000 anti-submarine rocket launcher.
Military markets analyst, covering Eurasia, Middle East, and Africa.
