French shipbuilder OCEA has launched the first of 20 new patrol boats ordered by Ukraine's Ministry of Interior for the country's State Border Guard Service.
The first vessel is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2022. OCEA will build 15 of the vessels in the order while Ukraine's Nibulon Shipyard will build the remaining five units.
The 32-metre boats will be used for missions including deep-sea surveillance, sea control, anti-smuggling and anti-illegal immigration patrols, environmental protection, and search and rescue. Their area of operations will include the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
