A branch of the armed forces designed to protect the sovereignty and the state interests of Ukraine in the coastal and the maritime areas, comprising of the naval fleet, coastal units and naval aviation. Sevastopol and Lake Donuzlav were the main bases for the fleet. By 2014, the coastal units of the Navy were the backbone of the ground component of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Crimea (the largest formations were concentrated in Perevalne, Feodosia, Kerch and Simferopol). The command of the Naval Forces was stationed in Sevastopol, and its subordinate command of the coastal defense forces was stationed in Simferopol.
